Hosea

¹ I called out, 'My son!'—called him out of Egypt.

² he ran off and left me. He worshiped the popular sex gods, he played at religion with toy gods.

³ I rescued him from human bondage, But he never acknowledged my help,

⁴ That I lifted him, like a baby, to my cheek, that I bent down to feed him.

⁵ anything but return to me!

⁶ and every plan to improve things falls to pieces.

⁷ They pray to god Baal for help. He doesn't lift a finger to help them.

⁸ How can I turn you loose, Israel? How can I leave you to be ruined like Admah, devastated like luckless Zeboim? I can't bear to even think such thoughts. My insides churn in protest.

⁹ I'm not going to destroy Ephraim. And why? Because I am God and not a human. I'm The Holy One and I'm here—in your very midst.

¹⁰ I will roar like a lion— Oh, how I'll roar! My frightened children will come running from the west.

¹¹ from Assyria like scared doves. I'll move them back into their homes." God's Word!

¹² Not a word of Israel can be trusted. Judah, meanwhile, is no better, addicted to cheap gods.