This is the word of the Lord which was revealed to Hosea son of Beeri during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah ruled Judah, and during the time when Jeroboam son of Joash ruled Israel.

When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:

Go and marry a promiscuous wife
and have children of promiscuity,
for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity
by abandoning the Lord.

Despite this, the number of the people of Israel will be like ocean sand, which can neither be measured nor counted. And the time will come when instead of it being said, "You are not my people,' it will be said, "You are children of the living God.'

For this cause I will put thorns in her road, building up a wall round her so that she may not go on her way.

For this I will turn back and take away my grain in its time, and my new wine in its appointment, and I took away my wool and my linen to cover her nakedness.

And I will punish her for the days of the Baals
when she burned incense to them,
put on her rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but forgot Me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

For this cause I will make her come into the waste land and will say words of comfort to her.

"Hear this message from the LORD, people of Israel. Indeed, the LORD brings a charge against the people who live in the land for there is no truth and no gracious love or knowledge of God in the land.

For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, - moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, commit adultery.

Hear ye this - O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, and ye, House of the King, give ear, for, to you, pertaineth the sentence, - for, a snare, have ye been to Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.

For this cause, have I hewn them in pieces by the prophets, I have slain them by the sayings of my mouth, - and, my justice, as a light goeth forth.

"But like Adam, they broke the covenant; in this they have acted deceitfully against me.

Even so goeth it this day with our kings and princes, for they begin to be wood drunken through wine: they use familiarity with such as deceive them.

Therefore doth the Excellency of Israel, answer, to his face; yet have they not returned unto Yahweh their God, nor have they sought him, in spite of all this!

They would return - not to him who is on high! They have become like a deceitful bow, their rulers, shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue, this, shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

For even this [loathsome calf] is from Israel.
A craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces and go up in flames.

The days of punishment have come,
The days of retribution have come;
Let Israel know this!
The prophet is a fool,
The inspired man is demented,
Because of the grossness of your iniquity,
And because your hostility is so great.

They will be roused like birds from Egypt
and like doves from the land of Assyria.
Then I will settle them in their homes.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

For this they shall be as the cloud of the morning, and as the early dew going way; as the chaff will be driven from the threshing-floor on the wind, and as the smoke from the chimney.

Whenever they were pastured, then were they satisfied, They were satisfied, and their heart, was lifted up, - because of this, they forgat me.

The pains of a woman in childbirth will come on him: he is an unwise son, for at this time it is not right for him to keep his place when children come to birth.