Osee 14

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

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

2 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.

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.

3 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 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.

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.

8 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.

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.

9 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.

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.