Hosea 2:8–17

⁸She wouldn’t admit that I was the one

who gave her everything she had.

I provided her with grain, olive oil and fresh wine.

I gave her plenty of silver and gold.

But she used it to make statues of Baal.

⁹So I will take away my grain when it gets ripe.

I’ll take my fresh wine when it’s ready.

I’ll take back my wool and my linen.

I gave them to her to cover her naked body.

¹⁰So now I’ll uncover her body.

All of her lovers will see it.

No one can stop me from punishing her.

¹¹I will put a stop to the special times she celebrates.

I’ll bring an end to the feasts she celebrates each year.

I’ll stop her New Moon Feasts and her Sabbath days.

I’ll bring all of her appointed feasts to an end.

¹²I will destroy her vines and her fig trees.

She said they were her pay from her lovers.

I’ll make them like clumps of bushes and weeds.

Wild animals will eat them up.

¹³The Lord announces,

“Israel burned incense to the gods

that were named after Baal.

I will punish her

for all of the times she did that.

She decorated herself with rings and jewelry.

Then she went after her lovers.

But she forgot all about me.

¹⁴“So now I am going to draw her back to me.

I will lead her into the desert.

There I will speak tenderly to her.

¹⁵I will give her back her vineyards.

I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope for her.

Then she will love me, as she did when she was young.

She will love me just as she did

when she came up out of Egypt.

¹⁶“A new day is coming,” announces the Lord.

“Israel will call me My Husband.

She will no longer call me My Master.

¹⁷She will no longer speak about the gods

that are named after Baal.

She will not pray to them for help anymore.