Hosea 11:1-11

English Standard Version

The Lord's Love for Israel

11 ^(A)When Israel was a child, ^(B)I loved him,
    and out of Egypt I ^(C)called ^(D)my son.
²^(E)The more they were called,
    the more they went away;
^(F)they kept sacrificing to the Baals
    and burning offerings to idols.

³Yet it was ^(G)I who taught Ephraim to walk;
    I took them up by their arms,
    but they did not know that ^(H)I healed them.
⁴^(I)I led them with cords of kindness,^[a]
    with the bands of love,
and ^(J)I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
    and ^(K)I bent down to them and fed them.

⁵^(L)They shall not^[b] return to the land of Egypt,
    but ^(M)Assyria shall be their king,
    ^(N)because ^(O)they have refused to return to me.
⁶^(P)The sword shall rage against their cities,
    consume the bars of their gates,
    and devour them ^(Q)because of their own counsels.
⁷My people are bent ^(R)on turning away from me,
    and though ^(S)they call out to the Most High,
    he shall not raise them up at all.

⁸How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
    How can I hand you over, O Israel?
^(T)How can I make you ^(U)like Admah?
    How can I treat you ^(V)like Zeboiim?
^(W)My heart recoils within me;
    my compassion grows warm and tender.
⁹I will not execute my burning anger;
    I will not again destroy Ephraim;
^(X)for I am God and not a man,
    ^(Y)the Holy One in your midst,
    and I will not come in wrath.^[c]

¹⁰^(Z)They shall go after the Lord;
    ^(AA)he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,
    his children shall come trembling ^(AB)from the west;
¹¹they shall come trembling like birds ^(AC)from Egypt,
    and ^(AD)like doves ^(AE)from the land of Assyria,
    and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.