They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; Because they have abandoned giving to Yahweh.
"They have left off taking heed to Jehovah ..."  This is by no stretch of imagination a reference to the fact that the pagan priesthood had ever heeded Jehovah.  Can anyone believe that the vast horde of pagan priests imported by Jezebel ever for a single moment heeded the true God of Israel?  Elijah had slaughtered a multitude of them on Mount Carmel for the simple reason that all of them were avowed enemies of God. This is again a reference to the people of the northern kingdom.  "Harlotry is Hosea's thematic word for the whole religion"[27] of Israel.