Hosea 14
1 [You people of] Israel, return to Yahweh our God. You are being punished because of the sins which you have committed.
Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.
2 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].
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.
3 [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.”
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.
4 [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.
‘I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, now that my anger is turned away from them,
5 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].
I will be as dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, he will plant his roots like the cedars of Lebanon,
6 [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.
his saplings will spread out, his beauty will be like that of the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.
7 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.
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.
8 [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.”
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.
9 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.
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.
