1 The Lord’s word that came to Hosea, Beeri’s son, in the days of Judah’s Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and in the days of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Joash’s son.

God commands Hosea to marry

² When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to him,“Go, marry a prostitute and have children of prostitution, for the people of the land commit great prostitution by deserting the Lord.” ³ So Hosea went and took Gomer, Diblaim’s daughter, and she became pregnant and bore him a son. ⁴ The Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will destroy the kingdom of the house of Israel. ⁵ On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Jezreel Valley.” ⁶ Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Name her No Compassion, because I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel or forgive them. ⁷ But I will have compassion on the house of Judah. I, the Lord their God, will save them; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen.” ⁸ When Gomer finished nursing No Compassion, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. ⁹ Then the Lord said, “Name him Not My People because you are not my people, and I am not your God.”^[a]

Hope for the future

^10 [b] Yet the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it will be said to them, “Children of the living God.” ¹¹ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together, and they will choose one head. They will become fruitful in the land.^[c] The day will be a wonderful one for Jezreel.