Hosea

Hosea’s marriage to Gomer becomes a living parable of Israel’s spiritual adultery. Judgment is real, yet God will allure his people and heal their apostasy.

Author: Hosea
Date: c. 755–715 BC
Theme: Unfaithful Israel and the steadfast love of God.
Key verses: Hosea 6:6; Hosea 14:4
Young's Literal Translation

Hosea 14

1Turn back, O Israel, unto Jehovah thy God, For thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity. 2Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah, Say ye unto Him: `Take away all iniquity, and give good, And we do render the fruit of our lips. 3Asshur doth not save us, on a horse we ride not, Nor do we say any more, Our God, to the work of our hands, For in Thee find mercy doth the fatherless.' 4I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him. 5I am as dew to Israel, he flourisheth as a lily, And he striketh forth his roots as Lebanon. 6Go on do his sucklings, And his beauty is as an olive, And he hath fragrance as Lebanon. 7Return do the dwellers under his shadow, They revive as corn, and flourish as a vine, His memorial is as wine of Lebanon. 8O Ephraim, what to Me any more with idols? I--I afflicted, and I cause him to sing: `I am as a green fir-tree,' From Me is thy fruit found. 9Who is wise, and doth understand these? Prudent, and knoweth them? For upright are the ways of Jehovah, And the righteous go on in them, And the transgressors stumble therein!

Young's Literal Translation (1898). Public domain or openly redistributable. Confirm the exact edition before public display if text is later imported.