Hosea 14

1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity.

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God; for the people have fallen through your iniquities.

2 Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him: Take away all iniquity, and receive the good: and we will render the calves of our lips.

Take with you words, and turn to the Lord your God: speak to him, that you may not receive [the reward of] unrighteousness, but that you may receive good things: and we will render in return the fruit of our lips.

3 Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: The works of our hands are our gods, for thou wilt have mercy on the fatherless that is in thee.

Assur shall never save us; we will not mount on horseback; we will no longer say to the works of our hands, Our gods. He who is in you shall pity the orphan.

4 I will heal their breaches, I will love them freely: for my wrath is turned away from them.

I will restore their dwellings, I will love them truly: for he has turned away my wrath from him.

5 I will be as the dew, Israel shall spring as the lily, and his root shall shoot forth as that of Libanus.

I will be as dew to Israel: he shall bloom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Libanus.

6 His branches shall spread, and his glory shall be as the olive tree: and his smell as that of Libanus.

His branches shall spread, and he shall be as a fruitful olive, and his smell shall be as [the smell] of Libanus.

7 They shall be converted that sit under his shadow: they shall live upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine: his memorial shall be as the wine of Libanus.

They shall return, and dwell under his shadow: they shall live and be satisfied with corn, and he shall flower as a vine: his memorial shall be to Ephraim as the wine of Libanus.

8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I will hear him, and I will make him flourish like a green fir tree: from me is thy fruit found.

What [has] he to do any more with idols? I have afflicted him, and I will strengthen him: I am as a leafy juniper tree. From me is your fruit found.

9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know these things? 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, and will understand these things? or prudent, and will know them? for the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them: but the ungodly shall fall therein.