< Hosea 14 >
1 Turn back, O Israel, unto Jehovah thy God, For thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.
O ISRAEL, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine 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 return unto the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good: so will we render [as] bullocks [the offering 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.'
Asshur 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 mine 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 unto Israel: he shall blossom 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 shadow shall return; they shall revive [as] the corn, and blossom as the vine: the scent thereof 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 answered, and will regard 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 transgressors shall fall therein.