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Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

"Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.

He shall regard neither the God [fn] of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.

But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.

Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.

And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, [fn] For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,But I will utterly take them away. [fn]

Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the LORD their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen."

Then God said: "Call his name Lo-Ammi, [fn] For you are not My people,And I will not be your God.

"Yet the number of the children of IsraelShall be as the sand of the sea,Which cannot be measured or numbered.And it shall come to passIn the place where it was said to them,'You are not My people,' Hosea 1:9) ">[fn] There it shall be said to them,'You are sons of the living God.'

23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; [fn] Then I will say to those who were not My people, [fn] 'You are My people!'And they shall say, 'You are my God!' "

Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.

Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God.

"They do not direct their deeds Toward turning to their God, For the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, And they do not know the LORD.

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, But they do not return to the LORD their God, Nor seek Him for all this.

Israel will cry to Me, "My God, we know You!'

For from Israel is even this: A workman made it, and it is not God; But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.