Hosea 1:1-11, NLT
Hosea 1
1The Lord gave this message to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash*1:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash. was king of Israel.
Hosea’s Wife and Children
2When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute,*1:2 Or a promiscuous woman. so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
3So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.
6Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.
8After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son.
10*1:10 Verses 1:10-11 are numbered 2:1-2 in Hebrew text.“Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’