Hosea 14

1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.

Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.

2 Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.

Take words of repentance with you, and return to the Lord your God. Say to him: Wholly pardon our iniquity, accept that which is good, instead of sacrificing bulls, we offer our praise.

3 Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”

Assyria will not save us, nor Egyptian warhorses, and we will no more call the work of our hands our gods. For in you orphan Israel finds mercy.

4 I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger has turned away from them.

‘I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, now that my anger is turned away from them,

5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.

I will be as dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, he will plant his roots like the cedars of Lebanon,

6 His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.

his saplings will spread out, his beauty will be like that of the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.

7 They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

People will return and dwell in my shade, they will bring life to new grain. They shall sprout like the vine, and their renown will be like that of the wine of Lebanon.

8 O Ephraim, what have I to do anymore with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing cypress; your fruit comes from Me.

Ephraim – what have I to do with idols! It is I the Lord who respond to him and look after him. I am like an evergreen cypress, from me is your fruit found.

9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them.

Whoever is wise, let him discern these things, prudent, let him perceive them; For the Lord’s ways are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the wicked stumble in them.