Israel’s Future Blessing

  1 IaReturn°, O Israel°, to the LORD° your God°,
  For you have stumbled° IIbecause of your biniquity°.
  2 Take° words° with you and return° to the LORD°.
  Say° to Him, “aTake° away all° iniquity°
  And Ireceive° [us] graciously°,
  That we may bpresent° IIthe fruit° of our lips°.
  3 “Assyria° will not save° us,
  We will anot ride° on horses°;
  Nor° will we say° again°, ‘bOur god°,’
  To the cwork° of our hands°;
  For in dYou the Iorphan° finds° mercy°.”

  4 ¶ I will aheal° their apostasy°,
  I will blove° them freely°,
  For My anger° has cturned° away° from them.
  5 I will be like the adew° to Israel°;
  He will blossom° like the blily°,
  And he will Itake° root° like [the cedars of] cLebanon°.
  6 His shoots° will Isprout°,
  And his IIbeauty° will be like the aolive° tree°
  And his fragrance° like [the cedars of] bLebanon°.
  7 Those who alive° in his shadow°
  Will Iagain° raise° bgrain°,
  And they will blossom° like the vine°.
  His renown° [will be] like the wine° of Lebanon°.

  8 ¶ O Ephraim°, what° more° have I to do with aidols°?
  It is I who answer° and look° after Iyou.
  I am like a luxuriant° bcypress°;
  From cMe comes° your fruit°.

  9 ¶ aWhoever° is wise°, let him understand° these° things°;
  [Whoever] is discerning°, let him know° them.
  For the bways° of the LORD° are right°,
  And the crighteous° will walk° in them,
  But dtransgressors° will stumble° in them.