1 Samaria is guilty for she rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their little ones will be crushed and women with child ripped open.
2 Return to your God Yahweh, O Israel!
Your sins have caused your downfall.
3 Return to Yahweh with humble words. Say to him,
“Oh you who show compassion to the fatherless
forgive our debt, be appeased.
Instead of bulls and sacrifices,
accept the praise from our lips.
4 Assyria will not save us:
no longer shall we look for horses
nor ever again shall we say ‘Our gods’
to the work of our hands.”
5 I will heal their wavering
and love them with all my heart
for my anger has turned from them.
6 I shall be like dew to Israel
like the lily will he blossom.
Like a cedar he will send down his roots;
7 his young shoots will grow and spread.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance, like a Lebanon cedar.
8 They will dwell in my shade again,
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like a vine,
and their fame will be like Lebanon wine.
9 What would Ephraim do with idols,
when it is I who hear and make him prosper?
I am like an ever-green cypress tree;
all your fruitfulness comes from me.
10 Who is wise enough to grasp all this?
Who is discerning and will understand?
Straight are the ways of Yahweh:
the just walk in them, but the sinners stumble.
- Amos 1,13
- Exodus 22,21
- Song of Songs 4,11
- Psalms 107,43
- Jeremiah 9,11
- Eclesiastes (Qohelet) 8,11
The book of Hosea ends with these encouraging words. After the trials, Israel will seek Yahweh who will allow himself to be found. Humanity's reconciliation with God will be an authentic marriage and it will be accompanied by a reconciliation of humanity with nature. This was already said in 2:17-22 and will be developed in the Song of Songs which will use some images taken from Hosea.
