The Hebrew Prophets

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.

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.

So he went, and tooke Gomer, ye daughter of Diblaim, which conceiued and bare him a sonne.

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.

And at that day will I also breake the bowe of Israel in the valley of Izreel.

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.

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.

Nowe when she had wained Lo-ruhamah, shee conceiued, and bare a sonne.

Then saide God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for yee are not my people: therefore will I not be yours.

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.

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.

Say vnto your brethren, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhamah,

Plead with your mother: plead with her: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: but let her take away her fornications out of her sight, and her adulteries from betweene her breasts.

Lest I strippe her naked, and set her as in the day that shee was borne, and make her as a wildernes, and leaue her like a drie land, and slaie her for thirst.

And I wil haue no pitie vpon her children: for they be the children of fornications.

For their mother hath plaied the harlot: she that conceiued them, hath done shamefully: for shee said, I will goe after my louers that giue me my bread and my water, my wooll and my flaxe, mine oyle and my drinke.

Therefore beholde, I will stoope thy way with thornes, and make an hedge, that shee shall not finde her pathes.

Though shee follow after her louers, yet shall shee not come at them: though shee seeke them, yet shall shee not finde them: then shall she say, I will goe and returne to my first husband: for at that time was I better then nowe.

Nowe she did not knowe that I gaue her corne, and wine, and oyle, and multiplied her siluer and golde, which they bestowed vpon Baal.

Therefore wil I returne, and take away my corne in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recouer my wool and my flaxe lent, to couer her shame.

And now will I discouer her lewdnes in the sight of her louers, and no man shall deliuer her out of mine hand.

I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast daies, her newe moones, and her Sabbathes, and all her solemne feasts.

And I wil destroy her vines and her figtrees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my louers haue giuen mee: and I will make them as a forest, and the wilde beasts shall eate them.

And I wil visit vpon her the daies of Baalim, wherein shee burnt incense to them: and shee decked her selfe with her earings and her iewels, and shee folowed her louers, and forgate me, saith the Lord.

Therefore beholde, I will allure her, and bring her into the wildernesse, and speake friendly vnto her.