Study Desk

The word of the LORD which came to ^(C1)Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of ^(C2)Uzziah, ^(C3)Jotham, ^(C4)Ahaz, and ^(C5)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of ^(C6)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "^(C1)Go, take for yourself a wife ^(F1)inclined to infidelity, and children of infidelity; for ^(C2)the land commits flagrant infidelity, ^(F2)abandoning the LORD."

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and ^(C1)bore him a son.

And the LORD said to him, "Name him ^(C1)Jezreel; for in just a little while ^(C2)I will ^(F1)punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and ^(C3)I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

"On that day I will ^(C1)break the bow of Israel in the ^(C2)Valley of Jezreel."

Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And ^(F1)the LORD said to him, "Name her ^(F2)Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer ^(C1)take pity on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them.

"But I will take ^(C1)pity on the house of Judah and ^(C2)save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by ^(C3)bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen."

When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son.

And ^(F1)the LORD said, "Name him ^(F2)Lo-ammi, because you are not My people, and I am not ^(F3)your God."

^(F1)Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the ^(C1)sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or counted; And ^(C2)in the place Where it is said to them, "You are ^(C3)not My people," It will be said to them, "You are the ^(C4)sons of the living God."

And the ^(C1)sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be ^(C2)gathered together, And they will appoint for themselves ^(C3)one leader, And they will go up from the land, For the day of Jezreel will be great.

^(F1)Say to your brothers, "^(F2)Ammi," and to your sisters, "^(F3)Ruhamah."

"Dispute with your mother, ^(C1)dispute, Because she is ^(C2)not my wife, and I am not her husband; But she must remove her ^(C3)infidelity from her face And her adultery from between her breasts,

Otherwise, I will strip her ^(C1)naked And expose her as on the ^(C2)day she was born. I will also ^(C3)make her like a wilderness, Make her like desert land, And put her to death with ^(C4)thirst.

-"Also, I will take no pity on her children, Because they are ^(C1)children of infidelity.

-"For their mother has ^(C1)committed prostitution; She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, '^(C1)I will go after my lovers, Who ^(C2)give me my bread and my water, My wool and my flax, my ^(C3)oil and my drink.'

-"Therefore, behold, I will ^(C1)obstruct ^(F1)her way with ^(C2)thorns, And I will build ^(F2)a stone wall against her so that she cannot find her ^(C3)paths.

-"And she will ^(C1)pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, '^(C2)I will go back to my ^(C3)first husband, Because it was ^(C4)better for me then than now!'

"Yet she does ^(C1)not know that it was ^(C2)I myself who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, Which they ^(F1)used for Baal.

-"Therefore, I will ^(F1)(C1)take back My grain at ^(F2)harvest time And My new wine in its season. I will also take away My wool and My flax That I gave to cover her nakedness.

-"So now I will ^(C1)uncover her ^(F1)lewdness Before the eyes of her lovers, And no one will rescue her from My hand.

-"I will also ^(C1)put an end to all her joy, Her ^(C2)feasts, her ^(C3)new moons, her Sabbaths, And all her festivals.

-"And I will ^(C1)destroy her vines and fig trees, Of which she said, 'They are my wages for prostitution Which my lovers have given me.' And I will ^(C2)turn them into a forest, And the ^(C3)animals of the field will devour them.

-"I will punish her for the ^(C1)days of the Baals When she used to ^(F1)(C2)offer sacrifices to them And ^(C3)adorn herself with her nose ring and jewelry, And follow her lovers, so that she ^(C4)forgot Me," declares the LORD.

"Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her, ^(C1)Bring her into the wilderness, And speak ^(F1)kindly to her.

-"Then I will give her her ^(C1)vineyards from there, And ^(C2)the ^(F1)Valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will ^(F2)(C3)respond there as in the days of her youth, As in the ^(C4)day when she went up from the land of Egypt.

-"And it will come about on that day," declares the LORD, "That you will call Me ^(F1)(C1)my husband And no longer call Me my ^(F2)Baal.

-"For ^(C1)I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, So that they will no longer be ^(F1)mentioned by their names.

-"On that day I will also make a covenant for them With the ^(C1)animals of the field, The birds of the sky, And the crawling things of the ground. And I will ^(F1)(C2)eliminate the bow, the sword, and war from the land, And will let them ^(C3)lie down in safety.

-"I will ^(C1)betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in ^(C2)righteousness and in justice, In favor and in compassion,

And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will ^(C1)know the LORD.

"And it will come about on that day that ^(C1)I will respond," declares the LORD. "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,

And the ^(C1)earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil, And they will respond to ^(F1)Jezreel.

-"I will ^(C1)sow her for Myself in the land. ^(C2)I will also have compassion on ^(F1)her who had not obtained compassion, And ^(C3)I will say to ^(F2)those who were ^(C4)not My people, 'You are My people!' And ^(F3)they will say, 'You are my God!'"

Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love ^(F1)a woman who is loved by her ^(F2)husband, yet is committing adultery, ^(C1)as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love ^(F3)raisin ^(C2)cakes."

So I ^(C1)purchased her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and a ^(F1)homer and a ^(F2)lethech of barley.

Then I said to her, "You shall ^(C1)live with me for many days. You shall not play the prostitute, nor shall you have another man; so I will also be toward you."

For the sons of Israel will live for many days ^(C1)without a king or leader, ^(C2)without sacrifice or ^(C3)memorial stone, and without ^(C4)ephod or ^(F1)(C5)household idols.

Afterward the sons of Israel will ^(C1)return and seek the LORD their God and ^(C2)David their king; and ^(C3)they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.

^(C1)Listen to the word of the LORD, you sons of Israel, Because the LORD has a ^(C2)case against the inhabitants of the land, For there is ^(C3)no ^(F1)faithfulness, nor ^(F2)loyalty, Nor ^(C4)knowledge of God in the land.

There is ^(C1)oath-taking, ^(F1)(C2)denial, ^(C3)murder, ^(C4)stealing, and ^(C5)adultery. They employ violence, so that ^(C6)bloodshed ^(F2)follows bloodshed.

Therefore the land ^(C1)mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky, And even the fish of the sea ^(F1)disappear.

Yet let no one ^(F1)(C1)find fault, and let no one rebuke; For your people are like those who ^(C2)contend with a priest.

So you will ^(C1)stumble by day, And the prophet also will stumble with you by night; And I will destroy your ^(C2)mother.

^(C1)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Since you have ^(C2)rejected knowledge, I also will ^(C3)reject you from being My priest. Since you have ^(C4)forgotten the ^(C5)Law of your God, I also will forget your children.

The more they ^(C1)multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will ^(C2)change their glory into shame.

They ^(C1)feed on the ^(F1)sin of My people, And ^(C2)long for their wrongdoing.

And it will be, like people, ^(C1)like priest; So I will ^(C2)punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds.

^(C1)They will eat, but not have enough; They will ^(C2)play the prostitute, but not ^(F1)increase, Because they ^(C3)gave up devoting themselves to the LORD.

^(F1)Infidelity, ^(C1)wine, and new wine take away the ^(F2)understanding.

My people ^(C1)consult their wooden idol, and their diviner's wand informs them; For a spirit of infidelity has led them astray, And they have been unfaithful, departing ^(F1)from their God.

They offer sacrifices on the ^(C1)tops of the mountains And ^(F1)(C2)burn incense on the hills, ^(C3)Under oak, poplar, and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, And your ^(F2)brides commit adultery.

I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, Or your ^(F1)brides when they commit adultery, Because the men themselves slip away with the prostitutes And offer sacrifices with ^(C1)temple prostitutes; So the people without understanding are ruined.

Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, Judah must not become guilty; Also you are not to go to ^(C1)Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth-aven ^(C2)And take the oath: "As the LORD lives!"

Since Israel is ^(C1)stubborn Like a stubborn cow, ^(F1)Will the LORD now ^(C2)pasture them Like a lamb in a large field?

Ephraim is allied with ^(C1)idols; ^(C2)Leave him alone.

Their liquor is gone, They prostitute themselves continually; ^(F1)(C1)Their ^(F2)rulers dearly love shame.

^(C1)The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be ^(F1)put to shame because of their sacrifices.

Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, house of Israel! Listen, you of the house of the king! For the judgment applies to you, Because you have been a ^(C1)trap at Mizpah, And a net spread out on Tabor.

And the ^(C1)rebels have ^(C2)gone deep in ^(F1)depravity, But I will discipline all of them.

I ^(C1)know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me; Because now, Ephraim, you have been unfaithful, Israel has defiled itself.

Their deeds will not allow them To return to their God. For a ^(C1)spirit of ^(F1)infidelity is within them, And they ^(C2)do not know the LORD.

Moreover, the ^(C1)pride of Israel testifies against him, And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their wrongdoing; ^(C2)Judah also has stumbled with them.

They will ^(C1)go with their flocks and herds To seek the LORD, but they will ^(C2)not find Him; He has ^(C3)withdrawn from them.

They have ^(C1)dealt treacherously with the LORD, For they have given birth to ^(F1)(C2)illegitimate children. Now the ^(C3)new moon will devour them with their ^(F2)land.

^(C1)Blow the horn in ^(C2)Gibeah, And the trumpet in Ramah. Sound an alarm at Beth-aven: "^(C3)Behind you, Benjamin!"

Ephraim will become a ^(C1)desolation in the ^(C2)day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I ^(C3)make known what is trustworthy.

The leaders of Judah have become like those who ^(C1)displace a boundary marker; On them I will ^(C2)pour out My anger ^(C3)like water.

Ephraim is ^(C1)oppressed, broken by judgment, ^(C2)Because he was determined to follow ^(F1)man's command.

Therefore I am like a ^(C1)moth to Ephraim, And like rottenness to the house of Judah.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah his ^(F1)sore, Ephraim then went to ^(C1)Assyria And sent word to ^(F2)(C2)King Jareb. But he is ^(C3)unable to heal you, Or to cure you of your ^(F1)sore.

For I will be ^(C1)like a lion to Ephraim And like a young lion to the house of Judah. ^(C2)I, yes I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be ^(C3)no one to rescue.

I will go away and return to My place Until they ^(F1)(C1)acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their distress they will ^(C2)search for Me.

"^(C1)Come, let's return to the LORD. For ^(C2)He has torn us, but ^(C3)He will heal us; He has ^(F1)wounded us, but He will ^(C4)bandage us.

-"He will ^(C1)revive us after two days; He will ^(C2)raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.

-"So let's ^(C1)learn, let's press on to know the LORD. His ^(C2)appearance is as sure as the dawn; And He will come to us like the ^(C3)rain, As the spring rain waters the earth."

What shall I do with you, ^(C1)Ephraim? What shall I do with you, Judah? For your loyalty is like a ^(C2)morning cloud, And like the dew which goes away early.

Therefore I have ^(C1)cut them in pieces by the prophets; I have slain them by the ^(C2)words of My mouth; And the judgments on you are like the light that ^(F1)shines.

For ^(C1)I ^(F1)desire loyalty ^(C2)rather than sacrifice, And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

But ^(C1)like ^(F1)Adam they have ^(C2)violated the covenant; There they have ^(C3)dealt treacherously with Me.

^(C1)Gilead is a city of wrongdoers, Tracked with ^(C2)bloody footprints.

And as a ^(C1)band of robbers lie in wait for a person, So a band of priests ^(C2)murder on the way to Shechem; Certainly they have committed an act of ^(C3)infamy.

In the house of Israel I have seen a ^(C1)horrible thing; Ephraim's ^(C2)infidelity is there, Israel has defiled itself.

Also, Judah, there is a ^(C1)harvest appointed for you, When I ^(C2)restore the fortunes of My people.

When I ^(C1)would heal Israel, The wrongdoing of Ephraim is uncovered, And the evil deeds of Samaria, For they practice ^(C2)deception; The thief enters, A band of ^(C3)robbers attack outside,

And they do not ^(F1)consider in their hearts That I ^(C1)remember all their wickedness. Now their ^(C2)deeds surround them; They are before My face.

^(C1)With their wickedness they make the ^(C2)king happy, And the officials with their ^(C3)lies.

They are ^(C1)all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker, Who stops ^(F1)stoking the fire From the time the dough is kneaded until it is leavened.

On the ^(F1)day of our king, the officials ^(C1)became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with ^(F2)(C2)scoffers,

For their hearts are like an ^(C1)oven As they approach their ^(F1)plotting; Their ^(F2)anger ^(F3)smolders all night, In the morning it burns like flaming fire.

All of them are hot like an oven, And they consume their ^(C1)rulers; All their kings have fallen. ^(C2)None of them calls on Me.

Ephraim is himself ^(C1)thrown about with the ^(F1)nations; Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.

^(C1)Strangers devour his strength, Yet he ^(C2)does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know it.

Though the ^(C1)pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet ^(C2)they have not returned to the LORD their God, Nor have they sought Him, despite all this.

So ^(C1)Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, ^(C2)without ^(F1)sense; They call to ^(C3)Egypt, they go to ^(C4)Assyria.

When they go, I will ^(C1)spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will ^(C2)discipline them in accordance with the ^(F1)proclamation to their assembly.

^(C1)Woe to them, for they have ^(C2)strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I ^(C3)would redeem them, but they have spoken lies against Me.

And ^(C1)they do not cry to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds; For the sake of grain and new wine they ^(F1)(C2)assemble themselves, They ^(C3)turn against Me.

Although I trained and strengthened their arms, Yet they ^(C1)devise evil against Me.

They turn, but not ^(F1)upward, They are like a ^(C1)loose bow; Their officials will fall by the sword Because of the ^(F2)(C2)insolence of their tongue. This will be their ^(C3)derision in the land of Egypt.