Hosea 14

1 o israel, return unto the lord thy god; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity 2 take with you words, and turn to the lord say unto him, take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips 3 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 findeth mercy 4 i will heal their backsliding, i will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him 5 i will be as the dew unto israel he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as lebanon 6 his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as lebanon 7 they that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine the scent thereof shall be as the wine of lebanon 8 ephraim shall say , what have i to do any more with idols? i have heard him , and observed him i am like a green fir tree from me is thy fruit found 9 who is wise, and he shall understand these things ? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the lord are right, and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein