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God is the Loving Father of His People

¹ When Israel was a child a young nation, I loved him,
And I ^(C1)called My son ^(C2)out of Egypt. ^(VR1)

² The more they the prophets ^(C1)called them to repentance and obedience,
The more they went away from them;
They kept ^(C2)sacrificing to the Baals
And ^(C3)burning incense to the carved images.

³ Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
^(C1)Taking them in My arms nurturing the young nation;
But they did not know that I ^(C2)healed them.

⁴ I ^(C1)led them gently with cords of a man, with bonds of love guiding them,
And ^(C2)I was to them as one who lifts up and eases the yoke of the law over their jaws;
And I bent down to them and ^(C3)fed them.

⁵ They will not return to the land of Egypt,
But Assyria will be their king bringing them into captivity
Because they ^(C1)refused to return to Me.

⁶ The ^(C1)sword will whirl against and fall on their cities,
And will ^(C2)demolish the bars of their gates and fortifications
And will consume them because of their ^(C3)counsels.

⁷ My people are bent on ^(C1)turning from Me;
Though the prophets call them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.

^8 (C1)How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, O Israel?
How can I make you like ^(C2)Admah?
How can I treat you like ^(F1)(C2)Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within Me;
All My compassions are kindled together for My nation of Israel. ^(VR1)

⁹ I will ^(C1)not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not return to Ephraim to ^(C2)destroy him again.
For ^(C3)I am God and not man, the ^(C4)Holy One in your midst who will not revoke My covenant,
And I will not come in wrath or enter the city in judgment.

¹⁰ They will ^(C1)walk after the LORD in obedience and worship,
Who will ^(C2)roar like a lion;
He will roar summoning them
And His sons will come ^(C3)trembling from the west.

¹¹ They will come trembling and hurriedly like birds from ^(C1)Egypt
And like ^(C2)doves from the land of ^(C1)Assyria;
And I will ^(C3)settle them in their houses in the land of their inheritance, declares the LORD.

¹² Ephraim surrounds Me with ^(C1)lies
And the house of Israel with deceit;
Judah is also unruly against God,
Even against the faithful Holy One.