Hosea 14
1 Return, O Israel, even unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast stumbled through thy iniquity.
Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have fallen because of your 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 Yahweh. Say to him, “Take away all our iniquity and accept what is good, so that we may offer to you the fruit 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 will not save us; we will not ride on horses to war. Neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods,' for in you the fatherless person finds compassion.”
4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them.
“I will heal their turning away; I will love them freely, for my anger has 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 like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like a cedar in 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 will spread out; his beauty will be like the olive trees, and his fragrance like the cedars 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.
The people who live in his shade will return; they will revive like grain and blossom like vines. His fame will be like 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, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a cypress whose leaves are always green; from me comes your fruit.”
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? Who understands these things so that he may know them? For the ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but the rebellious will stumble in them.
