Hosea 11:1-7

The Voice

    11 Eternal One: When Israel was a child, I loved him;
        and out of Egypt I called My son.^[a]
2     But the more I called to Israel,
        the more they walked away from Me.^[b]
    They kept on sacrificing to other divine masters^[c]
        and burning incense to idols!

³     But I was the one who taught Ephraim to walk, holding him up by his arms,
        but his people didn’t know I was the One who took care of them.
⁴     I led them along with leather cords;
        with ropes of love I showed them the way.
    As I dealt with them, I lifted the yoke from their neck;
        I bent down to give them their food.
⁵     The people of Israel will return to bondage
        like they knew in the land of Egypt,
    And this time Assyria will be their king
        because they refuse to return to Me.
⁶     The sword will be turned loose in their cities.
        It will destroy their defenses and put an end to them because of their schemes.
⁷     My people are determined to turn away from Me.