Study Desk

Those two kings will want to make trouble. They will sit around the table planning their lies, but it will not do either one of them any good because God has set a time for their end to come.

This was the Lord 's first message to Hosea. The Lord said, "Go, marry a prostitute who has had children as a result of her prostitution. Do this because the people in this country have acted like prostitutes—they have been unfaithful to the Lord ."

The Lord said to Hosea, "Name him Jezreel, because soon I will punish the family of Jehu for the people he killed at Jezreel Valley. Then I will put an end to the kingdom of the nation of Israel.

Then Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord said to Hosea, "Name her Lo-Ruhamah, because I will not show mercy to the nation of Israel anymore, nor will I forgive them.

Then the Lord said, "Name him Lo-Ammi, because you are not my people, and I am not your God."

"Argue with your mother. Argue with her because she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband! Tell her to stop being like a prostitute. Tell her to take away her lovers from between her breasts.

I will have no pity on her children because they are the children of prostitution.

Then the Lord said to me again, "Gomer has many lovers, but you must continue loving her. Do this because it is an example of the Lord 's love for Israel. He continues to love them, but they continue to turn to other gods, and they love to eat those raisin cakes."

"My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge. You priests have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be priests for me. You have forgotten the law of your God, so I will forget your children.

They will eat, but they will not be satisfied. They will commit sexual sins, but they will not have babies. This is because they left the Lord and became like prostitutes.

"I cannot blame your daughters or your daughters-in-law for doing this, because your men go and have sex with the temple prostitutes and offer sacrifices with them. This is how foolish people destroy themselves.

"Israel, just because you act like a prostitute doesn't mean that Judah should feel guilty too. People, don't go to Gilgal or Beth Aven. Don't use the Lord's name to make promises. Don't say, ‘As the Lord lives …!'

"The leaders of the people went to look for the Lord . They took their sheep and cattle with them, but they did not find the Lord because he refused to accept them.

Ephraim will be punished. He will be crushed and pressed like grapes, because he decided to follow filth.

This is because I want faithful love, not sacrifice. I want people to know God, not to bring burnt offerings.

"Israel was destroyed; its people are scattered among the nations, like some dish that was thrown away because no one wanted it.

The people of Israel left because the enemy took everything from them. But Egypt will take the people themselves. Memphis will bury them. Weeds will grow over their silver treasures, and thorns will grow where the Israelites lived.

But even if the Israelites do raise their children, it will not help, because I will take the children away from them. I will leave them, and they will have nothing but troubles."

All their evil is in Gilgal; I began hating them there. I will force them to leave my house because of the evil things they do. I will not love them anymore. Their leaders are rebels who turned against me.

The people from Samaria worship the calves at Beth Aven. They will cry. The priests will cry, because their beautiful idol is gone. It was carried away.