Hosea 11

International Children’s Bible

God’s Love for Israel

11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him.
    And I called my son out of Egypt.
²But the more I called to the people of Israel,
    the further they went from me.
They offered sacrifices to the Baals.
    They burned incense to the idols.
³But it was I who taught Israel to walk.
    I took them by the arms.
But they did not understand
    that I had healed them.
⁴I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with ties of love.
I lifted the yoke from their neck.
    I bent down and fed them.

⁵“The Israelites will become captives again, as they were in Egypt.
    The king of Assyria will become their king.
    This is because they refuse to turn to God.
⁶War will sweep through their cities.
    It will destroy them,
    because of their wicked plans.
⁷My people have made up their minds
    to turn away from me.
The prophets call them to turn to me.
    But none of them honors me at all.

⁸“Israel, I don’t want to give you up.
    I don’t want to go away and leave you.
I don’t want to make you like Admah.
    I don’t want to treat you like Zeboiim.^[a]
My heart beats for you.
    My love for you stirs up my pity.
⁹I won’t punish you in my anger.
    I won’t destroy Israel again.
I am God and not man.
    I am the Holy One, and I am among you.
    I will not come against you in anger.
¹⁰I will call for my people like
    a lion calling for its young.
My children will come and follow me.
    They will hurry to me from the west.
¹¹They will come swiftly
    like birds from a captivity like Egypt was,
    and like doves from Assyria.
I will settle them again in their homes,”
    says the Lord.