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Hosea, 2

1. Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

1. Yet the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, that cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," they shall be called "sons of the living God."

2. Plead with your mother, plead: for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

2. The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, they will appoint one leader to rule over them, and they will come up out of the land. For there will be a great victory in Jezreel.

3. Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

3. You will call your brothers My-people, and your sisters My-loved-ones.

4. And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they [be] the children of whoredoms.

4. Denounce your mother, denounce - for she is not my wife, nor am I her husband. Let her rid her face of her ornaments and her breasts of her lewd idols;

5. For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give [me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

5. or I will strip her naked as on the day of her birth; I will reduce her to an arid land, making of her a desert - I will let her die of thirst.

6. Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

6. How could I love her children? They are children of adultery;

7. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find [them]: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then [was it] better with me than now.

7. their mother has played the harlot they are children of debauchery. She said, "I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink."

8. For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, [which] they prepared for Baal.

8. With thorns, therefore, I will block her path, wall her and not let her find her way out.

9. Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax [given] to cover her nakedness.

9. Pursuing her lovers, she will not overtake them; looking for her lovers, she will not find them. Then she will say, "I will go back to my husband for I was better off then than now."

10. And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

10. Yet she would not acknowledge that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine and the oil, and the silver and gold with which this people made their Baals.

11. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

11. So I will take back my grain when it ripens and my new wine when it is ready; I will take back my wool and my flax which I gave to cover her nudity.

12. And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These [are] my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.

12. Before her lovers I will lay bare her shame and no one can rescue her from my power.

13. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

13. I will bring an end to all her gladness, her monthly feasts, sabbaths and celebrations.

14. Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

14. I will lay waste her vines, and her fig trees, for she said, "My lovers gave them to me." I will turn them into thickets to be ravaged by wild beasts.

15. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

15. I will punish her for the feast days when she brought burnt offerings to the Baals, decked herself with her gaudy jewels, ran after her lovers and forgot me, says Yahweh.

16. And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, [that] thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.

16. So I am going to allure her, lead her once more into the desert, where I can speak to her tenderly.

17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

17. Then I will give back her vineyards, make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will answer me as in her youth, as when she came out of the land of Egypt.

18. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

18. On that day, Yahweh says, you will call me my husband, and never again: my Baal.

19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

19. I will take the names of Baals from her lips and no longer will they be invoked.

20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

20. That day on her behalf I will make a covenant with beasts of the field and birds of the air, with creatures creeping upon the ground. I will wipe out the sword and war in the land; I will make people rest safe and secure.

21. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

21. You will be my spouse forever, betrothed in justice and integrity; we will be united in love and tenderness.

22. And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.

22. I will espouse you in faithfulness and you will come to know Yahweh.

23. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to [them which were] not my people, Thou [art] my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.

23. This is what Yahweh says of those days, "I will be at peace with the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;

24.

24. the earth will respond to the grain, wine and oil, which will come up to the expectation of Jezreel.

25.

25. I will sow them for myself in the land; I will show my love to Unloved; I will say to Not-my-people, "You are my people"; and they will answer, "You are my God."



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Footnotes:

2:1-13 - God, through Hosea, accuses Israel of its unfaithfulness, comparing the nation to an adulterous wife. Idolatry and the pursuit of other gods are seen as betrayal of the covenant with God. This chapter is a call to repentance (see also Jeremiah 3:1-5 and Revelation 2:4-5).

2:14-15 - God promises to restore Israel's happiness by leading the people into the wilderness to speak to their hearts. The wilderness, though a place of judgment, also symbolizes a space for renewal and reconciliation with God (see also Isaiah 40:3-5 and Jeremiah 31:2-4).

2:16-23 - God, in His mercy, promises to restore His relationship with Israel. The metaphor of marriage is central, with God assuming the role of a husband who reconciles with his unfaithful wife. The transformation of adverse conditions into blessings is an expression of divine grace (see also Ezekiel 16:62-63 and John 15:5).

Verses related to Hosea, 2:

Hosea chapter 2 deepens the allegory of the marriage between God and Israel. How does God respond to the unfaithfulness of His people? This poetic text alternates between accusations of infidelity and promises of restoration. The chapter covers themes such as idolatry, divine discipline, and God's tireless love. Hosea 2 reveals God's plan to draw Israel back through the "wilderness" of discipline into a new spiritual "engagement." Consider with us five biblical passages that elucidate the deep themes of this transformative chapter.

Ephesians 5:31-32: "For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery; I am referring, however, to Christ and the church." - Paul uses the metaphor of marriage, similar to that used in Hosea 2, to describe the relationship between Christ and the Church.

John 3:29: "What the bride has is the groom. The friend who is next to the groom and listens to him is filled with joy when he hears the groom's voice. This is my joy, which is now complete." - John the Baptist uses the bridal metaphor, echoing themes from Hosea 2, to describe Jesus' relationship with his people.

Revelation 19:7: "Let us rejoice! Let us rejoice and give Him glory! For the time has come for the marriage of the Lamb, and his bride has already made herself ready." - This passage uses the image of marriage, similar to that in Hosea 2, to describe the final union between Christ and the Church.

Isaiah 54:5: "For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is your name, the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." - Isaiah uses the metaphor of marriage, similar to that of Hosea 2, to describe God's relationship with Israel.

Ezekiel 16:60-63: "However, I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. [...] I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord." - This passage echoes the themes of covenant and restoration found in Hosea 2.

FAQ:

What does God say about Israel's judgment in Hosea 2?

God promises to punish Israel for their unfaithfulness, comparing it to a wife's unfaithfulness, but He also promises to restore the people in the future. (Hosea 2:2-13)

What does the expression "unfaithful wife" mean in Hosea 2?

The expression symbolizes Israel, who turned away from God, worshiping idols and practicing spiritual infidelity. (Hosea 2:5-7)

How did God use nature to illustrate Israel's judgment?

God says the land will be dry, without crops, as a symbol of Israel's separation, which will suffer famine and desolation. (Hosea 2:9-13)

What does Israel's return to God mean in Hosea 2?

God promises to draw Israel back to Himself, restoring the relationship and making the land flourish again, as a new covenant of love and faithfulness. (Hosea 2:14-23)

What does the book of Hosea teach about God's love?

The book teaches that despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God remains faithful and offers restorative love, always seeking the return of His people. (Hosea 2:19-20)


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