Hosea 1

¹ The word of Yahweh that was addressed to Hosea son of Beeri when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were reigning in Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash in Israel.[*a]

² When Yahweh first spoke through Hosea, Yahweh said this to him, ‘Go, marry a whore, and get children with a whore, for the country itself has become nothing but a whore by abandoning Yahweh’.

³ So he went; and he took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, who conceived and bore him a son.

⁴ ‘Name him Jezreel’, Yahweh told him ‘for it will not be long before I make the House of Jehu pay for the bloodshed at Jezreel[*b] and I put an end to the sovereignty of the House of Israel.

⁵ When that day comes I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.'[*c]

⁶ She conceived a second time and gave birth to a daughter. ‘Name her Unloved’ Yahweh told him. ‘No more love shall the House of Israel have from me in future, no further forgiveness.

⁷ (But my love shall go to the House of Judah and through Yahweh their God I mean to save them – but not by bow or sword or battle, horse or horseman.)’

⁸ She weaned Unloved, conceived again and gave birth to a son.

⁹ ‘Name him No-People-of-Mine’ Yahweh said. ‘You are not my people and I am not your God.’