Hosea 14 - Healed and Blossoming Again
Hosea's book ends with a plea to return and a promise of healing love.
After the warnings of judgment and death in Hosea 13, the book closes with a direct plea: 'O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.'
Return thou, O Israel, unto Yahweh thy God,—for thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.
Take with you words, and return to Yahweh: say unto him—Wholly, shalt thou take away iniquity, Accept, then, with favour, and we will make good the boldness of our lips!
Assyria, shall not save us, Upon horses, will we not ride, neither will we say any more—Our god! to the work of our own hands! For, in thee, shall the fatherless, find compassion.
I will heal their apostacy, I will love them freely,—for mine anger, hath turned, from them.
I will become as the dew unto Israel, he shall break forth as the lily,—and he shall strike his roots as Lebanon:
His branches, shall spread, that, like an olive-tree, may be his fresh beauty,—and his fragrance, like Lebanon.
They who dwell in his shade shall again show life like the corn, and break forth as the vine,—and, the remembrance of him, shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim [saith] —What to me any more are idols? I, have answered, and have closely observed him, I, am like a fir-tree that is green, From me, is thy fruit found.
Who is wise, that he may understand these things? intelligent, that he may take knowledge of them? For, straightforward, are the ways of Yahweh, and, the righteous, shall travel therein, but, transgressors, shall stumble therein.