Return and Blossom
Hosea 14
Samaria's destruction is foretold, and Israel is urged to return to the Lord with words of confession, renouncing Assyria, horses, and the works of their own hands as gods. The Lord promises to heal their turning away, love them freely, and make them flourish like the lily, the olive, and the vine of Lebanon, closing with a call to walk wisely in the straight ways of the Lord.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonSamaria shall be utterly destroyed: because she rebelled against her God, they shall fall by the sword; and their infants shall be dashed to pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
BrentonSamaria shall be utterly destroyed: for she has resisted her God; they shall fall by the sword, and their sucklings shall be dashed against the ground, and their women with child ripped up.
GreekἈφανισθήσεται Σαμάρεια, ὅτι ἀντέστη πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῆς· ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ πεσοῦνται αὐτοὶ, καὶ τὰ ὑποτίτθια αὐτῶν ἐδαφισθήσονται, καὶ αἱ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσαι αὐτῶν διαῤῥαγήσονται.
KJVSamaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
JPSSamaria shall bear her guilt, For she hath rebelled against her God; They shall fall by the sword; Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child shall be ripped up.
2
Thomson(p) O ISRAEL, return to the Lord thy God. Seeing they have been weakened for thine iniquities,
BrentonReturn, O Israel, to the Lord thy God; for the people have fallen through thine iniquities.
GreekἘπιστράφηθι Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου, διότι ἠσθένησαν ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις σου.
KJVO Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
JPSReturn, O Israel, unto the LORD thy God; For thou hast stumbled in thine iniquity.
3
Thomsontake words with you and return to the Lord your God; and, that you may not receive the punishment of iniquity but may receive good things, say to Him: We will render to Thee the fruit of our lips.
BrentonTake with you words, and turn to the Lord your God: speak to him, that ye may not receive the reward of unrighteousness, but that ye may receive good things: and we will render in return the fruit of our lips.
GreekΛάβετε μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν λόγους, καὶ ἐπιστράφητε πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ὑμῶν· εἴπατε αὐτῷ, ὅπως μὴ λάβητε ἀδικίαν, καὶ λάβητε ἀγαθὰ, καὶ ἀνταποδώσομεν καρπὸν χειλέων ἡμῶν.
KJVTake with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
JPSTake with you words, And return unto the LORD; Say unto Him: ‘Forgive all iniquity, And accept that which is good; So will we render for bullocks the offering of our lips.
4
ThomsonAssur cannot save us. We will no more mount horses; we will no more say to the works of our hand, You are our gods. He who is in thee will compassionate the fatherless.
BrentonAssur shall never save us; we will not mount on horseback; we will no longer say to the works of our hands, Our gods. He who is in thee shall pity the orphan.
GreekἈσσοὺρ οὐ μὴ σώσῃ ἡμᾶς, ἐφʼ ἵππον οὐκ ἀναβησόμεθα· οὐκέτι μὴ εἴπωμεν, θεοὶ ἡμῶν, τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν· ὁ ἐν σοὶ ἐλεήσει ὀρφανόν.
KJVAsshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
JPS—
5
Thomson(J) I will heal their habitations. I will undoubtedly love them. Because he hath turned away My wrath from him,
BrentonI will restore their dwellings, I will love them truly: for he has turned away my wrath from him.
GreekἸάσομαι τὰς κατοικίας αὐτῶν, ἀγαπήσω αὐτοὺς ὁμολόγως, ὅτι ἀπέστρεψε τὴν ὀργήν μου ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.
KJVI will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
JPSI will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; For Mine anger is turned away from him.
6
ThomsonI will be to Israel like dew. He shall bloom like a lily, and shoot out his roots like Lebanon.
BrentonI will be as dew to Israel: he shall bloom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Libanus.
GreekἜσομαι ὡς δρόσος τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀνθήσει ὡς κρίνον, καὶ βαλεῖ τὰς ῥίζας αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ Λίβανος·
KJVI will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
JPSI will be as the dew unto Israel; He shall blossom as the lily, And cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
7
ThomsonHis branches shall spread; and he shall be like a fruitful olive tree, and like that of Lebanon shall be his fragrance.
BrentonHis branches shall spread, and he shall be as a fruitful olive, and his smell shall be as the smell of Libanus.
GreekΠορεύσονται οἱ κλάδοι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται ὡς ἐλαία κατάκαρπος, καὶ ἡ ὀσφρασία αὐτοῦ ὡς Λιβάνου.
KJVHis branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
JPSHis branches shall spread, And his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, And his fragrance as Lebanon.
8
ThomsonThey shall return and dwell under his shade; they shall live and be plentifully fed with corn. And he shall flourish like a vine and the memorial of him shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
BrentonThey shall return, and dwell under his shadow: they shall live and be satisfied with corn, and he shall flower as a vine: his memorial shall be to Ephraim as the wine of Libanus.
Greekἐπιστρέψουσι καὶ καθιοῦνται ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην αὐτοῦ, ζήσονται καὶ μεθυσθήσονται σίτῳ· καὶ ἐξανθήσει ὡς ἄμπελος· μνημόσυνον αὐτοῦ, ὡς οἶνος Λιβάνου
KJVThey that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
JPSThey that dwell under his shadow shall again Make corn to grow, And shall blossom as the vine; The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
9
ThomsonAs for Ephraim, what hath he any more to do with idols? I humbled him and I will strengthen him. I am like a fruitful juniper; from Me thou shalt find fruit.
BrentonWhat has he to do any more with idols? I have afflicted him, and I will strengthen him: I am as a leafy juniper tree. From me is thy fruit found.
Greekτῷ Ἐφραίμ· τί αὐτῷ ἔτι καὶ εἰδώλοις; ἐγὼ ἐταπείνωσα αὐτὸν, καὶ κατισχύσω αὐτόν· ἐγὼ ὡς ἄρκευθος πυκάζουσα, ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὁ καρπός σου εὕρηται.
KJVEphraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
JPSEphraim [shall say]: ‘What have I to do any more with idols?’ As for Me, I respond and look on him; I am like a leafy cypress-tree; From Me is thy fruit found.
10
Thomson(p) Who is wise that he may understand these things; prudent, that he may know them? Because the ways of the Lord are straight; therefore the righteous will walk in them. But in them the wicked shall be without strength.
BrentonWho is wise, and will understand these things? or prudent, and will know them? for the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them: but the ungodly shall fall therein.
GreekΤίς σοφὸς καὶ συνήσει ταῦτα; ἢ συνετὸς καὶ ἐπιγνώσεται αὐτά; ὅτι εὐθεῖαι αἱ ὁδοὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ δίκαιοι πορεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς, οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν αὐταῖς.
KJVWho is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
JPSWhoso is wise, let him understand these things, Whoso is prudent, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the just do walk in them; But transgressors do stumble therein.