Hosea 14
1 Israel, convert to the Lord your God. For you have been ruined by your own iniquity.
Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, because your sins have brought you down.
2 Take these words with you and return to the Lord. And say to him, “Remove all iniquity and accept the good. And we will repay the calves of our lips.
Take words like these with you and come back to the Lord, saying to him, “Please take away all our guilt, accept what is good, and we will repay you with praise from our lips.
3 Assur will not save us; we will not ride on horses. Neither will we say any more, ‘The works of our hands are our gods,’ for those that are in you will have mercy on the orphan.”
Assyria can't save us; we will not ride our warhorses; we will never again say ‘You are our gods’ to the idols we have made. For in you orphans find mercy.”
4 I will heal their contrition; I will love them spontaneously. For my wrath has been turned away from them.
I will heal their unfaithfulness; I will love them freely, for I'm not angry with them any more.
5 I will be like the dew; Israel will spring forth like the lily, and his root will spread out like that of the cedars of Lebanon.
I will be like the dew to Israel, they will blossom like lilies, they will send down roots like the cedars of Lebanon.
6 His branches will advance, and his glory will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance will be like that of the cedars of Lebanon.
They shall send out new shoots, their splendor will be like the olive tree, their scent will be like the cedars of Lebanon.
7 They will be converted, sitting in his shadow. They will live on wheat, and they will grow like a vine. His memorial will be like the wine of the cedars of Lebanon.
Those who live under their shade shall return, they will flourish like grain, they will blossom like the vine, and they will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim will say, “What are idols to me anymore?” I will listen to him, and I will set him straight like a healthy spruce tree. Your fruit has been found by me.
Ephraim, how much more do I have to warn you about idols? I have answered and now I am watching. I am like a tree that is evergreen; your fruit is found in me.
9 Who is wise and will understand this? Who has understanding and will know these things? For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the just will walk in them, but truly, the traitors will fall in them.
Who is wise to understand these things? Who has discernment in understanding them? The Lord's paths are right—the good follow them, but rebels trip and fall along the way.
