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She will run after her lovers,
    but not catch them;
she will search,
    but not find them.
Then she will say, “I'll return
to my first husband.
    Life was better then.”
She didn't know that her grain,
wine, and olive oil
    were gifts from me,
as were the gold and silver
    she used in worshiping Baal.[a]

So I'll hold back the harvest
    of grain and grapes.
I'll take back
my wool and my linen
    that cover her body.

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Footnotes

  1. 2.8 Baal: A Canaanite god of fertility.

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
    she will look for them but not find them.(A)
Then she will say,
    ‘I will go back to my husband(B) as at first,(C)
    for then I was better off(D) than now.’
She has not acknowledged(E) that I was the one
    who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,(F)
who lavished on her the silver and gold(G)
    which they used for Baal.(H)

“Therefore I will take away my grain(I) when it ripens,
    and my new wine(J) when it is ready.
I will take back my wool and my linen,
    intended to cover her naked body.

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