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.

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, he said to him, "Go marry a prostitute who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution, because the nation continually commits spiritual prostitution by turning away from the Lord."

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; who conceived, and bore him a son.

Then the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together,
And they will appoint for themselves one leader,
And they will go up from the land,
For great and glorious will be the day of Jezreel.

For their mother, hath been unchaste, and she that conceived them, hath caused shame, - for she said, Let me go after my lovers! who used to give my bread, and my water, my wool, and my flax, mine oil, and my drink.

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.

So will I visit upon her the days of the Baals, unto whom she used to burn incense, and decked herself with her nose-ring and her jewelry, and went her way after her lovers, - whereas, me, she forgat, Declareth Yahweh.

And the earth shall respond to the grain and the new wine and the oil [which beg it to bring them forth],
And they will respond to Jezreel [My Israel, who will now be restored].

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!

Then said Yahweh unto me, Once more, go love a woman who loveth a friend, and is an adulteress, - according to the love of Yahweh unto the sons of Israel, though they keep turning away unto other gods, and love idolatrous raisin-cakes.

"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with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, - moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, - since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:

I do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice, - and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined.

Those who revolt are knee-deep in slaughter, but I will discipline them all.

The rulers of Judah have become as they who remove a land-mark. Upon them, will I pour out, like water, my wrath.

Because I [will be] like a lion to Ephraim and like a fierce strong lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear and I will go; I will carry off, and there is no one who delivers.

Come, let us return to Yahweh; because [it is] he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck us down and will bind us up.

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

Like raiders who wait in ambush for someone,
a band of priests murders on the road to Shechem.
They commit atrocities.

They all, are adulterers, like an oven too hot for the baker, - who leaveth off stoking, after kneading the dough, till the whole be leavened.

They are all hot like an oven
And they consume their judges (rulers);
All their kings have fallen.
There is no one among them who calls to Me.

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.

They set kings in place, but not by me. They established princes, whom I did not recognize. They crafted idols for themselves from their silver and gold; as a result, they will be destroyed.

They won't present wine offerings to the LORD, nor will they please him. Their sacrifices will seem like food for mourners everyone who eats them will become unclean; none of them will enter the Temple of the LORD.

The days of punishment have come;
The days of retribution are at hand;
Let Israel know this!
The prophet is [considered] a fool;
The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented,
Because of the abundance of your wickedness and guilt,
And because your deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.

About the calves of Beth-aven, will the inhabitant of Samaria be concerned, - for the people thereof, have mourned over it, and, the ascetics thereof, who, over it, used to exult, shall mourn for the glory thereof, because it hath departed therefrom.

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!

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.

My people are bent on turning from Me;
Though the prophets call them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.

They will go after the LORD, who will roar like a lion; and when he roars, the children will come trembling from the west.

Ephraim surrounds Me with lies
And the house of Israel with deceit;
Judah is also unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.

Even the Lord, the God of hosts,
The name of Him [who spoke with Jacob] is the Lord.

"Yet I remain the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival of that name.

And now do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding -- idols, A work of artisans -- all of it, Of them they say, who are sacrificers among men, 'The calves let them kiss.'

But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you must not acknowledge any God but me; except me there is no Savior.

I will destroy you, O Israel! Who is there to help you?

Where is thy king, then, that he may save thee throughout all thy cities? and thy judges, concerning whom thou saidst, Oh give me a king and rulers?

Samaria will be made waste, for she has gone against her God: they will be cut down by the sword, their little children will be broken on the rocks, their women who are with child will be cut open.

Assyria will not be our salvation; we will not go on horses; we will not again say to the work of our hands, You are our gods; for in you there is mercy for the child who has no father.

They who dwell in his shade shall again show life like the corn, and break forth as the vine, - and, the remembrance of him, shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like a luxuriant cypress;
From Me comes your fruit.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things? intelligent, that he may take knowledge of them? For, straightforward, are the ways of Yahweh, and, the righteous, shall travel therein, but, transgressors, shall stumble therein.