1 The word of the Lord that came^(A) to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah,^(B) Jotham,^(C) Ahaz^(D) and Hezekiah,^(E) kings of Judah,^(F) and during the reign of Jeroboam^(G) son of Jehoash^[a] king of Israel:^(H)

Hosea’s Wife and Children

² When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous^(I) woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness^(J) to the Lord.” ³ So he married Gomer^(K) daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

⁴ Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel,^(L) because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. ⁵ In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.^(M)”

⁶ Gomer^(N) conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”),^(O) for I will no longer show love to Israel,^(P) that I should at all forgive them. ⁷ Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow,^(Q) sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God,^(R) will save them.”

⁸ After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah,^(S) Gomer had another son. ⁹ Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.^[b](T)

¹⁰ “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted.^(U) In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’^{(V) 11} The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together;^(W) they will appoint one leader^(X) and will come up out of the land,^(Y) for great will be the day of Jezreel.^[c](Z)

2 ^[d]“Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’^(AA)

Israel Punished and Restored

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

3 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)”

² So I bought her for fifteen shekels^[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek^[b] of barley. ³ 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.”

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.^{(A) 33} But seek first his kingdom^(B) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.^(C)

¹⁰ When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,^{(A) 11} houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig,^(B) and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,^{(C) 12} be careful that you do not forget^(D) the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples^(A) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;^{(B) 20} you were bought at a price.^(C) Therefore honor God with your bodies.^(D)

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^(A)