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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.
He will return[j] to the land of Egypt,
    and Assyria will be his king,[k]
    because they refused to return.
The sword rages in his cities;
    it consumes his false prophets
and devours because of their plans.
    My people are bent on backsliding from me.
To the Most High they call,
    he does not raise them at all.
How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
    How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
    How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart is disturbed[l] within me;
    all[m] my compassions are aroused.
I will not execute[n] my fierce anger,[o]
    I will not again destroy Ephraim;
because I am God
    and not a mortal,[p]
    the Holy One in your midst;
and I will not come in wrath.
10     They will go after Yahweh;
        he roars like a lion.
When he roars,
    his children will come trembling
        from the sea.[q]
11 They will tremble like birds[r] from Egypt,
    and like doves[s] from the land of Assyria;
and I will let them return[t] to their homes—
    a declaration of Yahweh.

Israel’s History

12 [u] Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,[v]
and the house of Israel with deceit;
and Judah is still wandering with God
    and is faithful to the Holy One.

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”
  10. Hosea 11:5 Or “They will not return”
  11. Hosea 11:5 That is “Israel’s king”
  12. Hosea 11:8 Or “My heart is overturned”
  13. Hosea 11:8 Literally “together”
  14. Hosea 11:9 Literally “I will not do”
  15. Hosea 11:9 Literally “the anger of my nose”
  16. Hosea 11:9 Or “human”
  17. Hosea 11:10 That is, “the West”
  18. Hosea 11:11 Hebrew “bird”
  19. Hosea 11:11 Hebrew “dove”
  20. Hosea 11:11 Hebrew “I will cause them to live”
  21. Hosea 11:12 Hosea 11:12–12:14 in the English Bible is 12:1–15 in the Hebrew Bible
  22. Hosea 11:12 Hebrew “lie”

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)
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)
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)
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)
Israel will not return to the land of Egypt
and Assyria will be his king,(L)
because they refused to repent.(M)
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)
My people are bent on turning from Me.(Q)
Though they call to Him on high,
He will not exalt them at all.

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!
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

  1. Hosea 11:2 Perhaps the prophets
  2. Hosea 11:2 = Israel
  3. Hosea 11:2 = Israel
  4. Hosea 11:2 LXX; MT reads them
  5. Hosea 11:3 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads him
  6. Hosea 11:6 Or devour his empty talkers, or devour his limbs; Hb obscure
  7. Hosea 11:9 Or come into any city; Hb obscure
  8. Hosea 11:12 Hs 12:1 in Hb
  9. Hosea 11:12 Or to the Holy One; Hb obscure
  10. Hosea 11:12 Possibly angels, or less likely, pagan gods or idols