The Lord’s Love for Israel
11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,(A)
and out of Egypt I called My son.(B)
2 The more they[a] called them,[b](C)
the more they[c] departed from Me.[d]
They kept sacrificing to the Baals(D)
and burning offerings to idols.(E)
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,(F)
taking them[e] in My arms,(G)
but they never knew that I healed them.(H)
4 I led them with human cords,
with ropes of love.(I)
To them I was like one
who eases the yoke from their jaws;(J)
I bent down to give them food.(K)
5 Israel will not return to the land of Egypt
and Assyria will be his king,(L)
because they refused to repent.(M)
6 A sword will whirl through his cities;(N)
it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates,[f](O)
because of their schemes.(P)
7 My people are bent on turning from Me.(Q)
Though they call to Him on high,
He will not exalt them at all.
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?(R)
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?(S)
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?(T)
I have had a change of heart;
My compassion is stirred!
9 I will not vent the full fury of My anger;(U)
I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim.(V)
For I am God and not man,
the Holy One among you;(W)
I will not come in rage.[g]
10 They will follow the Lord;(X)
He will roar like a lion.(Y)
When He roars,
His children will come trembling from the west.(Z)
11 They will be roused like birds from Egypt
and like doves(AA) from the land of Assyria.(AB)
Then I will settle them in their homes.(AC)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
12 [h] Ephraim surrounds me with lies,(AD)
the house of Israel, with deceit.
Judah still wanders with God
and is faithful to the holy ones.[i][j]
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:2 Perhaps the prophets
- Hosea 11:2 = Israel
- Hosea 11:2 = Israel
- Hosea 11:2 LXX; MT reads them
- Hosea 11:3 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads him
- Hosea 11:6 Or devour his empty talkers, or devour his limbs; Hb obscure
- Hosea 11:9 Or come into any city; Hb obscure
- Hosea 11:12 Hs 12:1 in Hb
- Hosea 11:12 Or to the Holy One; Hb obscure
- Hosea 11:12 Possibly angels, or less likely, pagan gods or idols
Cross references
- 11:1 : Dt 4:37; 7:6-8; 10:14-15; Ps 78:68; Is 41:8; Am 3:2; Mal 1:2
- 11:1 : Ex 4:22-23; Dt 32:5-6, 18-20; Ps 103:13; Jr 3:19; Hs 1:10; Mt 2:15
- 11:2 : 2Kg 17:13-15
- 11:2 : Hs 2:13; 4:13
- 11:2 : Is 65:7; Jr 18:15
- 11:3 : Hs 7:15
- 11:3 : Dt 1:31; 32:10-11
- 11:3 : Ex 15:26
- 11:4 : Jr 31:2-3
- 11:4 : Hs 10:11
- 11:4 : Ex 16:32
- 11:5 : Hs 7:16; 8:13; 9:3; 10:6
- 11:5 : Hs 7:16
- 11:6 : Hs 13:16
- 11:6 : Lm 2:9
- 11:6 : Hs 4:16-17
- 11:7 : Jr 8:5
- 11:8 : Hs 6:4; 7:1
- 11:8 : Gn 14:8; Dt 29:23
- 11:8 : Gn 14:2; 19:1-29; Dt 29:23
- 11:9 : Dt 13:17
- 11:9 : Jr 26:3; 30:11
- 11:9 : Is 5:24; 12:6; 41:14, 16
- 11:10 : Hs 3:5; 6:1-3
- 11:10 : Is 31:4; Jl 3:16; Am 1:2
- 11:10 : Is 66:2-5
- 11:11 : Is 60:8; Hs 7:11
- 11:11 : Is 11:11
- 11:11 : Ezk 34:27-28
- 11:12 : Hs 4:2; 7:3