Hosea 14

1 O Israel, come back to the Lord your God; for your evil-doing has been the cause of your fall.

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

2 Take with you words, and come back to the Lord; say to him, Let there be forgiveness for all wrongdoing, so that we may take what is good, and give in payment 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 Assyria will not be our salvation; we will not go on horses; we will not again say to the work of our hands, You are our gods; for in you there is mercy for the child who has no father.

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 will put right their errors; freely will my love be given to them, for my wrath is turned away from him.

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

5 I will be as the dew to Israel; he will put out flowers like a lily, and send out his roots like Lebanon.

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

6 His branches will be stretched out, he will be beautiful as the olive-tree and sweet-smelling as Lebanon.

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

7 They will come back and have rest in his shade; their life will be made new like the grain, and they will put out flowers like the vine; his name will be like the 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 As for Ephraim, what has he to do with false gods any longer? I have given an answer and I will keep watch over him; I am like a branching fir-tree, from me comes your fruit.

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 He who is wise will see these things; he who has good sense will have knowledge of them. For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the upright will go in them, but sinners will be falling in them.

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.