Hosea

11* When Israel was a child I loved him, and I called his sons out of Egypt. 2** The more I called them, the more they went off from me: they sacrificed to the Baals, they made burnings to the carvings. 3 And I had taught Ephraim to walk, taken them in my arms; but they did not know I healed them. 4*** I drew them with human lines, with ropes of love, and was to them like one that lifts up a yoke on their cheeks; and I bent down to it, mastered it. 5 He goes back to Egypt, and Assyria is his king, because they refused to come back. 6** And swords dance in his cities and annihilate his bragging, and their designs eat them up. 7*** And his people are dangling with his apostasies; they call him upward, not a bit does he mount.

8* How am I to give you away, Ephraim, to hand you over, Israel? How am I to make you like Admah, render you like Seboim? the thought overwhelms me, my sympathies are all in a fever. 9* I will not act out my anger, I will not go back to making away with Ephraim; for I am deity, not man, a Holy one in your midst, and will not come in passion. 10 They shall go after Jehovah like a lion that roars; for he will roar, and sons will be startled from the sea, 11 they will be startled from Egypt like a sparrow and from Assyria like a pigeon, and I will settle them in their homes, quoth Jehovah.

12* 12:1Ephraim encircles me with deceit, and the house of Israel with fraud, but Judah is still ranging with Deity and faithful with the Holy.