Hosea 2:5–9

Their mother has been unfaithful

and has conceived them in disgrace.

She said, ‘I will go after my lovers,

who give me my food and my water,

my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’

Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;

I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;

she will look for them but not find them.

Then she will say,

‘I will go back to my husband as at first,

for then I was better off than now.’

She has not acknowledged that I was the one

who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,

who lavished on her the silver and gold—

which they used for Baal.

“Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens,

and my new wine when it is ready.

I will take back my wool and my linen,

intended to cover her naked body.

Yes, their mother is promiscuous;

she conceived them and acted shamefully.

For she thought, “I will follow my lovers,

the men who give me my food and water,

my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

Therefore, this is what I will do:

I will block her way with thorns;

I will enclose her with a wall,

so that she cannot find her paths.

She will pursue her lovers but not catch them;

she will look for them but not find them.

Then she will think,

“I will go back to my former husband,

for then it was better for me than now.”

She does not recognize

that it is I who gave her the grain,

the new wine, and the fresh oil.

I lavished silver and gold on her,

which they used for Baal.

Therefore, I will take back my grain in its time

and my new wine in its season;

I will take away my wool and linen,

which were to cover her nakedness.

Their mother is a shameless prostitute

and became pregnant in a shameful way.

She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers

and sell myself to them for food and water,

for clothing of wool and linen,

and for olive oil and drinks.’

“For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes.

I will block her path with a wall

to make her lose her way.

When she runs after her lovers,

she won’t be able to catch them.

She will search for them

but not find them.

Then she will think,

‘I might as well return to my husband,

for I was better off with him than I am now.’

She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has—

the grain, the new wine, the olive oil;

I even gave her silver and gold.

But she gave all my gifts to Baal.

“But now I will take back the ripened grain and new wine

I generously provided each harvest season.

I will take away the wool and linen clothing

I gave her to cover her nakedness.

Because their mother was unfaithful;

she who conceived them has acted shamefully,

for she said:

“I will go after my lovers,

the ones who give me my bread, my water,

my wool, and my flax,

my oil, and my drink.”

Therefore, Look!

I am going to hedge her path with thorns,

and I will build a stone wall, a stone wall against her,

and she will not find her paths.

Then she will pursue her lovers,

but she will not overtake them;

she will seek them and not find them;

and she will say, “I will go

and return to my first husband

because it was better for me then than now.”

But she did not know

that it was I who gave her

grain, new wine, and oil,

and who gave her silver in abundance,

and gold which they made into a Baal.

Therefore I will take again

my grain in its time,

and my wine in its season;

and I will take away my wool and my flax,

which were to cover her nakedness.

For their mother hath played the harlot:

She that conceived them hath done shamefully:

For she said, I will go after my lovers,

That give me my bread and my water,

My wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns,

And make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them;

And she shall seek them, but shall not find them:

Then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband;

For then was it better with me than now.

For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil,

And multiplied her silver and gold,

Which they prepared for Baal.

Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof,

And my wine in the season thereof,

And will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.