Aa
A Plea to Repent
1Israel, return to the Lord your God,14:1 Hs 6:1; 10:12; 12:6
for you have stumbled in your iniquity.14:1 Hs 4:8; 5:5; 9:7
2Take words of repentance with you14:2 Mc 7:18–19
and return to the Lord.
Say to him, “Forgive all our iniquity
and accept what is good,
so that we may repay you
with praise14:2 LXX reads with the fruit from our14:2 Lit repay the bulls of our lips.14:2 Heb 13:15
3Assyria will not save us,14:3 Hs 5:13
we will not ride on horses,14:3 Is 31:1
and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods! ’ 14:3 Hs 4:12
to the work of our hands.14:3 Hs 8:6; 13:2
For the fatherless receives compassion in you.”14:3 Ps 68:5
A Promise of Restoration
4I will heal their apostasy;14:4 Is 57:18; Hs 6:1
I will freely love them,14:4 Zph 3:17
for my anger will have turned from him.14:4 Is 12:1
5I will be like the dew to Israel;14:5 Is 26:19
he will blossom like the lily14:5 Sg 2:1; Mt 6:28
and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.14:5 Is 35:2
6His new branches will spread,
and his splendor will be like the olive tree,14:6 Jr 11:16
his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon.14:6 Sg 4:11
7The people will return and live beneath his shade.14:7 Ezk 17:23
They will grow grain14:7 Hs 2:21–22
and blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

8Ephraim, why should I14:8 LXX reads he have anything more
to do with idols?14:8 Jb 34:32
It is I who answer and watch over him.
I am like a flourishing pine tree;14:8 Is 41:19
your fruit comes from me.14:8 Ezk 17:13

9Let whoever is wise14:9 Ps 107:43; Jr 9:12 understand these things,
and whoever is insightful recognize them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,14:9 Ps 111:7–8; Zph 3:5
and the righteous walk in them,14:9 Is 26:7
but the rebellious stumble in them.14:9 Is 1:28