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)
2 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)
3 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)
4 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)
5 They shall return to the land of Egypt,
and Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.(E)
6 The sword rages in their cities;
it consumes their oracle priests
and devours because of their schemes.(F)
7 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)
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.(H)
9 I will not execute my fierce anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim,
for I am God and no mortal,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.[f](I)
10 They shall go after the Lord,
who roars like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west.(J)
11 They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.(K)
12 [g]Ephraim has surrounded me with lies
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks[h] with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.(L)
Footnotes
- 11.2Gk: Heb they
- 11.2Gk: Heb them
- 11.3Gk Syr Vg: Heb his
- 11.4Or who ease the yoke on their jaws
- 11.7Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 11.9Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 11.1212.1 in Heb
- 11.12Heb roams or rules
Cross references
- 11.1 : Hos 2.15; 12.9, 13; 13.4; Mt 2.15
- 11.2 : 2 Kings 17.13–15; Isa 65.7; Jer 18.15; Hos 2.13
- 11.3 : Deut 1.31; Jer 30.17; Hos 7.15
- 11.4 : Ex 16.32; Lev 26.13; Ps 78.25; Jer 31.2, 3
- 11.5 : Hos 7.16; 10.6
- 11.6 : Hos 4.16, 17; 13.16
- 11.7 : v 2; Jer 8.5
- 11.8 : Gen 14.8; Isa 63.15; Hos 6.4
- 11.9 : Deut 13.17; Isa 41.14, 16; 55.8, 9; Jer 26.3; Mal 3.6
- 11.10 : Isa 66.2, 5; Hos 6.1–3; Joel 3.16
- 11.11 : Isa 11.11; 60.8; Ezek 28.25, 26
- 11.12 : Hos 4.2; 7.3