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

“I will heal their (E)backsliding,
I will (F)love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
I will be like the (G)dew to Israel;
He shall [b]grow like the lily,
And [c]lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
His branches shall [d]spread;
(H)His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And (I)his fragrance like Lebanon.
(J)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;
(K)Your fruit is found in Me.”

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

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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

18 (A)Who is a God like You,
(B)Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of (C)the remnant of His heritage?

(D)He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in (E)mercy.[a]
19 He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all [b]our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 (F)You will give truth to Jacob
And [c]mercy to Abraham,
(G)Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:18 Or lovingkindness
  2. Micah 7:19 Lit. their
  3. Micah 7:20 Or lovingkindness

15 (A)Blow the [a]trumpet in Zion,
(B)Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people,
(C)Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
(D)Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep (E)between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, (F)“Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should [b]rule over them.
(G)Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”

The Land Refreshed(H)

18 Then the Lord will (I)be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.
19 The Lord will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I will send you (J)grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied by them;
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.

20 “But (K)I will remove far from you (L)the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back (M)toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise,
Because he has done [c]monstrous things.”

21 Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the Lord has done [d]marvelous things!
22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For (N)the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And (O)rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has given you the [e]former rain faithfully,
And He (P)will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

25 “So I will restore to you the years (Q)that the swarming [f]locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall (R)eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to (S)shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am (T)in the midst of Israel:
(U)I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:15 ram’s horn
  2. Joel 2:17 Or speak a proverb against them
  3. Joel 2:20 Lit. great
  4. Joel 2:21 Lit. great
  5. Joel 2:23 Or teacher of righteousness
  6. Joel 2:25 Exact identity of these locusts unknown

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