Hosea 11

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Israel Has Forgotten the Lord

11 <1> [The Lord said,]

"I loved Israel when he was a child,

and I called my son out of Egypt.

<2> But the more I[103] called the Israelites,

the more they left me.

The Israelites gave sacrifices to the false gods[104]

and burned incense[105] to the idols.[106]

<3> "But I was the one who taught Ephraim[107] to walk.

I took the Israelites in my arms.

I healed them,

but they don't know that.

<4> I led them with ropes,[108]

but they were ropes of love.

I was like a person who set them free.[109]

I bent down and fed them.

<5> "The Israelites will not go back to Egypt. The king of Assyria will become their king, because they refused to turn back to God. <6> The sword will swing against their cities and kill their strong men. It will destroy their leaders.

<7> "My people expect me to come back. They will call to God above, but he will not help them."[110]

The Lord Will Not Destroy Israel

<8> "Ephraim,[111] I don't want to give you up.

Israel, I want to protect you.

I don't want to make you like Admah.

I don't want to make you like Zeboiim.[112]

I am changing my mind.

My love for you is too strong.

<9> I will not let my terrible anger win.

I will not destroy Ephraim again.

I am God and not a human.

I am the Holy One.

I am with you.

I will not show my anger.

<10> I will roar like a lion.

I will roar, and my children will come and follow me.

My children will come from the west,

shaking with fear.

<11> They will come from Egypt,

shaking like birds.

They will come shaking like doves from the land of Assyria,

and I will take them back home."

This is what the Lord said.

<12> "Ephraim surrounded me with false gods.

The people of Israel turned against me.[113]

[And they were destroyed!]

But Judah still walks with El.[114]

Judah is true to the holy ones.[115]"