Hosea 11

Hosea 11

¹“When Israel was a child, then I loved him,

and called my son out of Egypt.

²They called to them, so they went from them.

They sacrificed to the Baals,

and burned incense to engraved images.

³Yet I taught Ephraim to walk.

I took them by his arms;

but they didn’t know that I healed them.

⁴I drew them with cords of a man, with ties of love;

and I was to them like those who lift up the yoke on their necks;

and I bent down to him and I fed him.

⁵“They won’t return into the land of Egypt;

but the Assyrian will be their king,

because they refused to repent.

⁶The sword will fall on their cities,

and will destroy the bars of their gates,

and will put an end to their plans.

⁷My people are determined to turn from me.

Though they call to the Most High,

he certainly won’t 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 make you like Zeboiim?

My heart is turned within me,

my compassion is aroused.

⁹I will not execute the fierceness of my anger.

I will not return to destroy Ephraim:

for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of you;

and I will not come in wrath.

¹⁰They will walk after Yahweh,

who will roar like a lion;

for he will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west.

¹¹They will come trembling like a bird out of Egypt,

and like a dove out of the land of Assyria;

and I will settle them in their houses,” says Yahweh.

¹²Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood,

and the house of Israel with deceit.

Judah still strays from God,

and is unfaithful to the Holy One.