Hosea 14

1 Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.

Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have fallen because of your iniquity.

2 Take words of repentance with you, and return to the Lord your God. Say to him: Wholly pardon our iniquity, accept that which is good, instead of sacrificing bulls, we offer our praise.

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 Assyria will not save us, nor Egyptian warhorses, and we will no more call the work of our hands our gods. For in you orphan Israel finds 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 apostasy, I will love them freely, now that 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 dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, he will plant his roots like the cedars 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 saplings will spread out, his beauty will be like that of the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.

His branches will spread out; his beauty will be like the olive trees, and his fragrance like the cedars in Lebanon.

7 People will return and dwell in my shade, they will bring life to new grain. They shall sprout like the vine, and their renown will be like 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 – what have I to do with idols! It is I the Lord who respond to him and look after him. I am like an evergreen cypress, from me is your 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 Whoever is wise, let him discern these things, prudent, let him perceive them; For the Lord’s ways are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the wicked stumble in 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.