Hosea 11:1-11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God’s Compassion Despite Israel’s Ingratitude
11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.(A)
2 The more I[a] called them,
the more they went from me;[b]
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and offering incense to idols.(B)
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up in my[c] arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.(C)
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with bands of love.
I was to them like those
who lift infants to their cheeks.[d]
I bent down to them and fed them.(D)
5 They shall return to the land of Egypt,
and Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.(E)
6 The sword rages in their cities;
it consumes their oracle priests
and devours because of their schemes.(F)
7 My people are bent on turning away from me.
To the Most High they call,
but he does not raise them up at all.[e](G)
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.(H)
9 I will not execute my fierce anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim,
for I am God and no mortal,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.[f](I)
10 They shall go after the Lord,
who roars like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west.(J)
11 They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.(K)
Hosea 11:1-11
The Voice
11 Eternal One: When Israel was a child, I loved him;
and out of Egypt I called My son.[a]
2 But the more I called to Israel,
the more they walked away from Me.[b]
They kept on sacrificing to other divine masters[c]
and burning incense to idols!
3 But I was the one who taught Ephraim to walk, holding him up by his arms,
but his people didn’t know I was the One who took care of them.
4 I led them along with leather cords;
with ropes of love I showed them the way.
As I dealt with them, I lifted the yoke from their neck;
I bent down to give them their food.
5 The people of Israel will return to bondage
like they knew in the land of Egypt,
And this time Assyria will be their king
because they refuse to return to Me.
6 The sword will be turned loose in their cities.
It will destroy their defenses and put an end to them because of their schemes.
7 My people are determined to turn away from Me.
Even when they call out to the Most High, He won’t rescue them.
8 Eternal One: But how can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I turn you over to your enemies, Israel?
How can I give you away as I did Admah or treat you like Zeboiim?
The four cities of the plain—Admah, Zeboiim, Sodom, and Gomorrah—were all destroyed (Genesis 14).
My heart is changed within Me,
and all at once My compassion is stirred up.
9 I will not carry out My burning anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim completely.
For I am God, not a human being; I am the Holy One in your midst;
I won’t unleash My anger for an attack.
10 They’ll turn back to Me.
He’ll roar like a lion, and when He roars,
His children will scurry in from the west.
11 They’ll scatter like birds from Egypt
or like doves from the land of Assyria,
And I’ll restore them to their homes.
The Eternal declares that He’ll do this.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 11:1 Matthew 2:15
- 11:2 Hebrew manuscripts read, “But the more they called to Israel, the more they walked away from them.”
- 11:2 Hebrew, baals
Hosea 11
Complete Jewish Bible
11 “When Isra’el was a child, I loved him;
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more [the prophets] called them,
the farther they went from them.
They sacrificed to the ba‘alim
and offered incense to idols.
3 “Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk;
I took them by their arms.
But they did not know that it was I
who was healing them,
4 who was guiding them on through human means
with reins made of love.
With them I was like someone removing
the yoke from their jaws,
and I bent down to feed them.
5 He will not return to the land of Egypt,
but Ashur will be his king,
because they refused to repent.
6 The sword will fall on his cities,
destroying the bars of his gates,
because they follow their own advice.
7 My people are hanging in suspense
about returning to me;
and though they call them upwards,
nobody makes a move.
8 Efrayim, how can I give you up,
or surrender you, Isra’el?
How could I treat you like Admah
or make you like Tzvoyim?
My heart recoils at the idea,
as compassion warms within me.
9 I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage,
I will not return to destroy Efrayim;
for I am God, not a human being,
the Holy One among you;
so I will not come in fury.
10 They will go after Adonai,
who will roar like a lion;
for he will roar, and the children will come
trembling from the west.
11 They will tremble like a bird as they come from Egypt,
like a dove as they come from the land of Ashur;
and I will resettle them in their own houses,
says Adonai.
Hosea 11:1-11
New King James Version
God’s Continuing Love for Israel
11 “When Israel was a [a]child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt (A)I called My (B)son.
2 [b]As they called them,
So they (C)went [c]from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.
3 “I(D) taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by [d]their arms;
But they did not know that (E)I healed them.
4 I drew them with [e]gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And (F)I was to them as those who take the yoke from their [f]neck.
(G)I stooped and fed them.
5 “He shall not return to the land of Egypt;
But the Assyrian shall be his king,
Because they refused to repent.
6 And the sword shall slash in his cities,
Devour his districts,
And consume them,
Because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent on (H)backsliding from Me.
Though [g]they call [h]to the Most High,
None at all exalt Him.
8 “How(I) can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like (J)Admah?
How can I set you like Zeboiim?
My heart [i]churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim.
(K)For I am God, and not man,
The Holy One in your midst;
And I will not [j]come with terror.
10 “They shall walk after the Lord.
(L)He will roar like a lion.
When He roars,
Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;
11 They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt,
(M)Like a dove from the land of Assyria.
(N)And I will let them dwell in their houses,”
Says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:1 Or youth
- Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Vg.; LXX Just as I called them; Tg. interprets as I sent prophets to a thousand of them.
- Hosea 11:2 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX from My face
- Hosea 11:3 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. My arms
- Hosea 11:4 Lit. cords of a man
- Hosea 11:4 Lit. jaws
- Hosea 11:7 The prophets
- Hosea 11:7 Or upward
- Hosea 11:8 Lit. turns over
- Hosea 11:9 Or enter a city
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
