Hosea, 14

1. Samaria shall expiate her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, their little ones shall be dashed to pieces, their expectant mothers shall be ripped open.

1. Samaria will pay the penalty for having rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their little children will be dashed to pieces and their pregnant women disembowelled.

2. Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt.

2. Israel, come back to Yahweh your God your guilt was the cause of your downfall.

3. Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.

3. Provide yourself with words and come back to Yahweh. Say to him, 'Take all guilt away and give us what is good, instead of bulls we will dedicate to you our lips.

4. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We shall say no more, 'Our god,' to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion."

4. Assyria cannot save us, we will not ride horses any more, or say, "Our God!" to our own handiwork, for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.'

5. I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them.

5. I shall cure them of their disloyalty, I shall love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned away from them.

6. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,

6. I shall fall like dew on Israel, he will bloom like the lily and thrust out roots like the cedar of Lebanon;

7. and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.

7. he will put out new shoots, he will have the beauty of the olive tree and the fragrance of Lebanon.

8. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

8. They will come back to live in my shade; they will grow wheat again, they will make the vine flourish, their wine will be as famous as Lebanon's.

9. Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. "I am like a verdant cypress tree"-- Because of me you bear fruit!

9. What has Ephraim to do with idols any more when I hear him and watch over him? I am like an evergreen cypress, you owe your fruitfulness to me.

10. Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the LORD, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.

10. Let the wise understand these words, let the intelligent grasp their meaning, for Yahweh's ways are straight and the upright will walk in them, but sinners will stumble.