Hosea 3

1 Then Yahweh said to me, “Go and show to your wife that you still love her, even though she has been committing adultery with another man who loves her. [That will show that] I still love the people of Israel, even though they worship other gods/idols and eat raisin cakes [in feasts that honor those gods].”

Og Herren sa til mig: Gå atter bort og elsk en kvinne som er elsket av sin venn og allikevel driver hor, likesom Herren elsker Israels barn, men de vender sig til andre guder og elsker rosinkaker!

2 [My wife had become a slave, ] but I bought her for (6 ounces/179 grams) of silver and ten bushels of barley.

Da kjøpte jeg mig en slik kvinne for femten sekel sølv og en homer bygg og en letek bygg.

3 Then I said to her, “You must wait for many days [before we sleep together] [EUP]. During that time, you must not be a prostitute, and you must not have sex with any other man; but I will live with you.”

Og jeg sa til henne: I mange dager skal du få sitte alene, uten å drive hor og uten å ha med nogen mann å gjøre; og jeg skal bære mig likedan at mot dig.

4 [Our doing that will show that] in the same way, the people of Israel will not have a king and [other] leaders for many years. They will not offer sacrifices or [have sacred stone] pillars, no sacred vest [for the Supreme Priest], and no idols!

For i mange dager skal Israels barn sitte uten konge og fyrste, uten offer og billedstøtte, uten livkjortel og husguder.

5 But later, the people of Israel will return to Yahweh their God and [be guided by him and] by a king who is a descendant of [King] David. In the last/future days they will come to Yahweh, revering him and trembling [in his presence], and he will bless them.

Derefter skal Israels barn vende om og søke Herren sin Gud og David sin konge, og bevende skal de søke Herren og hans gaver i de siste dager.