¹ This is the word of the Lord which was revealed to Hosea ²  son of Beeri during the time when ³  Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah ruled Judah, ⁴  and during the time when Jeroboam son of Joash ⁵  ruled Israel. ⁶ 

Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years.

Foreigners are powerless before me; ¹  when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ² 

Jehu reigned over Israel for twenty-eight years in Samaria.

Segub was the father of Jair, who owned twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.

All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! ¹ 

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. ¹ 

He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty, ¹  for his mother gave him evil advice. ² 

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ¹ 

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ¹ 

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. ¹ 

You will break them ¹  with an iron scepter; ²  you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” ³ 

When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ¹  Foreigners are powerless ²  before me;

They did not keep their covenant with God, ¹  and they refused to obey ²  his law.

Revive me with ¹  your loyal love, that I might keep ²  the rules you have revealed. ³ 

I keep your precepts and rules, for you are aware of everything I do. ¹ 

The rich rule over ¹  the poor, and the borrower is servant ²  to the lender.

All this took ¹  about four hundred fifty years. After this ²  he gave them judges until the time of ³  Samuel the prophet.

So then, ¹  brothers and sisters, ²  we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh