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A Call to Repentance

14 [a]“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God,
    for you have fallen due to your own iniquity.
Bring a prepared speech with you
    as you return to the Lord. Say to him:

‘Take away all our[b] iniquity,
    and accept what is good.
Then we will present the fruit[c] of our lips.
Assyria won’t save us;
    we won’t be riding on horses,
Nor will we be saying anymore to the work of our hands,
    “You are[d] our God.”
        Indeed, in you the orphan finds mercy.’

“I will correct their apostasy,
    loving them freely,
        since my anger will have turned away from them.[e]
I will be like the dew to Israel;
    Israel[f] will blossom like a lily,
        growing roots like the cedars of[g] Lebanon.
Israel’s[h] branches will spread out,
    and its beauty will be like an olive tree,
        with its scent like that of Lebanon.
Those who live under its protection[i] will surely return.
    Their grain will flourish;
they will blossom like a vine,
    and Israel’s[j] scent will be like wine from Lebanon.

“Ephraim, what have I in common with idols?
    I have listened and will pay attention to him.
I am like a flourishing cypress;
    in me will your fruit be found.”

Concluding Counsel

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things.
    Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right:
    the righteous follow his example,
        but the rebellious stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:1 This v. is 14:2 in MT, and so throughout the chapter.
  2. Hosea 14:2 The Heb. lacks our
  3. Hosea 14:2 So LXX and DSS. MT reads bulls
  4. Hosea 14:3 The Heb. lacks You are
  5. Hosea 14:4 Lit. him
  6. Hosea 14:5 Lit. he
  7. Hosea 14:5 The Heb. lacks the cedars of
  8. Hosea 14:6 Lit. His
  9. Hosea 14:7 Lit. shadow
  10. Hosea 14:7 Lit. His