Hosea 3
An Illustration of God’s Love for Idolatrous Israel
3:1 The Lord> said to me, “Go, show love to1 your wife2 again, even though she loves3 another man4 and continually commits adultery.5 Likewise, the Lord> loves6 the Israelites7 although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”8
3:2 So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley9 to purchase her.
3:3 Then I told her, “You must live with me many days; you must not commit adultery or have sexual intercourse with10 another man, and I also will wait for you.”
3:4 For the Israelites11 must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols.
3:5 Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the Lord> their God and their Davidic king.12 Then they will submit to the Lord> in fear and receive his blessings13 in the future.14
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