A Plea to Repent

14 Israel, return to the Lord your God,(A)
for you have stumbled in your iniquity.(B)
Take words of repentance with you(C)
and return to the Lord.
Say to him, “Forgive all our iniquity
and accept what is good,
so that we may repay you
with praise[a] from our[b] lips.(D)
Assyria will not save us,(E)
we will not ride on horses,(F)
and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods!’ (G)
to the work of our hands.(H)
For the fatherless receives compassion in you.”(I)

A Promise of Restoration

I will heal their apostasy;(J)
I will freely love them,(K)
for my anger will have turned from him.(L)
I will be like the dew to Israel;(M)
he will blossom like the lily(N)
and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.(O)
His new branches will spread,
and his splendor will be like the olive tree,(P)
his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon.(Q)
The people will return and live beneath his shade.(R)
They will grow grain(S)
and blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, why should I[c] have anything more
to do with idols?(T)
It is I who answer and watch over him.
I am like a flourishing pine tree;(U)
your fruit comes from me.(V)

Let whoever is wise(W) understand these things,
and whoever is insightful recognize them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,(X)
and the righteous walk in them,(Y)
but the rebellious stumble in them.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 14:2 LXX reads with the fruit
  2. 14:2 Lit repay the bulls of our
  3. 14:8 LXX reads he

Repentance to Bring Blessing

14 [a]Return,(A) Israel, to the Lord your God.
    Your sins(B) have been your downfall!(C)
Take words with you
    and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
    “Forgive(D) all our sins
and receive us graciously,(E)
    that we may offer the fruit of our lips.[b](F)
Assyria cannot save us;(G)
    we will not mount warhorses.(H)
We will never again say ‘Our gods’(I)
    to what our own hands have made,(J)
    for in you the fatherless(K) find compassion.”

“I will heal(L) their waywardness(M)
    and love them freely,(N)
    for my anger has turned away(O) from them.
I will be like the dew(P) to Israel;
    he will blossom like a lily.(Q)
Like a cedar of Lebanon(R)
    he will send down his roots;(S)
    his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,(T)
    his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.(U)
People will dwell again in his shade;(V)
    they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom(W) like the vine—
    Israel’s fame will be like the wine(X) of Lebanon.(Y)
Ephraim, what more have I[c] to do with idols?(Z)
    I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;(AA)
    your fruitfulness comes from me.”

Who is wise?(AB) Let them realize these things.
    Who is discerning? Let them understand.(AC)
The ways of the Lord are right;(AD)
    the righteous walk(AE) in them,
    but the rebellious stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1-9 is numbered 14:2-10.
  2. Hosea 14:2 Or offer our lips as sacrifices of bulls
  3. Hosea 14:8 Or Hebrew; Septuagint What more has Ephraim