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The Unfaithful Wife

The word of Adonai that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel. When Adonai first spoke with Hosea, Adonai said to Hosea:

“Go, get yourself a prostitute as a wife
    and children with a prostitute!
For the land is an unfaithful prostitute,
    far from following after Adonai.”

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. Then Adonai said to him:

“Name him Jezreel[a] for in yet a little while
I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu,
and I will destroy the kingdom of the house of Israel.
In that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”

Then she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And He said to him:

“Name her Lo-ruhamah[b]
    for no longer will I have compassion on the house of Israel
    that I should ever pardon them.
But on the house of Judah I will have compassion
    and deliver them by Adonai, their God,
    yet not by bow, sword or battle,
        nor by horses and horsemen.”

After she weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. Then He said:

“Name him Lo-ammi[c],
    for you are not My people
    and I am not yours.”[d]

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 1:4 Meaning, God will sow or God will scatter.
  2. Hosea 1:6 Meaning, Shown no compassion.
  3. Hosea 1:9 Meaning, Not my people.
  4. Hosea 1:9 Traditional texts number as 11:8-11 to 2:23.