| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1O Israel, return to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; | 1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for your sin has been your downfall! |
| 2Take words with you, And return to the LORD. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. | 2Return to the LORD and repent! Say to him: "Completely forgive our iniquity; accept our penitential prayer, that we may offer the praise of our lips as sacrificial bulls. |
| 3Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.” | 3Assyria cannot save us; we will not ride warhorses. We will never again say, 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made. For only you will show compassion to Orphan Israel!" |
| 4“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. | 4"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger will turn away from them. |
| 5I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. | 5I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily, he will send down his roots like a cedar of Lebanon. |
| 6His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. | 6His young shoots will grow; his splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. |
| 7Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon. | 7People will reside again in his shade; they will plant and harvest grain in abundance. They will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon. |
| 8“Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.” | 8O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do with idols anymore! I will answer him and care for him. I am like a luxuriant cypress tree; your fruitfulness comes from me! |
| 9Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them. | 9Who is wise? Let him discern these things! Who is discerning? Let him understand them! For the ways of the LORD are right; the godly walk in them, but in them the rebellious stumble. |
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