Hosea

 1 O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast ^afallen 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 ^arender the ^bcalves of our lips.

 3 ^aAsshur shall not ^bsave us; we will not ride upon ^chorses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the ^dfatherless findeth mercy.

 4 ¶I will heal their backsliding, I will ^alove them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

 5 I will be as the ^adew 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 ^aolive 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 ^awise, and he shall understand these things? ^bprudent, and he shall know them? for the ^cways of the Lord are right, and the just shall ^dwalk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.