1  Then Yahweh said to me, “Go and show to your wife that you still love her, even though she has been committing adultery with another man who loves her. That will show that I still love the people of Israel, even though they worship other gods/idols and eat raisin cakes in feasts that honor those gods.”

2  My wife had become a slave, but I bought her for ◄6 ounces/179 grams► of silver and ten bushels of barley. 3  Then I said to her, “You must wait for many days before we sleep together [EUP]. During that time, you must not be a prostitute, and you must not have sex with any other man; but I will live with you.”

4  Our doing that will show that in the same way, the people of Israel will not have a king and other leaders for many years. They will not offer sacrifices or have sacred stone pillars, no sacred vest for the Supreme Priest, and no idols! 5  But later, the people of Israel will return to Yahweh their God and be guided by him and by a king who is a descendant of King David. In the last/future days they will come to Yahweh, revering him and trembling in his presence, and he will bless them.