1 R eturn to the Lord your God, O Israel, for you have fallen because of your sin.

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

2 T ake words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all sin, and receive us in kindness, that we may praise You with our lips.

Take 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.

3 A ssyria will not save us. We will not ride on horses. And we will never say again, ‘Our god,’ to what we have made with our hands. For those who have no father find loving-kindness in You.” New Life for Israel

Assyria 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.

4 “ I will bring My people back to Me. I will not hold back My love from them, for I am no longer angry with them.

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

5 I will be to Israel like the water on the grass in the early morning. He will grow like the lily, and have roots like the cedars of Lebanon.

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.

6 H is young branches will spread out and his beauty will be like the olive tree. His smell will be like the cedars of Lebanon.

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

7 T hose who live in his shadow will grow like grain and like flowers of the vine. He will be known like the wine of Lebanon.

They 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.

8 “ O Ephraim, what have I to do with false gods? It is I Who answer and take care of you. I am like a green cypress tree. Your fruit comes from Me.”

Ephraim 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.

9 W hoever is wise, let him understand these things and know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and those who are right and good will follow them, but sinners will not follow them.

Who 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.