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Hosea 3
New Catholic Bible
Hosea 3
New Catholic Bible
The Triumph of Love[a]
Chapter 3
1 The Lord said to me:
“Go forth and offer your love to a woman
who has a lover and is an adulteress,
just as I, the Lord, love the people of Israel
even though they turn to other gods
and love raisin cakes.”[b]
2 Therefore, I purchased her for fifteen shekels of silver, a homer of barley, and a measure of wine, 3 and I said to her:
“You must remain in my house for a long time,
and you shall not continue to play the harlot.
You shall not have relations with anyone else,
nor even with me.”
4 For the Israelites shall spend a long time
without a king or leader,
without sacrifice or sacred pillar,
without ephod or household idols.
5 Afterward the Israelites shall return
and seek the Lord, their God,
and David, their king.[c]
They will come trembling to the Lord
to beg for his bounty in the final days.
Footnotes
- Hosea 3:1 Before belonging to Hosea, Gomer had to be redeemed and submit to the conditions which, according to ancient views, would free her from her sacral tie to a pagan cult and allow her to return to an orderly life. There was, so to speak, a period of quarantine, and this became a symbol of the Exile, which Israel must accept in order to withdraw from its promiscuous behavior with false gods. At that time the people will be deprived of every political and religious institution. The sacred stone and the ephod were elements of a worship more or less connected with pagan rites.
- Hosea 3:1 The raisin cakes were offered at pagan ritual feasts.
- Hosea 3:5 David, their king: i.e., the Messianic King of the line of David who will restore the Kingdom of the People of God (see Isa 4:2; 9:5f; 11:1-5; Jer 23:5; 33:14ff; Ezek 34:23f). The final days: i.e., the Messianic Age.
Hosea 3
New International Version
Hosea 3
New International Version
Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife
3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.(A) Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.(B)”
2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek[b] of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”
4 For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince,(C) without sacrifice(D) or sacred stones,(E) without ephod(F) or household gods.(G) 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek(H) the Lord their God and David their king.(I) They will come trembling(J) to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.(K)
Hosea 3
English Standard Version
Hosea 3
English Standard Version
Hosea Redeems His Wife
3 And the Lord said to me, (A)“Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a (B)homer and a lethech[a] of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must (C)dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel (D)shall dwell many days (E)without king or prince, (F)without sacrifice or (G)pillar, without (H)ephod or (I)household gods. 5 Afterward (J)the children of Israel shall return and (K)seek the Lord their God, and (L)David their king, (M)and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the (N)latter days.
Footnotes
- Hosea 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.