Hosea 3 - New Catholic Bible (NCB)

The Triumph of Love[a]

Chapter 3

1 The Lord said to me:

“Go forth and offer your love to a woman
who has a lover and is an adulteress,
just as I, the Lord, love the people of Israel
even though they turn to other gods
and love raisin cakes.”[b]

2 Therefore, I purchased her for fifteen shekels of silver, a homer of barley, and a measure of wine, 3 and I said to her:

“You must remain in my house for a long time,
and you shall not continue to play the harlot.
You shall not have relations with anyone else,
nor even with me.”
4 For the Israelites shall spend a long time
without a king or leader,
without sacrifice or sacred pillar,
without ephod or household idols.
5 Afterward the Israelites shall return
and seek the Lord, their God,
and David, their king.[c]
They will come trembling to the Lord
to beg for his bounty in the final days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:1 Before belonging to Hosea, Gomer had to be redeemed and submit to the conditions which, according to ancient views, would free her from her sacral tie to a pagan cult and allow her to return to an orderly life. There was, so to speak, a period of quarantine, and this became a symbol of the Exile, which Israel must accept in order to withdraw from its promiscuous behavior with false gods. At that time the people will be deprived of every political and religious institution. The sacred stone and the ephod were elements of a worship more or less connected with pagan rites.
  2. Hosea 3:1 The raisin cakes were offered at pagan ritual feasts.
  3. Hosea 3:5 David, their king: i.e., the Messianic King of the line of David who will restore the Kingdom of the People of God (see Isa 4:2; 9:5f; 11:1-5; Jer 23:5; 33:14ff; Ezek 34:23f). The final days: i.e., the Messianic Age.

You Might Also Like:

Hosea 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 And Jehovah saith unto me: `Again, go, love a woman, loved of a friend, and an adulteress, like the loved of Jehovah, the sons of Israel, and they are turning unto other gods, and are lovers of grape-cakes.' 2 And I buy her to me for fifteen silverlings, and a homer and a letech of barley; 3 and I...
Read More

Hosea 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 And the Lord said to me, Yet go thou, and love a woman loved of a friend, and a woman adulteress, as the Lord loveth the sons of Israel; and they behold to alien gods, and love the dregs of grapes. (And the Lord said to me, Now go thou, and love a woman loved by a friend, yea, a woman who is an ad...
Read More

Hosea 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer[a] and a half of barley. 3 I said to her, ...
Read More

Hosea 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 The Eternal spoke with me again.Eternal One: Go and love a woman who is loved by someone else and is adulterous. Care for her and protect her, just as I love the people of Israel even though they’re unfaithfully turning to other gods and selfishly eating sacred raisin cakes in their honor. 2 So I ...
Read More

Hosea 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Buying Back His Wife3 Then Adonai said to me: “Go again! Love a woman who is loved by a companion and committing adultery—just as Adonai has loved the Bnei-Yisrael, while they were turning to other gods and loving raisin cakes.” 2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and an omer ...
Read More

Hosea 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love3 And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is beloved of a paramour and is an adulteress; even as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and...
Read More

Hosea 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love3 And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is beloved of a paramour and is an adulteress; even as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love3 The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley an...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love3 The Lord said to me again, ‘Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.’ 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley an...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love3 The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”(A)2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley a...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Hosea’s Wife Is Redeemed3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she[a] commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.[b]” 2 So I bought her back for f...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

Israel Will Return to the Lord Their God3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again and love your wife, even when she is loved by another and is not faithful. Love her as the Lord loves the people of Israel, even when they turn to other gods and love cakes of dried grapes.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen ...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Israel Will Return to God3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a (A)lover[a] and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.” 2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen ...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Hosea’s reconciliation with his wife3 The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.’ 2 So I bought her for fifteen sheke...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New International Version (NIV)

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.(A) Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.(B)” 2 So I bought her for fifteen...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Hosea Brings His Wife Back to Himself3 The Lord said to me, “Go. Show your love to your wife again. She is loved by another man. And she has committed adultery. But I want you to love her just as I love the people of Israel. They turn to other gods. And they love to offer raisin cakes to Baal and ea...
Read More

Hosea 3 - New English Translation (NET)

An Illustration of God’s Love for Idolatrous Israel3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show love to[a] your wife[b] again, even though she loves[c] another man[d] and continually commits adultery.[e] Likewise, the Lord loves[f] the Israelites[g] although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cake...
Read More