1 “ Say to your brothers, ‘My people!’ and to your sisters, ‘My loved one!’

say to your brethren, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

2 C ontend with your mother! Contend, for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband; and let her put away her prostitution from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

Plead with your mother; plead, for she is not My wife and I am not her Husband; that she put away her harlotry from her face and her adulteries from between her breasts,

3 L est I strip her naked, and make her bare as in the day that she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and kill her with thirst.

Lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her as a wilderness and set her like a parched land and slay her with thirst.

4 I ndeed, on her children I will have no mercy; for they are children of unfaithfulness;

Yes, for her children I will have no love nor pity nor mercy, for they are the children of harlotry.

5 F or their mother has played the prostitute. She who conceived them has done shamefully; for she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’

For their mother has played the harlot; she who conceived them has done shamefully, for she said, I will go after my lovers that give me my food and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my refreshing drinks.

6 T herefore behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, that she can’t find her way.

Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns; and I will build a wall against her that she shall not find her paths.

7 S he will follow after her lovers, but she won’t overtake them; and she will seek them, but won’t find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.’

And she shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then shall she say, Let me go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now.

8 F or she did not know that I gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied to her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.

For she has not noticed, understood, or realized that it was I Who gave her the grain and the new wine and the fresh oil, and Who lavished upon her silver and gold which they used for Baal and made into his image.

9 T herefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my new wine in its season, and will pluck away my wool and my flax which should have covered her nakedness.

Therefore will I return and take back My grain in the time for it and My new wine in the season for it, and will pluck away and recover My wool and My flax which were to cover her nakedness.

10 N ow I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one will deliver her out of my hand.

And now will I uncover her lewdness and her shame in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of My hand.

11 I will also cause all her celebrations to cease: her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn assemblies.

I will also cause to cease all her mirth, her feastmaking, her New Moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts and appointed festive assemblies.

12 I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, about which she has said, ‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me; and I will make them a forest,’ and the animals of the field shall eat them.

And I will lay waste and destroy her vines and her fig trees of which she has said, These are my reward or loose woman’s hire that my lovers have given me; and I will make an inaccessible forest, and the wild beasts of the open country shall eat them.

13 I will visit on her the days of the Baals, to which she burned incense, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot me,” says Yahweh.

And I will visit upon her for the feast days of the Baals, when she burned incense to them and decked herself with her earrings and nose rings and her jewelry and went after her lovers and forgot Me, says the Lord.

14 “ Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart.

15 I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor to be for her a door of hope and expectation. And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

16 I t will be in that day,” says Yahweh, “that you will call me ‘my husband,’ and no longer call me ‘my master.’

And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, that you will call Me Ishi, and you shall no more call Me Baali.

17 F or I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name.

For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned or seriously remembered by their name.

18 I n that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the creeping things of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, and will make them lie down safely.

And in that day will I make a covenant for Israel with the living creatures of the open country and with the birds of the heavens and with the creeping things of the ground. And I will break the bow and the sword and conflict out of the land and will make you lie down safely.

19 I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.

And I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy.

20 I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know Yahweh.

I will even betroth you to Me in stability and in faithfulness, and you shall know (recognize, be acquainted with, appreciate, give heed to, and cherish) the Lord.

21 I t will happen in that day, I will respond,” says Yahweh, “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;

And in that day I will respond, says the Lord; I will respond to the heavens, and they shall respond to the earth,

22 a nd the earth will respond to the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they will respond to Jezreel.

And the earth shall respond to the grain and the wine and the oil, and these shall respond to Jezreel.

23 I will sow her to me in the earth; and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; and I will tell those who were not my people, ‘You are my people;’ and they will say, ‘My God!’”

And I will sow her for Myself anew in the land, and I will have love, pity, and mercy for her who had not obtained love, pity, and mercy; and I will say to those who were not My people, You are My people, and they shall say, You are my God!