Hosea 14
Expanded Bible
Israel Returns to God
14 Israel, return to the Lord your God,
because your sins have made you ·fall [stumble].
2 ·Come back [Return] to the Lord
and ·say these words to him [L take words with you]:
“Take away all our sin
and ·kindly receive us [accept our prayers],
·and we will keep the promises we made to you [L so that we may offer the sacrifices of our lips; or so that we may offer our lips as sacrificial bulls].
3 Assyria cannot save us,
nor will we ·trust in our [mount and ride] horses.
We will not say again, ‘Our gods,’
to the things our hands have made.
You show ·mercy [compassion] to ·orphans [the fatherless].”
4 The Lord says,
“I will forgive ·them for leaving me [their apostasy/waywardness]
and will love them freely,
because ·I am not angry with them anymore [L my anger has turned away from them].
5 I will be like the dew to Israel,
and they will blossom like a lily.
Like the cedar trees in Lebanon,
·their roots will be firm [they will take root].
6 ·They will be like spreading branches [L His shoots will spread out],
like the beautiful olive trees
and the sweet-smelling cedars in Lebanon.
7 ·The people of Israel will again live under my protection [or People will again live under Israel’s protection/shade].
They will ·grow [flourish] like the grain,
they will bloom like a vine,
and they will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.
8 ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17], have nothing to do with idols.
I, the Lord, am the one who answers your prayers and ·watches over [cares for] you.
I am like a ·green [flourishing; evergreen] ·pine tree [or juniper; or cypress];
your ·blessings [L fruit] come from me.”
9 ·A wise person will know these things [L Who is wise? Let him understand these things],
·and an understanding person will take them to heart [L Who is discerning? Let him understand them].
The Lord’s ways are right.
·Good people [The righteous] ·live by following [L walk in] them,
but ·those who turn against God [the rebellious/transgressors] ·die because of them [L stumble in them].
Hosea 14
New International Version
Repentance to Bring Blessing
14 [a]Return,(A) Israel, to the Lord your God.
Your sins(B) have been your downfall!(C)
2 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)
3 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.”
4 “I will heal(L) their waywardness(M)
and love them freely,(N)
for my anger has turned away(O) from them.
5 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)
6 his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,(T)
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.(U)
7 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)
8 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.”
Footnotes
- Hosea 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1-9 is numbered 14:2-10.
- Hosea 14:2 Or offer our lips as sacrifices of bulls
- Hosea 14:8 Or Hebrew; Septuagint What more has Ephraim
Hosea 14
King James Version
14 O israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
2 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.