Old Testament · 14 chapters
Read Hosea.
Hosea portrays Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness through the painful image of a broken marriage. God confronts idolatry and injustice while calling the people back with promises of mercy and healing.
Choose a chapter Hosea · 14 chapters
Read a chapter. Find its meaning.
Choose a chapter for the complete Bible text and a short summary to guide your reading.
Chapter 1.
Hosea’s marriage and the names of his children become signs of Israel’s unfaithfulness and coming judgment. The chapter also anticipates restored belonging and reunion.
Read chapter 23 versesChapter 2.
Israel is portrayed as an unfaithful wife who mistakes God’s gifts for her lovers’ provision. Judgment gives way to promises of renewed covenant love.
Read chapter 5 versesChapter 3.
Hosea is told to love and reclaim a woman despite her unfaithfulness. The action points toward Israel’s period of deprivation and eventual return to God.
Read chapter 19 versesChapter 4.
God brings charges against a land marked by dishonesty, violence, and neglected knowledge. Priests and people alike are implicated in corrupt worship.
Read chapter 15 versesChapter 5.
Leaders and people are warned that their unfaithfulness has made judgment unavoidable. Seeking foreign assistance cannot heal the wound caused by turning from God.
Read chapter 11 versesChapter 6.
An appeal to return is followed by God’s criticism of fleeting loyalty. He desires steadfast love and knowledge of him beyond ritual offerings.
Read chapterChapter 7.
Political intrigue, uncontrolled desire, and reliance on foreign nations expose Israel’s instability. Vivid images portray a people weakened by divided loyalties and failure to return.
Read chapter 14 versesChapter 8.
Israel’s claim to know God is contradicted by unauthorized rulers, idols, and empty worship. The nation’s choices are pictured as sowing what will bring destructive consequences.
Read chapter 17 versesChapter 9.
False security in harvest celebrations gives way to warnings of exile and loss. Israel’s earlier unfaithfulness is recalled as the pattern behind the coming disaster.
Read chapter 15 versesChapter 10.
Prosperity has multiplied Israel’s altars and false confidence. The people are called to break new ground, seek God, and sow righteousness before judgment comes.
Read chapter 12 versesChapter 11.
God recalls teaching Israel to walk and drawing the people with kindness. Their rebellion provokes judgment, yet divine compassion opens a promise of return.
Read chapter 14 versesChapter 12.
Israel’s deceptive conduct is confronted through memories of Jacob’s story. The people are called to return, practice justice, and wait continually for God.
Read chapter 16 versesChapter 13.
Ephraim’s idolatry and misplaced trust lead toward collapse. Images of childbirth, predatory animals, and death convey the severity of the approaching judgment.
Read chapter 9 versesChapter 14.
Israel is invited to return with confession rather than dependence on power or idols. God promises healing and renewed fruitfulness, and readers are urged to discern his ways.
Read chapterKing James Version (KJV). Bible text supplied by eBible.org and the CrossWire Bible Society. Summaries are written with AI assistance and are separate from Scripture. Read the chapter itself when considering its meaning.