5 I will be like the dew to Israel. Israel will blossom like the lily. He will grow like the cedar trees of Lebanon.
6 His branches will grow, and he will be like a beautiful olive tree. He will be like the sweet smell from the cedar trees of Lebanon.
7 The people of Israel will again live under my protection. They will grow like grain. They will bloom like a vine. They will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 “Ephraim, I will have nothing more to do with idols. I am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a fir tree that is always green. Your fruit comes from me.”
9 A wise person understands these things, and a smart person should learn them. The Lord’S ways are right. Good people will live by them. Sinners will die by them.