Passage
Ephraim shall say, What haue I to doe any more with idoles? I haue heard him, and looked vpon him: I am like a greene firre tree: vpon me is thy fruite founde. Who is wise, and he shall vnderstande these things? and prudent, and he shall knowe them? for the wayes of the Lord are righteous, and the iust shall walke in them: but the wicked shall fall therein.
Nearby Context
Hosea 14:7 His branches shall spread, and his beautie shalbe as the oliue tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
Hosea 14:8 They that dwel vnder his shadow, shall returne: they shall reuiue as the corne, and florish as the vine: the sent thereof shalbe as the wine of Lebanon.
Hosea 14:9 Ephraim shall say, What haue I to doe any more with idoles? I haue heard him, and looked vpon him: I am like a greene firre tree: vpon me is thy fruite founde. Who is wise, and he shall vnderstande these things? and prudent, and he shall knowe them? for the wayes of the Lord are righteous, and the iust shall walke in them: but the wicked shall fall therein.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "ephraim", "shall", "haue", "idoles", "heard", "looked", and "vpon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ephraim" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The prior verse says "They that dwel vnder his shadow shall...", giving immediate footing for "ephraim" and "shall". In Hosea context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "ephraim" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.