| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1O Israel, return to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; | 1Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your sin. |
| 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. | 2Take words of repentance with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him: "Forgive all our sin and accept what is good, so that we may repay You with praise from our lips. |
| 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 will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim, 'Our gods!' to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in You." |
| 4“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. | 4I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger will have turned from him. |
| 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 the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon. |
| 6His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. | 6His new branches will spread, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance, like the forest 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. | 7The people will return and live beneath his shade. They will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of 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.” | 8Ephraim, why should I have anything more to do with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing pine tree; your fruit 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. | 9Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. |
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