14:1 | Israel, return to the LORD your God. You have stumbled because of your sins. |
14:2 | Return to the LORD, and say these things to him: "Forgive all our sins, and kindly receive us. Then we'll praise you with our lips. |
14:3 | Assyria cannot save us. We won't ride on horses anymore. We will never again say that the things our hands have made are our gods. You love orphans." |
14:4 | The LORD says, "I will cure them of their unfaithfulness. I will love them freely. I will no longer be angry with them. |
14:5 | I will be like dew to the people of Israel. They will blossom like flowers. They will be firmly rooted like cedars from Lebanon. |
14:6 | They will be like growing branches. They will be beautiful like olive trees. They will be fragrant like cedars from Lebanon. |
14:7 | They will live again in God's shadow. They will grow like grain. They will blossom like grapevines. They will be as famous as the wines from Lebanon. |
14:8 | "The people of Ephraim will have nothing more to do with idols. I will answer them and take care of them. I am like a growing pine tree. Their fruit comes from me." |
14:9 | Wise people will understand these things. A person with insight will recognize them. The LORD'S ways are right. Righteous people live by them. Rebellious people stumble over them. |