11 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea the son of Beeri
in the days of Uzziah Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah kings of Judah
and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel .
12 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea And the LORD
said to Hosea Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children
of whoredoms for the land hath committed great whoredom
departing from the LORD .
13 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim which
conceived and bare him a son .
14 And the LORD said unto him Call his name Jezreel for yet a
little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the
house of Jehu and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house
of Israel .
15 And it shall come to pass at that day that I will break the
bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel .
16 And she conceived again and bare a daughter And God said
unto him Call her name Loruhamah for I will no more have mercy
upon the house of Israel but I will utterly take them away .
17 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save
them by the LORD their God and will not save them by bow nor by
sword nor by battle by horses nor by horsemen .
18 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah she conceived and bare a
son .
19 Then said God Call his name Loammi for ye are not my people
and I will not be your God .
110 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the
sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbered and it
shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them
Ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them Ye are the
sons of the living God .
111 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of
Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and
they shall come up out of the land for great shall be the day of
Jezreel .
* 21 Say ye unto your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah
.
22 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 .
23 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 .
24 And I will not have mercy upon her children for they be the
children of whoredoms .
25 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 .
26 Therefore behold I will hedge up thy way with thorns and
make a wall that she shall not find her paths .
27 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 .
28 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 .
29 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 .
210 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her
lovers and none shall deliver her out of mine hand .
211 I will also cause all her mirth to cease her feast days
her new moons and her sabbaths and all her solemn feasts .
212 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 .
213 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 .
214 Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the
wilderness and speak comfortably unto her .
215 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 .
216 And it shall be at that day saith the LORD that thou shalt
call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali .
217 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth
and they shall no more be remembered by their name .
218 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 .
219 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 .
220 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness and thou
shalt know the LORD .
221 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 .
222 And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil
and they shall hear Jezreel .
223 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 .
* 31 Then said the LORD unto me Go yet love a woman beloved of
her friend yet an adulteress according to the love of the LORD
toward the children of Israel who look to other gods and love
flagons of wine .
32 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver and for
an homer of barley and an half homer of barley .
33 And I said unto her Thou shalt abide for me many days thou
shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man
so will I also be for thee .
34 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a
king and without a prince and without a sacrifice and without an
image and without an ephod and without teraphim .
35 Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the
LORD their God and David their king and shall fear the LORD and
his goodness in the latter days .
* 41 Hear the word of the LORD ye children of Israel for the
LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land because
there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land .
42 By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and
committing adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood .
43 Therefore shall the land mourn and every one that dwelleth
therein shall languish with the beasts of the field and with the
fowls of heaven yea the fishes of the sea also shall be taken
away .
44 Yet let no man strive nor reprove another for thy people
are as they that strive with the priest .
45 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day and the prophet also
shall fall with thee in the night and I will destroy thy mother .
46 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou
hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt
be no priest to me seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God
I will also forget thy children .
47 As they were increased so they sinned against me therefore
will I change their glory into shame .
48 They eat up the sin of my people and they set their heart
on their iniquity .
49 And there shall be like people like priest and I will
punish them for their ways and reward them their doings .
410 For they shall eat and not have enough they shall commit
whoredom and shall not increase because they have left off to
take heed to the LORD .
411 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart .
412 My people ask counsel at their stocks and their staff
declareth unto them for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them
to err and they have gone a whoring from under their God .
413 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burn
incense upon the hills under oaks and poplars and elms because
the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall commit
whoredom and your spouses shall commit adultery .
414 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom
nor your spouses when they commit adultery for themselves are
separated with whores and they sacrifice with harlots therefore
the people that doth not understand shall fall .
415 Though thou Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah
offend and come not ye unto Gilgal neither go ye up to Bethaven
nor swear The LORD liveth .
416 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer now the
LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place .
417 Ephraim is joined to idols let him alone .
418 Their drink is sour they have committed whoredom
continually her rulers with shame do love Give ye .
419 The wind hath bound her up in her wings and they shall be
ashamed because of their sacrifices .
* 51 Hear ye this O priests and hearken ye house of Israel and
give ye ear O house of the king for judgment is toward you
because ye have been a snare on Mizpah and a net spread upon
Tabor .
52 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter though I
have been a rebuker of them all .
53 I know Ephraim and Israel is not hid from me for now O
Ephraim thou committest whoredom and Israel is defiled .
54 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God for
the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them and they have
not known the LORD .
55 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face therefore
shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity Judah also shall
fall with them .
56 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to
seek the LORD but they shall not find him he hath withdrawn
himself from them .
57 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD for they
have begotten strange children now shall a month devour them
with their portions .
58 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah cry
aloud at Bethaven after thee O Benjamin .
59 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke among the
tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be .
510 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound
therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water .
511 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he
willingly walked after the commandment .
512 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth and to the
house of Judah as rottenness .
513 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then
went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to king Jareb yet could he
not heal you nor cure you of your wound .
514 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion and as a young lion
to the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away I will take
away and none shall rescue him .
515 I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge
their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will
seek me early .
* 61 Come and let us return unto the LORD for he hath torn and
he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up .
62 After two days will he revive us in the third day he will
raise us up and we shall live in his sight .
63 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD his
going forth is prepared as the morning and he shall come unto us
as the rain as the latter and former rain unto the earth .
64 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do
unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the
early dew it goeth away .
65 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets I have slain
them by the words of my mouth and thy judgments are as the light
that goeth forth .
66 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of
God more than burnt offerings .
67 But they like men have transgressed the covenant there have
they dealt treacherously against me .
68 Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity and is polluted
with blood .
69 And as troops of robbers wait for a man so the company of
priests murder in the way by consent for they commit lewdness .
610 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel there
is the whoredom of Ephraim Israel is defiled .
611 Also O Judah he hath set an harvest for thee when I
returned the captivity of my people .
* 71 When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of
Ephraim was discovered and the wickedness of Samaria for they
commit falsehood and the thief cometh in and the troop of
robbers spoileth without .
72 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all
their wickedness now their own doings have beset them about they
are before my face .
73 They make the king glad with their wickedness and the
princes with their lies .
74 They are all adulterers as an oven heated by the baker who
ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough until it be
leavened .
75 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with
bottles of wine he stretched out his hand with scorners .
76 For they have made ready their heart like an oven whiles
they lie in wait their baker sleepeth all the night in the
morning it burneth as a flaming fire .
77 They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their judges
all their kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth
unto me .
78 Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the people Ephraim is a
cake not turned .
79 Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not
yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not .
710 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face and they do
not return to the LORD their God nor seek him for all this .
711 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart they call
to Egypt they go to Assyria .
712 When they shall go I will spread my net upon them I will
bring them down as the fowls of the heaven I will chastise them
as their congregation hath heard .
713 Woe unto them for they have fled from me destruction unto
them because they have transgressed against me though I have
redeemed them yet they have spoken lies against me .
714 And they have not cried unto me with their heart when they
howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for corn and
wine and they rebel against me .
715 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms yet do
they imagine mischief against me .
716 They return but not to the most High they are like a
deceitful bow their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage
of their tongue this shall be their derision in the land of
Egypt .
* 81 Set the trumpet to thy mouth He shall come as an eagle
against the house of the LORD because they have transgressed my
covenant and trespassed against my law .
82 Israel shall cry unto me My God we know thee .
83 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good the enemy shall
pursue him .
84 They have set up kings but not by me they have made princes
and I knew it not of their silver and their gold have they made
them idols that they may be cut off .
85 Thy calf O Samaria hath cast thee off mine anger is kindled
against them how long will it be ere they attain to innocency .
86 For from Israel was it also the workman made it therefore
it is not God but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces .
87 For they have sown the wind and they shall reap the
whirlwind it hath no stalk the bud shall yield no meal if so be
it yield the strangers shall swallow it up .
88 Israel is swallowed up now shall they be among the Gentiles
as a vessel wherein is no pleasure .
89 For they are gone up to Assyria a wild ass alone by himself
Ephraim hath hired lovers .
810 Yea though they have hired among the nations now will I
gather them and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the
king of princes .
811 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin altars shall
be unto him to sin .
812 I have written to him the great things of my law but they
were counted as a strange thing .
813 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings
and eat it but the LORD accepteth them not now will he remember
their iniquity and visit their sins they shall return to Egypt .
814 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker and buildeth temples
and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities but I will send a fire
upon his cities and it shall devour the palaces thereof .
* 91 Rejoice not O Israel for joy as other people for thou hast
gone a whoring from thy God thou hast loved a reward upon every
cornfloor .
92 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them and the new
wine shall fail in her .
93 They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land but Ephraim shall
return to Egypt and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria .
94 They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD neither
shall they be pleasing unto him their sacrifices shall be unto
them as the bread of mourners all that eat thereof shall be
polluted for their bread for their soul shall not come into the
house of the LORD .
95 What will ye do in the solemn day and in the day of the
feast of the LORD .
96 For lo they are gone because of destruction Egypt shall
gather them up Memphis shall bury them the pleasant places for
their silver nettles shall possess them thorns shall be in their
tabernacles .
97 The days of visitation are come the days of recompense are
come Israel shall know it the prophet is a fool the spiritual
man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great
hatred .
98 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God but the prophet is
a snare of a fowler in all his ways and hatred in the house of
his God .
99 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of
Gibeah therefore he will remember their iniquity he will visit
their sins .
910 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness I saw your
fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time but
they went to Baalpeor and separated themselves unto that shame
and their abominations were according as they loved .
911 As for Ephraim their glory shall fly away like a bird from
the birth and from the womb and from the conception .
912 Though they bring up their children yet will I bereave
them that there shall not be a man left yea woe also to them
when I depart from them .
913 Ephraim as I saw Tyrus is planted in a pleasant place but
Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer .
914 Give them O LORD what wilt thou give give them a
miscarrying womb and dry breasts .
915 All their wickedness is in Gilgal for there I hated them
for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine
house I will love them no more all their princes are revolters .
916 Ephraim is smitten their root is dried up they shall bear
no fruit yea though they bring forth yet will I slay even the
beloved fruit of their womb .
917 My God will cast them away because they did not hearken
unto him and they shall be wanderers among the nations .
* 101 Israel is an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit unto
himself according to the multitude of his fruit he hath
increased the altars according to the goodness of his land they
have made goodly images .
102 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty he
shall break down their altars he shall spoil their images .
103 For now they shall say We have no king because we feared
not the LORD what then should a king do to us .
104 They have spoken words swearing falsely in making a
covenant thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of
the field .
105 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the
calves of Bethaven for the people thereof shall mourn over it
and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it for the glory
thereof because it is departed from it .
106 It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to
king Jareb Ephraim shall receive shame and Israel shall be
ashamed of his own counsel .
107 As for Samaria her king is cut off as the foam upon the
water .
108 The high places also of Aven the sin of Israel shall be
destroyed the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their
altars and they shall say to the mountains Cover us and to the
hills Fall on us .
109 O Israel thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah there
they stood the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity
did not overtake them .
1010 It is in my desire that I should chastise them and the
people shall be gathered against them when they shall bind
themselves in their two furrows .
1011 And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught and loveth to
tread out the corn but I passed over upon her fair neck I will
make Ephraim to ride Judah shall plow and Jacob shall break his
clods .
1012 Sow to yourselves in righteousness reap in mercy break up
your fallow ground for it is time to seek the LORD till he come
and rain righteousness upon you .
1013 Ye have plowed wickedness ye have reaped iniquity ye have
eaten the fruit of lies because thou didst trust in thy way in
the multitude of thy mighty men .
1014 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people and all
thy fortresses shall be spoiled as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in
the day of battle the mother was dashed in pieces upon her
children .
1015 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great
wickedness in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut
off .
* 111 When Israel was a child then I loved him and called my
son out of Egypt .
112 As they called them so they went from them they sacrificed
unto Baalim and burned incense to graven images .
113 I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms but
they knew not that I healed them .
114 I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I
was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws and I
laid meat unto them .
115 He shall not return into the land of Egypt but the
Assyrian shall be his king because they refused to return .
116 And the sword shall abide on his cities and shall consume
his branches and devour them because of their own counsels .
117 And my people are bent to backsliding from me though they
called them to the most High none at all would exalt him .
118 How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee
Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as
Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled
together .
119 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not
return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the Holy One
in the midst of thee and I will not enter into the city .
1110 They shall walk after the LORD he shall roar like a lion
when he shall roar then the children shall tremble from the west
.
1111 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt and as a dove
out of the land of Assyria and I will place them in their houses
saith the LORD .
1112 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of
Israel with deceit but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful
with the saints .
* 121 Ephraim feedeth on wind and followeth after the east wind
he daily increaseth lies and desolation and they do make a
covenant with the Assyrians and oil is carried into Egypt .
122 The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah and will
punish Jacob according to his ways according to his doings will
he recompense him .
123 He took his brother by the heel in the womb and by his
strength he had power with God .
124 Yea he had power over the angel and prevailed he wept and
made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he
spake with us .
125 Even the LORD God of hosts the LORD is his memorial .
126 Therefore turn thou to thy God keep mercy and judgment and
wait on thy God continually .
127 He is a merchant the balances of deceit are in his hand he
loveth to oppress .
128 And Ephraim said Yet I am become rich I have found me out
substance in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me
that were sin .
129 And I that am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt will
yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles as in the days of the
solemn feast .
1210 I have also spoken by the prophets and I have multiplied
visions and used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets .
1211 Is there iniquity in Gilead surely they are vanity they
sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal yea their altars are as heaps in
the furrows of the fields .
1212 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria and Israel
served for a wife and for a wife he kept sheep .
1213 And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt and
by a prophet was he preserved .
1214 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly therefore
shall he leave his blood upon him and his reproach shall his
Lord return unto him .
* 131 When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel
but when he offended in Baal he died .
132 And now they sin more and more and have made them molten
images of their silver and idols according to their own
understanding all of it the work of the craftsmen they say of
them Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves .
133 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the
early dew that passeth away as the chaff that is driven with the
whirlwind out of the floor and as the smoke out of the chimney .
134 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt and thou
shalt know no god but me for there is no saviour beside me .
135 I did know thee in the wilderness in the land of great
drought .
136 According to their pasture so were they filled they were
filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten
me .
137 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion as a leopard by
the way will I observe them .
138 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps
and will rend the caul of their heart and there will I devour
them like a lion the wild beast shall tear them .
139 O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself but in me is thine
help .
1310 I will be thy king where is any other that may save thee
in all thy cities and thy judges of whom thou saidst Give me a
king and princes .
1311 I gave thee a king in mine anger and took him away in my
wrath .
1312 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up his sin is hid .
1313 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him he
is an unwise son for he should not stay long in the place of the
breaking forth of children .
1314 I will ransom them from the power of the grave I will
redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I
will be thy destruction repentance shall be hid from mine eyes .
1315 Though he be fruitful among his brethren an east wind
shall come the wind of the LORD shall come up from the
wilderness and his spring shall become dry and his fountain
shall be dried up he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant
vessels .
1316 Samaria shall become desolate for she hath rebelled
against her God they shall fall by the sword their infants shall
be dashed in pieces and their women with child shall be ripped
up .
* 141 O Israel return unto the LORD thy God for thou hast
fallen by thine iniquity .
142 Take with you words and turn to the LORD say unto him Take
away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render
the calves of our lips .
143 Asshur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses
neither will we say any more to the work of our hands Ye are our
gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy .
144 I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely for
mine anger is turned away from him .
145 I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the lily
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon .
146 His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the
olive tree and his smell as Lebanon .
147 They that dwell under his shadow shall return they shall
revive as the corn and grow as the vine the scent thereof shall
be as the wine of Lebanon .
148 Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with idols I
have heard him and observed him I am like a green fir tree From
me is thy fruit found .
149 Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent
and he shall know them for the ways of the LORD are right and
the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall
therein .
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