<p class="poetry">The prophet<n id="1" /> is a watchman<n id="2" /> over Ephraim<n id="3" /> on behalf of God,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">yet traps<n id="5" /> are laid for him along all of his paths;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">animosity rages against him in the land<n id="7" /> of his God.p>

<p class="poetry">They approach him, all the while plotting against him.p> <p class="poetry">Their hearts are like an oven;p> <p class="poetry">their anger smolders all night long,p> <p class="poetry">but in the morning it bursts into a flaming fire.p>

<p class="poetry">The time of judgment<n id="1" /> is about to arrive!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The time of retribution<n id="3" /> is imminent!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Let Israel know!<n id="5" />p><t /><p class="poetry">The prophet is considered a fool<n id="6" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the inspired man<n id="7" /> is viewed as a madman<n id="8" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">because of the multitude of your sinsp> <p class="poetry">and your intense<n id="9" /> animosity.p>

<p class="poetry">Where<n id="1" /> then is your king,p> <p class="poetry">that he may save you in all your cities?p> <p class="poetry">Where are<n id="2" /> your rulers for whom you asked, saying,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Give me a king and princes&#8221;?p>

<p class="poetry">Even though they have hired lovers among the nations,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will soon gather them together for judgment.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Then<n id="3" /> they will begin to waste awayp> <p class="poetry">under the oppression of a mighty king.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Hear the word of the <sc>Lordsc>, you Israelites!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> has a covenant lawsuit<n id="2" /> against the people of Israel.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For there is neither faithfulness nor loyalty in the land,p> <p class="poetry">nor do they acknowledge God.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">When the <sc>Lordsc> first spoke<n id="1" /> through<n id="2" /> Hosea, he<n id="3" /> said to him,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Go marry<n id="5" /> a prostitute<n id="6" /> who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution,<n id="7" /> because the nation<n id="8" /> continually commits spiritual prostitution<n id="9" /> by turning away from<n id="10" /> the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Therefore they will disappear like<n id="1" /> the morning mist,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">like early morning dew that evaporates,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">like chaff that is blown away<n id="4" /> from a threshing floor,p> <p class="poetry">like smoke that disappears through an open window.p>

<p class="poetry">O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do<n id="1" /> with idols anymore!p> <p class="poetry">I will answer him and care for him.p> <p class="poetry">I am like<n id="2" /> a luxuriant cypress tree; <n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">your fruitfulness comes from me!<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">O Israel, do not rejoice jubilantly<n id="1" /> like the nations,p> <p class="poetry">for you are unfaithful<n id="2" /> to your God.p> <p class="poetry">You love to receive a prostitute's wages<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">on all the floors where you thresh your grain.p>

<p class="poetry">The more the priests increased in numbers,p> <p class="poetry">the more they rebelled against me.p> <p class="poetry">They have turned<n id="1" /> their glorious callingp> <p class="poetry">into a shameful disgrace!p>

<p class="poetry">A sword will flash in their cities,p> <p class="poetry">it will destroy the bars of their city gates,p> <p class="poetry">and will devour them in their fortresses.p>

<p class="poetry">Is there idolatry<n id="1" /> in Gilead?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Certainly its inhabitants<n id="3" /> will come to nothing!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?p> <p class="poetry">Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed field!p>

<p class="poetry">People will reside again<n id="1" /> in his shade;p> <p class="poetry">they will plant and harvest grain in abundance.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They will blossom like a vine,p> <p class="poetry">and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon.p>

<p class="bodytext">She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> said to him, &#8220;Name her &#8216;No Pity&#8217; (Lo-Ruhamah) because I will no longer have pity<n id="2" /> on the nation<n id="3" /> of Israel. For<n id="4" /> I will certainly not forgive<n id="5" /> their guilt.<n id="6" />

Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to Hosea,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Name him &#8216;Jezreel,&#8217; because in a little while I will punish<n id="2" /> the dynasty<n id="3" /> of Jehu on account of the bloodshed<n id="4" /> in the valley of Jezreel,<n id="5" /> and I will put an end to the kingdom<n id="6" /> of Israel.<n id="7" />

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;At that time<n id="1" /> I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals,p> <p class="poetry">the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground.p> <p class="poetry">I will abolish<n id="2" /> the warrior&#8217;s bow and swordp> <p class="poetry">&#8211; that is, every weapon of warfare<n id="3" /> &#8211; from the land,p> <p class="poetry">and I will allow them to live securely.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution,p> <p class="poetry">nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery.p> <p class="poetry">For the men consort with harlots,p> <p class="poetry">they sacrifice with temple prostitutes.p> <p class="poetry">It is true:<n id="1" /> &#8220;A people that lacks understanding will come to ruin!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Even now they persist in sin!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They make metal images for themselves,p> <p class="poetry">idols that they skillfully fashion<n id="2" /> from their own silver;p> <p class="poetry">all of them are nothing but the work of craftsmen!p> <p class="poetry">There is a saying about them:<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Those who sacrifice<n id="4" /> to the calf idol are calf kissers!&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness.p> <p class="poetry">I viewed your ancestors<n id="1" /> like an early fig on a fig tree in its first season.p> <p class="poetry">Then they came to Baal-Peor and they dedicated themselves to shame &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">they became as detestable as what they loved.p>