Hosea 14

1 Israel, return to Yahweh your God; for you have fallen because of your sin.

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

2 Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good; so we offer bulls as we vowed 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 can’t save us. We won’t ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’ for in you the fatherless finds mercy.”

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 waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them.

‘I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, now that my anger is turned away from them,

5 I will be like the dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, and send down his roots like 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 will spread, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, 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 Men will dwell in his shade. They will revive like the grain, and blossom like the vine. Their fragrance will 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, what have I to do any more with idols? I answer, and will take care of him. I am like a green cypress tree; from me your fruit is 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? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

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.