1 The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord that was] to Hosea son of Beeri ·during the time [^Lin the days] that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel [^CHosea prophesied about 760–722 bc].

Hosea’s Wife and Children

² When the Lord began speaking through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, and ·marry [^Ltake for yourself] an ·unfaithful woman [or prostitute; ^Lwoman/wife of prostitution/harlotries] and have ·unfaithful children [^Lchildren of prostitution/harlotries], because ·the people in this country [^Lthis land] have ·been completely unfaithful to [practiced prostitution/harlotry against] the Lord [^Cthey have been spiritually unfaithful; ^CGomer may have been a prostitute or promiscuous woman before the marriage, or only afterward].” ³ So Hosea ·married [^Lwent and took] Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to Hosea’s son.

⁴ The Lord said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel [^CHebrew: “God sows”], because soon I will punish the ·family [^Lhouse] of Jehu for the ·people they killed at [^Lblood of] Jezreel [^CJehu slaughtered the family of king Ahab; 2 Kin. 9:7—10:28]. In ·the future [^Lthat day] I will put an end to the kingdom of [^Lthe house of] Israel ⁵ and break the ·power of Israel’s army [^Lbow of Israel] in the Valley of Jezreel.”

⁶ Gomer ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah [^CHebrew: “no pity/mercy” or “not loved”], because I will not ·pity [have mercy on; show love to] Israel anymore, nor will I forgive them. ⁷ But I will show ·pity [mercy; love] to the people of Judah. I will save them, but not by using bows or swords, horses or horsemen, or ·weapons of war [or battle; war]. I, the Lord their God, will save them.”

⁸ After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. ⁹ The Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi [^C“not my people”], because you are not my people, and I am not your God.

God’s Promise to Israel

¹⁰ “But the number of the Israelites will become like the grains of sand of the sea, which no one can measure or count [Gen. 22:17; 32:12]. ·They were called [or Although it was said to them; or In the place where it was said to them], ‘You are not my people,’ but later ·they will be called [it will be said to them] ‘children of the living God.’ ¹¹ The people of Judah and Israel will ·join [come; be gathered] together again and will ·choose [appoint] one leader for themselves. They will come up from the land, because the day of Jezreel [^C“God plants/sows,” alluding here to the rebirth of the once desolate nation; see vv. 4–5; 2:22–23] will be truly great.