Hosea 11–12

The Lord’s Love for Israel

11When Israel was a child, I loved him, ^a

and out of Egypt I called My son. ^b

²The more they ^ccalled them, ^de

the more they ^fdeparted from Me. ^g

They kept sacrificing to the Baals ^h

and burning offerings to idols. ⁱ

³It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, ^j

taking them ^kin My arms, ^l

but they never knew that I healed them. ^m

⁴I led them with human cords,

with ropes of love. ⁿ

To them I was like one

who eases the yoke from their jaws; ^o

I bent down to give them food. ^p

⁵Israel will not return to the land of Egypt

and Assyria will be his king, ^q

because they refused to repent. ^r

⁶A sword will whirl through his cities; ^s

it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates, ^tu

because of their schemes. ^v

⁷My people are bent on turning from Me. ^w

Though they call to Him on high,

He will not exalt them at all.

⁸How can I give you up, Ephraim? ^x

How can I surrender you, Israel?

How can I make you like Admah? ^y

How can I treat you like Zeboiim? ^z

I have had a change of heart;

My compassion is stirred!

⁹I will not vent the full fury of My anger; ^a

I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. ^b

For I am God and not man,

the Holy One among you; ^c

I will not come in rage. ^d

¹⁰They will follow the Lord; ^e

He will roar like a lion. ^f

When He roars,

His children will come trembling from the west. ^g

¹¹They will be roused like birds from Egypt

and like doves ^hfrom the land of Assyria. ⁱ

Then I will settle them in their homes. ^j

This is the Lord’s declaration.

^12k Ephraim surrounds me with lies, ^l

the house of Israel, with deceit.

Judah still wanders with God

and is faithful to the holy ones. ^mn

God’s Case against Jacob’s Heirs

12Ephraim chases ^othe wind ^p

and pursues the east wind. ^q

He continually multiplies lies and violence.

He makes a covenant with Assyria, ^r

and olive oil is carried to Egypt. ^s

²The Lord also has a dispute with Judah.

He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways; ^t

He will repay him based on his actions.

³In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, ^u

and as an adult he wrestled with God. ^v

⁴Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed;

he wept and sought His favor. ^w

He found him ^xat Bethel, ^y

and there He spoke with him. ^za

⁵Yahweh is the God of Hosts;

Yahweh is His name. ^b

⁶But you must return to your God. ^c

Maintain love and justice, ^d

and always put your hope in God. ^e

⁷A merchant loves to extort ^f

with dishonest scales in his hands. ^g

⁸But Ephraim says:

“How rich I have become; ^h

I made it all myself.

In all my earnings,

no one can find any crime in me ⁱ

that I can be punished for!” ^j

Judgment on Apostate Israel

⁹I have been Yahweh your God

ever since ^kthe land of Egypt. ^l

I will make you live in tents again, ^m

as in the festival days.

¹⁰I spoke through the prophets ⁿ

and granted many visions;

I gave parables through the prophets. ^o

¹¹Since Gilead is full of evil, ^p

they will certainly come to nothing.

They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; ^q

even their altars will be like heaps of rocks ^r

on the furrows of a field.

Further Indictment of Jacob’s Heirs

¹²Jacob fled to the land of Aram. ^s

Israel worked to earn a wife; ^t

he tended flocks for a wife. ^u

¹³The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, ^v

and Israel was tended by a prophet.

¹⁴Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, ^w

so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him ^x

and repay him for his contempt. ^y