Hosea 11

God Will Have Compassion

¹When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.

²When I called them, they went from my face.[#Hebrew “When they called”; the LXX and modern translations read “When I called”; #Hebrew “their face”]

³And I myself taught Ephraim to walk;

but they did not know that I healed them.

⁴I drew them with human ties,[#Literally “ropes of a human”]

I was to them like one who lifted up a yoke on their jaws,

⁵He will return to the land of Egypt,[#Or “They will not return”]

⁶The sword rages in his cities;

and devours because of their plans.

To the Most High they call,

⁸How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I make you like Admah?

My heart is disturbed within me;

⁹I will not execute my fierce anger,[#Literally “I will not do”; #Literally “the anger of my nose”]

because I am God

and I will not come in wrath.

When he roars,

¹¹They will tremble like birds from Egypt,[#Hebrew “bird”]

and I will let them return to their homes—

Israel’s History

¹²Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,[#Hosea 11:12–12:14 in the English Bible is 12:1–15 in the Hebrew Bible; #Hebrew “lie”]

and the house of Israel with deceit;

and Judah is still wandering with God