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

¶ O Israel, become converted unto the LORD 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 be converted unto the LORD; say unto him, Take away all iniquity and receive us 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.

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 finds mercy.

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

¶ I will heal their rebellion; I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them.

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 flourish 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 branches shall spread, and his glory 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.

Those that shall sit under his shadow shall return; they shall be given life as the wheat, and they shall flourish as the vine; the scent 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 shall then say, What have I to do any more with idols? I will hear him and gaze upon him; I will be unto him like a green fir tree; of me shall thy fruit be 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 that he might understand this? and prudent that he might know this? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the rebellious shall fall therein.