Hosea 11

1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

“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 the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images.

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 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them in My arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them.

[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 I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.

[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 Will they not return to the land of Egypt and be ruled by Assyria because they refused to repent?

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 A sword will flash through their cities; it will destroy the bars of their gates and consume them in their own plans.

[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 bent on turning from Me. Though they call to the Most High, He will by no means exalt them.

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 How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred!

[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 I will not execute the full fury of My anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man— the Holy One among you— and I will not come in wrath.

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 They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.

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 They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. Then I will settle them in their homes, declares the LORD.

[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 Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One.

[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.”