Add parallel Print Page Options

God Commands Hosea to Start a Family

The word of Yahweh that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

At the beginning when Yahweh spoke[a] through Hosea,
Yahweh said to Hosea,
    “Go, take for yourself a wife and children of whoredom,
    because the land commits great whoredom
        forsaking Yahweh.”[b]
So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim,
    and she conceived and bore him a son.
And Yahweh said to him,
Name him[c] Jezreel;[d]
    because in a little while I will punish[e] the house of Jehu[f]
    for the blood[g] of Jezreel,[h]
        and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.[i]
On that day[j]
    I will break the bow of Israel
        in the Valley of Jezreel.”

And she conceived again and bore a daughter, and he[k] said to him,

Name her[l] Lo-ruhamah,[m]
for I will no longer have pity
    on the house of Israel
        or forgive them.[n]
But I will have pity on the house of Judah
    and I will save them by Yahweh their God,
and will not deliver them
    by bow, sword, war,
        horses, or horsemen.
And when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah,[o] she conceived and bore a son.
And he[p] said, “Name him[q] Lo-ammi,[r]
    for you are not my people
    and I am not your God.[s]
10 [t] The number of the children of Israel
    will be like the sand of the sea
    that cannot be measured or counted;
and in the place where it is said to them,
    “You are not my people,”
it will be said to them,
    “Children of the living God.”
11 Then the children of Judah
    and Israel will be gathered together,
and they will appoint for themselves
    one head;
and they will take possession of[u] the land,
    for great is the day of Jezreel.[v]

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 1:2 Literally “At the beginning of the talking of Yahweh”
  2. Hosea 1:2 Literally “from behind Yahweh”
  3. Hosea 1:4 Literally “Call his name”
  4. Hosea 1:4 Jezreel means “God sows”
  5. Hosea 1:4 Literally “I will visit sin upon”
  6. Hosea 1:4 Or “the dynasty of Jehu”
  7. Hosea 1:4 Or “bloodshed”
  8. Hosea 1:4 Jezreel means “God sows”
  9. Hosea 1:4 Or “the dynasty of Israel”
  10. Hosea 1:5 Literally “And it will happen on that day”
  11. Hosea 1:6 Yahweh
  12. Hosea 1:6 Literally “Call her name”
  13. Hosea 1:6 Lo-ruhamah means “Not pitied”
  14. Hosea 1:6 Literally “raise them up”
  15. Hosea 1:8 Lo-ruhamah means “Not pitied”
  16. Hosea 1:9 Yahweh
  17. Hosea 1:9 Literally “Call his name”
  18. Hosea 1:9 Lo-ammi means “not my people”
  19. Hosea 1:9 Hebrew “not yours”
  20. Hosea 1:10 Hosea 1:10–2:23 in the English Bible is 2:1–25 in the Hebrew Bible
  21. Hosea 1:11 Literally “they will go up from”
  22. Hosea 1:11 Jezreel means “God sows”