Hosea’s Wife and Children
1 The Lord spoke his word to Hosea son of Beeri. This was during the time that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. During part of this time Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.
2 The Lord said to him, “Go, and marry a woman who will be unfaithful to you. She will give you children whose fathers are other men. Do this because people in this country have acted like an unfaithful wife toward the Lord.” 3 So Hosea married Gomer daughter of Diblaim. Gomer became pregnant and gave birth to Hosea’s son.
4 The Lord said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel. This is because soon I will punish the family of Jehu for the people they killed at Jezreel. Then I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 And I will also break the power of Israel’s army in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah.[a] This is because I will not pity Israel anymore. I will no longer forgive them. 7 But I will show pity to the people of Judah. I will save them. I will not use bows or swords, horses or horsemen, or weapons of war to save them. I, the Lord their God, will save them.”
8 After Gomer had finished nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she became pregnant again. And she gave birth to another son. 9 The Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi[b] because you are not my people. And I am not your God.
God’s Promise to Israel
10 “But the people of Israel will become like the grains of sand of the sea. You cannot measure or count them. Now it is said to Israel, ‘You are not my people.’ But later they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will be joined together again. They will choose one leader for themselves. And again they will grow in their land. The day of Jezreel, when God plants, will be truly great.