Hosea 11 - Easy To Read Version

¹ \{The Lord said,\}“I loved Israel when he was a child,\par and I called my son out of Egypt.\par

² But the more I {\cf2\super [114]} called the Israelites,\par the more the Israelites left me.\par The Israelites gave sacrifices to the Baals. {\cf2\super [115]} \par They burned incense {\cf2\super [116]} to the idols. {\cf2\super [117]} \par

³ “But it was I who taught Ephraim {\cf2\super [118]} to walk!\par I took the Israelites in my arms!\par I healed them!\par But they don’t know that.\par

⁴ I led them with ropes. {\cf2\super [119]} \par But they were ropes of love.\par I was like a person who set them free. {\cf2\super [120]} \par I bent down and fed them.\par

⁵ “The Israelites refuse to turn back \{to God\}. So they will go to Egypt! \{The king of\} Assyria will become their king.

⁶ The sword will swing against their cities. It will kill their strong men. It will destroy their leaders.

⁷ “My people expect me to come back. They will call to God above. But God will not help them.”

⁸ “Ephraim, {\cf2\super [121]} I don’t want to give you up.\par Israel, I want to protect you.\par I don’t want to make you like Admah! {\cf2\super [122]} \par I don’t want to make you like Zeboiim! {\cf2\super [123]} \par I am changing my mind.\par My love for you is too strong.\par

⁹ I will not let my terrible anger win.\par I will not destroy Ephraim again.\par I am God, and not man.\par I am the Holy One, I am with you.\par I will not show my anger.\par

¹⁰ I will roar like a lion.\par I will roar, and my children will come\par and follow me.\par My children will come from the west,\par shaking with fear.\par

¹¹ They will come from Egypt\par shaking like birds.\par They will come shaking like doves\par from the land of Assyria.\par And I will take them back home.”\par The Lord said that.\par

¹² Ephraim surrounded me with false gods.\par The people of Israel turned against me. {\cf2\super [124]} \{And they were destroyed!\}\par But Judah still walks with El. {\cf2\super [125]} \par Judah is true to the holy ones. {\cf2\super [126]} ”\par