Hosea 10:15–11:8

¹⁵The same will happen to you, people of Bethel,

because you did so much evil.

When the sun comes up,

the king of Israel will die.

God’s Love for Israel

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

and I called my son out of Egypt.

²But when I called the people of Israel,

they went away from me.

They offered sacrifices to the Baals

and burned incense to the idols.

³It was I who taught Israel to walk,

and I took them by the arms,

but they did not understand

that I had healed them.

⁴I led them with cords of human kindness,

with ropes of love.

I lifted the yoke from their neck

and bent down and fed them.

⁵“The Israelites will become captives again, as they were in Egypt,

and Assyria will become their king,

because they refuse to turn back to God.

⁶War will sweep through their cities

and will destroy them

and kill them because of their wicked plans.

⁷My people have made up their minds

to turn away from me.

The prophets call them to turn to me,

but none of them honors me at all.

⁸“Israel, how can I give you up?

How can I give you away, Israel?

I don’t want to make you like Admah

or treat you like Zeboiim. ⁿ

My heart beats for you,

and my love for you stirs up my pity.