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A Plea for Repentance

14 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
    for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.(A)
Take words with you
    and return to the Lord;
say to him,
    “Take away all guilt;
accept that which is good,
    and we will offer
    the fruit[a] of our lips.(B)
Assyria shall not save us;
    we will not ride upon horses;
we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
    to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”(C)

Assurance of Forgiveness

I will heal their disloyalty;
    I will love them freely,
    for my anger has turned from them.(D)
I will be like the dew to Israel;
    he shall blossom like the lily;
    he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.[b](E)
His shoots shall spread out;
    his beauty shall be like the olive tree
    and his fragrance like that of Lebanon.(F)
They shall again live beneath my[c] shadow;
    they shall flourish as a garden;[d]
they shall blossom like the vine;
    their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.(G)

O Ephraim, what have I[e] to do with idols?
    It is I who answer and look after you.[f]
I am like an evergreen cypress;
    your fruit comes from me.(H)
Those who are wise understand these things;
    those who are discerning know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,
    and the upright walk in them,
    but transgressors stumble in them.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 14.2 Gk Syr: Heb bulls
  2. 14.5 Cn: Heb like Lebanon
  3. 14.7 Heb his
  4. 14.7 Cn: Heb they shall grow grain
  5. 14.8 Or What more has Ephraim
  6. 14.8 Heb him

Return to Yahweh

14 Return to Yahweh your God, O Israel,
    for you have stumbled because of your sin.
Take words with you,
    and return to Yahweh.
Say to him,
    “Take away all guilt;
accept good, and we will offer
    the fruit[a] of our lips.
Assyria will not save us;
    we will not ride on horses,[b]
and we will say no more, “Our God,”
    to the work of our hands
    because in you the fatherless child finds mercy.
I will heal their disloyalty;[c]
    I will love them freely
    because my anger has turned back
        from them.[d]
I will be like the dew to Israel;
    he will blossom like the lily plant,
and he will strike his roots like the trees of Lebanon.
    His new plant shoots will spread out;
his splendor will be like the olive tree,
    and his scent like the trees of Lebanon.
They will again dwell[e] in my[f] shadow;
    they will grow grain
and they will blossom like the plant vine;
    his fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
O Ephraim, what have I to do[g] with idols?
    I myself have answered and looked after you.[h]
I am like a luxuriant cypress;
    your fruit[i] comes from me.
Who is wise that he can understand these things?
    Who is discerning that he knows them?
The ways of Yahweh are right,
    and the righteous walk in them;
        but transgressors stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:2 Hebrew uncertain
  2. Hosea 14:3 Hebrew “horse”
  3. Hosea 14:4 Or “backsliding”
  4. Hosea 14:4 Hebrew “him”
  5. Hosea 14:7 Literally “They shall return, they shall dwell”
  6. Hosea 14:7 Hebrew “his”
  7. Hosea 14:8 Literally “what for me”
  8. Hosea 14:8 Hebrew “him”
  9. Hosea 14:8 Or “your faithfulness”