Hosea 14

¹ Return , O Israel , to the Lord your God , for you have stumbled because of your iniquity .

² Take with you words and return to the Lord ; say to him, Take away all iniquity ; accept what is good , and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips .

³ Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses ; and we will say no more, Our God , to the work of our hands . In you the orphan finds mercy .

⁴ I will heal their apostasy ; I will love them freely , for my anger has turned from them.

⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel ; he shall blossom like the lily ; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon ;

⁶ his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive , and his fragrance like Lebanon .

⁷ They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow ; they shall flourish like the grain ; they shall blossom like the vine ; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon .

⁸ O Ephraim , what have I to do with idols ? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress ; from me comes your fruit .

⁹ 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 upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

¹ Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!

² Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

³ Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods` to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

⁴ “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;

⁶ his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.

⁷ People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine— Israel`s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me.”

⁹ Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

¹ O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

² Take with you words, and turn to the Lord : say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously : so will we render the calves of our lips.

³ Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses : neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods : for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

⁴ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away from him.

⁵ I will be as the dew unto Israel : he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

⁶ His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

⁷ They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine : the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ Ephraim shall say , What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him , and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.

⁹ Who is wise, and he shall understand these things ? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. Hosea 13 Books Joel 1