Hosea 14

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

[You people of] Israel, return to Yahweh our God. You are being punished because of the sins which you have committed.

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.

So now return to Yahweh and say [MTY] this to him: “Forgive us for all the sins that we have committed, and kindly accept (us/our sacrifices) in order that we may thank/praise you [IDM].

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.”

[We admit that] Assyria will not save us, and our war horses will not save us, either. We will never again say, ‘You are our gods’ to [the idols that] we [SYN] have made. You are the one who acts mercifully to orphans.”

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

[Yahweh says, “If they say that to me, ] I will forgive them for having (turned away from/abandoned) me, and I will love them with all my inner being, because I [PRS] will have stopped being angry with them.

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 to the people of Israel like dew [that refreshes the soil]. When I do that, they will [become as delightful as] [MET] lilies are when they are blooming. [No one will be able to conquer them; ] they will be [as unmovable as] [SIM] the roots [of cedar trees].

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.

[Their good influence will spread] like [MET] the branches of a tree. They will be like [SIM] beautiful olive trees, and [they will be as delightful as] [SIM] the aroma of the cedar [trees in] 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.

People will [come to them to be protected] [like people are protected from the hot sun by being] [MET] in the shade [of a tree]. They [will (flourish/be strong) like] [SIM] grain that grows well. They will [be successful like] a vineyard [in which grapes grow abundantly]. They will become as famous/well-known as [SIM] the wines from 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.

[You people of] Israel, do not [RHQ] have anything more to do with idols; if you [get rid of your idols], I will answer your [prayers] and take care of you. I am like [MET] a strong/green pine tree, and your blessings come from me.”

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.

Those who are wise will understand the things [about which I have written]. Those who think well will pay careful attention to them. The things that Yahweh wants us to do [MET] are right; righteous people will conduct their lives adhering to them. But those who rebel against Yahweh will be ruined.