1 I am Hosea son of Beeri. When Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah, and when Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel, the Lord spoke this message to me.
Hosea's Family
2 The Lord said, “Hosea, Israel has betrayed me like an unfaithful wife. Marry such a woman and have children by her.” 3 So I married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and we had a son.
4 Then the Lord said, “Hosea, name your son Jezreel, because I will soon punish the descendants of King Jehu of Israel for the murders he committed in Jezreel Valley. I will destroy his kingdom, 5 and in Jezreel Valley I will break the power of Israel.”
6 Later, Gomer had a daughter, and the Lord said, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah, because I will no longer have mercy and forgive Israel. 7 But I am the Lord God of Judah, and I will have mercy and save Judah by my own power—not by wars and arrows or swords and cavalry.”
8 After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi, because these people are not mine, and I am not their God.”
Hope for Israel
10 Someday it will be impossible to count the people of Israel, because there will be as many of them as there are grains of sand along the seashore. They are now called “Not My People,” but in the future they will be called “Children of the Living God.” 11 Israel and Judah will unite and choose one leader. Then they will take back their land, and this will be a great day for Jezreel.
1 The worde of the Lord that came vnto Hosea the sonne of Beeri, in the daies of Vzziah, Iotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah, and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel. 2 At the beginning the Lord spake by Hosea, and the Lord said vnto Hosea, Goe, take vnto thee a wife of fornications, and children of fornications: for the lande hath committed great whoredome, departing from the Lord. 3 So he went, and tooke Gomer, ye daughter of Diblaim, which conceiued and bare him a sonne. 4 And the Lord said vnto him, Cal his name Izreel: for yet a litle, and I will visite the blood of Izreel vpon the house of Iehu, and will cause to cease the kingdome of the house of Israel. 5 And at that day will I also breake the bowe of Israel in the valley of Izreel. 6 She conceiued yet againe, and bare a daughter, and God saide vnto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more haue pitie vpon the house of Israel: but I wil vtterly take them away. 7 Yet I will haue mercie vpon the house of Iudah, and wil saue them by the Lord their God, and wil not saue them by bow, nor by sword nor by battell, by horses, nor by horsemen. 8 Nowe when she had wained Lo-ruhamah, shee conceiued, and bare a sonne. 9 Then saide God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for yee are not my people: therefore will I not be yours. 10 Yet the nomber of the children of Israel shall be as the sande of the sea, which can not be measured nor tolde: and in the place where it was saide vnto them, Yee are not my people, it shall be saide vnto them, Yee are the sonnes of the liuing God. 11 Then shall the children of Iudah, and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint them selues one head, and they shall come vp out of the land: for great is the day of Izreel.