Hosea 1

¹The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, ^a Jotham, ^b Ahaz, ^c and Hezekiah, ^d kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam ^e son of Jehoash, king of Israel.

Hosea’s Marriage and Children

²When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, he said this to him:

Go and marry a woman of promiscuity, ^f

and have children of promiscuity,

for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity

by abandoning the Lord.

³So he went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. ^{g 4}Then the Lord said to him:

Name him Jezreel, ^h,ⁱ for in a little while

I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel ^j

on the house of Jehu ^k

and put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

⁵On that day I will break the bow of Israel ^l

in Jezreel Valley. ^m

⁶She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, and the Lord said to him:

Name her Lo-ruhamah, ⁿ

for I will no longer have compassion

on the house of Israel.

I will certainly take them away.

⁷But I will have compassion on the house of Judah, ^o

and I will deliver them by the Lord their God. ^p

I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war,

or by horses and cavalry. ^q

⁸After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. ⁹Then the Lord said:

Name him Lo-ammi, ^r

for you are not my people,

and I will not be your God. ^s,^t

¹⁰Yet the number of the Israelites

will be like the sand of the sea, ^u

which cannot be measured or counted.

And in the place where they were told:

You are not my people,

they will be called: Sons of the living God. ^v

¹¹And the Judeans and the Israelites

will be gathered together. ^w

They will appoint for themselves a single ruler ^x

and go up from ^y the land.

For the day of Jezreel ^z will be great.