1 Israel, return to the Lord your God.You have stumbled because of your sins.
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.
3 Assyria cannot save us.We won’t ride on horses anymore.We will never again saythat the things our hands have made are our gods.You love orphans.”
4 ⌊The Lord says,⌋ “I will cure them of their unfaithfulness.I will love them freely.I will no longer be angry with them.
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.
6 They will be like growing branches.They will be beautiful like olive trees.They will be fragrant like cedars from Lebanon.
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.
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.”
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.