Hosea 11:2-4

New Century Version

² But when I called the people of Israel,
    they went away from me.
They offered sacrifices to the Baals
    and burned incense to the idols.
³ It was I who taught Israel to walk,
    and I took them by the arms,
but they did not understand
    that I had healed them.
⁴ I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with ropes of love.
I lifted the yoke from their neck
    and bent down and fed them.