Hosea

1This is the message the LORD gave to a man named Hosea. He was the son of Beeri. This happened when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. Jeroboam son of Joash was the king of Israel then.

The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

NoteThe LORD in big letters stands for God's special name. Long ago God's people lived in two lands. The one in the north was called Israel. The one in the south was called Judah. Hosea lived about 2,700 years ago. Hosea was a prophet, someone who told people what God said.

2This is how the LORD first spoke through Hosea. The LORD said to him, "Go and marry a woman who is not faithful. Have children who are not faithful too. The people of this land are not faithful to me either. They have turned away from me."

The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

NoteBeing faithful means keeping your promise to love only your husband or wife. God says his people did the same kind of thing to him. They started praying to other gods instead.

3So Hosea went and married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She had a baby boy.

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

4Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Name him Jezreel. Soon I will punish the family of King Jehu. They killed many people at Jezreel. I will also bring the kingdom of Israel to an end."

And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

NoteNames in the Bible often carried a message. Jezreel was the name of a valley and a town. Long before Hosea, a king named Jehu killed many people there. God says that family will now be punished.

5"On that day I will break the bows of Israel's army. It will happen in the valley of Jezreel."

And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

NoteA bow shoots arrows. It was the strongest weapon an army had. Breaking the bow is a way of saying the army will lose.

6Gomer had another baby. This time it was a girl. God said to Hosea, "Name her Loruhamah. I will not feel sorry for the people of Israel anymore. I will not forgive them."

And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

NoteLoruhamah means "not loved" or "no one feels sorry for her." The little girl's name was a message to the whole country.

7"But I will feel sorry for the people of Judah. I myself will save them. I will not use bows or swords or war. I will not use horses or riders. I am the LORD their God, and I will save them."

But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8Loruhamah grew big enough to stop drinking milk. Then Gomer had another baby boy.

Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

NoteBabies then drank their mother's milk for two or three years. So a long time passed between these two babies.

9God said, "Name him Loammi. You are not my people. And I am not your God."

Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

NoteLoammi means "not my people." Each child's name was another part of God's message.

10"But one day there will be so many people in Israel. They will be like the sand on the beach. No one will be able to count them. In the place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' they will be called children of the living God."

Yet 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 unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

NoteThe living God means the God who is really alive. Other people prayed to statues that could not move or speak.

11"Then the people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together. They will choose one leader for all of them. They will come up out of the land. That day at Jezreel will be a great day."

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

Note"Come up out of the land" means coming home again. Enemies had taken many people far away. The name Jezreel can also mean "God plants seeds." So the sad name turns into a happy one.

25God says it in the book of Hosea: "I will call them 'My people,' though they were not my people. I will call her 'My loved one,' though she was not loved."

As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

NoteHosea was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. His words are a book in the Bible.

26"And in the very place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called children of the living God."

And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

Note"The living God" means the God who is really alive. Other nations prayed to statues that could not move or hear.