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God Yearns over His People

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

² The more ^(F1)(C1)they called them,
The more they went away from ^(F1)them;
They kept ^(C2)sacrificing to the Baals
And ^(C3)burning incense to idols.

³ Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
^(F1)I ^(C1)took them in My arms;
But they did not know that I ^(C2)healed them.

⁴ I ^(C1)pulled them along with cords of a man, with ropes of love,
And ^(C2)I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and ^(C3)fed them.

^5 (F1)They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria—he will be ^(F2)their king
Because they ^(C1)refused to return to Me.

⁶ And the ^(C1)sword will whirl against ^(F1)their cities,
And will destroy ^(F1)their oracle priests
And ^(C2)consume them, because of their ^(C3)counsels.

⁷ So My people are determined to ^(C1)turn from Me.
Though ^(F1)they call ^(F2)them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.

^8 (C1)How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I ^(F1)make you like ^(C2)Admah?
How can I treat you like ^(C2)Zeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
^(F2)All My compassions are kindled.

⁹ I will ^(C1)not carry out My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim ^(C2)again.
For ^(C3)I am God and not a man, the ^(C4)Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in ^(F1)wrath.

¹⁰ They will ^(C1)walk after the LORD,
He will ^(C2)roar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar,
And His sons will come ^(C3)trembling from the west.

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

^12 (F1)Ephraim surrounds Me with ^(C1)lies
And the house of Israel with deceit;
^(F2)Judah is still unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.