Hosea 11
New King James Version
God’s Continuing Love for Israel
11 “When Israel was a [a]child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt (A)I called My (B)son.
2 [b]As they called them,
So they (C)went [c]from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.
3 “I(D) taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by [d]their arms;
But they did not know that (E)I healed them.
4 I drew them with [e]gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And (F)I was to them as those who take the yoke from their [f]neck.
(G)I stooped and fed them.
5 “He shall not return to the land of Egypt;
But the Assyrian shall be his king,
Because they refused to repent.
6 And the sword shall slash in his cities,
Devour his districts,
And consume them,
Because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent on (H)backsliding from Me.
Though [g]they call [h]to the Most High,
None at all exalt Him.
8 “How(I) can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like (J)Admah?
How can I set you like Zeboiim?
My heart [i]churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim.
(K)For I am God, and not man,
The Holy One in your midst;
And I will not [j]come with terror.
10 “They shall walk after the Lord.
(L)He will roar like a lion.
When He roars,
Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;
11 They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt,
(M)Like a dove from the land of Assyria.
(N)And I will let them dwell in their houses,”
Says the Lord.
God’s Charge Against Ephraim
12 “Ephraim has encircled Me with lies,
And the house of Israel with deceit;
But Judah still walks with God,
Even with the [k]Holy One who is faithful.
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:1 Or youth
- Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Vg.; LXX Just as I called them; Tg. interprets as I sent prophets to a thousand of them.
- Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX from My face
- Hosea 11:3 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. My arms
- Hosea 11:4 Lit. cords of a man
- Hosea 11:4 Lit. jaws
- Hosea 11:7 The prophets
- Hosea 11:7 Or upward
- Hosea 11:8 Lit. turns over
- Hosea 11:9 Or enter a city
- Hosea 11:12 Or holy ones
Hosea 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.
3 Yet 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.
7 My 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.
8 How 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.
9 I 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;
11 they 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.
12 [d] Ephraim (AF)has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:4 Or humaneness; Hebrew man
- Hosea 11:5 Or surely
- Hosea 11:9 Or into the city
- Hosea 11:12 Ch 12:1 in Hebrew
Hosea 11
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
11 When Israel was a child, then I loved him and called My son out of Egypt.(A)
2 The more [the prophets] called to them, the more they went from them; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to the graven images.
3 Yet I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms or taking them up in My arms, but they did not know that I healed them.
4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them as one who lifts up and eases the yoke over their cheeks, and I bent down to them and gently laid food before them.
5 They shall not [literally] return into [another bondage in] the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be their king because they refused to return to Me.
6 And the sword shall rage against and fall upon their cities and shall consume the bars of their gates and shall make an end [of their defenses], because of their own counsels and devices.
7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me; though [the prophets] call them to Him Who is on high, none at all will exalt Him or lift himself up [to come to Him].
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim! How can I surrender you and cast you off, O Israel! How can I make you as Admah or how can I treat you as Zeboiim [both destroyed with Sodom]! My heart recoils within Me; My compassions are kindled together.(B)
9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not bring back Ephraim to nothing or again destroy him. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in the midst of you, and I will not come in wrath or enter into the city.
10 They shall walk after the Lord, Who will roar like a lion; He Himself will roar and [His] sons shall come trembling and eagerly from the west.
11 They shall come trembling but hurriedly like a bird out of Egypt and like a dove out of the land of Assyria, and I will cause them to dwell in their houses, says the Lord.
12 Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit, and Judah is not yet steadfast with God, with the faithful Holy One.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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