Hosea 14

1 O Israel, returne vnto the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie.

Return, O Israel, even unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast stumbled through thy iniquity.

2 Take vnto you words, and turne to the Lord, and say vnto him, Take away all iniquitie, and receiue vs graciously: so wil we render the calues of our lippes.

Take with you swords, and return to the Lord: say unto him, “Pardon all [our] iniquity, and accept [our return to] good; and let us repay the steers [of sacrifice] with [the prayer of] our lips.

3 Asshur shall not saue vs, neither wil we ride vpon horses, neither will we say any more to the worke of our handes, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie.

Asshur shall not help us; upon horses will we not ride: and we will no more say, Ye are our gods, to the work of our hands; for in thee alone the fatherless obtaineth mercy.”

4 I wil heale their rebellion: I wil loue them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them.

5 I will be as the dewe vnto Israel: he shall grow as the lilie and fasten his rootes, as the trees of Lebanon.

I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall bloom as the lily; and he shall strike his roots as [the forests of] Lebanon.

6 His branches shall spread, and his beautie shalbe as the oliue tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

His suckers shall spread out, and his beauty shall be as that of the olive-tree, and his smell as that of the Lebanon.

7 They that dwel vnder his shadow, shall returne: they shall reuiue as the corne, and florish as the vine: the sent thereof shalbe as the wine of Lebanon.

They shall return that sat under his shade; they shall revive as corn, and bloom as the vine: the scent of which shall be as that of the wine of Lebanon.

8 Ephraim shall say, What haue I to doe any more with idoles? I haue heard him, and looked vpon him: I am like a greene firre tree: vpon me is thy fruite founde.

Ephraim [shall say], What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered, and will observe him; I will be [to him] like a green fir-tree; through me is thy fruit found.

9 Who is wise, and he shall vnderstande these things? and prudent, and he shall knowe them? for the wayes of the Lord are righteous, and the iust shall walke in them: but the wicked shall fall therein.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things? intelligent, that he may know them? for righteous are the ways of the Lord; and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors will stumble through them.