11 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

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God Will Have Compassion

11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
When I called[a] them, they went from my face.[b]
    They sacrificed to the Baals, and they sacrificed to idols.
And I myself taught Ephraim to walk;
    I took them[c] in my[d] arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
I drew them with human ties,[e]
    with the bands of love.
I was to them like one who lifted up[f] a yoke on their jaws,[g]
    though I bent down to them[h] and let them[i] eat.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 11:2 Hebrew “When they called”; the LXX and modern translations read “When I called”
  2. Hosea 11:2 Hebrew “their face”
  3. Hosea 11:3 Hebrew uncertain
  4. Hosea 11:3 Hebrew “his”
  5. Hosea 11:4 Literally “ropes of a human”
  6. Hosea 11:4 Or “like one who imposed”
  7. Hosea 11:4 Or “infants to their cheeks”
  8. Hosea 11:4 Hebrew “him”
  9. Hosea 11:4 Hebrew “him”

God’s Love for Israel

11 “When Israel was a child,(A) I loved(B) him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.(C)
But the more they were called,
    the more they went away from me.[a](D)
They sacrificed to the Baals(E)
    and they burned incense to images.(F)
It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
    taking them by the arms;(G)
but they did not realize
    it was I who healed(H) them.
I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with ties of love.(I)
To them I was like one who lifts
    a little child to the cheek,
    and I bent down to feed(J) them.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 11:2 Septuagint; Hebrew them