God Yearns over His People
11 When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.
2 The more [a]they called them,
The more they went away from [b]them;
They kept sacrificing to the Baals
And burning incense to idols.
3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
[c]I took them in My arms;
But they did not know that I healed them.
4 I pulled them along with cords of a man, with ropes of love,
And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and fed them.
5 [d]They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria—he will be [e]their king
Because they refused to return to Me.
6 And the sword will whirl against [f]their cities,
And will destroy [g]their oracle priests
And consume them, because of their counsels.
7 So My people are determined to turn from Me.
Though [h]they call [i]them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I [j]make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
[k]All My compassions are kindled.
9 I will not carry out My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim again.
For I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in [l]wrath.
10 They will walk after the Lord,
He will roar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar,
And His sons will come trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like birds from Egypt,
And like doves from the land of Assyria;
And I will settle them in their houses, declares the Lord.
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