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This is the last chapter of Hosea. Tomorrow, we’ll start on Joel.
āHosea 14:1-9 MSGā¬
[1-3] O Israel, come back! Return to your God! Youāre down but youāre not out. Prepare your confession and come back to God. Pray to him, āTake away our sin, accept our confession. Receive as restitution our repentant prayers. Assyria wonāt save us; horses wonāt get us where we want to go. Weāll never again say āour godā to something weāve made or made up. Youāre our last hope. Is it not true that in you the orphan finds mercy?ā * * * [4-8] āI will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out. I will make a fresh start with Israel. Heāll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring. Heāll put down deep oak tree roots, heāll become a forest of oaks! Heāll become splendidālike a giant sequoia, his fragrance like a grove of cedars! Those who live near him will be blessed by him, be blessed and prosper like golden grain. Everyone will be talking about them, spreading their fame as the vintage children of God. Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods. From now on Iām the one who answers and satisfies him. I am like a luxuriant fruit tree. Everything you need is to be found in me.ā * * * [9] If you want to live well, make sure you understand all of this. If you know whatās good for you, youāll learn this inside and out. Godās paths get you where you want to go. Right-living people walk them easily; wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.

