The word of LORD 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.

Yet the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, it shall be said to them, Th

Contend with your mother. Contend, for she is not my wife, nor am I her husband. And let her put away her whoredoms from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts,

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

And I will give her her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall make answer there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

And LORD said to me, Go again, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, and an adulteress, even as LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.

Hear the word of LORD, ye sons of Israel, for LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

There is nothing but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery. They break out, and blood touches blood.

Yet, let no man strive, nor let any man reprove, for thy people are as those who strive with the priest.

As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow of it is good. Therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend, and come not ye to Gilgal, nor go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As LORD lives.

For Israel has behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Now LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me. For now, O Ephraim, thou have played the harlot; Israel is defiled.

Their doings will not allow them to turn to their God, for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they do not know LORD.

Ephraim is oppressed. He is crushed in judgment, because he was content to walk after [man's] command.

Therefore I am to Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah [saw] his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb. But he is not able to heal you, nor will he cure you of your wound.

For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away, I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver.

Come, and let us return to LORD, for he has torn, and he will heal us. He has smitten, and he will bind us up.

After two days he will revive us. On the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him.

And let us know, let us follow on to know LORD. His going forth is sure as the morning, and he will come to us as the rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth.

O Ephraim, what shall I do to thee? O Judah, what shall I do to thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goes away early.

Therefore I have hewed them by the prophets. I have slain them by the words of my mouth. And thy judgments are [as] the light that goes forth.

Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem. Yea, they have committed iniquity.

I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel. Whoredom is there in Ephraim; Israel is defiled.

Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for thee when I bring back the captivity of my people.

When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. For they commit falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the troop of robbers ravages outside.

They are all adulterers. They are as an oven heated by the baker. He ceases to stir [the fire], from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

For they have made their heart ready like an oven, while they lay in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings are fallen. There is none among those who call to me.

Ephraim, he mixes himself among the peoples. Ephraim is a cake not turned.

And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them. I will bring them down as the birds of the heavens. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.

[Set] the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle [he comes] against the house of LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy shall pursue him.

He has cast off thy calf, O Samaria. MY anger is kindled against them. How long will it be ere they attain to innocence?

For even this is from Israel: the workman made it, and it is no God. Yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

Israel is swallowed up. They are now among the nations as a vessel in which no man delights.

I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law, but they are counted as a strange thing.

As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it, but LORD does not accept them. He will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. They shall return to Egypt.

They shall not pour out wine-offerings to LORD, nor shall they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of mourners. All who eat of it shall be polluted, for their bread shall be for their appetite. It sha

The days of visitation have come. The days of recompense have come. Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the abundance of thine iniquity, and because the enmity is great.

Ephraim [was] a watchman with my God. As for the prophet, a fowler's snare is in all his ways, [and] enmity in the house of his God.

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will visit their sins.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season. But they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that w

As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird. There shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.

Ephraim, just as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place, but Ephraim shall bring out his sons to the slayer.

All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more. All their rulers are rebels.

Ephraim is smitten. Their root is dried up. They shall bear no fruit. Yea, though they bring forth, yet I will kill the beloved fruit of their womb.

Israel is a luxuriant vine that puts forth his fruit. According to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars. According to the goodness of their land they have made goodly pillars.

Their heart is divided. Now they shall be found guilty. He will smite their altars. He will destroy their pillars.

Surely now they shall say, We have no king, for we fear not LORD. And the king, what can he do for us?

They speak [vain] words, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

[As for] Samaria, her king is cut off, as foam upon the water.

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

When it is my desire, I will chastise them. And the peoples shall be gathered against them, when they are bound to their two transgressions.

And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught, that loves to tread out [the grain]. But I have passed over upon her fair neck. I will set a rider on Ephraim. Judah shall plow. Jacob shall break his clods.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness. Reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek LORD, till he comes and rains righteousness upon you.

Therefore a tumult shall arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in the day of battle; the mother was dashed in pieces with her sons.

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who lift up the yoke on their jaws. And I laid food before them.

And my people are bent on backsliding from me. Though they call them to [him who is] on high, none at all will exalt [him].

How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? [How] shall I cast thee off, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? [How] shall I set thee as Zeboiim? My heart is turned within me. My compassions are kindled together.

They shall come trembling as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria. And I will make them to dwell in their houses, says LORD.

Ephraim encompasses me around with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah yet rules with God, and is faithful with the Holy One.

Ephraim feeds on wind, and follows after the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and desolation. And they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

Yea, he had strength over the [heavenly] agent, and prevailed, [as] he wept, and made supplication to him. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with us.

[He is] a Canaanite. The balances of deceit are in his hand. He loves to oppress.

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

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

Is Gilead iniquity? They are altogether false. In Gilgal they sacrifice bullocks. Yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the field.

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

Yet I am LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shall know no god but me, and besides me there is no savior.

Therefore I am to them as a lion. As a leopard I will watch by the way.

I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart. And there I will devour them like a lioness. The wild beast shall tear them.

It is thy destruction, O Israel, that [thou are] against me, against thy help.

Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities, and thy judges, of whom thou said, Give me a king and rulers?

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up. His sin is laid up in store.

The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, for it is time he should not tarry in the place of the breaking forth of sons.

I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. O death, where are thy plagues? O Sheol, where is thy sting? Repentance shall be hid from my eyes.

Take with you words, and return to LORD. Say to him, Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good. So we will render [as] bullocks [the offering of] our lips.

Assyria shall not save us. We will not ride upon horses, nor will we say any more to the work of our hands, Our gods. For in thee the fatherless finds mercy.

I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely. For my anger is turned away from him.

I will be as the dew to Israel. He shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

Those who dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive [as] the grain, and blossom as the vine. The scent of it shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim [shall say], What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered, and will regard him. I am like a green fir tree. From me thy fruit is found.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things, prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them. But transgressors shall fall therein.