[1] \13:16\Samaria will be made waste, for she has gone against her God:
they will be cut down by the sword, their little children will be broken on
the rocks, their women who are with child will be cut open. [2] \14:1\O
Israel, come back to the Lord your God; for your evil-doing has been the
cause of your fall. [3] \14:2\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. [4]
\14:3\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. [5] \14:4\I will put right their
errors; freely will my love be given to them, for my wrath is turned away
from him. [6] \14:5\I will be as the dew to Israel; he will put out flowers
like a lily, and send out his roots like Lebanon. [7] \14:6\His branches
will be stretched out, he will be beautiful as the olive-tree and
sweet-smelling as Lebanon. [8] \14:7\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. [9]
\14:8\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. [10] \14:9\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.
