Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord; say to him, ‘Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, “Our God”, to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.’ (Hosea 14: 1-3)

In my opinion every Christian translation I have found mangles the second verse.

The 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation is: "Take 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."

The last phrase is shalam par saphah. Shalam: to make whole, complete, bring an end of; Par: young bull, steer, calf; Saphah: lips, border, edge, shore.

The kissing of calves that so infuriated Hosea will be brought to an end and made whole. Even the most profound failure can be made whole by a loving God. Even the greatest pain can be redeemed.

There is cruelty. There is suffering. There is persecution. All of this is real. There is also healing, transcendence, forgiveness, and love. Love is the the more difficult, yet ultimately more powerful reality.