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何西阿书 6

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1 来罢,我们归向耶和华!他撕裂我们,也必医治;他打伤我们,也必缠裹。

2 过两他必使我们苏醒,第三他必使我们兴起,我们就在他面前得以存活。

3 我们务要认识耶和华,竭力追求认识他。他出现确如晨光,他必临到我们像甘,像滋润田的春

4 主说:以法莲哪,我可向你怎样行呢?犹大啊,我可向你怎样做呢?因为你们的良善如同早晨雾,又如速散的甘

5 因此,我藉先知砍伐他们,以我中的杀戮他们;我施行的审判如发出。

6 我喜爱良善(或译:怜恤),不喜爱祭祀;喜爱认识,胜於燔祭。

7 他们却如亚当背约,在境内向我行事诡诈。

8 基列是作孽之人的城,被血沾染。

9 强盗成群,怎样埋伏杀祭司结党,也照样在示剑的上杀戮,行了邪恶。

10 以色列家,我见了可憎的事;在以法莲那里有淫行,以色列被玷污。

11 犹大啊,我使被掳之民归回的时候,必有为你所命定的收场。

   

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何西阿书 14

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1 以色列啊,你要归向耶和华─你的;你是因自己的罪孽跌倒了。

2 当归向耶和华,用言语祷告他:求你除净罪孽,悦纳善行;这样,我们就把嘴唇的祭代替犊献上。

3 我们不向亚述求,不埃及的,也不再对我们所造的:你是我们。因为孤儿在你─耶和华那里得蒙怜悯。

4 我必医治他们背道的病,甘心他们;因为我的怒气向他们消。

5 我必向以色列如甘;他必如百合花开放,如利巴嫩的树木扎

6 他的枝条必延长;他的荣华如橄榄树;他的香气如利巴嫩的柏树。

7 在他荫下的必归回,发旺如五谷,开花如葡萄树。他的香气如利巴嫩的酒。

8 以法莲:我与偶像还有甚麽关涉呢?我─耶和华回答他,也必顾念他。我如青翠的松树;你的果子从我而得。

9 谁是智慧人,可以明白这些事;谁是通达人,可以知道这一切。因为,耶和华的道是正直的;人必在其中行走,罪人却在其上跌倒。

   

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Ephraim

  
Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph, by Januarius Zick

Ephraim was the second son born to Joseph in Egypt and was, along with his older brother Manasseh, elevated by Jacob to the same status as Joseph’s brothers. Thus when the tribes of Israel are named, Ephraim and Manasseh are named as patriarchs along with their uncles – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin -- but Joseph is not. According to Swedenborg, Ephraim represents the intellectual aspect of the church, the part that explores and understands what is true – especially the true ideas that can be drawn from the Bible. Manasseh, meanwhile, represents the affectional aspect of the church, the part that feels and loves and cares. This plays into the best-known story of Ephraim’s life. When Jacob was old and nearing death, Joseph brought his two sons to be blessed. He presented Manasseh to Jacob’s right hand as the elder, and Ephraim to Jacob’s left hand. But Jacob crossed his hands and gave Ephraim the primary blessing. According to Swedenborg, Manasseh was the elder son because ultimately, what we love makes us who we are; our loves form our lives. So our loves are the most central, leading aspect of our human existence, with our intellect playing a secondary role. But as we develop, we need to reverse those. We can use our intellect to understand what is good and right and force ourselves to do it, even when our desires are for what’s selfish. If we stick to that out of a determination to follow the Lord and be good people, the Lord will eventually remove the selfishness from our hearts so we can truly love what is good. By having Jacob bless Ephraim above Manasseh, the Lord is telling us that we have to put our intellect first to pursue our spiritual journey.