Hosea 1

¹ The word of Yahweh which came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz andHezekiah kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel.

² The beginning of what Yahweh said through Hosea: Yahweh said to Hosea, 'Go, marry a whore, andget children with a whore; for the country itself has become nothing but a whore by abandoning Yahweh.'

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

⁴ Yahweh then said to him, 'Call him Jezreel, for in a little while I shal punish the House of Jehu for thebloodshed at Jezreel and put an end to the sovereignty of the House of Israel.

⁵ When that day comes, I shal break the bow of Israel in the Val ey of Jezreel.'

⁶ She conceived a second time and gave birth to a daughter. Yahweh then said to him, 'Cal her Lo-Ruhamah, for I shall show no more pity for the House of Israel, I shal never forgive them again.

⁷ (Instead, I shal take pity on the House of Judah and shal save them, not by bow or sword or force ofarms, not by horses or horsemen, but by Yahweh their God.)'

⁸ After weaning Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son.

⁹ Yahweh said, 'Cal him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people and I do not exist for you.'