Hosea, 3

1. Again the LORD said to me: Give your love to a woman beloved of a paramour, an adultress; Even as the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and are fond of raisin cakes.

1. Yahweh said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who loves another man, an adulteress, and love her as Yahweh loves the Israelites although they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.'

2. So I bought her for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.

2. So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver, a homer of barley and a skin of wine,

3. Then I said to her: "Many days you shall wait for me; you shall not play the harlot Or belong to any man; I in turn will wait for you."

3. and I said to her, 'You will have to spend a long time waiting for me without playing the whore and without giving yourself to any man, and I will behave in the same way towards you.'

4. For the people of Israel shall remain many days without king or prince, Without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or household idols.

4. For the Israelites will have to spend a long time without king or leader, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or domestic images;

5. Then the people of Israel shall turn back and seek the LORD, their God, and David, their king; They shall come trembling to the LORD and to his bounty, in the last days.

5. but after that, the Israel- ites will return and again seek Yahweh their God and David their king, and turn trembling to Yahweh for his bounty in the final days.

6. The number of the Israelites shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor counted. Whereas they were called, "Lo-ammi," They shall be called, "Children of the living God."

6.

7. Then the people of Judah and of Israel shall be gathered together; They shall appoint for themselves one head and come up from other lands, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

7.

8. Say to your brothers, "Ammi," and to your sisters, "Ruhama."

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