Open English Translation HOS Chapter 1

2 When Yahweh first spoke through Hosea, he told him, “Go and get yourself a prostitute for a wife and have children from her, because the country is committing flagrant prostitution by forsaking Yahweh.”

3 So he went and married Divlayim’s daughter Gomer, and she got pregnant and bore him a son. 4 Then Yahweh told him, “Name him Yizre’el, because in a little while I’ll avenge the blood shed in the Yizre’el valley on Yehu’s family, and I’ll put an end to the kingdom of Yisrael.[ref] 5 At that time in the Yizre’el valley, I’ll break Yisrael’s military power.

6 Then Gomer conceived again and bore a daughter, and Yahweh told Hoshea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah (which means ‘No mercy’), because I’ll no longer have mercy on the Israelis, and I won’t forgive them at all. 7 But I’ll have mercy on the Yehudah’s descendants, and I’ll save them so they’ll be able to see that it was their God Yahweh. (I won’t save them using bows, swords, battles, horses, or horsemen.)”

8 After she’d weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she got pregnant again and bore a second son. 9 Then Yahweh said, “Name him Lo-Ammi (which means ‘Not my people’) because you’re not my people and I’m not your God.”

10 Yet the number of Israelis will be like the sand on the seashore, which can’t be measured or counted. Then instead of being told, ‘You’re not my people,’ they’ll be told, ‘You are children of the living God.’[ref] 11 The people from both Yehudah and Yisrael will be gathered together. They’ll appoint one leader for themselves, and they’ll come out of the countries where they’d been exiled, because the day of Yizre’el (which means ‘planted by God’) will be great.