וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י ע֚וֹד לֵ֣ךְ אֱֽהַב־אִשָּׁ֔ה אֲהֻ֥בַת רֵ֖עַ וּמְנָאָ֑פֶת כְּאַהֲבַ֤ת יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהֵ֗ם פֹּנִים֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְאֹהֲבֵ֖י אֲשִׁישֵׁ֥י עֲנָבִֽים׃ GOD said to me further, “Go, befriend a woman who, while befriendedabefriend…befriended For this sense, see Deut. 10.19. by a companion, consorts with others, just as GOD befriends the Israelites,bjust as GOD befriends the Israelites See Hos. 2.10. but they turn to other gods and love the cups of the grape.”cto other gods and love the cups of the grape Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “‘to other gods.’ And so I befriended a woman of lust.”
וָאֶכְּרֶ֣הָ לִּ֔י בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר כָּ֑סֶף וְחֹ֥מֶר שְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְלֵ֥תֶךְ שְׂעֹרִֽים׃ Then I hired her for fifteen [shekels of] silver, a ḥomer of barley, and a lethech of barley;da lethech of barley Septuagint reads “a jar of wine.”
וָאֹמַ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יהָ יָמִ֤ים רַבִּים֙ תֵּ֣שְׁבִי לִ֔י לֹ֣א תִזְנִ֔י וְלֹ֥א תִֽהְיִ֖י לְאִ֑ישׁ וְגַם־אֲנִ֖י אֵלָֽיִךְ׃ and I stipulated with her, “In return,eIn return Lit. “for me.” you are to go a long time without either fornicating or marrying; even I [shall not cohabit] with you.”
כִּ֣י ׀ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֥ין מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֵ֣ין שָׂ֔ר וְאֵ֥ין זֶ֖בַח וְאֵ֣ין מַצֵּבָ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין אֵפ֖וֹד וּתְרָפִֽים׃ For the Israelites shall go a long time without king and without officials, without sacrificefsacrifice Emendation yields “altar.” and without cult pillars, and without ephod and oracle idols.
אַחַ֗ר יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּבִקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת דָּוִ֣יד מַלְכָּ֑ם וּפָחֲד֧וּ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֛ה וְאֶל־טוּב֖וֹ בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים׃ {פ}
Afterward, the Israelites will turn back and will seek the ETERNAL their God and David their king—and they will thrill over GOD and over God’s bounty in the days to come.