הושע 11

1 כי נער ישראל ואהבהו וממצרים קראתי לבני׃

“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 קראו להם כן הלכו מפניהם לבעלים יזבחו ולפסלים יקטרון׃

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 ואנכי תרגלתי לאפרים קחם על זרועתיו ולא ידעו כי רפאתים׃

[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 בחבלי אדם אמשכם בעבתות אהבה ואהיה להם כמרימי על על לחיהם ואט אליו אוכיל׃

[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 לא ישוב אל ארץ מצרים ואשור הוא מלכו כי מאנו לשוב׃

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 וחלה חרב בעריו וכלתה בדיו ואכלה ממעצותיהם׃

[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 ועמי תלואים למשובתי ואל על יקראהו יחד לא ירומם׃

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 איך אתנך אפרים אמגנך ישראל איך אתנך כאדמה אשימך כצבאים נהפך עלי לבי יחד נכמרו נחומי׃

[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 לא אעשה חרון אפי לא אשוב לשחת אפרים כי אל אנכי ולא איש בקרבך קדוש ולא אבוא בעיר׃

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 אחרי יהוה ילכו כאריה ישאג כי הוא ישאג ויחרדו בנים מים׃

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 יחרדו כצפור ממצרים וכיונה מארץ אשור והושבתים על בתיהם נאם יהוה׃

[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 סבבני בכחש אפרים ובמרמה בית ישראל ויהודה עד רד עם אל ועם קדושים נאמן׃

[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.”