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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.

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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”

God’s Compassion Despite Israel’s Ingratitude

11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.(A)
The more I[a] called them,
    the more they went from me;[b]
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
    and offering incense to idols.(B)

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
    I took them up in my[c] arms,
    but they did not know that I healed them.(C)
I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with bands of love.
I was to them like those
    who lift infants to their cheeks.[d]
    I bent down to them and fed them.(D)

They shall return to the land of Egypt,
    and Assyria shall be their king,
    because they have refused to return to me.(E)
The sword rages in their cities;
    it consumes their oracle priests
    and devours because of their schemes.(F)
My people are bent on turning away from me.
    To the Most High they call,
    but he does not raise them up at all.[e](G)

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Footnotes

  1. 11.2 Gk: Heb they
  2. 11.2 Gk: Heb them
  3. 11.3 Gk Syr Vg: Heb his
  4. 11.4 Or who ease the yoke on their jaws
  5. 11.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain