| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1O Israel, return to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; | 1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. |
| 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 with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of 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 shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” |
| 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 love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. |
| 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 shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; |
| 6His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. | 6his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like 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. | 7They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall 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.” | 8O Ephraim, 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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