Hosea and the Unfaithful Woman
1TheLord said to me, “Go again+ and show your love for a woman who is committing adultery with a lover. You must love her just as I still love the people of Israel, even though they turn to other gods and like to take offerings of raisins to idols.”+
2So I paid fifteen pieces of silver and seven bushels of barley to buy her.3I told her that for a long time she would have to wait for me without being a prostitute or committing adultery; and during this time I would wait for her.4In just this way the people of Israel will have to live for a long time without kings or leaders, without sacrifices or sacred stone pillars, without idols or images to use for divination.5But the time will come when the people of Israel will once again turn to theLord their God and to a descendant of David their king. Then they will fear theLord and will receive his good gifts.
Footnotes:
3.1:TheLord … again;orTheLord spoke to me again. He said, “Go …”
3.1:offerings of raisins to idols:Dried grapes were used in the worship of fertility gods, who were believed to give abundant harvests to their worshipers.
