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Hosea 11
New International Version
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)
2 But 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)
3 It 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.
4 I 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)
6 A sword(O) will flash in their cities;
it will devour(P) their false prophets
and put an end to their plans.
7 My 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)
9 I 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.
10 They 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)
11 They 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
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:2 Septuagint; Hebrew them
- Hosea 11:12 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:12) is numbered 12:1.
Hosea 11
English Standard Version
Hosea 11
English Standard Version
The Lord's Love for Israel
11 (A)When Israel was a child, (B)I loved him,
and out of Egypt I (C)called (D)my son.
2 (E)The more they were called,
the more they went away;
(F)they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
3 Yet it was (G)I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that (H)I healed them.
4 (I)I led them with cords of kindness,[a]
with the bands of love,
and (J)I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and (K)I bent down to them and fed them.
5 (L)They shall not[b] return to the land of Egypt,
but (M)Assyria shall be their king,
(N)because (O)they have refused to return to me.
6 (P)The sword shall rage against their cities,
consume the bars of their gates,
and devour them (Q)because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent (R)on turning away from me,
and though (S)they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
(T)How can I make you (U)like Admah?
How can I treat you (V)like Zeboiim?
(W)My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
(X)for I am God and not a man,
(Y)the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.[c]
10 (Z)They shall go after the Lord;
(AA)he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling (AB)from the west;
11 they shall come trembling like birds (AC)from Egypt,
and (AD)like doves (AE)from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.
12 [d] Ephraim (AF)has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:4 Or humaneness; Hebrew man
- Hosea 11:5 Or surely
- Hosea 11:9 Or into the city
- Hosea 11:12 Ch 12:1 in Hebrew
Hosea 11
New American Standard Bible
Hosea 11
New American Standard Bible
God Yearns over His People
11 When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And (A)out of Egypt I (B)called My son.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 [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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 (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.
9 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
- Hosea 11:2 I.e., God’s prophets
- Hosea 11:2 I.e., God’s prophets
- Hosea 11:3 As in ancient versions; MT He...His
- Hosea 11:5 Lit He
- Hosea 11:5 Lit his
- Hosea 11:6 Lit his
- Hosea 11:6 Lit his
- Hosea 11:7 I.e., God’s prophets
- Hosea 11:7 Lit him; i.e., Israel
- Hosea 11:8 Lit give
- Hosea 11:8 Lit Together
- Hosea 11:9 Lit agitation
- Hosea 11:12 Ch 12:1 in Heb
- Hosea 11:12 Or But Judah still goes about with God, even with
Hosea 11
Evangelical Heritage Version
Hosea 11
Evangelical Heritage Version
God’s Love for Israel
11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 The more I called to them,
the more they went away from me.[a]
They kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning incense to idols.
3 Yet I was the one who taught Ephraim to walk.
I took them in my arms,[b]
but they did not realize that it was I who healed them.
4 I drew them with cords suitable for a man,[c] with ropes of love.
For them I became like someone who lifts a yoke off their neck,
and I bent down to feed them.
5 They will not[d] return into the land of Egypt.
Instead, an Assyrian will be their king,
because they refused to repent.
6 The sword will slash against their cities.
It will destroy the bars of their gates,
and it will devour them because of their plans.
7 My people are determined to turn away from me.
Though they call him the Most High, he certainly will not exalt them.
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?[e]
My heart is changed inside me.
All my compassion is stirred up.
9 I will not carry out my burning anger.
I will not destroy Ephraim again,
because I am God, and not man, the Holy One among you.
I will not enter a city.[f]
10 They will follow the Lord.
He will roar like a lion.
Yes, he will roar, and his children will come trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like a bird from Egypt,
and like a dove from the land of Assyria.
I will settle them in their houses, declares the Lord.
Israel Must Repent
12 Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood,
and the house of Israel with deceit.
Judah still strays from[g] God,
even from the Holy One, who is faithful.[h]
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:2 A variant reading is the more they called them, the more they went away from them.
- Hosea 11:3 The text of the pronouns in this verse is uncertain. The translation follows the Greek Old Testament.
- Hosea 11:4 Literally cords of mankind. The words translated man and love have homonyms meaning leather, so there may be a play on words here.
- Hosea 11:5 Not is missing from some manuscripts.
- Hosea 11:8 Admah and Zeboiim were daughter cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Hosea 11:9 Or come in wrath. The Hebrew is difficult.
- Hosea 11:12 Literally wanders with. Translations disagree whether the term is negative or positive.
- Hosea 11:12 English verse 11:12 is verse 12:1 in Hebrew. In chapter 12 the subsequent Hebrew verse numbers are one higher than the English numbers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.