the pruned branch

^{Hosea 2}

¹⁴“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. ¹⁵I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble^[b] 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“In that coming day,” says the LORD, “you will call me `my husband’ instead of `my master.’ ¹⁹I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. ²⁰I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD.

    ²¹“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds, which will pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain. ²²Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees for moisture. And the whole grand chorus will sing together, `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.’<sup>[d]</sup> And to those I called `Not my people,’^[e] I will say, `Now you are my people.’ Then they will reply, `You are our God!’ “