Study Desk

I will punish her for the days of the Baals, to whom she burns incense, and she decked herself with her ornamental ring and jewelry, and she went after her lovers, and forgot me —a declaration of Yahweh.

I will make a covenant for them on that day, with the animals of the field, with the birds of the heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; the bow, the sword, and the war I will abolish from the land, and I will let them lie down in safety.

And I will take you as my wife forever; I will take you as a wife for myself in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

I will sow her for myself in the land; I will have pity on Lo-ruhama; I will say to Lo-ammi, "You are my people," and he himself will say, "you are my God."

And Yahweh said to me again, "Go, love a woman who has a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of Yahweh for the children of Israel, but they are turning to other gods and love raisin cakes."

So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barely and a measure of wine.

And I said to her, "You must remain as mine for many days, and you will not play the whore; you will not belong to a man, and I will belong to you."

The children of Israel will remain for many days without a king and prince, without sacrifice and stone pillar, ephod and teraphim.

Hear the word of Yahweh, O children of Israel, for Yahweh has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty, there is no knowledge of God in the land.

Yet, let no one contend, and let no one accuse, for with you, O priest, is my contention.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from acting as a priest for me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

They feed on the sin of my people, they are greedy for their iniquity.

And it will be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways, and I will requite them for their deeds.

Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O house of Israel! Listen, O house of the king! Because the judgment applies to you; because you have been a snare for Mizpah, and a net spread out on Tabor;

they dug a deep pit in Shittim, but I am a punishment for all of them.

For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I restore the fortunes of my people,

The pride of Israel testifies against him— they do not return to Yahweh their God; they do not seek him for all of this.

They appointed kings, but not through me; they made officials, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves for their own destruction.

Because it is from Israel, an artisan made it, it is not a god; for the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.

For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey alone to itself; Ephraim has sold itself for lovers.