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11 “When Israel was a child, then I loved him,

    and called my son out of Egypt.
They called to them, so they went from them.
    They sacrificed to the Baals,
    and burned incense to engraved images.
Yet I taught Ephraim to walk.
    I took them by his arms;
    but they didn’t know that I healed them.
I drew them with cords of a man, with ties of love;
    and I was to them like those who lift up the yoke on their necks;
    and I bent down to him and I fed him.

“They won’t return into the land of Egypt;
    but the Assyrian will be their king,
    because they refused to repent.
The sword will fall on their cities,
    and will destroy the bars of their gates,
    and will put an end to their plans.
My people are determined to turn from me.
    Though they call to the Most High,
    he certainly won’t exalt them.

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
    How can I make you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboiim?
My heart is turned within me,
    my compassion is aroused.
I will not execute the fierceness of my anger.
    I will not return to destroy Ephraim:
    for I am God, and not man; the Holy One among you;
    and I will not come in wrath.
10 They will walk after Yahweh,
    who will roar like a lion;
    for he will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like a bird out of Egypt,
    and like a dove out of the land of Assyria;
and I will settle them in their houses,” says Yahweh.

12 Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood,
    and the house of Israel with deceit.
    Judah still strays from God,
    and is unfaithful to the Holy One.

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”