New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
1
O Israel, come back to the Lord your God; for your evil-doing has been the cause of your fall.
2 Take words with you and return to the Lord; say to him, "Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips.
2
Take with you words, and come back to the Lord; say to him, Let there be forgiveness for all wrongdoing, so that we may take what is good, and give in payment the fruit of our lips.
3 Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, "Our God,' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy."
3
Assyria will not be our salvation; we will not go on horses; we will not again say to the work of our hands, You are our gods; for in you there is mercy for the child who has no father.
4 I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
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I will put right their errors; freely will my love be given to them, for my wrath is turned away from him.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.
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I will be as the dew to Israel; he will put out flowers like a lily, and send out his roots like Lebanon.
6 His shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like that of Lebanon.
6
His branches will be stretched out, he will be beautiful as the olive-tree and sweet-smelling as Lebanon.
7 They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
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They will come back and have rest in his shade; their life will be made new like the grain, and they will put out flowers like the vine; his name will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; your faithfulness comes from me.
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As for Ephraim, what has he to do with false gods any longer? I have given an answer and I will keep watch over him; I am like a branching fir-tree, from me comes your fruit.
9 Those who are wise understand these things; those who are discerning know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
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He who is wise will see these things; he who has good sense will have knowledge of them. For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the upright will go in them, but sinners will be falling in them.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.