The Word of Jehovah that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

And it shall be, at that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

lest I strip her naked and set her out as in the day that she was born; and lest I make her as the wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

Therefore behold, I will hedge your way with thorns, and wall up her wall, that she shall not find her paths.

For she did not know that I gave her grain, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, of which she has said, They are my rewards that my lovers have given me. And I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.

And it shall be at that day, says Jehovah, you shall call Me, My Husband, and shall no more call Me, My Baal.

And in that day I will cut a covenant for them, with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground. And I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

And it will be, in that day I will answer, says Jehovah. I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth,

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel I have made known that which is confirmed.

So I have cut them down by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth. And your judgments were as the light that goes forth.

And they do not say within their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their own doings have hemmed them in; they are before My face.

They have set up kings, but not by Me; they have made rulers, and I knew it not. They have made themselves idols with their silver and their gold, so that they may be cut off.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first-fruit in the fig tree at her first time. But they went to Baal-peor and set themselves apart to a shameful thing; and they became abominable like that which they loved.

I also taught Ephraim to go; He took them on His arm. But they did not know that I healed them.

And Ephraim said, Yet I have become rich, I have found much wealth for myself. In all my labors they shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.

Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passes away, as the chaff storm-driven out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities; and your judges of whom you said, Give me a king and rulers?

Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah. Say to Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, that we may repay with the calves of our lips.