Hosea 11:1-4

God’s Love for Israel 1“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

2But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. Septuagint; Hebrew them They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.

3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.

4I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.