Hosea 2:5New International Reader's VersionTheir mother hasn’t been faithful to me. She who became pregnant with them has brought shame on herself. She said, ‘I will chase after my lovers. They give me my food and water. They provide me with wool and linen. They give me olive oil and wine.’ See the chapter |
The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem, “Do you think I divorced your people who lived before you? Is that why I sent them away? If it is, show me the letter of divorce. I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe. You were sold because you sinned against me. Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts.
The Lord said to me, “Go. Show your love to your wife again. She is loved by another man. And she has committed adultery. But I want you to love her just as I love the people of Israel. They turn to other gods. And they love to offer raisin cakes to Baal and eat them. In spite of that, I love my people.”
The Lord says, “When I first found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your people of long ago, it was like seeing the early fruit on a fig tree. But then they went to Baal Peor. There they gave themselves to that shameful god named Baal. They became as evil as the god they loved.