Hosea Redeems His Wife

3 The Lord said to me again, “Go, show your love to a woman [^Cprobably Gomer (1:3), who has since deserted him] ·loved by [or who loves] someone else, who ·has been unfaithful to you [is committing adultery]. In the same way the Lord loves the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel, even though they ·worship [turn to] other gods and love to eat the raisin cakes [^Cfood eaten at pagan temples].”

² So I bought her for six ·ounces of silver [shekels] and ·ten bushels [^La homer and a lethek; ^Ca homer was 5–6 bushels; a lethek was about half that] of barley. ³ Then I told her, “You must ·wait for [or live with] me for many days. You must not be a prostitute, and you must not have sexual relations with any other man. I will act the same way toward you.”

⁴ In the same way the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel will live many days without a king or ·leader [prince], without sacrifices or holy stone pillars [^Cused in pagan worship; 2 Kin. 3:2; 10:26–28; 17:10], and without ·the holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14; Judg. 8:27] or ·an idol [household idols; ^Lteraphim; Gen. 31:19]. ⁵ After this, the people of Israel will return and ·follow [seek] the Lord their God and ·the king from David’s family [^LDavid their king; ^Can heir from David’s line]. In the last days they will ·turn in fear [come in reverence/awe] to the Lord, and he will bless them.