1 O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled and fallen, due to your iniquity.

O Israel, return unto Jehovah thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

2 T ake with you words and return to the Lord. Say to Him, Take away all our iniquity; accept what is good and receive us graciously; so will we render as bullocks and pay the confession of our lips.

Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah; say unto him, Forgive all iniquity, and receive graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips.

3 A ssyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, You are our gods. For in You the fatherless find love, pity, and mercy.

Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, our God; because in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

4 I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely, for My anger is turned away from.

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him.

5 I will be like the dew and the night mist to Israel; he shall grow and blossom like the lily and cast forth his roots like Lebanon.

I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

6 H is suckers and shoots shall spread, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like Lebanon.

His shoots shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

7 T hey that dwell under his shade shall return; they shall revive like the grain and blossom like the vine; the scent of it shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

They shall return and sit under his shadow; they shall revive corn, and blossom as the vine: the renown thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

8 E phraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered and will regard and watch over him; I am like a green fir or cypress tree; with Me is the fruit found.

Ephraim, What have I to do any more with idols? (I answer, and I will observe him.) I am like a green fir-tree.—From me is thy fruit found.

9 W ho is wise, that he may understand these things? Prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them, but transgressors shall stumble and fall in them.

Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? intelligent, and he shall know them? For the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein.