{At the beginning when Yahweh spoke} through Hosea, Yahweh said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife and children of whoredom, because the land commits great whoredom {forsaking Yahweh}."

And when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son.

Lest I strip her naked and expose her like the day when she was born; I will make her like the desert and turn her into parched land; I will kill her with thirst.

When they became many, their sin increased against me; they changed their glory into shame.

{I will not punish your daughters} when they play the whore, or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; because they go aside with whores, and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes, a people that does not understand comes to ruin.

When their drinking has ended, they surely indulge in sexual orgies. They love lewdness more than their glory.

And [when] Ephraim saw his illness, and Judah his wound, Ephraim went to Assyria, he sent to the great king. But he was unable to cure you and heal your wound.

For you also, Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I restore the fortunes of my people,

when I would heal Israel, and the corruption of Ephraim is revealed, and the wicked deeds of Samaria; because they deal [in] falsehood, [the] thief breaks in, [and the] bandit raids the outside.

When Ephraim multiplied altars to expiate sins, they became to him altars to sin [on].

Even though they bring up their children, I will bereave them before maturity. Woe to them indeed, when I depart from them!

They utter words of vain oaths [when] {making covenants}, and judgment blossoms like a poisonous plant on the furrows of the field.

In my desire I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them when they are punished for {their double iniquities}.

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

When I called them, they went from my face. They sacrificed to the Baals, and they sacrificed to idols.

They will go after Yahweh; he roars like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from [the] sea.

When Ephraim spoke, [there was] terror; he was exalted in Israel, but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.

When I fed them, they were satisfied; they were satisfied and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.