Hosea 14

1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity.

Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, because your sins have brought you down.

2 Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him: Take away all iniquity, and receive the good: and we will render 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 Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: The works of our hands are our gods, for thou wilt have mercy on the fatherless that is in thee.

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 breaches, I will love them freely: for my wrath is 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 as the dew, Israel shall spring as the lily, and his root shall shoot forth as that of Libanus.

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 shall spread, and his glory shall be as the olive tree: and his smell as that of Libanus.

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 shall be converted that sit under his shadow: they shall live upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine: his memorial shall be as the wine of Libanus.

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 shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I will hear him, and I will make him flourish like a green fir tree: from me is thy fruit found.

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 he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know these things? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall 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.