< Hosea 14 >
1 Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have fallen because of your iniquity.
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God; for the people have fallen through your iniquities.
2 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.
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 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.”
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 will heal their turning away; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned away from him.
I will restore their dwellings, I will love them truly: for he has turned away my wrath from him.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like a cedar in Lebanon.
I will be as dew to Israel: he shall bloom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Libanus.
6 His branches will spread out; his beauty will be like the olive trees, and his fragrance like the cedars in 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 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.
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 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.”
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 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.
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.