HOSEA 11
1
“Before the Israeli people became a nation [MET], I loved them like a man loves his son, and I called them out of Egypt.
2
But while I continued to call them, they continued to turn away from me more and more. They offered sacrifices to their statues of Baal, and they burned incense to honor them.
3
The people of Israel were like a little boy [MET], and it was as though it was I who taught them to walk, holding them by their hands. But they did not realize that it was I who was taking care of them.
4
It was as though I fastened ropes around them to lead them, while I loved them and was kind to them. It was as though they were young oxen [MET], and I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.
5
But the people of Israel will become slaves again, like they were in Egypt, and the people of Assyria will [RHQ] rule over them, because the people of Israel refused to repent.
6
Their enemies will use their swords to attack the cities in Israel and will destroy the bars in the gates of the city walls. As a result, the people of Israeli will not be able to accomplish the things that they planned to do.
7
My people are determined to ◄turn away from/abandon► me. They say that I am the great all-powerful God, but they do not honor me at all.
8
You people of Israel, I certainly do not want to [RHQ] abandon you and allow your enemies to capture you. I do not [RHQ] want to act toward you like I acted toward Admah and Zeboiim, cities that I completely destroyed when I destroyed Sodom. I [SYN] have changed my mind about punishing you; my desire to pity you has increased.
9
Although I am extremely angry, I do not want to punish you severely; I do not want to ◄devastate/completely ruin► Israel. Humans would easily decide to do that, but I am God, not a human. I, the Holy One, am with you; although I am very angry with you, I will not destroy you.
10
You will follow me when I roar like [SIM] a lion; when I roar, some of you my children will tremble as you return to Israel from the islands and seacoasts toward the west.
11
Some of you will come swiftly from Egypt like a flock of birds; others will return from Assyria, like doves. I will enable you to live in your homes in Israel again. That will surely happen, because I, Yahweh, have said it.”
12
Yahweh says, “The people of Israel have ◄surrounded me with lies/constantly told lies to me►. And the people of Judah have also turned/rebelled against me, their God, the Holy One who always does what I promise to do, and the people of Judah worship other gods.”