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Hosea 1 · Hosea 11 · Micah 6:8 · Habakkuk 2:4 · Joel 2:28-32

Hosea and the Twelve

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Hosea 1 · Hosea 11 · Micah 6:8 · Habakkuk 2:4 · Joel 2:28-32 · 30 verses

Hosea 1

1The word of the LORD that came unto 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.

2The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

3So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

4And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. avenge: Heb. visit

5And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

6And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. Loruhamah: that is, Not having obtained mercy no...: Heb. not add any more to but...: or, that I should altogether pardon them

7But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

9Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Loammi: that is, Not my people

10Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. in...: or, instead of that

11Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea 11

1When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

2As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

3I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

4I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. take off: Heb. lift up

5He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

6And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

7And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him. none...: Heb. together they exalted not

8How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

9I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

10They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

11They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.

12Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints. saints: or, most holy

Micah 6:8

8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? walk...: Heb. humble thyself to walk

Habakkuk 2:4

4Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Joel 2:28-32

28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

“The Twelve” are the so-called minor prophets — minor only in the length of their books, not in the weight of their words. Hosea opens the collection with a shocking command: marry a woman who will be unfaithful to you, and live the LORD's broken heart over Israel as your own. Joel sees a locust plague and a coming day of the Spirit poured out on all flesh. Amos thunders against social injustice. Obadiah speaks against Edom; Jonah goes to Nineveh; Micah gives a one-line summary of true religion (“do justly, love mercy, walk humbly”). Habakkuk asks the questions of every troubled saint and is told that the just shall live by his faith. Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi close the Old Testament — pointing forward to the coming day, the rebuilt temple, and a messenger before the Messenger.