Hosea 11
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Lord’s Love for Israel
11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,(A)
and out of Egypt I called My son.(B)
2 The more they[a] called them,[b](C)
the more they[c] departed from Me.[d]
They kept sacrificing to the Baals(D)
and burning offerings to idols.(E)
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,(F)
taking them[e] in My arms,(G)
but they never knew that I healed them.(H)
4 I led them with human cords,
with ropes of love.(I)
To them I was like one
who eases the yoke from their jaws;(J)
I bent down to give them food.(K)
5 Israel will not return to the land of Egypt
and Assyria will be his king,(L)
because they refused to repent.(M)
6 A sword will whirl through his cities;(N)
it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates,[f](O)
because of their schemes.(P)
7 My people are bent on turning from Me.(Q)
Though they call to Him on high,
He will not exalt them at all.
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?(R)
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?(S)
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?(T)
I have had a change of heart;
My compassion is stirred!
9 I will not vent the full fury of My anger;(U)
I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim.(V)
For I am God and not man,
the Holy One among you;(W)
I will not come in rage.[g]
10 They will follow the Lord;(X)
He will roar like a lion.(Y)
When He roars,
His children will come trembling from the west.(Z)
11 They will be roused like birds from Egypt
and like doves(AA) from the land of Assyria.(AB)
Then I will settle them in their homes.(AC)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
12 [h] Ephraim surrounds me with lies,(AD)
the house of Israel, with deceit.
Judah still wanders with God
and is faithful to the holy ones.[i][j]
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:2 Perhaps the prophets
- Hosea 11:2 = Israel
- Hosea 11:2 = Israel
- Hosea 11:2 LXX; MT reads them
- Hosea 11:3 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads him
- Hosea 11:6 Or devour his empty talkers, or devour his limbs; Hb obscure
- Hosea 11:9 Or come into any city; Hb obscure
- Hosea 11:12 Hs 12:1 in Hb
- Hosea 11:12 Or to the Holy One; Hb obscure
- Hosea 11:12 Possibly angels, or less likely, pagan gods or idols
Hosea 11
International Standard Version
God Loves Israel
11 “When Israel was a young child I loved him,
and from Egypt I called my son.
2 The more I called out to them,
the farther they fled from me;[a]
they sacrificed to Baals,[b]
burning incense to carved images.
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
supporting them by their arms,
but they never knew that I was healing them.
4 I guided them with human kindness,
with loving reins.
I acted toward them
like one who removes a yoke from their neck;
I bent down and fed them.
5 “They will not return to the land of Egypt;
instead, the Assyrian will be their king,
because they kept refusing to repent.
6 The sword will fall on their cities,
consuming and devouring their fortified gates,[c]
despite their planning.
7 My people are determined to turn away from me;
though they call to the Most High,
no one is worshiping.
8 “How can I give up on you, Ephraim?
I will deliver you, will I not, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
I can’t make you like Zeboim,[d] can I?
My heart stirs within me;
my compassion also fans into flame!
9 I will not act in my anger;
I will not return to destroy Ephraim,
For I am God,
and not a human—
the Holy One among you—
so I will not enter the city in anger.[e]
10 They will go after the Lord,
who will roar like a lion;
and when he roars,
the children will come trembling from the west.
11 Trembling like a bird, they will come out of Egypt,
and as a dove from the land of Assyria;
and I will settle them in their houses,”
declares the Lord.
12 [f]“Ephraim surrounds me with lies,
and the house of Israel surrounds me[g] with deceit,
But Judah still rules with God,
and remains faithful, along with the godly ones.”
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:2 So LXX. MT reads They called to them, so they went away from them.
- Hosea 11:2 I.e. Canaanite deities
- Hosea 11:6 Lit. devouring the bars
- Hosea 11:8 cf. Deut 29:23
- Hosea 11:9 The Heb. lacks in anger
- Hosea 11:12 This v. is 12:1 in MT
- Hosea 11:12 The Heb. lacks surrounds me
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