Hosea 14

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

O Israel, return to Jehovah thy God, for thou have fallen by thine iniquity.

2 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.

Take with you words, and return to Jehovah. Say to him, Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good. So we will render as bullocks the offering of our lips.

3 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.”

Assyria shall not save us. We will not ride upon horses, nor will we say any more to the work of our hands, Our gods. For in thee the fatherless finds mercy.

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

I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely. For my anger is turned away from him.

5 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.

I will be as the dew to Israel. He shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

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

His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

7 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.

Those who dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive as the grain, and blossom as the vine. The scent of it shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

8 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.

Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered, and will regard him. I am like a green fir tree. From me thy fruit is found.

9 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.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things, prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them. But transgressors shall fall therein.