Hosea 11

New International Version

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)
²But 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)
³It 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.
⁴I 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)

⁵“Will they not return to Egypt^(L)
    and will not Assyria^(M) rule over them
    because they refuse to repent?^(N)
⁶A sword^(O) will flash in their cities;
    it will devour^(P) their false prophets
    and put an end to their plans.
⁷My people are determined to turn^(Q) from me.^(R)
    Even though they call me God Most High,
    I will by no means exalt them.

⁸“How can I give you up,^(S) Ephraim?^(T)
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboyim?^(U)
My heart is changed within me;
    all my compassion^(V) is aroused.^(W)
⁹I will not carry out my fierce anger,^(X)
    nor will I devastate^(Y) Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man^(Z)—
    the Holy One^(AA) among you.
    I will not come against their cities.
¹⁰They will follow the Lord;
    he will roar^(AB) like a lion.^(AC)
When he roars,
    his children will come trembling^(AD) from the west.^(AE)
¹¹They will come from Egypt,
    trembling like sparrows,
    from Assyria,^(AF) fluttering like doves.^(AG)
I will settle them in their homes,”^(AH)
    declares the Lord.

Israel’s Sin

¹²Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,^(AI)
Israel with deceit.
And Judah is unruly against God,
even against the faithful^(AJ) Holy One.^[b]^(AK)

Footnotes

Hosea 11:2 Septuagint; Hebrew them
Hosea 11:12 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:12) is numbered 12:1.

Hosea 12

New International Version

12 ^[a]¹Ephraim^(A) feeds on the wind;^(B)
    he pursues the east wind all day
    and multiplies lies and violence.^(C)
He makes a treaty with Assyria^(D)
    and sends olive oil to Egypt.^(E)
²The Lord has a charge^(F) to bring against Judah;^(G)
    he will punish^(H) Jacob^[b] according to his ways
    and repay him according to his deeds.^(I)
³In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;^(J)
    as a man he struggled^(K) with God.
⁴He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
    he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel^(L)
    and talked with him there—
⁵the Lord God Almighty,
    the Lord is his name!^(M)
⁶But you must return^(N) to your God;
    maintain love and justice,^(O)
    and wait for your God always.^(P)

⁷The merchant uses dishonest scales^(Q)
    and loves to defraud.
⁸Ephraim boasts,^(R)
    “I am very rich; I have become wealthy.^(S)
With all my wealth they will not find in me
    any iniquity or sin.”

⁹“I have been the Lord your God
    ever since you came out of Egypt;^(T)
I will make you live in tents^(U) again,
    as in the days of your appointed festivals.
¹⁰I spoke to the prophets,
    gave them many visions
    and told parables^(V) through them.”^(W)

¹¹Is Gilead wicked?^(X)
    Its people are worthless!
Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?^(Y)
    Their altars will be like piles of stones
    on a plowed field.^(Z)
¹²Jacob fled to the country of Aram^[c];^(AA)
    Israel served to get a wife,
    and to pay for her he tended sheep.^(AB)
¹³The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,^(AC)
    by a prophet he cared for him.^(AD)
¹⁴But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;
    his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed^(AE)
    and will repay him for his contempt.^(AF)

Footnotes

Hosea 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-14 is numbered 12:2-15.
Hosea 12:2 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.
Hosea 12:12 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia