God Yearns over His People

11 When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And (A)out of Egypt I (B)called My son.
The more [a](C)they called them,
The more they went away from [b]them;
They kept (D)sacrificing to the Baals
And (E)burning incense to idols.
Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
[c]I (F)took them in My arms;
But they did not know that I (G)healed them.
I (H)pulled them along with cords of a man, with ropes of love,
And (I)I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and (J)fed them.

[d]They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria—he will be [e]their king
Because they (K)refused to return to Me.
And the (L)sword will whirl against [f]their cities,
And will destroy [g]their oracle priests
And (M)consume them, because of their (N)counsels.
So My people are determined to (O)turn from Me.
Though [h]they call [i]them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.

(P)How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I [j]make you like (Q)Admah?
How can I treat you like (R)Zeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
[k]All My compassions are kindled.
I will (S)not carry out My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim (T)again.
For (U)I am God and not a man, the (V)Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in [l]wrath.
10 They will (W)walk after the Lord,
He will (X)roar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar,
And His sons will come (Y)trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like birds from (Z)Egypt,
And like (AA)doves from the land of (AB)Assyria;
And I will (AC)settle them in their houses, declares the Lord.

12 [m]Ephraim surrounds Me with (AD)lies
And the house of Israel with deceit;
[n]Judah is still unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 11:2 I.e., God’s prophets
  2. Hosea 11:2 I.e., God’s prophets
  3. Hosea 11:3 As in ancient versions; MT He...His
  4. Hosea 11:5 Lit He
  5. Hosea 11:5 Lit his
  6. Hosea 11:6 Lit his
  7. Hosea 11:6 Lit his
  8. Hosea 11:7 I.e., God’s prophets
  9. Hosea 11:7 Lit him; i.e., Israel
  10. Hosea 11:8 Lit give
  11. Hosea 11:8 Lit Together
  12. Hosea 11:9 Lit agitation
  13. Hosea 11:12 Ch 12:1 in Heb
  14. Hosea 11:12 Or But Judah still goes about with God, even with

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.
[b]As they called them,
So they (C)went [c]from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.

“I(D) taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by [d]their arms;
But they did not know that (E)I healed them.
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.

“He shall not return to the land of Egypt;
But the Assyrian shall be his king,
Because they refused to repent.
And the sword shall slash in his cities,
Devour his districts,
And consume them,
Because of their own counsels.
My people are bent on (H)backsliding from Me.
Though [g]they call [h]to the Most High,
None at all exalt Him.

“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.
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

  1. Hosea 11:1 Or youth
  2. Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Vg.; LXX Just as I called them; Tg. interprets as I sent prophets to a thousand of them.
  3. Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX from My face
  4. Hosea 11:3 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. My arms
  5. Hosea 11:4 Lit. cords of a man
  6. Hosea 11:4 Lit. jaws
  7. Hosea 11:7 The prophets
  8. Hosea 11:7 Or upward
  9. Hosea 11:8 Lit. turns over
  10. Hosea 11:9 Or enter a city
  11. Hosea 11:12 Or holy ones

Ephraim Reminded

12 [a]Ephraim feeds on (A)wind,
And pursues the (B)east wind continually;
He multiplies lies and violence.
Moreover, [b]he makes a covenant with Assyria,
And oil is brought to Egypt.
The Lord also has a (C)case against Judah,
And will punish Jacob (D)according to his ways;
He will repay him according to his deeds.
In the womb he (E)took his brother by the heel,
And in his mature strength he (F)contended with God.
Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and (G)implored His favor.
He found Him at (H)Bethel,
And there He spoke with us,
And the Lord, the God of armies,
The Lord is His [c](I)name.
So as for you, (J)return to your God,
(K)Maintain [d]kindness and justice,
And (L)wait for your God continually.
A [e]merchant, in whose hands are fraudulent (M)balances,
Loves to exploit.
And Ephraim said, “I have certainly become (N)rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they will find in me
(O)No wrongdoing, which would be sin.”
But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;
I will make you (P)live in tents again,
As in the days of the appointed festival.
10 I have also spoken to the (Q)prophets,
And I [f]provided many visions,
And through the prophets I spoke in (R)parables.
11 Is there injustice in Gilead?
Certainly they are worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, (S)their altars are like stone heaps
Beside the furrows of a field.

12 Now (T)Jacob fled to the [g]land of Aram,
And (U)Israel worked for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.
13 But by a (V)prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was protected.
14 (W)Ephraim has provoked God to bitter anger;
So his Lord will leave his (X)guilt for bloodshed on him
And bring his (Y)disgrace back to him.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 12:1 Ch 12:2 in Heb
  2. Hosea 12:1 Lit they make
  3. Hosea 12:5 Lit invocation
  4. Hosea 12:6 Or loyalty
  5. Hosea 12:7 Or Canaanite
  6. Hosea 12:10 Lit multiplied the vision
  7. Hosea 12:12 Lit field

Ephraim’s Sins Rebuked by God

12 “Ephraim (A)feeds on the wind,
And pursues the east wind;
He daily increases lies and [a]desolation.
(B)Also they make a [b]covenant with the Assyrians,
And (C)oil is carried to Egypt.

“The(D) Lord also brings a [c]charge against Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
According to his deeds He will recompense him.
He took his brother (E)by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he (F)struggled with God.
Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in (G)Bethel,
And there He spoke to us—
That is, the Lord God of hosts.
The Lord is His (H)memorable name.
(I)So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually.

“A cunning [d]Canaanite!
(J)Deceitful scales are in his hand;
He loves to oppress.
And Ephraim said,
(K)‘Surely I have become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors
They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’

“But I am the Lord your God,
Ever since the land of Egypt;
(L)I will again make you dwell in tents,
As in the days of the appointed feast.
10 (M)I have also spoken by the prophets,
And have multiplied visions;
I have given [e]symbols [f]through the witness of the prophets.”

11 Though (N)Gilead has idols—
Surely they are [g]vanity—
Though they sacrifice bulls in (O)Gilgal,
Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.

12 Jacob (P)fled to the country of Syria;
(Q)Israel served for a spouse,
And for a wife he tended sheep.
13 (R)By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
And by a prophet he was preserved.
14 Ephraim (S)provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
(T)And return his reproach upon him.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 12:1 ruin
  2. Hosea 12:1 Or treaty
  3. Hosea 12:2 A legal complaint
  4. Hosea 12:7 Or merchant
  5. Hosea 12:10 Or parables
  6. Hosea 12:10 Lit. by the hand
  7. Hosea 12:11 worthless

Ephraim’s Idolatry

13 (A)When Ephraim [a]spoke, there was trembling.
He (B)exalted himself in Israel,
But through (C)Baal he incurred guilt and died.
And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves (D)cast metal images,
Idols [b](E)skillfully made from their silver,
All of them the (F)work of craftsmen.
They say of them, “Let the [c]people who sacrifice kiss the (G)calves!”
Therefore they will be like the (H)morning cloud
And like dew which [d]soon disappears,
Like (I)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor,
And like (J)smoke from a chimney.

Yet I have been the (K)Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (L)any god except Me,
For there is no savior (M)besides Me.
I [e](N)cared for you in the wilderness,
(O)In the land of drought.
As they had their pasture, they became (P)satisfied,
And as they became satisfied, their (Q)heart became proud;
Therefore they (R)forgot Me.
So I will be (S)like a lion to them;
Like a (T)leopard I will [f]lie in wait by the wayside.
I will confront them (U)like a bear deprived of her cubs,
And I will tear open [g]their chests;
I will also (V)devour them there like a lioness,
As a wild animal would tear them to pieces.

[h]It is to your own destruction, Israel,
That you are (W)against Me, against your (X)help.
10 Where then is your (Y)king,
That he might save you in all your cities;
And your (Z)judges, to whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (AA)gave you a king in My anger,
And (AB)took him away in My wrath.

12 The guilt of Ephraim is wrapped up;
His sin is (AC)stored up.
13 The pains of (AD)childbirth come on him;
He is (AE)not a wise son,
For [i]it is not the time that he should (AF)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (AG)ransom them from the [j]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(AH)Death, where are your [k]thorns?
Sheol, where is your sting?
(AI)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.

15 Though he (AJ)flourishes among the [l]reeds,
An (AK)east wind will come,
The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness;
And his fountain will (AL)become dry
And his spring will dry up;
It will (AM)plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 [m]Samaria will pay the penalty for her (AN)guilt,
Because she has (AO)rebelled against her God.
(AP)They will fall by the (AQ)sword,
Their children will be [n](AR)slaughtered,
And their pregnant (AS)women will be ripped open.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:1 Or spoke with trembling, he exalted
  2. Hosea 13:2 Or according to their skill
  3. Hosea 13:2 Lit sacrificers of; or among mankind
  4. Hosea 13:3 Lit goes away early
  5. Hosea 13:5 Or knew
  6. Hosea 13:7 Or watch
  7. Hosea 13:8 Lit the enclosure of their heart
  8. Hosea 13:9 Lit It has destroyed you
  9. Hosea 13:13 Lit it is the time that he should not remain at the opening of children
  10. Hosea 13:14 Lit hand
  11. Hosea 13:14 Or stings
  12. Hosea 13:15 Another reading is brothers
  13. Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Heb
  14. Hosea 13:16 Lit shattered

Relentless Judgment on Israel

13 When Ephraim spoke, trembling,
He exalted himself in Israel;
But when he offended through Baal worship, he died.
Now they sin more and more,
And have made for themselves molded images,
Idols of their silver, according to their skill;
All of it is the work of craftsmen.
They say of them,
“Let [a]the men who sacrifice [b]kiss the calves!”
Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud
And like the early dew that passes away,
(A)Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor
And like smoke from a chimney.

“Yet (B)I am the Lord your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For (C)there is no savior besides Me.
(D)I [c]knew you in the wilderness,
(E)In the land of [d]great drought.
(F)When they had pasture, they were filled;
They were filled and their heart was exalted;
Therefore they forgot Me.

“So (G)I will be to them like a lion;
Like (H)a leopard by the road I will lurk;
I will meet them (I)like a bear deprived of her cubs;
I will tear open their rib cage,
And there I will devour them like a lion.
The [e]wild beast shall tear them.

“O Israel, [f]you are destroyed,
But [g]your help is from Me.
10 [h]I will be your King;
(J)Where is any other,
That he may save you in all your cities?
And your judges to whom (K)you said,
‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 (L)I gave you a king in My anger,
And took him away in My wrath.

12 “The(M) iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
His sin is stored up.
13 (N)The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him.
He is an unwise son,
For he should not stay long where children are born.

14 “I will ransom them from the [i]power of [j]the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
(O)O Death, [k]I will be your plagues!
O [l]Grave, [m]I will be your destruction!
(P)Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

15 Though he is fruitful among his brethren,
(Q)An east wind shall come;
The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness.
Then his spring shall become dry,
And his fountain shall be dried up.
He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
16 Samaria [n]is held guilty,
For she has (R)rebelled against her God.
They shall fall by the sword,
Their infants shall be dashed in pieces,
And their women with child (S)ripped open.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or those who offer human sacrifice
  2. Hosea 13:2 Worship with kisses
  3. Hosea 13:5 Cared for you
  4. Hosea 13:5 Lit. droughts
  5. Hosea 13:8 Lit. beast of the field
  6. Hosea 13:9 Lit. it or he destroyed you
  7. Hosea 13:9 Lit. in your help
  8. Hosea 13:10 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Where is your king?
  9. Hosea 13:14 Lit. hand
  10. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  11. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your punishment?
  12. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  13. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your sting?
  14. Hosea 13:16 LXX shall be disfigured

Concerning Divorce

19 (A)When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and (B)came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; and [a]large crowds followed Him, and (C)He healed them there.

Some Pharisees came to [b]Jesus, testing Him and [c]asking, “(D)Is it lawful for a man to [d]divorce his wife for any reason at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read (E)that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘(F)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and (G)the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” They *said to Him, “(H)Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to [e]divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, (I)whoever [f]divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman [g]commits adultery[h].”

10 The disciples *said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, (J)Not all men can accept this statement, but (K)only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

13 (L)Then some children were brought to Him so that He would lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, [i](M)Leave the children alone, and do not [j]forbid them to come to Me; for (N)the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.

The Rich Young Ruler

16 (O)And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do so that I may obtain (P)eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but (Q)if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, (R)You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony; 19 (S)Honor your father and mother; and (T)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be [k]complete, go and (U)sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have (V)treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, (W)it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, (X)it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them, Jesus said to them, (Y)With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Disciples’ Reward

27 Then Peter responded and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the [l]regeneration when (Z)the Son of Man will sit on [m]His glorious throne, (AA)you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And (AB)everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [n]or children or farms on account of My name, will receive [o]many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 (AC)But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 19:2 Or many
  2. Matthew 19:3 Lit Him
  3. Matthew 19:3 Lit saying
  4. Matthew 19:3 Lit send away
  5. Matthew 19:8 Lit send away
  6. Matthew 19:9 Lit sends away
  7. Matthew 19:9 One early ms makes her commit adultery
  8. Matthew 19:9 One early ms adds and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery
  9. Matthew 19:14 Or Permit the children
  10. Matthew 19:14 Or prevent them from coming
  11. Matthew 19:21 Or perfect
  12. Matthew 19:28 Or renewal; i.e., the new world
  13. Matthew 19:28 Lit the throne of His glory
  14. Matthew 19:29 One early ms adds or wife
  15. Matthew 19:29 One early ms a hundred times

Marriage and Divorce(A)

19 Now it came to pass, (B)when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. (C)And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who [a]made them at the beginning (D)‘made them male and female,’ and said, (E)‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and (F)the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

They said to Him, (G)“Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

He said to them, “Moses, because of the (H)hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your (I)wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (J)And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for [b]sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

10 His disciples said to Him, (K)“If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus Teaches on Celibacy

11 But He said to them, (L)“All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are [c]eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and (M)there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children(N)

13 (O)Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for (P)of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler(Q)

16 (R)Now behold, one came and said to Him, (S)“Good[d] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, [e]“Why do you call Me good? [f]No one is (T)good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, (U)keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, (V)“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 (W)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, (X)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have (Y)kept [g]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, (Z)go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible(AA)

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that (AB)it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but (AC)with God all things are possible.”

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, (AD)we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, (AE)you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 (AF)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [h]or wife or children or [i]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 (AG)But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 19:4 NU created
  2. Matthew 19:9 Or fornication
  3. Matthew 19:12 Emasculated men
  4. Matthew 19:16 NU omits Good
  5. Matthew 19:17 NU Why do you ask Me about what is good?
  6. Matthew 19:17 NU There is One who is good. But
  7. Matthew 19:20 NU omits from my youth
  8. Matthew 19:29 NU omits or wife
  9. Matthew 19:29 Lit. fields