דְּבַר־ה' אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־הוֹשֵׁעַ בֶּן־בְּאֵרִי בִּימֵי עֻזִּיָּה יוֹתָם אָחָז יחִזְקִיָּה מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וּבִימֵי יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל

The following is the word of the Lord that was with Hosea son of Be’eri. Some explain that this is Be’era, prince of the tribe of Reuben. Hosea prophesied in the days of Uziya, Yotam, Ahaz, and Yehizkiya, kings of Judah, and correspondingly, in the days of the second King Yorovam son of Yo’ash, who reigned for many years as king of Israel. Several prophets were active during this period, including Isaiah.

תְּחִלַּת דִּבֶּר־ה' בְּהוֹשֵׁעַ וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־הוֹשֵׁעַ לֵךְ קַח־לְךָ אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים וְיַלְדֵי זְנוּנִים כִּי־זָנֹה תִזְנֶה הָאָרֶץ מֵאַחֲרֵי ה'

This was the initial word of the Lord to Hosea. Alternatively, the verse is saying that the first of the prophets of that period to whom God spoke was Hosea. The Lord said to Hosea: Go, take for yourself a wife of licentiousness, a woman of loose morals whom you will suspect of betrayal, or know for certain that she is unfaithful to you, and she will bear children of licentiousness, offspring whose fathers are unknown. Although they will be treated as the prophet’s children, their paternity will be uncertain. Hosea was commanded to marry this woman, as the land will stray licentiously from following the Lord. This harlot represents the house of Israel, while the prophet stands for God in the parable. Hosea’s personal life will become a living metaphor for the relationship between the nation and its God.

וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־גֹּמֶר בַּת־דִּבְלָיִם וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד־לוֹ בֵּן

He went and took Gomer daughter of Divlayim, perhaps a symbolic name that alludes to her immoral deeds, and she conceived and bore him a son.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָיו קְרָא שְׁמוֹ 'יִזְרְעֶאל' כִּי־עוֹד מְעַט וּפָקַדְתִּי אֶת־דְּמֵי יִזְרְעֶאל עַל־בֵּית יֵהוּא וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי מַמְלְכוּת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל

The Lord said to him: Call his name Yizre’el, after the winter capital of the kings of Israel. The name might also be an allusion to the winnowing [zeriya], or scattering, of Israel among the nations. For in a little while I will reckon the blood of Yizre’el upon the house of Yehu, the father of the dynasty to which Yorovam belonged. Yehu was commanded by a prophet to seize the monarchy from the idolatrous house of Omri, and he established his kingdom in a murderous rebellion in Yizre’el. Now, since his dynasty has failed to justify the expectations that were placed on it, and his descendants also continued to worship idols, the blood he spilled will be attributed to them, as though they killed innocent people. And I will bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְשָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת־קֶשֶׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵמֶק יִזְרְעֶאל

It shall be on that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the Yizre’el Valley. Israel will suffer a complete downfall there.

וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בַּת וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ קְרָא שְׁמָהּ 'לֹא רֻחָמָה' כִּי לֹא אוֹסִיף עוֹד אֲרַחֵם אֶת־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־נָשֹׂא אֶשָּׂא לָהֶם

She conceived again and bore a daughter. He said to him: Call her name Lo Ruhama, a name that means “shown no mercy,” as she represents the Kingdom of Israel, and I will no longer have mercy for the house of Israel, for I will carry them away. Alternatively, this last phrase means that God will certainly carry them into exile.

ואֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה אֲרַחֵם וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּים בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא אוֹשִׁיעֵם בְּקֶשֶׁת וּבְחֶרֶב וּבְמִלְחָמָה בְּסוּסִים וּבְפָרָשִׁים

But in contrast to the house of Israel, I will have mercy for the house of Judah, a far smaller kingdom, and I will save them by the Lord their God, because they are faithful to Me, and I will not save them with bow, with sword, or with war, or with horses or horsemen, but in a miraculous fashion.

וַתִּגְמֹל אֶת־לֹא רֻחָמָה וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן

She weaned Lo Ruhama, and she conceived and bore a, another, son.

וַיֹּאמֶר קְרָא שְׁמוֹ 'לֹא עַמִּי' כִּי אַתֶּם לֹא עַמִּי וְאָנֹכִי לֹא־אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם

He said: Call his name Lo Ami, which means “not my people,” as you are not My people, and I will not be yours. I will not be your God.