Chapter 2

Say³ ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.²⁷

Plead³ with your mother, plead:³ for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away⁵⁵ her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

Lest I strip⁵⁵ her naked, and set⁵² her as in the day that she was born,⁹ and make¹ her as a wilderness, and set¹ her like a dry land, and slay⁵² her with thirst.

And I will not have mercy¹⁷ upon her children; for they [be] the children of whoredoms.

For their mother hath played the harlot:¹ she that conceived⁶ them hath done shamefully:⁵² for she said,¹ I will go⁴ after my lovers,¹⁸ that give⁶ [me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Therefore, behold, I will hedge up⁵ thy way with thorns, and make¹ a wall, that she shall not find⁴ her paths.

And she shall follow after¹⁴ her lovers,¹⁸ but she shall not overtake⁵⁵ them; and she shall seek¹⁴ them, but shall not find⁴ [them]: then shall she say,¹ I will go⁴ and return⁴ to my first husband; for then [was it] better with me than now.

For she did not know¹ that I gave¹ her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied⁵² her silver and gold, [which] they prepared¹ for Baal.

Therefore will I return,⁴ and take away¹ my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover⁵² my wool and my flax [given] to cover¹⁵ her nakedness.

And now will I discover¹⁷ her lewdness in the sight of her lovers,¹⁸ and none shall deliver⁵⁵ her out of mine hand.

I will also cause all her mirth to cease,⁵² her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

And I will destroy⁵² her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said,¹ These [are] my rewards that my lovers¹⁸ have given¹ me: and I will make¹ them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat¹ them.

And I will visit¹ upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense⁵⁵ to them, and she decked⁴ herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went⁴ after her lovers,¹⁸ and forgat¹ me, saith⁷ the LORD.

Therefore, behold, I will allure¹⁸ her, and bring⁵² her into the wilderness, and speak¹⁴ comfortably unto her.

And I will give¹ her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing¹ there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up² out of the land of Egypt.

And it shall be at that day, saith⁷ the LORD, [that] thou shalt call⁴ me Ishi; and shalt call⁴ me no more Baali. ¹¹⁶⁷

For I will take away⁵² the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered¹¹ by their name.

And in that day will I make¹ a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground: and I will break⁴ the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down⁵² safely.

And I will betroth¹⁴ thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth¹⁴ thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

I will even betroth¹⁴ thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know¹ the LORD.

And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear,⁴ saith⁷ the LORD, I will hear⁴ the heavens, and they shall hear⁴ the earth;

And the earth shall hear⁴ the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear⁴ Jezreel.

And I will sow¹ her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy¹⁴ upon her that had not obtained mercy; ^{7355 27 3819} and I will say¹ to [them which were] not my people, ^{5971 3818} Thou [art] my people; and they shall say,⁴ [Thou art] my God.