God Yearns over His People
When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And aout of Egypt I bcalled My son.
2 The more athey called them,
The more they went from them;
They kept bsacrificing to the Baals
And cburning incense to idols.
3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
I atook them in My arms;
But they did not know that I bhealed them.
4 I aled them with cords of a man, with bonds of love,
And bI became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and cfed them.
5 They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria—he will be their king
Because they arefused to return to Me.
6 The asword will whirl against their cities,
And will demolish their gate bars
And bconsume them because of their ccounsels.
7 So My people are bent on aturning from Me.
Though they call them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.
8 aHow can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, O Israel?
How can I make you like bAdmah?
How can I treat you like bZeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
All My compassions are kindled.
9 I will anot execute My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim bagain.
For cI am God and not man, the dHoly One in your midst,
And I will not come in wrath.
10 They will awalk after the Lord,
He will broar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar
And His sons will come ctrembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like birds from aEgypt
And like bdoves from the land of aAssyria;
And I will csettle them in their houses, declares the Lord.
12 Ephraim surrounds Me with alies
And the house of Israel with deceit;
Judah is also unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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