Gardened By God
Hosea 14
Works of art by Hans Wertinger, Olafur Eliasson, and John Ruskin
Commentaries by Elena Greer
Works of art by Hans Wertinger, Olafur Eliasson, and John Ruskin
Commentaries by Elena Greer
14Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept that which is good
and we will render
the fruit of our lips.
3Assyria shall not save us,
we will not ride upon horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In thee the orphan finds mercy.”
4I will heal their faithlessness;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5I will be as the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom as the lily,
he shall strike root as the poplar;
6his shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive,
and his fragrance like Lebanon.
7They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow,
they shall flourish as a garden;
they shall blossom as the vine,
their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8O Eʹphraim, what have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like an evergreen cypress,
from me comes your fruit.
9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.