1:9a

Name him Lo-ammi: The literal meaning of the Hebrew name Lo-ammi is “Not my people.” It is important that your translation communicates the meaning of the name to your readers. If possible, use the same method to express the meaning of Lo-ammi as you used to express the meaning of Lo-ruhamah in 1:6b.

1:9b

for: This word introduces the reason that the LORD told Hosea to name his child Lo-ammi. Most English versions translate it as for or “because.” Some versions leave this connection implied. Use a natural way in your language to introduce this reason.

you are not My people: This is the reason that the LORD told Hosea to name his son Lo-ammi. The name will indicate to the people of Israel that the LORD will no longer regard them as his people.

The pronoun you here is plural. Although God was speaking to Hosea, the plural pronoun indicates that these words referred to the people of Israel. If it is confusing to use a plural you pronoun, you may need to change the wording to make it clear that this clause refers to a group of people. For example:

because the people of Israel are not my people (Good News Translation)
-or-
because you, the people of Israel, are not my people

and I am not your God: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “and I, I will not be to you(plur).” The word God is not in the Hebrew, but it is clearly implied. It is recommended that you make it explicit, as in most English versions.

If you translated the previous phrase “you are not my people” similarly to the Good News Translation, it is suggested that you follow a similar approach here. For example:

and I am not their God (Good News Translation)

In some languages, a phrase such as your God may imply “God belongs to you.” If that is true in your language, you may need to express the meaning of this phrase in a different way. For example:

I am no longer the God whom you worship/serve.

If you have a section heading between this verse and 1:10, you will need to decide whether to use a closed quote mark at the end of the LORD’s words. Some versions do, others do not. The meaning lines in the Display will use closed quote marks.

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