This is God's Message to Hosea son of Beeri. It came to him during the royal reigns of Judah's kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. This was also the time that Jeroboam son of Joash was king over Israel.
The first time GOD spoke to Hosea he said: "Find a whore and marry her. Make this whore the mother of your children. And here's why: This whole country has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, GOD."
Then GOD told him: "Name him Jezreel. It won't be long now before I'll make the people of Israel pay for the massacre at Jezreel. I'm calling it quits on the kingdom of Israel.
Gomer got pregnant again. This time she had a daughter. GOD told Hosea: "Name this one No-Mercy. I'm fed up with Israel. I've run out of mercy. There's no more forgiveness.
Judah's another story. I'll continue having mercy on them. I'll save them. It will be their GOD who saves them, Not their armaments and armies, not their horsepower and manpower."
"But down the road the population of Israel is going to explode past counting, like sand on the ocean beaches. In the very place where they were once named Nobody, they will be named God's Somebody.
Everybody in Judah and everybody in Israel will be assembled as one people. They'll choose a single leader. There'll be no stopping them--a great day in Jezreel!