< Hosea 14 >
1 Turn back, O Israel, unto Jehovah thy God, For thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.
O Israel, return to the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity.
2 Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah, Say ye unto Him: 'Take away all iniquity, and give good, And we do render the fruit of our lips.
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.
3 Asshur doth not save us, on a horse we ride not, Nor do we say any more, Our God, to the work of our hands, For in Thee find mercy doth the fatherless.'
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.
4 I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him.
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for my anger is turned away from him.
5 I am as dew to Israel, he flourisheth as a lily, And he striketh forth his roots as Lebanon.
I will be as the dew to Israel: he shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
6 Go on do his sucklings, And his beauty is as an olive, And he hath fragrance as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
7 Return do the dwellers under his shadow, They revive [as] corn, and flourish as a vine, His memorial [is] as wine of Lebanon.
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.
8 O Ephraim, what to Me any more with idols? I — I afflicted, and I cause him to sing: 'I [am] as a green fir-tree,' From Me is thy fruit found.
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.
9 Who [is] wise, and doth understand these? Prudent, and knoweth them? For upright are the ways of Jehovah, And the righteous go on in them, And the transgressors stumble therein!
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.