Hosea 14

1 Israel, convert to the Lord your God. For you have been ruined by your own iniquity.

Return, O Israel, to Jehovah thy God; For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

2 Take these words with you and return to the Lord. And say to him, “Remove all iniquity and accept the good. And we will repay the calves of our lips.

Take with you words, And return to Jehovah, saying, “Forgive all our iniquity, and receive us graciously, And we will render to thee the sacrifices of our lips!

3 Assur will not save us; we will not ride on horses. Neither will we say any more, ‘The works of our hands are our gods,’ for those that are in you will have mercy on the orphan.”

Assyria shall not help us; We will not ride on horses; And no more will we say to the work of our hands, Ye are our Gods! For from thee the fatherless obtaineth mercy.”

4 I will heal their contrition; I will love them spontaneously. For my wrath has been turned away from them.

“I will heal their rebellion; I will love them freely; For my anger is turned away from them.

5 I will be like the dew; Israel will spring forth like the lily, and his root will spread out like that of the cedars of Lebanon.

I will be as the dew to Israel; He shall blossom as the lily, And strike his roots like Lebanon.

6 His branches will advance, and his glory will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance will be like that of the cedars of Lebanon.

His sprouts shall spread forth, And his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, And his fragrance as Lebanon.

7 They will be converted, sitting in his shadow. They will live on wheat, and they will grow like a vine. His memorial will be like the wine of the cedars of Lebanon.

They that dwell under his shadow Shall revive as the corn; They shall shoot forth as the vine; Their name shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

8 Ephraim will say, “What are idols to me anymore?” I will listen to him, and I will set him straight like a healthy spruce tree. Your fruit has been found by me.

Ephraim shall say, What have I more to do with idols? I will hear him; I will care for him; I will be like a green cypress-tree; From me shall thy fruit be found.”

9 Who is wise and will understand this? Who has understanding and will know these things? For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the just will walk in them, but truly, the traitors will fall in them.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things, Prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Jehovah are right, And the righteous walk in them; But in them transgressors stumble.