The beginning of the word of Jehovah through Hosea. And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms; for the land is entirely given up to whoredom, away from Jehovah.

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; and I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies;

and I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know Jehovah.

And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be another man's, and I will also be for thee.

And thou shalt stumble by day; and the prophet also shall stumble with thee by night: and I will destroy thy mother.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; for thou hast rejected knowledge, and I will reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; cry aloud at Beth-aven: behind thee, O Benjamin!

What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? What shall I do unto thee, Judah? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away.

Also, for thee, Judah, is a harvest appointed, when I shall turn again the captivity of my people.

They shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee; we, Israel.

Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be incapable of purity?

How shall I give thee over, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee up, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man, the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not come in anger.

But I that am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt will again make thee to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast.

I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

Where then is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? --

I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Thou art our God; because in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.