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Hosea Chapter 14 (JPS)

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Hosea Chapter 14 (JPS)

1 Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she hath rebelled against her G-d; they shall fall by the sword; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

2 Return, O Israel, unto HaShem thy G-d; for thou hast stumbled in thine iniquity.

3 Take with you words, and return unto HaShem; say unto Him: 'Forgive all iniquity, and accept that which is good; so will we render for bullocks the offering of our lips.

4 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; neither will we call any more the work of our hands our gods; for in Thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'

5 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for Mine anger is turned away from him.

6 I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

7 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon.

8 They that dwell under his shadow shall again make corn to grow, and shall blossom as the vine; the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

9 Ephraim shall say: 'What have I to do any more with idols?' As for Me, I respond and look on him; I am like a leafy cypress-tree; from Me is thy fruit found.

10 Whoso is wise, let him understand these things, whoso is prudent, let him know them. For the ways of HaShem are right, and the just do walk in them; but transgressors do stumble therein.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hosea 14 urge Israel to do?
The book's final chapter calls Israel to "return unto the LORD thy God," bringing words of repentance and rejecting reliance on Assyria, horses, and "the work of their hands" (v.1-3).
What does God promise in response in verse 4?
"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him" - a promise of healing that answers the opening appeal in Hosea 6:1, "he hath torn, and he will heal us."
What images does Hosea use to describe Israel's future flourishing?
Verses 5-7 picture Israel growing "as the lily," rooting "as Lebanon," spreading branches like the olive tree, and reviving "as the corn" - a poetic close to the book's message of restoration.

Today's Verse

but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

Daniel 2:28 | ASV

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