Study Desk

Say ye unto your brethren, O Ammi, and unto your sisters, O Ruhamah:

Contend ye with your mother, contend, for she is no wife of mine, and I am no husband of hers, Let her then put away her paramours from before her, and her partners in adultery, from her embraces:

Lest I strip off her under-clothing, and set her forth to view, as in the day she was born, - and make her like a wilderness, and render her like a land that is parched, and suffer her to die of thirst;

And, on her children, not have compassion, - because, the children of paramours, they are.

For their mother, hath been unchaste, and she that conceived them, hath caused shame, - for she said, Let me go after my lovers! who used to give my bread, and my water, my wool, and my flax, mine oil, and my drink.

Therefore, behold me! hedging up her way, with thorns, - and I will wall her in, and, her footpaths, shall she not find.

And, when she shall pursue her lovers, and not overtake them, and shall seek them and not find, then will she say, Let me go my way now! and return unto my first husband, for it was better with me, then, than, now!

But, she, owneth not, that, I, gave her - the corn, and the new wine and the oil, - silver, also increased I unto her, and gold - which they offered to Baal!

Therefore, will I again take away my corn, in the time thereof, and my new wine, in the season thereof, - and will recover my wool and my flax given to hide her shame.

Now, therefore, will I expose her unseemliness, before the eyes of her lovers, - and no, man, shall deliver her out of my hand!

And I will cause to cease all her mirth, her pilgrim-festival, her new moon and her sabbath, - and her every appointed meeting;

And will lay waste her vine and her fig- tree, as to which she hath said, A present, are they for myself, which my lovers, have given me, - and I will make of them a thicket, and the wild beasts of the field shall devour them.

So will I visit upon her the days of the Baals, unto whom she used to burn incense, and decked herself with her nose-ring and her jewelry, and went her way after her lovers, - whereas, me, she forgat, Declareth Yahweh.

Therefore, lo! I, am going to persuade her, and, though I conduct her forth into wilderness, yet will I speak unto her heart.

Then will I give to her her vineyards from thence, and the vale of Achor for a door of hope, - and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

And it shall come to pass, in that day, Declareth Yahweh, that she will call me Ishi, and will not call me any more, Baali.

So will I take away the names of the Baals, out of her mouth, - and they shall not be called to mind any more, by their name.

And I will solemnize to them a covenant, in that day, with the wild-beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and the creeping thing of the ground, - and, bow and sword and battle, will I break in pieces out of the land, so will I cause them to lie down, in security.

And I will take thee unto myself, unto times age-abiding, - yea I will take thee unto myself, in righteousness and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in abounding compassion:

Yea I will take thee unto myself, in faithfulness, - So shalt thou know Yahweh.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will respond, Declareth Yahweh, I will respond to the heavens, - and, they, shall respond to the earth;

And, the earth, shall respond to the corn, and to the new wine and to the oil, - and, they, shall respond to Jezreel

So will I sow her unto me in the land, and will have compassion upon the uncompassionated one, - and will say to him who was No-people-of-mine, My people, thou art, and, he, shall say, My God!

Then said Yahweh unto me, Once more, go love a woman who loveth a friend, and is an adulteress, - according to the love of Yahweh unto the sons of Israel, though they keep turning away unto other gods, and love idolatrous raisin-cakes.

So I secured n her to me, for fifteen pieces of silver, - and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;

and I said unto her, Many days, shalt thou tarry for me, thou shalt not be unchaste, neither shalt thou become another man's, - moreover also, I, will tarry for thee.

For, many days, shall the sons of Israel tarry, without king, and without ruler, and without sacrifice, and without pillar; and without ephod, or household gods.

Afterwards, shall the sons of Israel return, and seek Yahweh their God, and David their king, - and shall turn with throbbing hearts unto Yahweh and unto his goodness, in the afterpart of the days.