Israel Restored at Last

14 O Israel, (A)return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
“Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the (B)sacrifices[a] of our lips.
Assyria shall (C)not save us,
(D)We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’
(E)For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

“I will heal their (F)backsliding,
I will (G)love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
I will be like the (H)dew to Israel;
He shall [b]grow like the lily,
And [c]lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
His branches shall [d]spread;
(I)His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And (J)his fragrance like Lebanon.
(K)Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And [e]grow like a vine.
Their [f]scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

“Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
(L)Your fruit is found in Me.”

Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For (M)the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:2 Lit. bull calves; LXX fruit
  2. Hosea 14:5 Lit. bud or sprout
  3. Hosea 14:5 Lit. strike
  4. Hosea 14:6 Lit. go
  5. Hosea 14:7 Lit. bud or sprout
  6. Hosea 14:7 Lit. remembrance

14 תֶּאְשַׁם֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן כִּ֥י מָרְתָ֖ה בֵּֽאלֹהֶ֑יהָ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ עֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם יְרֻטָּ֔שׁוּ וְהָרִיּוֹתָ֖יו יְבֻקָּֽעוּ׃ פ

שׁ֚וּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֖ד יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּ֥י כָשַׁ֖לְתָּ בַּעֲוֺנֶֽךָ׃

קְח֤וּ עִמָּכֶם֙ דְּבָרִ֔ים וְשׁ֖וּבוּ אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה אִמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כָּל־תִּשָּׂ֤א עָוֺן֙ וְקַח־ט֔וֹב וּֽנְשַׁלְּמָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים שְׂפָתֵֽינוּ׃

אַשּׁ֣וּר׀ לֹ֣א יוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נוּ עַל־סוּס֙ לֹ֣א נִרְכָּ֔ב וְלֹא־נֹ֥אמַר ע֛וֹד אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֵ֑ינוּ אֲשֶׁר־בְּךָ֖ יְרֻחַ֥ם יָתֽוֹם׃

אֶרְפָּא֙ מְשׁ֣וּבָתָ֔ם אֹהֲבֵ֖ם נְדָבָ֑ה כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ב אַפִּ֖י מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

אֶהְיֶ֤ה כַטַּל֙ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִפְרַ֖ח כַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑ה וְיַ֥ךְ שָׁרָשָׁ֖יו כַּלְּבָנֽוֹן׃

יֵֽלְכוּ֙ יֹֽנְקוֹתָ֔יו וִיהִ֥י כַזַּ֖יִת הוֹד֑וֹ וְרֵ֥יחַֽ ל֖וֹ כַּלְּבָנֽוֹן׃

יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י בְצִלּ֔וֹ יְחַיּ֥וּ דָגָ֖ן וְיִפְרְח֣וּ כַגָּ֑פֶן זִכְר֖וֹ כְּיֵ֥ין לְבָנֽוֹן׃ ס

אֶפְרַ֕יִם מַה־לִּ֥י ע֖וֹד לָֽעֲצַבִּ֑ים אֲנִ֧י עָנִ֣יתִי וַאֲשׁוּרֶ֗נּוּ אֲנִי֙ כִּבְר֣וֹשׁ רַֽעֲנָ֔ן מִמֶּ֖נִּי פֶּרְיְךָ֥ נִמְצָֽא׃

10 מִ֤י חָכָם֙ וְיָ֣בֵֽן אֵ֔לֶּה נָב֖וֹן וְיֵֽדָעֵ֑ם כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים דַּרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה וְצַדִּקִים֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔ם וּפֹשְׁעִ֖ים יִכָּ֥שְׁלוּ בָֽם׃

14 Turn back, O Israel, unto Jehovah thy God, For thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.

Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah, Say ye unto Him: `Take away all iniquity, and give good, And we do render the fruit of our lips.

Asshur doth not save us, on a horse we ride not, Nor do we say any more, Our God, to the work of our hands, For in Thee find mercy doth the fatherless.'

I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him.

I am as dew to Israel, he flourisheth as a lily, And he striketh forth his roots as Lebanon.

Go on do his sucklings, And his beauty is as an olive, And he hath fragrance as Lebanon.

Return do the dwellers under his shadow, They revive [as] corn, and flourish as a vine, His memorial [is] as wine of Lebanon.

O Ephraim, what to Me any more with idols? I -- I afflicted, and I cause him to sing: `I [am] as a green fir-tree,' From Me is thy fruit found.

Who [is] wise, and doth understand these? Prudent, and knoweth them? For upright are the ways of Jehovah, And the righteous go on in them, And the transgressors stumble therein!

Israel’s Future Blessing

14 [a](A)Return, Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled [b]because of your (B)wrongdoing.
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “(C)Take away all guilt
And [c]receive us graciously,
So that we may (D)present [d]the fruit of our lips.
Assyria will not save us,
We will (E)not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘(F)Our god’
To the (G)work of our hands;
For in (H)You the [e]orphan finds mercy.”

I will (I)heal their apostasy,
I will (J)love them freely,
Because My anger has (K)turned away from them.
I will be like the (L)dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the (M)lily,
And he will [f]take root like the cedars of (N)Lebanon.
His shoots will [g]sprout,
His [h]majesty will be like the (O)olive tree,
And his fragrance like the cedars of (P)Lebanon.
Those who (Q)live in his shadow
Will [i]again raise (R)grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, what more have I to do with (S)idols?
It is I who answer and look after [j]you.
I am like a luxuriant (T)juniper;
From (U)Me [k]comes your fruit.

(V)Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the (W)ways of the Lord are right,
And the (X)righteous will walk in them,
But (Y)wrongdoers will stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:1 Ch 14:2 in Heb
  2. Hosea 14:1 Or in
  3. Hosea 14:2 Or accept that which is good
  4. Hosea 14:2 As in ancient versions; MT our lips as bulls
  5. Hosea 14:3 Or fatherless
  6. Hosea 14:5 Lit strike his roots
  7. Hosea 14:6 Lit go
  8. Hosea 14:6 Lit splendor
  9. Hosea 14:7 Or return, they will raise grain
  10. Hosea 14:8 Lit him
  11. Hosea 14:8 Lit is found