Hosea 14
1 Return thou, O Israel, unto Yahweh thy God, —for thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.
Israel, convert to the Lord your God. For you have been ruined by your own 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!
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.
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.
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.”
4 I will heal their apostacy, I will love them freely, —for mine anger, hath turned, from them.
I will heal their contrition; I will love them spontaneously. For my wrath has been 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; Israel will spring forth like the lily, and his root will spread out like that of 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 branches will advance, and his glory will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance will be like that of 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
