Hosea Chapter 11

Yahveh’s Love for Israel

¹ “When Israel was young, I loved him

      and called my son out of Egypt.

² The more I called him,

      the more he withdrew from me.

He kept sacrificing to images of Baal

      and burning incense to idols.

³ But I was the One that taught Ephraim to walk,

            leading him by the hand;

      but he didn’t know I was the One that healed him.

⁴ I led him with the leashes of mercy and bonds of love;

      I became like One that eased the bridle from his jaws

            and bent over to feed him.                                         

Hos 11:1-4

⁵ “My people won’t go back to Egypt;

      Assyria will be their king

            because they refused to come back to me.

⁶ The sword will rage against their towns;

      their enemies will break through their gate bars

            and destroy them for their evil intentions.

⁷ So my people are intent on turning away from me;

      though the prophets call them to me,

      none of them honors me.                                                  

Hos 11:5-7

⁸ “How can I give up on you, Ephraim?

      How can I let you go, Israel?

How can I make you like Admah       

      or treat you like Zeboiim?

My heart shrinks back within me;

      my compassion wells up.

⁹ I won’t act on my fierce anger

      or destroy Ephraim again,

            because I’m divine, not mortal,

            the Holy One among you;

      I won’t come in anger.                                         

¹⁰ They’ll follow me;

      I’ll roar like a lion,

            and my people will come cringing from the west.

¹¹ They’ll come fluttering like birds from Egypt,

            like pigeons from Assyria;

      I’ll settle them in their houses,” Yahveh declares.

¹² “Ephraim surrounds me with lies,

      and the House of Israel with deceit.

Judah also rebels against me,

      against the Holy One that’s faithful.”                             

Hos 11:8-12