< Hosea 14 >

1 “Turn back, O Israel, to your God YHWH, For you have stumbled by your iniquity.
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God; for the people have fallen through your iniquities.
2 Take words with you, and turn to YHWH, Say to Him, Take away all iniquity, and give good, And we render the fruit of our lips.
Take with you words, and turn to the Lord your God: speak to him, that you may not receive [the reward of] unrighteousness, but that you may receive good things: and we will render in return the fruit of our lips.
3 Asshur does not save us, we do not ride on a horse, Nor do we say anymore, Our god, to the work of our hands, For in You the fatherless find mercy.
Assur shall never save us; we will not mount on horseback; we will no longer say to the works of our hands, Our gods. He who is in you shall pity the orphan.
4 I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For My anger has turned back from him.
I will restore their dwellings, I will love them truly: for he has turned away my wrath from him.
5 I am as dew to Israel, he flourishes as a lily, And he strikes forth his roots as Lebanon.
I will be as dew to Israel: he shall bloom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Libanus.
6 His shoots go on, And his splendor is as an olive, And he has fragrance as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and he shall be as a fruitful olive, and his smell shall be as [the smell] of Libanus.
7 The dwellers return under his shadow, They revive [as] grain, and flourish as a vine, His memorial [is] as wine of Lebanon.
They shall return, and dwell under his shadow: they shall live and be satisfied with corn, and he shall flower as a vine: his memorial shall be to Ephraim as the wine of Libanus.
8 O Ephraim, what have I anymore to do with idols? I have answered, and I look after him: I [am] as a green fir-tree, Your fruit is found from Me.
What [has] he to do any more with idols? I have afflicted him, and I will strengthen him: I am as a leafy juniper tree. From me is your fruit found.
9 Who [is] wise, and understands these? Prudent, and knows them? For upright are the ways of YHWH, And the righteous go on in them, And the transgressors stumble therein!”
Who is wise, and will understand these things? or prudent, and will know them? for the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them: but the ungodly shall fall therein.

< Hosea 14 >