Hosea 11–12

The Lord’s Love for Israel

11^uWhen Israel was a child, ^vI loved him,

and out of Egypt I ^wcalled ^xmy son.

^2yThe more they were called,

the more they went away;

^zthey kept sacrificing to the Baals

and burning offerings to idols.

³Yet it was ^aI who taught Ephraim to walk;

I took them up by their arms,

but they did not know that ^bI healed them.

^4cI led them with cords of kindness,¹

with the bands of love,

and ^dI became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,

and ^eI bent down to them and fed them.

^5fThey shall not² return to the land of Egypt,

but ^gAssyria shall be their king,

^hbecause ⁱthey have refused to return to me.

^6jThe sword shall rage against their cities,

consume the bars of their gates,

and devour them ^kbecause of their own counsels.

⁷My people are bent ^lon turning away from me,

and though ^mthey call out to the Most High,

he shall not raise them up at all.

⁸How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, O Israel?

ⁿHow can I make you ^olike Admah?

How can I treat you ^olike Zeboiim?

^pMy heart recoils within me;

my compassion grows warm and tender.

⁹I will not execute my burning anger;

I will not again destroy Ephraim;

^qfor I am God and not a man,

^rthe Holy One in your midst,

and I will not come in wrath.³

^10sThey shall go after the Lord;

^the will roar like a lion;

when he roars,

his children shall come trembling ^ufrom the west;

¹¹they shall come trembling like birds ^vfrom Egypt,

and ^wlike doves ^xfrom the land of Assyria,

and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.

¹²⁴ Ephraim ^yhas surrounded me with lies,

and the house of Israel with deceit,

but Judah still walks with God

and is faithful to the Holy One.

12Ephraim feeds on the wind

and pursues ^zthe east wind all day long;

they multiply ^yfalsehood and violence;

^athey make a covenant with Assyria,

and ^boil is carried to Egypt.

The Lord’s Indictment of Israel and Judah

^2cThe Lord has an indictment against Judah

and will punish Jacob according to his ways;

he will repay him according to his deeds.

^3dIn the womb he took his brother by the heel,

and in his manhood he strove with God.

⁴He strove with the angel and prevailed;

he wept and sought his favor.

^eHe met God¹ at Bethel,

and there God spoke with us—

⁵the Lord, the God of hosts,

^fthe Lord is his memorial name:

⁶“So you, ^gby the help of your God, return,

^hhold fast to love and justice,

and wait continually for your God.”

⁷A merchant, in whose hands are ⁱfalse balances,

he loves ^jto oppress.

⁸Ephraim has said, “Ah, but ^kI am rich;

I have found wealth for myself;

in all my labors ^lthey cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”

^9mI am the Lord your God

from the land of Egypt;

I will again make you ⁿdwell in tents,

as in the days of the appointed feast.

^10oI spoke to the prophets;

it was I who multiplied ^pvisions,

and through the prophets gave parables.

^11qIf there is iniquity in Gilead,

they shall surely come to nothing:

^rin Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;

^stheir altars also are like stone heaps

^ton the furrows of the field.

^12uJacob fled to the land of Aram;

there Israel ^vserved for a wife,

and for a wife he guarded sheep.

¹³By ^wa prophet ^xthe Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,

and by a prophet he was guarded.

^14yEphraim has given bitter provocation;

so his Lord ^zwill leave his bloodguilt on him

^aand will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.