Hosea 3 YLT
Summary: In a second sign-act, Hosea is told to love and buy back an adulterous woman — understood as Gomer again — for silver and barley, illustrating the LORD's persistent love for Israel despite her turning to other gods. He requires her to live with him many days without playing the harlot or having a husband, symbolizing a coming period in which Israel will exist without king, prince, sacrifice, pillar, ephod, or household gods. Only afterward will the Israelites return and seek the LORD their God and David their king, coming in awe to his goodness "in the latter days" (v. 5).
1And Jehovah saith unto me: `Again, go, love a woman, loved of a friend, and an adulteress, like the loved of Jehovah, the sons of Israel, and they are turning unto other gods, and are lovers of grape-cakes.'
2And I buy her to me for fifteen silverlings, and a homer and a letech of barley;
3and I say unto her, `Many days thou dost remain for Me, thou dost not go a-whoring, nor become any one's; and I also am for thee.'
4For many days remain do the sons of Israel without a king, and there is no prince, and there is no sacrifice, and there is no standing pillar, and there is no ephod and teraphim.
5Afterwards turned back have the sons of Israel, and sought Jehovah their God, and David their king, and have hastened unto Jehovah, and unto His goodness, in the latter end of the days.
Also read this chapter in: KJV, WEB, ASV, WYC, GNV, WBT, DBY