Hosea 14

1 O Israel, return to the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity.

Return, O Israel, even unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast stumbled through thy iniquity.

2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say to him, Take away all iniquity, and receive [us] graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

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.

3 Ashur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, [Ye are] our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

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.”

4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for my anger is turned away from him.

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them.

5 I will be as the dew to Israel: he shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

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.

6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

His suckers shall spread out, and his beauty shall be as that of the olive-tree, and his smell as that of the Lebanon.

7 They that dwell under his shade shall return; they shall revive [as] the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent of it [shall be] as the wine of Lebanon.

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.

8 Ephraim [shall say], What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard [him], and observed him: I [am] like a green fir-tree. From me is thy fruit found.

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.

9 Who [is] wise, and he shall understand these [things]? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD [are] right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall in them.

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.