1. The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel.
2. When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:Go and marry a promiscuous wife and have children of promiscuity,for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuityby abandoning the Lord.
3. So he went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4. Then the Lord said to him:Name him Jezreel, for in a little whileI will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.