1THE word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jereboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2The beginning of the word of the LORD that came to Hosea: The LORD said to Hosea, Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms; for the land will commit great whoredom in departing from the LORD. 3So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; who conceived and bore him a son. 4And the LORD said to him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5And it shall come to pass on that day, I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

6And she conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, Call her name La-ethrakhmath (not beloved); for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; and I will utterly cause them to be carried away captive. 7But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow nor by sword nor by battle nor by horses nor by horsemen.

8Now when she had weaned La-ethrakhmath, she conceived again and bore a son. 9Then the LORD said to me, Call his name La-ammi (not my people); for you are not my people and I will not be your God.

10Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people; there it shall be said to them, You are the sons of the living God.

11Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land; for great is the day of Jezreel.