Hosea 2:1-22

וְֽ֠הָיָ֠ה מִסְפַּ֤ר בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כְּח֣וֹל הַיָּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יִמַּ֖ד וְלֹ֣א יִסָּפֵ֑ר וְֽ֠הָיָ֠ה בִּמְק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יֵאָמֵ֤ר לָהֶם֙ לֹא־עַמִּ֣י אַתֶּ֔ם יֵאָמֵ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י אֵֽל־חָֽי׃ ^aVv. 1–3 anticipate the conclusion of the chapter.The number of the people of Israel shall be like that of the sands of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted; and instead of being told, “You are Not-My-People,”^bSee 1.9. they shall be called Children-of-the-Living-God.

וְ֠נִקְבְּצ֠וּ בְּנֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֤ה וּבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו וְשָׂמ֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם רֹ֥אשׁ אֶחָ֖ד וְעָל֣וּ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י גָד֖וֹל י֥וֹם יִזְרְעֶֽאל׃ The people of Judah and the people of Israel shall assemble together and appoint one head over them; and they shall rise from the ground^cMeaning, perhaps, “from their wretched condition,” or “to ascendancy over the land.”—for marvelous shall be ^dI.e., the day when the name Jezreel will convey a promise (2.23–25) instead of a threat (1.4–5).the day of Jezreel!^-d

אִמְר֥וּ לַאֲחֵיכֶ֖ם עַמִּ֑י וְלַאֲחוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם רֻחָֽמָה׃ Oh, call^eThe Lord addresses Hosea and his fellow North Israelites; see 1.9. The mother is the nation; her children the individual North Israelites. your brothers “My People,”
And your sisters “Lovingly Accepted!”

רִ֤יבוּ בְאִמְּכֶם֙ רִ֔יבוּ כִּי־הִיא֙ לֹ֣א אִשְׁתִּ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֣א אִישָׁ֑הּ וְתָסֵ֤ר זְנוּנֶ֙יהָ֙ מִפָּנֶ֔יהָ וְנַאֲפוּפֶ֖יהָ מִבֵּ֥ין שָׁדֶֽיהָ׃ Rebuke^eThe Lord addresses Hosea and his fellow North Israelites; see 1.9. The mother is the nation; her children the individual North Israelites. your mother, rebuke her—
For she is not My wife
And I am not her husband—
And let her put away her harlotry from her face
And her adultery from between her breasts.

פֶּן־אַפְשִׁיטֶ֣נָּה עֲרֻמָּ֔ה וְהִ֨צַּגְתִּ֔יהָ כְּי֖וֹם הִוָּֽלְדָ֑הּ וְשַׂמְתִּ֣יהָ כַמִּדְבָּ֗ר וְשַׁתִּ֙הָ֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה וַהֲמִתִּ֖יהָ בַּצָּמָֽא׃ Else will I strip her naked
And leave her as on the day she was born:
And I will make her like a wilderness,
Render her like desert land,
And let her die of thirst.

וְאֶת־בָּנֶ֖יהָ לֹ֣א אֲרַחֵ֑ם כִּֽי־בְנֵ֥י זְנוּנִ֖ים הֵֽמָּה׃ I will also disown her children;
For they are now a harlot’s brood,

כִּ֤י זָֽנְתָה֙ אִמָּ֔ם הֹבִ֖ישָׁה הוֹרָתָ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמְרָ֗ה אֵלְכָ֞ה אַחֲרֵ֤י מְאַֽהֲבַי֙ נֹתְנֵ֤י לַחְמִי֙ וּמֵימַ֔י צַמְרִ֣י וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י שַׁמְנִ֖י וְשִׁקּוּיָֽי׃ In that their mother has played the harlot,
She that conceived them has acted shamelessly—
Because she thought,
“I will go after my lovers,
Who supply my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen,
My oil and my drink.”

לָכֵ֛ן הִנְנִי־שָׂ֥ךְ אֶת־דַּרְכֵּ֖ךְ בַּסִּירִ֑ים וְגָֽדַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־גְּדֵרָ֔הּ וּנְתִיבוֹתֶ֖יהָ לֹ֥א תִמְצָֽא׃ Assuredly,
I will hedge up her^fHeb. “your.” Vv. 8–9 would read well after v. 15. roads with thorns
And raise walls against her,
And she shall not find her paths.

וְרִדְּפָ֤ה אֶת־מְאַהֲבֶ֙יהָ֙ וְלֹא־תַשִּׂ֣יג אֹתָ֔ם וּבִקְשָׁ֖תַם וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָ֑א וְאָמְרָ֗ה אֵלְכָ֤ה וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אֶל־אִישִׁ֣י הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לִ֛י אָ֖ז מֵעָֽתָּה׃ Pursue her lovers as she will,
She shall not overtake them;
And seek them as she may,
She shall never find them.
Then she will say,
“I will go and return
To my first husband,
For then I fared better than now.”

וְהִיא֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְעָ֔ה כִּ֤י אָנֹכִי֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔הּ הַדָּגָ֖ן וְהַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָ֑ר וְכֶ֨סֶף הִרְבֵּ֥יתִי לָ֛הּ וְזָהָ֖ב עָשׂ֥וּ לַבָּֽעַל׃ And she did not consider this:
It was I who bestowed on her
The new grain and wine and oil;
I who lavished silver on her
And gold—which they used for Baal.

לָכֵ֣ן אָשׁ֔וּב וְלָקַחְתִּ֤י דְגָנִי֙ בְּעִתּ֔וֹ וְתִירוֹשִׁ֖י בְּמוֹעֲד֑וֹ וְהִצַּלְתִּי֙ צַמְרִ֣י וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י לְכַסּ֖וֹת אֶת־עֶרְוָתָֽהּ׃ Assuredly,
I will take back My new grain in its time
And My new wine in its season,
And I will snatch away My wool and My linen
That serve to cover her nakedness.

וְעַתָּ֛ה אֲגַלֶּ֥ה אֶת־נַבְלֻתָ֖הּ לְעֵינֵ֣י מְאַהֲבֶ֑יהָ וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹא־יַצִּילֶ֥נָּה מִיָּדִֽי׃ Now will I uncover her shame
In the very sight of her lovers,
And none shall save her from Me.

וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ כׇּל־מְשׂוֹשָׂ֔הּ חַגָּ֖הּ חׇדְשָׁ֣הּ וְשַׁבַּתָּ֑הּ וְכֹ֖ל מוֹעֲדָֽהּ׃ And I will end all her rejoicing:
Her festivals, new moons, and sabbaths—
All her festive seasons.

וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֗י גַּפְנָהּ֙ וּתְאֵ֣נָתָ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמְרָ֗ה אֶתְנָ֥ה הֵ֙מָּה֙ לִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתְנוּ־לִ֖י מְאַהֲבָ֑י וְשַׂמְתִּ֣ים לְיַ֔עַר וַאֲכָלָ֖תַם חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,
Which she thinks are a fee
She received from her lovers;
I will turn them into brushwood,
And beasts of the field shall devour them.

וּפָקַדְתִּ֣י עָלֶ֗יהָ אֶת־יְמֵ֤י הַבְּעָלִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּקְטִ֣יר לָהֶ֔ם וַתַּ֤עַד נִזְמָהּ֙ וְחֶלְיָתָ֔הּ וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ אַחֲרֵ֣י מְאַהֲבֶ֑יהָ וְאֹתִ֥י שָׁכְחָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס}         Thus will I punish her
For the days of the Baalim,
On which she brought them offerings;
When, decked with earrings and jewels,
She would go after her lovers,
Forgetting Me
—declares the LORD.

לָכֵ֗ן הִנֵּ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ מְפַתֶּ֔יהָ וְהֹלַכְתִּ֖יהָ הַמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְדִבַּרְתִּ֖י עַל־לִבָּֽהּ׃ Assuredly,
I will speak coaxingly to her
And lead her through the wilderness^gI.e., her ravaged land (see vv. 5, 10–11, 14); so Ibn Ezra.
And speak to her tenderly.

וְנָתַ֨תִּי לָ֤הּ אֶת־כְּרָמֶ֙יהָ֙ מִשָּׁ֔ם וְאֶת־עֵ֥מֶק עָכ֖וֹר לְפֶ֣תַח תִּקְוָ֑ה וְעָ֤נְתָה שָּׁ֙מָּה֙ כִּימֵ֣י נְעוּרֶ֔יהָ וּכְי֖וֹם עֲלוֹתָ֥הּ מֵאֶרֶץ־מִצְרָֽיִם׃ I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor^hA desolate region; cf. Isa. 65.10; see further Josh. 7.25–26. as a ⁱConnecting pethaḥ with pittaḥ “to plow” (see Isa. 28.24). Meaning of Heb. uncertain; others “door of hope.”plowland of hope.^-i
There she shall respond as in the days of her youth,
When she came up from the land of Egypt.

וְהָיָ֤ה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה תִּקְרְאִ֖י אִישִׁ֑י וְלֹא־תִקְרְאִי־לִ֥י ע֖וֹד בַּעְלִֽי׃ And in that day
—declares the LORD—
You will call [Me] Ishi,^jBoth Ishi and Baali mean “my husband,” but the latter also means “my Baal.”
And no more will you call Me Baali.^jBoth Ishi and Baali mean “my husband,” but the latter also means “my Baal.”

וַהֲסִרֹתִ֛י אֶת־שְׁמ֥וֹת הַבְּעָלִ֖ים מִפִּ֑יהָ וְלֹא־יִזָּכְר֥וּ ע֖וֹד בִּשְׁמָֽם׃ For I will remove the names of the Baalim from her mouth,
And they shall nevermore be mentioned by name.

וְכָרַתִּ֨י לָהֶ֤ם בְּרִית֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עִם־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְעִם־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וְקֶ֨שֶׁת וְחֶ֤רֶב וּמִלְחָמָה֙ אֶשְׁבּ֣וֹר מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִשְׁכַּבְתִּ֖ים לָבֶֽטַח׃ In that day, I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; I will also banish^kLit. “break.” bow, sword, and war from the land. Thus I will let them lie down in safety.

וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים׃ And I will espouse you forever:
I will espouse you ^lAs the bride-price which the bridegroom will pay, He will confer these qualities on her, so that she will never offend again.with righteousness and justice,
And with goodness and mercy,

וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
And I will espouse you with faithfulness;^-l
Then you shall be devoted to the LORD.