Hosea 3:1–4:19

Israel Will Return to God

3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a alover 1and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”

2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You shall bstay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.”

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days cwithout king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without dephod or eteraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and fseek the Lord their God and gDavid their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the hlatter days.

God’s Charge Against Israel

4 Hear the word of the Lord,

You children of Israel,

For the Lord brings a acharge 1against the inhabitants of the land:

“There is no truth or mercy

Or bknowledge of God in the land.

2 By swearing and lying,

Killing and stealing and committing adultery,

They break all restraint,

With bloodshed 2upon bloodshed.

3 Therefore cthe land will mourn;

And deveryone who dwells there will waste away

With the beasts of the field

And the birds of the air;

Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.

4 “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;

For your people are like those ewho contend with the priest.

5 Therefore you shall stumble fin the day;

The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;

And I will destroy your mother.

6 gMy people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

hBecause you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

7 “The more they increased,

The more they sinned against Me;

iI 3will change 4their glory into shame.

8 They eat up the sin of My people;

They set their 5heart on their iniquity.

9 And it shall be: jlike people, like priest.

So I will punish them for their ways,

And 6reward them for their deeds.

10 For kthey shall eat, but not have enough;

They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;

Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.

The Idolatry of Israel

11 “Harlotry, wine, and new wine lenslave the heart.

12 My people ask counsel from their mwooden idols,

And their 7staff informs them.

For nthe spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,

And they have played the harlot against their God.

13 oThey offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,

And burn incense on the hills,

Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,

Because their shade is good.

pTherefore your daughters commit harlotry,

And your brides commit adultery.

14 “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,

Nor your brides when they commit adultery;

For the men themselves go apart with harlots,

And offer sacrifices with a qritual harlot.

Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.

15 “Though you, Israel, play the harlot,

Let not Judah offend.

rDo not come up to Gilgal,

Nor go up to sBeth 8Aven,

tNor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—

16 “For Israel uis stubborn

Like a stubborn calf;

Now the Lord will let them forage

Like a lamb in 9open country.

17 “Ephraim is joined to idols,

vLet him alone.

18 Their drink 1is rebellion,

They commit harlotry continually.

wHer 2rulers 3dearly love dishonor.

19 xThe wind has wrapped her up in its wings,

And ythey shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.