Hosea 11 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

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

But the more I called them, the further they walked away from me. They kept burning offerings to the Baals, smoke rising to carved idols.

Yet I was the one who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them up in my arms — but they never realized it was me healing them.

I led them with cords of human kindness, with ropes of love. I was the one who eased the yoke from their jaws and bent down to feed them.

They will not return to Egypt — but Assyria will be their king, because they refused to come back to me.

The sword will whirl through their cities, snap the bars of their gates, and devour them in their own fortresses — all because of their own scheming.

My people are bent on turning away from me. They call to the Most High, but not one of them lifts their eyes upward.

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turning over inside me; all my compassion is on fire.

I will not act on the heat of my anger. I will not destroy Ephraim again. Because I am God and not a human being — the one set apart, right here among you — I will not come in fury.

They will follow Yahweh; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.

They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from the land of Assyria. And I will settle them back in their homes, declares Yahweh.

Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, the house of Israel with betrayal. But Judah still walks with God, faithful to the one who is set apart.