Hosea

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  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14

God Will Have Compassion

11 
When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.

2 When I called[a] them, they went from my face.[b]

They sacrificed to the Baals, and they sacrificed to idols.

3 And I myself taught Ephraim to walk;

I took them[c] in my[d] arms,

but they did not know that I healed them.

4 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.

5 He will return[j] to the land of Egypt,

and Assyria will be his king,[k]

because they refused to return.

6 The sword rages in his cities;

it consumes his false prophets

and devours because of their plans.

7 My people are bent on backsliding from me.

To the Most High they call,

he does not raise them at all.

8 How can I give you up, O 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 is disturbed[l] within me;

all[m] my compassions are aroused.

9 I will not execute[n] my fierce anger,[o]

I will not again destroy Ephraim;

because I am God

and not a mortal,[p]

the Holy One in your midst;

and I will not come in wrath.

10 They will go after Yahweh;

he roars like a lion.

When he roars,

his children will come trembling

from the sea.[q]

11 They will tremble like birds[r] from Egypt,

and like doves[s] from the land of Assyria;

and I will let them return[t] to their homes—

a declaration of Yahweh.

Israel’s History

12 [u] Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,[v]

and the house of Israel with deceit;

and Judah is still wandering with God

and is faithful to the Holy One.

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”
  12. Hosea 11:8 Or “My heart is overturned”
  13. Hosea 11:8 Literally “together”
  14. Hosea 11:9 Literally “I will not do”
  15. Hosea 11:9 Literally “the anger of my nose”
  16. Hosea 11:9 Or “human”
  17. Hosea 11:10 That is, “the West”
  18. Hosea 11:11 Hebrew “bird”
  19. Hosea 11:11 Hebrew “dove”
  20. Hosea 11:11 Hebrew “I will cause them to live”
  21. Hosea 11:12 Hosea 11:12–12:14 in the English Bible is 12:1–15 in the Hebrew Bible
  22. Hosea 11:12 Hebrew “lie”