1  When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and ^qout of Egypt I called ^rmy son.

2  The more they were called,

the more they went away;

they kept sacrificing to the Baals

and ^sburning offerings to idols.

3  ^tYet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;

I took them up by their arms,

but they did not know that ^uI healed them.

4  I led them with cords of kindness,¹

with the bands of love,

and I became to them as one who eases the ^vyoke on their jaws,

and I bent down to them and ^wfed them.

5  They shall not² return to the land of Egypt,

but Assyria shall be their king,

because they have refused to return to me.

6  The sword shall rage against their cities,

consume the bars of their gates,

and devour them because of their own counsels.

7  My people are bent on ^xturning away from me,

and though 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?

^yHow can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

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;

for ^zI am God and not a man,

the Holy One in your midst,

and I will not come in wrath.³

10  They shall go after the Lord;

^ahe will roar like a lion;

when he roars,

^bhis children shall come trembling from the west;

11  they shall come trembling like birds ^cfrom Egypt,

and like doves from the land of Assyria,

and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.

12  ⁴ Ephraim 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.

1  Ephraim feeds on the wind

and pursues the east wind all day long;

they multiply falsehood and violence;

^dthey make a covenant with Assyria,

and oil is carried to Egypt.

2  ^eThe Lord has an indictment against Judah

and will punish Jacob according to his ways;

he will repay him according to his deeds.

3  ^fIn the womb he took his brother by the heel,

and ^gin his manhood he strove with God.

4  He strove with the angel and prevailed;

he wept and sought his favor.

He met God⁵ at ^hBethel,

and there God spoke with us—

5  the Lord, the God of hosts,

ⁱthe Lord is his memorial name:

6  “So you, by the help of your God, ^jreturn,

^khold fast to love and justice,

and ^lwait continually for your God.”

7  A merchant, in whose hands are ^mfalse balances,

he loves to oppress.

8  Ephraim has said, “Ah, but ⁿI am rich;

I have found wealth for myself;

in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”

9  I am the Lord your God

from the land of Egypt;

I will again make you dwell in tents,

^oas in the days of the appointed feast.

10  I spoke to the prophets;

it was I who multiplied visions,

and through the prophets gave parables.

11  If there is iniquity in ^pGilead,

they shall surely come to nothing:

in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;

their ^qaltars also are like stone heaps

on the furrows of the field.

12  ^rJacob fled to the land of Aram;

^sthere Israel served for a wife,

and for a wife he guarded sheep.

13  By a ^tprophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,

and by a prophet he was guarded.

14  Ephraim has given bitter provocation;

so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him

and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.