A message from the LORD came to Beeri's son Hosea during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Joash's son Jeroboam, who was king of Israel.

The beginning of the word of Yahweh with Hosea, was, - that Yahweh said unto Hosea, Go take thee a woman of unchastity, and the children of unchastity, for, unchastely indeed, hath the land been going away from following Yahweh.

The LORD told Hosea, "Name the child "Jezreel,' because in a little while I'll avenge the blood that was shed by Jehu's dynasty at Jezreel. I'll put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

And it was in that day and I broke the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

Yet the number of the children 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 unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

Lest I strip off her under-clothing, and set her forth to view, as in the day she was born, - and make her like a wilderness, and render her like a land that is parched, and suffer her to die of thirst;

Because their mother was unfaithful; she who conceived them has acted shamefully, for she said: "I will go after my lovers, the ones who give [me] my bread, my water, my wool, and my flax, my oil, and my drink."

And, when she shall pursue her lovers, and not overtake them, and shall seek them and not find, then will she say, Let me go my way now! and return unto my first husband, for it was better with me, then, than, now!

She didn't recognize that it was I who provided her grain, wine, and oil, and it was I who gave her silver, while they crafted gold for Baal.

"Therefore I'll return and take back my grain at harvest time and my new wine in its season. I'll take back my wool and my flax that was to have covered her nakedness.

From there I will give back her vineyards to her, and turn the "Valley of Trouble" into an "Opportunity for Hope." There she will sing as she did when she was young, when she came up from the land of Egypt.

And it was in that day, says Jehovah, thou shalt call me, My husband; and thou shalt no more call to me, My Lord.

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

So will I sow her unto me in the land, and will have compassion upon the uncompassionated one, - and will say to him who was No-people-of-mine, My people, thou art, and, he, shall say, My God!

And thou wert weak in the day, and the prophet also was weak with thee by night, and I destroyed thy mother.

As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, - My glory - for what was contemptible, did they exchange.

And it was as the people so the priest: and I reviewed upon them their way; and their doings I will turn back to them.

Upon the heads of the mountains they will sacrifice, and upon the hills they will burn incense, under the oak and the white poplar and the terebinth, because its shadow was good: for this your daughters will commit fornication, and your brides shall commit adultery.

For as a stubborn heifer Israel was stubborn: now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a wide place.

And, a slaughter, have apostates deeply designed, - though, I, was a rebuker to them all.

I knew Ephraim and Israel were not hid from me: for now thou didst commit fornication, O Ephraim; Israel was deified.

And the pride of Israel was humbled in his face, and Israel and Ephraim shall be weak in their iniquity; Judah also being weak with them.

Ephraim will be oppressed, crushed under judgment, because he was determined to pursue worthless idols.

But, I, was like a moth, to Ephraim, - and like rotten wood to the house of Judah.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sore, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb; but he was unable to heal you, nor hath he removed your sore.

And we shall know, we shall pursue to know Jehovah: as the morning his going forth was prepared; and he shall come as the rain to us, as the latter rain, the early rain of the earth.

In the house of Israel I saw something horrible: there the fornications to Ephraim, Israel was defiled.

When I would have brought healing to Israel, then was disclosed the iniquity of Ephraim, and the wicked doings of Samaria, for they have wrought falsehood, - when, a thief, would enter, a band roamed about, outside,

On the day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.

Ephraim will mingle himself among my people; Ephraim was a cake not turned.

Strangers consumed his strength, and he knew not: also grayness of hair was sprinkled upon him, and he knew not

And the pride of Israel was humbled in his face: and they turned not back to Jehovah their God. and sought him not in all this

Ephraim was like a dove, silly, {without sense}; they call [to] Egypt, they go [to] Assyria.

May trouble be theirs! for they have gone far away from me; and destruction, for they have been sinning against me; I was ready to be their saviour, but they said false words against me.

Thy calf rejected, O Shomeron; mine anger was kindled against them: how long shall they not be able to be clean?

Because from Israel it was fashioned by craftsmen, it is not God; therefore Samaria's calf will be broken in pieces.

Israel was swallowed down: now they were among the nations as a vessel no delight in it.

The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.

When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness. I viewed your ancestors like an early fig on a fig tree in its first season. Then they came to Baal-Peor and they dedicated themselves to shame -- they became as detestable as what they loved.

Ephraim! just as I provided for Tyre, was planted in a meadow, - yet, Ephraim, must needs bring forth for a murderer his children.

Ephraim was smitten, their root was dried up, they shall not make fruit: also if they shall bring forth, and I destroyed the desires of their womb.

Israel was a fertile vine that yielded fruit. As his fruit multiplied, he multiplied altars to Baal. As his land prospered, they adorned the fertility pillars.

Their heart was divided; now shall they be guilty: he will break down their altars, he shall lay waste their images

For the calves of the house of vanity they shall fear dwelling in Shomeron: for his people mourned over it, and his priests will exult over it, for its glory, for it was removed from it

Shomeron, her king was cut off as chiefs upon the face of the waters.

Ephraim was a well-trained heifer who loved to thresh grain; I myself put a fine yokeon her neck. I will harness Ephraim. Let Judah plow! Let Jacob break up the unplowed ground for himself!

Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

Thus did the house of God to you from the face of the evil of your evil: in the morning the king of Israel being cut off, was cut off.

When Israel was, a child, then I loved him, - and, out of Egypt, called I my son.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, supporting them by their arms, but they never knew that I was healing them.

With human cords, used I to draw them, with the bands of love, so became I unto them like those who remove the yoke that was on their jaws, - and, holding out food to him, I let him eat.

He was not to turn back into the land of Egypt, Howbeit, the Assyrian - he, became his king, for they refused to turn.

And the sword was polished in his cities, and it consumed his branches, and devoured from their counsels.

How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? Shall I deliver thee over, O Israel? How shall I give thee as the earth? Shall I set thee as roes? My heart was turned upon me; my grievings were kindled together.

Ephraim surrounded me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit: and Judah even ruled with God, and was faithful with the holy ones.

In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And by his strength he was a prince with God,

And Ephraim will say, Surely I became rich, I found to me wealth: all my labors shall not be found to me iniquity which was sin.

And, by a prophet, Yahweh, brought up, Israel out of Egypt, - and, by a prophet, was he watched over.

When Ephraim, spake, there was terror, exalted was, he, in Israel, - but, when he became guilty with Baal, then he died.

I cared for you in the wilderness, in the dry desert where no water was.

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

It hath utterly destroyed thee, O Israel, for it was against me, as thy helper!

I have given you a king, because I was angry, and have taken him away in my wrath.

The iniquity of Ephraim was bound up; his sin was concealed.

The pangs of a woman in travail shall come upon him: he is a son not wise; for at the time of the breaking forth of children, he was not there.

Ephraim: What to me yet to images? I humbled, and I will regard him: I as the green cypress From me thy fruit was found.