Hosea Reconciles with His Wife
3 Then the Lord told me: “Go love your wife[a] again, even though she is being loved by another and is committing adultery. Love her the same way[b] the Lord loves the people of Israel, even though they look to other gods and love raisin cakes.”[c] 2 So I bought her back for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and one and a half omers[d] of barley.
3 I told her, “You will remain with me a long time,[e] you won’t be promiscuous, you won’t be involved with any man, and I’ll do the same.”[f]
4 Likewise, the people of Israel will dwell a long time[g] without a king, without a prince, without sacrifice, without sacred[h] pillars, and with neither ephod nor teraphim.[i] 5 Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the last days.
Footnotes
- Hosea 3:1 Or love a woman
- Hosea 3:1 Lit. adultery, as
- Hosea 3:1 I.e. cakes used for offerings; cf. 2Sam 6:19
- Hosea 3:2 I.e. about ten bushels
- Hosea 3:3 Lit. me many days
- Hosea 3:3 Lit. same with you
- Hosea 3:4 Lit. will live many days
- Hosea 3:4 The Heb. lacks sacred
- Hosea 3:4 I.e. images used for divination