וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלַי עוֹד לֵךְ אֱהַב־אִשָּׁה אֲהֻבַת רֵעַ וּמְנָאָפֶת כְּאַהֲבַת ה' אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵם פֹּנִים אֶל־אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְאֹהֲבֵי אֲשִׁישֵׁי עֲנָבִים

The Lord said to me further: Go love a woman, marry her, even though she is one who is the beloved of another man, or other men, and you know her to be an adulteress, unfaithful to her own husband. The prophet explains the symbolism: This is like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who yet turn to other gods and love goblets of grapes. They love drink and debauchery.

וָאֶכְּרֶהָ לִּי בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר כָּסֶף וְחֹמֶר שְׂעֹרִים וְלֶתֶךְ שְׂעֹרִים

I purchased, betrothed, her, the woman, for me, for fifteen silver shekels, and one ḥomer of barley and one half-ḥomer of barley. A ḥomer is a measure of volume, also called a kor, which is more than 210 L. This was a substantial, respectable dowry.

וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיהָ יָמִים רַבִּים תֵּשְׁבִי לִי לֹא תִזְנִי וְלֹא תִהְיִי לְאִישׁ וְגַם־אֲנִי אֵלָיִךְ

I said to her the following terms: You shall wait for me many days; you shall not engage in licentiousness, wandering around the streets, and you shall not marry another man. Rather, you must sit alone, and so too, for my part, will I be to you. Although we will not consummate our marriage for now, we will remain faithful to one another.

כִּי יָמִים רַבִּים יֵשְׁבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין מֶלֶךְ וְאֵין שָׂר וְאֵין זֶבַח וְאֵין מַצֵּבָה וְאֵין אֵפוֹד וּתְרָפִים

The prophet explains the symbolic meaning of Hosea’s deeds and words: For the children of Israel will sit many days in the future, and there will be no king and no prince. They will be deprived of suitable leadership, and they will likewise be bereft of religious symbols: no offering, no monument, and no ephod or teraphim. After Israel is exiled from its land, the people will have to live in this deficient state for many years, while nevertheless remaining faithful to God. Only upon the conclusion of this dismal period, during which the marital relationship is defined in a mainly negative manner, will the closeness between God and Israel be renewed and come to fruition.

אַחַר יָשֻׁבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִקְשׁוּ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֵת דָּוִיד מַלְכָּם וּפָחֲדוּ אֶל־ה' וְאֶל־טוּבוֹ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים

Then the children of Israel will return, and they will seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they will be moved, trembling with excitement and yearning, to come to the Lord and to His goodness in the End of Days.