Hosea 14

1 Return thou, O Israel, unto Yahweh thy God, —for thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.

Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.

2 Take with you words, and return to Yahweh: say unto him—Wholly, shalt thou take away iniquity, Accept, then, with favour, and we will make good the boldness of our lips!

Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.

3 Assyria, shall not save us, Upon horses, will we not ride, neither will we say any more—Our god! to the work of our own hands! For, in thee, shall the fatherless, find compassion.

Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”

4 I will heal their apostacy, I will love them freely, —for mine anger, hath turned, from them.

I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger has turned away from them.

5 I will become as the dew unto Israel, he shall break forth as the lily, —and he shall strike his roots as Lebanon:

I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.

6 His branches, shall spread, that, like an olive-tree, may be his fresh beauty, —and his fragrance, like Lebanon.

His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.

7 They who dwell in his shade shall again show life like the corn, and break forth as the vine, —and, the remembrance of him, shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

8 Ephraim [saith] —What to me any more are idols? I, have answered, and have closely observed him, I, am like a fir-tree that is green, From me, is thy fruit found.

O Ephraim, what have I to do anymore with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing cypress; your fruit comes from Me.

9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things? intelligent, that he may take knowledge of them? For, straightforward, are the ways of Yahweh, and, the righteous, shall travel therein, but, transgressors, shall stumble therein.

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them.