Hosea 3

1 The LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.”

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go again, show love to this woman, who is loved by another, who commits adultery. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods, and love the raisin cakes offered to idols.

2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley.

So I redeemed her for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethek of barley.

3 I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man. I will also be so toward you.”

And I told her, ‘You must live with me for many days and you must not sleep around or marry another. And I will do the same for you.

4 For the children of Israel shall live many days without king, without prince, without sacrifice, without sacred stone, and without ephod or idols.

And like this the Israelites will live for a long time without king and without prince, without sacrifice and without pillar, without ephod and without teraphim.

5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and shall come with trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.

Yet afterward the Israelites will return, and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king, and in the days to come they will turn with awe to the Lord and his goodness.