Out of Egypt I Called My Son (Matthew 2:13–15)
2 UDB But the more I called out to them, the more they ran away. Day after day they offered their sacrifices to the idols named Baal, and they burned incense to honor them. BSB BSB: But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images.
3 UDB But it was I who taught them to do everything good, as a father teaches his son to walk. I was like a father, holding them by their little arms. But they did not understand that I was the one who was taking care of them. BSB BSB: It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them.
4 UDB With kindness I guided them, with the tender cords of human kindness I led them. I loved them so much that I guided them and led by my own hand. They worked very hard, like a yoke of oxen pulling a plow, but I made their yoke light and loosened its weight on their jaws, so they did not suffer pain. BSB BSB: I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.
5 UDB But Israel will certainly return to Egypt, and Assyria will certainly rule over them, because they refused to turn back to me and worship me as their God. BSB BSB: Will they not return to the land of Egypt and be ruled by Assyria because they refused to repent?
6 UDB Their enemies will attack Israel's cities with swords; their enemies will destroy the bars that keep their gates closed and safe. Their enemies will destroy the people of Israel and put an end to all the plans they made. BSB BSB: A sword will flash through their cities; it will destroy the bars of their gates and consume them in their own plans.
7 UDB My people are determined to turn away from me. They pretend to call out to me, the Most High God, but I will allow no one to help them. BSB BSB: My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call to the Most High, He will by no means exalt them.
God’s Love for Israel 9 UDB I have decided not to punish you severely. I do not want to destroy you, the people of my Israel, whom I love. Human beings would easily decide to do that, but I am God, not human. I am the Holy One who lives among you; I will not come to you and be angry with you. BSB BSB: I will not execute the full fury of My anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man—the Holy One among you—and I will not come in wrath.
10 UDB They will live their lives following my commands. I will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will hear and will come trembling. They will come back to me from far away— from the west they will come back to me. BSB BSB: They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.
11 UDB They will come fluttering into the land like a flock of birds coming up from Egypt. And some will be like pigeons that fly in from Assyria. I will let them live in their own homes once more, in the land of Israel. I, Yahweh, have promised this." BSB BSB: They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. Then I will settle them in their homes, declares the LORD.
12 UDB "The people of Israel have continually lied to me. But the people of Judah they still obey me and are faithful to me, the Holy One." BSB BSB: Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One.