Hosea 14
What Happens in This Chapter
Hosea ends by calling Israel to come back to the LORD, and gives them the words to say when they do. God answers with a promise to heal their turning away and to love them freely. The promise is pictured as dew, a blooming lily, and the tall trees of Lebanon. The last verse says the wise will understand this: the LORD's ways are right, and the just walk in them while those who break them fall.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
1Israel, come back to the LORD your God. You fell down because of the wrong you did.
2Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
2Bring words with you and turn back to the LORD. Say to him, "Take away all our sin. Be kind, and welcome us back. Then our lips will bring you our thanks as a gift."
The KJV says "the calves of our lips." A calf was a young animal people brought to God as a gift. Here the gift is words instead.
3Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
3Say, "Assyria cannot save us. We will not trust in war horses. We will never again call the things we made with our hands our gods. In you, a child with no father is treated with kindness."
The KJV calls Assyria "Asshur." It was a large and powerful country near Israel.
4I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
4God says, "I will heal them for turning away from me. I will love them freely. I am not angry with them anymore.
5I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
5I will be like the morning dew to Israel. He will bloom like a lily. He will grow deep roots like the tall trees of Lebanon.
6His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
6His young branches will spread out wide. He will look fine like an olive tree. He will smell sweet like the trees of Lebanon.
7They 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.
7People will come back and rest in his shade. They will come alive again like growing grain. They will bloom like a grapevine. He will be known everywhere, like the wine of Lebanon.
"Corn" in the KJV means grain, like wheat or barley. It does not mean corn on the cob.
8Ephraim 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.
8Ephraim will say, "I want nothing more to do with idols." God says, "I hear him, and I watch over him. I am like a fir tree that stays green all year. Your fruit comes from me."
Ephraim was one of Israel's tribes, its family groups. Hosea uses the name for the whole nation of Israel.
9Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
9Who is wise? That person will understand these things. Who has good sense? That person will know them. The ways of the LORD are right. Good people walk in them. But people who turn against them trip and fall.
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