1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea 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.

Hosea’s Wife and Children

² When the Lord first spoke by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take for yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry, departing from the Lord.” ³ So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim as a wife. She conceived, and bore him a son.

⁴ The Lord said to him: “Call his name Jezreel,^[a] for in a little while, I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and will bring to an end the kingdom of the house of Israel. ⁵ On that day, I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

⁶ Then Gomer conceived again, and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea: “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah,^[b] for I will no longer have mercy upon the house of Israel but will utterly sweep them away. ⁷ 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, or by sword, or by battle, or by horses, or by horsemen.”

⁸ When Gomer had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son. ⁹ Then the Lord said: “Call his name Lo-Ammi,^[c] for you are not My people, and I am not your God.”

¹⁰ Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” there it will be said to them, “You are the children of the living God.” ¹¹ Then will the Judahites and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.