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Hosea’s Adulterous Wife

Then Yahweh told me, “Love your wife again, even though she is loved by others and has committed adultery. Love her as I, Yahweh, love the Israelites, even though they have turned to other gods and love to eat raisin cakes.”

So I bought her for 23 ounces of silver and 10 bushels of barley. Then I told her, “You must wait for me a long time. Don’t be a prostitute or offer yourself to any man. I will wait for you.”

In the same way, the Israelites will wait a long time without kings or officials, without sacrifices or sacred stones, and without ephods[a] or family idols. After that, the Israelites will turn and look to Yahweh their Elohim and David their king. They will come trembling to Yahweh for his blessings in the last days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:4 Ephod is a technical term for part of the priest’s clothes. Its exact usage and shape are unknown.

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.(A) Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.(B)

So I bought her for fifteen shekels[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek[b] of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince,(C) without sacrifice(D) or sacred stones,(E) without ephod(F) or household gods.(G) Afterward the Israelites will return and seek(H) the Lord their God and David their king.(I) They will come trembling(J) to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.(K)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:2 That is, about 6 ounces or about 170 grams
  2. Hosea 3:2 A homer and a lethek possibly weighed about 430 pounds or about 195 kilograms.