English / ERV
Hosea 11
Easy-to-Read Version, 2006
- 1The Lord said, “I loved Israel when he was a child, and I called my son out of Egypt.
- 2But the more I[1] called the Israelites, the more they left me. The Israelites gave sacrifices to the false gods[2] and burned incense to the idols.
- 3“But I was the one who taught Ephraim to walk. I took the Israelites in my arms. I healed them, but they don’t know that.
- 4I led them with ropes,[3] but they were ropes of love. I was like a person who set them free.[4] 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.
- 6The 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.”[5]
- 8“Ephraim, 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.[6] I am changing my mind. My love for you is too strong.
- 9I 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.
- 10I, the LORD, will roar like a lion, and my children will come and follow me. They will come from the west, shaking with fear.
- 11They 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.[7] But Judah still walks with God[8] and is true to the Holy One.[9]”