1 The Lord said, “I loved Israel when he was a child, and I called my son out of Egypt.
2 But the more I called the Israelites, the more they left me. The Israelites gave sacrifices to the false gods and burned incense to the idols.
3 “But I was the one who taught Ephraim to walk. I took the Israelites in my arms. I healed them, but they don’t know that.
4 I led them with ropes, but they were ropes of love. I was like a person who set them free. I bent down and fed them.
5 “The Israelites will not go back to Egypt. The king of Assyria will become their king, because they refused to turn back to God.
6 The sword will swing against their cities and kill their strong men. It will destroy their leaders.
7 “My people expect me to come back. They will call to God above, but he will not help them.”