The Lord’s Love for Israel
1 [ch. 2:15] When Israel was a child, Deut. 7:8;[ch. 14:4] I loved him,
and out of Egypt I Cited Matt. 2:15called Ex. 4:22;[Mal. 1:6]my son.
2 [ver. 7] The more they were called,
the more they went away;
[ch. 2:13;13:1,2]they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
3 Yet it was [ch. 7:15;Deut. 1:31] I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that Ex. 15:26I healed them.
4 Jer. 31:3;[John 6:44;12:32] I led them with cords of kindness,11:4 Or humaneness; Hebrew man
with the bands of love,
and Lev. 26:13I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and See Ps. 78:24-29I bent down to them and fed them.
5 [ch. 8:13] They shall not11:5 Or surely return to the land of Egypt,
but [ch. 10:3] Assyria shall be their king,
[2 Kgs. 17:13,14] because [ch. 4:16;7:16]they have refused to return to me.
6 [ch. 10:14] The sword shall rage against their cities,
consume the bars of their gates,
and devour them ch. 10:6because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent ch. 14:4on turning away from me,
and though [ver. 2]they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
[Gen. 19:24,25;Jer. 49:18;50:40;Amos 4:11;Jude 7] How can I make you Gen. 14:8;Deut. 29:23like Admah?
How can I treat you Gen. 14:8;Deut. 29:23like Zeboiim?
[Deut. 32:36]My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
See Num. 23:19for I am God and not a man,
See Isa. 12:6the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.11:9 Or into the city
10 [ch. 3:5] They shall go after the Lord;
Isa. 31:4;Jer. 25:30;Joel 3:16;Amos 1:2he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling Isa. 11:11;Zech. 8:7from the west;
11 they shall come trembling like birds See ch. 8:13from Egypt,
and Isa. 60:8like doves Zech. 10:6,10;[ch. 9:3]from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.
12 11:12 Ch 12:1 in Hebrew Ephraim [ch. 7:13]has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.