When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, he said to him, “Go marry a prostitute who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution, because the nation continually commits spiritual prostitution by turning away from the Lord.”

“If thieves came to rob you during the night, they would steal only as much as they wanted! If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards, they would leave some behind for the poor! But you will be totally destroyed!

And the Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and out.

You must take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate,

that I will take nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’

The Lord said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

I will confirm my covenant as a perpetual covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent possession. I will be their God.”

I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of countries will come from her!”

But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”

To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your ‘brother.’ This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.”

You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’

Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them.

Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” Then Esau wept loudly.

Then this stone that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely give you back a tenth of everything you give me.”

Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. Then we will give you the younger one too, in exchange for seven more years of work.”

Indeed, you had little before I arrived, but now your possessions have increased many times over. The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?”

But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, “Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.”