Hosea 14:3 - Easy To Read Version “Assyria will not save us.\par We will not ride on \{war\} horses.\par We will never again say, ‘Our God’\par to something we made with our hands.\par Why? Because you are the One who\par shows mercy to orphans. {\cf2\super [148]} ”\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Asshur 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. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands [idols], You are our gods. For in You [O Lord] the fatherless find love, pity, and mercy. American Standard Version (1901) Assyria 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. Common English Bible Assyria won’t save us; we won’t ride upon horses; we will no longer say, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds compassion.” Catholic Public Domain Version Take these words with you and return to the Lord. And say to him, "Remove all iniquity and accept the good. And we will repay the calves of our lips. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him: Take away all iniquity, and receive the good: and we will render the calves of our lips. |
At that time Hanani the seer {\cf2\super [198]} came to Asa, king of Judah. Hanani said to him, “Asa, you depended on the king of Aram to help you and not the Lord your God. You should have depended on the Lord. But, because you did not depend on the Lord for help, the king of Aram’s army escaped from you.
\{Lord,\} surely you see the cruel and evil things\par that bad people do.\par Look at those things,\par and do something!\par People with many troubles\par come to you for help.\par Lord, you are the One who helps orphans. {\cf2\super [56]} \par \{So help them!\}\par
Don’t depend on your leaders for help.\par Don’t trust people.\par Why? Because people can’t save you.\par
The Lord protects strangers {\cf2\super [647]} in our country.\par The Lord cares for widows {\cf2\super [648]} and orphans. {\cf2\super [649]} \par But the Lord destroys bad people.\par
Horses don’t really bring victory in war.\par Their strength can’t really\par help you escape.\par
In his holy temple,\par God is like a father to orphans. {\cf2\super [390]} \par God takes care of widows. {\cf2\super [391]} \par
At that time, people will throw away their gold and silver idols. (The people made those statues so the people could worship them.) The people will throw those statues into holes in the ground where bats and moles {\cf2\super [26]} live.
How will Jacob’s guilt be forgiven? What will happen so his sins can be taken away? \{These things will happen\}: The rocks of the altar will be crushed to dust; the statues {\cf2\super [251]} and altars {\cf2\super [252]} for worshiping false gods will all be destroyed.
You say, “No, we need horses to run away on!” That is true—you will run away on horses. But the enemy will chase you. And the enemy will be faster than your horses.
These children are going down to Egypt for help, but they did not ask me if that was the right thing to do. They hope they will be saved by the Pharaoh. {\cf2\super [272]} They want Egypt to protect them.
Look at the people going down to Egypt for help. The people ask for horses. They think horses will save them. The people hope the chariots {\cf2\super [289]} and horse soldiers from Egypt will protect them. The people think they are safe because that army is very big. The people don’t trust the Holy One of Israel (God). The people don’t ask the Lord for help.
The people of Egypt are only human—not God. The horses from Egypt are only animals—not spirit. The Lord will stretch out his arm and the helper (Egypt) will be defeated. And the people that wanted help (Judah) will fall. All those people will be destroyed together.
If you still want to fight, my master, the king of Assyria will make this agreement with you. I promise that I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find enough men to ride those horses into battle.
No person will be left\par to care for his children.\par His wives will have no one to depend on.”\par
Then I will sprinkle pure water on you and make you pure. I will wash away all your filth. I will wash away the filth from those nasty idols and make you pure.”
And they won’t continue to make themselves filthy with their idols {\cf2\super [296]} and horrible statues or with any of their other crimes. But I will save them from all the places where they have sinned. And I will wash them and make them pure. And they will be my people, and I will be their God.
Ephraim {\cf2\super [127]} is wasting its time—Israel “chases the wind” all day long. The people tell more and more lies. They steal more and more. They have made agreements with Assyria, and they are carrying their olive oil to Egypt.
Now the Israelites sin more and more. They make idols {\cf2\super [143]} for themselves. Workers make those fancy statues from silver. And then those people talk to their statues! They offer sacrifices to those statues. They kiss those \{golden\} calves.
“Ephraim, {\cf2\super [150]} I will have nothing more\par to do with idols. {\cf2\super [151]} \par I am the One who answers your prayers.\par I am the One who watches over you. {\cf2\super [152]} \par I am like a fir tree that is always green.\par Your fruit comes from me.”\par
I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth. Then people will not use the Baals’ names again.
My people are asking pieces of wood for advice. They think those sticks will answer them. Why? Because they have chased after those false gods like prostitutes. {\cf2\super [38]} They left their God and became like prostitutes.
Ephraim saw his sickness,\par and Judah saw his wound.\par So they went to Assyria for help.\par They told their problems to the great king.\par But that king can’t heal you.\par He can’t cure your wound.\par
So Ephraim has become like a silly dove without understanding.\par The people called to Egypt for help.\par The people went to Assyria for help.\par
Ephraim {\cf2\super [79]} went to his ‘lovers.’\par Like a wild donkey,\par he wandered off to Assyria.\par
Then the Lord spoke to the fish. And the fish vomited Jonah out of its stomach onto the dry land.
The Lord All-Powerful says, “At that time, I will remove all the idols from the earth. People will not even remember their names. And I will remove the \{false\} prophets and unclean {\cf2\super [31]} spirits from the earth.
“I will not leave you all alone like children without parents. I will come back to you.
The king must not get more and more horses for himself. And he must not send people to Egypt to get more horses. Why? Because the Lord has told you, ‘You must never go back that way.’