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2Accuse! Accuse your mother!
She is no longer my wife,
and now I, the Lord ,
am not her husband.
Beg her to give up prostitution
and stop being unfaithful,
3or I will strip her naked
like the day she was born.
I will make her barren
like a desert,
and she will die of thirst.
4You children are the result
of her unfaithfulness,
and I'll show you no pity.
5Your mother was unfaithful.
She was disgraceful and said,
“I'll run after my lovers.
Everything comes from them—
my food and drink,
my linen and wool,
my olive oil and wine.”
6I, the Lord , will build
a fence of thorns
to block her path.
7She will run after her lovers,
but not catch them;
she will search,
but not find them.
Then she will say, “I'll return
to my first husband.
Life was better then.”
8She didn't know that her grain,
wine, and olive oil
were gifts from me,
as were the gold and silver
she used in worshiping Baal.
9So I'll hold back the harvest
of grain and grapes.
I'll take back
my wool and my linen
that cover her body.
10Then I'll strip her naked
in the sight of her lovers.
No one can rescue her.
11I'll stop Israel's celebrations—
no more New Moon Festivals,
Sabbaths, or other feasts.
12She said, “My lovers gave me
vineyards and fig trees
as payment for sex.”
Now I, the Lord , will ruin
her vineyards and fig trees;
they will become clumps of weeds
eaten by wild animals.
13I'll punish her for the days
she worshiped Baal
and burned incense to him.
I'll punish her for the times
she forgot about me
and wore jewelry and rings
to attract her lovers.
I, the Lord , have spoken!
14Israel, I, the Lord ,
will lure you into the desert
and speak gently to you.
15I will return your vineyards,[#Js 7.24-26.]
and then Trouble Valley
will become Hopeful Valley.
You will say “Yes” to me
as you did in your youth,
when leaving Egypt.
16I promise from that day on, you will call me your husband instead of your master.[#2.16 In Hebrew the word “master” is the same as the name of the god Baal. But the promises that his people will have a deep personal relationship with him (like a devoted wife and husband) rather than merely a legal tie (like a wife and her “master”).]
17I will no longer even let you mention the names of those pagan gods that you called “Master.”
18And I will agree to let you live in peace—you will no longer be attacked by wild animals and birds or by weapons of war.
19I will accept you as my wife forever, and instead of a bride price I will give you justice, fairness, love, kindness,[#2.19 It was the custom for the husband to pay his wife's parents a bride price. Instead of money, the will give much better benefits to Israel.]
20and faithfulness. Then you will truly know who I am.
21I will command the sky to send rain on the earth,
22and it will produce grain, grapes, and olives in Jezreel Valley.
23I will scatter the seeds and show mercy to Lo-Ruhamah. I will say to Lo-Ammi, “You are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.”[#Ro 9.25; 1 P 2.10.; #2.23 See the note at 1.6.; #2.23 See the note at 1.9.]