Hosea 14

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

Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in 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!

Take words of repentance with you, and return to the Lord your God. Say to him: Wholly pardon our iniquity, accept that which is good, instead of sacrificing bulls, we offer our praise.

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 Egyptian warhorses, and we will no more call the work of our hands our gods. For in you orphan Israel finds mercy.

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 love them freely, now that my anger is 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 as dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, he will plant his roots 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 saplings will spread out, his beauty will be like that of 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.

People will return and dwell in my shade, they will bring life to new grain. They shall sprout like the vine, and their renown will be like that of 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.

Ephraim – what have I to do with idols! It is I the Lord who respond to him and look after him. I am like an evergreen cypress, from me is your fruit found.

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 discern these things, prudent, let him perceive them; For the Lord’s ways are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the wicked stumble in them.