Chapter 12

The Time of the End

“At that time Michael, the archangel* who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. 2 Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. 3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. 4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river. 6 One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, “How long will it be until these shocking events are over?”

7 The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, “It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened.”

8 I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, “How will all this finally end, my lord?”

9 But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means.

11 “From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration* is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. 12 And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days!

13 “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”

Hosea

Chapter 1

The Lord gave this message to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash* was king of Israel.

Hosea’s Wife and Children

2 When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute,* so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”

3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. 4 And the Lord said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. 5 I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”

6 Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. 7 But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”

8 After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. 9 And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.

10 * “Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’ 11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel* —when God will again plant his people in his land.

2:1 * “In that day you will call your brothers Ammi—‘My people.’ And you will call your sisters Ruhamah—‘The ones I love.’

Chapter 2

Charges against an Unfaithful Wife

2 “But now bring charges against Israel—your mother—

for she is no longer my wife,

and I am no longer her husband.

Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face

and the clothing that exposes her breasts.

3 Otherwise, I will strip her as naked

as she was on the day she was born.

I will leave her to die of thirst,

as in a dry and barren wilderness.

4 And I will not love her children,

for they were conceived in prostitution.

5 Their mother is a shameless prostitute

and became pregnant in a shameful way.

She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers

and sell myself to them for food and water,

for clothing of wool and linen,

and for olive oil and drinks.’

6 “For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes.

I will block her path with a wall

to make her lose her way.

7 When she runs after her lovers,

she won’t be able to catch them.

She will search for them

but not find them.

Then she will think,

‘I might as well return to my husband,

for I was better off with him than I am now.’

8 She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has—

the grain, the new wine, the olive oil;

I even gave her silver and gold.

But she gave all my gifts to Baal.

9 “But now I will take back the ripened grain and new wine

I generously provided each harvest season.

I will take away the wool and linen clothing

I gave her to cover her nakedness.

10 I will strip her naked in public,

while all her lovers look on.

No one will be able

to rescue her from my hands.

11 I will put an end to her annual festivals,

her new moon celebrations, and her Sabbath days—

all her appointed festivals.

12 I will destroy her grapevines and fig trees,

things she claims her lovers gave her.

I will let them grow into tangled thickets,

where only wild animals will eat the fruit.

13 I will punish her for all those times

when she burned incense to her images of Baal,

when she put on her earrings and jewels

and went out to look for her lovers

but forgot all about me,”

says the Lord.

The Lord’s Love for Unfaithful Israel

14 “But then I will win her back once again.

I will lead her into the desert

and speak tenderly to her there.

15 I will return her vineyards to her

and transform the Valley of Trouble* into a gateway of hope.

She will give herself to me there,

as she did long ago when she was young,

when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.

16 When that day comes,” says the Lord,

“you will call me ‘my husband’

instead of ‘my master.’*

17 O Israel, I will wipe the many names of Baal from your lips,

and you will never mention them again.

18 On that day I will make a covenant

with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky

and the animals that scurry along the ground

so they will not harm you.

I will remove all weapons of war from the land,

all swords and bows,

so you can live unafraid

in peace and safety.

19 I will make you my wife forever,

showing you righteousness and justice,

unfailing love and compassion.

20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine,

and you will finally know me as the Lord.

21 “In that day, I will answer,”

says the Lord.

“I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds.

And the sky will answer the earth with rain.

22 Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries

of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees.

And they in turn will answer,

‘Jezreel’—‘God plants!’

23 At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites

and raise them for myself.

I will show love

to those I called ‘Not loved.’*

And to those I called ‘Not my people,’*

I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’

And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’ ”

Chapter 3

Hosea’s Wife Is Redeemed

Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she* commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.* ”

2 So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver* and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.* 3 Then I said to her, “You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.* ”

4 This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests,* or even idols! 5 But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their king.* In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.