Hosea 1Hosea 2Colossians 4.2-18Hosea 1
1
The word of the Lord which came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel.
2
The start of the word of the Lord by Hosea: And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take for yourself a wife of loose ways, and children of the same, for the land has been untrue to the Lord.
3
So he took as his wife Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she gave birth to a son.
4
And the Lord said to him, Give him the name of Jezreel, for after a little time I will send punishment for the blood of Jezreel on the line of Jehu, and put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
5
And in that day I will let the bow of Israel be broken in the valley of Jezreel.
6
And after that she gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said, Give her the name Lo-ruhamah for I will not again have mercy on Israel, to give them forgiveness.
7
But I will have mercy on Judah and will give them salvation by the Lord their God, but not by the bow or the sword or by fighting or by horses or horsemen.
8
Now when Lo-ruhamah had been taken from the breast, the woman gave birth to a son.
9
And the Lord said, Give him the name Lo-ammi for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.
10
But still the number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which may not be measured or numbered and in place of its being said to them, You are not my people, it will be said to them, You are the sons of the living God
11
And the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together and take for themselves one head, and will go up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.
Hosea 2
1
Say to your brothers, Ammi and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
2
Take up the cause against your mother, take it up, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband let her put away her loose ways from her face, and her false ways from between her breasts
3
For fear that I may take away her robe from her, making her uncovered as in the day of her birth making her like a waste place and a dry land, causing her death through need of water.
4
And I will have no mercy on her children, for they are the children of her loose ways.
5
For their mother has been untrue she who gave them birth has done things of shame, for she said, I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my wine.
6
For this cause I will put thorns in her road, building up a wall round her so that she may not go on her way.
7
And if she goes after her lovers she will not overtake them if she makes search for them she will not see them then will she say, I will go back to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now.
8
For she had no knowledge that it was I who gave her the grain and the wine and the oil, increasing her silver and gold which they gave to the Baal.
9
So I will take away again my grain in its time and my wine, and I will take away my wool and my linen with which her body might have been covered.
10
And now I will make her shame clear before the eyes of her lovers, and no one will take her out of my hand.
11
And I will put an end to all her joy, her feasts, her new moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her regular meetings.
12
And I will make waste her vines and her fig-trees, of which she has said, These are the payments which my lovers have made to me and I will make them a waste of trees, and the beasts of the field will take them for food.
13
And I will give her punishment for the days of the Baals, to whom she has been burning perfumes, when she made herself fair with her nose-rings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, giving no thought to me, says the Lord.
14
For this cause I will make her come into the waste land and will say words of comfort to her.
15
And I will give her vine-gardens from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope and she will give her answer there as in the days when she was young, and as in the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16
And in that day, says the Lord, you will say to me, Ishi and you will never again give me the name of Baali
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For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and never again will she say their names.
18
And in that day I will make an agreement for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven and the things which go low on the earth I will put an end to the bow and the sword and war in all the land, and will make them take their rest in peace.
19
And I will take you as my bride for ever truly, I will take you as my bride in righteousness and in right judging, in love and in mercies.
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I will take you as my bride in good faith, and you will have knowledge of the Lord.
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And it will be, in that day, says the Lord, that I will give an answer to the heavens, and the heavens to the earth
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And the earth will give its answer to the grain and the wine and the oil, and they will give an answer to Jezreel
23
And I will put her as seed in the earth, and I will have mercy on her to whom no mercy was given and I will say to those who were not my people, You are my people, and they will say, My God.
Colossians 4
2-18
2
Give yourselves to prayer at all times, keeping watch with praise
3
And making prayer for us, that God may give us an open door for the preaching of the word, the secret of Christ, for which I am now in chains
4
So that I may make it clear, as it is right for me to do.
5
Be wise in your behaviour to those who are outside, making good use of the time.
6
Let your talk be with grace, mixed with salt, so that you may be able to give an answer to everyone.
7
Tychicus will give you news of all my business: he is a dear brother and true servant and helper in the word
8
And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may have news of how we are, and so that he may give your hearts comfort
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And with him I have sent Onesimus, the true and well-loved brother, who is one of you. They will give you word of everything which is taking place here.
10
Aristarchus, my brother-prisoner, sends his love to you, and Mark, a relation of Barnabas (about whom you have been given orders: if he comes to you, be kind to him),
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And Jesus, whose other name is Justus these are of the circumcision: they are my only brother-workers for the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort to me.
12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his love, ever taking thought for you in his prayers, that you may be complete and fully certain of all the purpose of God.
13
For I give witness of him that he has undergone much trouble for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.
14
Luke, our well-loved medical friend, and Demas, send you their love.
15
Give my love to the brothers in Laodicea and to Nymphas and the church in their house.
16
And when this letter has been made public among you, let the same be done in the church of Laodicea and see that you have the letter from Laodicea.
17
Say to Archippus, See that you do the work which the Lord has given you to do.
18
I, Paul, give you this word of love in my handwriting. Keep in memory that I am a prisoner. Grace be with you.
