Hosea

14 Return thou, O Israel, unto Yahweh thy God,—For thou hast stumbled by thine 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!

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.

4 I will heal their apostacy, I will love them freely,—For mine anger hath turned 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:

6 His branches shall spread, That like an olive-tree may be his fresh beauty,—And his fragrance like 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.

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.

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.