Hosea 11

11TH CHAPTER

Israel Is Like a Bad Son

¹“When Israel was a child, I loved him, 

and I called my son out of Egypt. 

²The more I called them,^athe farther they went away. 

They sacrificed to other gods—the Baals, 

and they burned incense to idols. 

³I was the one who taught the people of Ephraim to walk.^b

I took them by the hand. 

But they didn’t realize that I had healed them. 

⁴I led them with cords of human kindness, with ropes of love. 

I removed the yokes^cfrom their necks. 

I bent down and fed them. 

⁵“They will not return to Egypt. 

Instead, Assyria will rule them 

because they have refused to return to me. 

⁶War will sweep through their cities, 

demolish their city gates, 

and put an end to their plans. 

⁷My people are determined to turn away from me. 

Even if they call to the Most High, 

he will not pardon them. 

⁸“How can I give you up, Ephraim? 

How can I hand you over, Israel? 

How can I make you like Admah? 

How can I treat you like Zeboim? 

I have changed my mind. 

I am deeply moved. 

⁹I will not act on my burning anger. 

I will not destroy Ephraim again. 

I am God, not a human. 

I am the Holy One among you, 

and I will not come to you in anger. 

¹⁰“My people will follow me when I roar like a lion. 

When I roar, my children will come trembling from the west. 

¹¹They will come trembling like birds from Egypt 

and like doves from Assyria. 

I will settle them in their own homes,” 

declares the Lord.^d

¹²“Ephraim surrounds me with lies. 

The nation of Israel surrounds me with deceit.” 

Judah rebels against God, against the Holy One who is faithful.