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Therefore, listen to these threats, and you, priests, and all the people, and all who are in the royal palaces, incline your ears to what is said. Hos.5:1–2. Because there is judgment for you, because the guard has been quicker, and like the forest is spread out on Itaviria, the fishermen of the south have been poked, that is, I will bring you all to My judgment; because all of you have arranged thousands of evils for My Prophets, like some kind of snares, preparing your intrigues for them, and like those who in Itaviria (this mountain is filled with various animals) set up fishing gear, you are forming malicious plans against the Prophets, whom I sent for your salvation. For he called the host of Prophets “watch.” So he said to Ezekiel: “I have given you a guard to the house of Israel” (Ezek. 3:17). For this, he says, I will impose punishment on Ephraim and Israel, i.e. for all the people; because he has gone astray and defiled himself, leaving My ministry. Hos.5:4. If you do not set your thoughts, you will return to your God, for the spirit of fornication is in them, and you will not lead the Lord away. Driven by absurd thoughts, they lost the true knowledge of God and gave themselves over to idolatry. For this “reproach” they will be punished, having clearly seen what a fruit of piety is. For this is expressed in the words: Hos.5:5. Before him, both Israel and Ephraim will faint in their iniquities: and Judah will faint with them. Because the ten tribes first fell into captivity and slavery; then he rightly mentioned them first, calling them Israel and Ephraim; Judas, as it should have been, was given the last place; because after ten tribes he was captured. Then he describes how, taking rams and bulls together, they will perform sacrifices, seeking the Lord, Hos.5:5. and they will not find Him, for you turn away from them. And indicating the reason for this, he added: Hos.5:7. As if you had abandoned the Lord, and contrary to the law, having taken foreign wives, they gave birth to children from them. For he expressed this by saying: like children are alien to their own birth. Now I will remove rust and their sacraments. And “rust” is the name given to the very disease that affects fruits from the unkindness of the air; This is also the figurative name for enemies who, like rust, do harm to everyone. And making this more clear, he immediately added: Hos.5:8. Blow the trumpet on the hills, shout on the high ones, preach in the house of He, Benjamin was terrified, Hos.5:9. Ephraim came to destruction in the days of punishment: she was faithful among the tribes of Israel. I foretold all this to them through the Prophets, and they did not believe Me, but they will believe, having learned from experience, when, punishing for iniquity, I prove the truth of the prophetic prophecy. And ridiculing the weakness of idols, he beautifully said: “preach in the house of On,” that is, call for help those you honor, let them stop the punishments I have imposed on you. Occupy the highest hills on which you perform all kinds of service to idols, may they give you their help in good time. By the way, I also mentioned Benjamin, because he also added mention of Judah. For it is said: Os.5:10. I was the prince of Judah, like one who breaks boundaries: I will pour out my wrath on you like water. For they also shamelessly violate the statutes laid down by Me, just as others without shame carry from place to place stones placed on the boundaries and separating one field from another. Therefore, like a flood, I will bring punishment on them. It is clear that, when mentioning Benjamin, he includes the tribe of Judah, and when accusing Judah again, he also includes Benjamin; because they lived in the same kingdom. And also, when he says: “Ephraim,” he names the ten tribes of Israel, and when he mentions Israel, he means the same thing. Hos.5:11. Ephraim overcame his opponent, trampling the court, as if he began to walk after the vain: i.e. the cause of his untruth was the service of idols; because if I had knowledge of Me, then I would have learned what is due from My law. Hos.5:12. Like the rebellion of Ephraim, and like the house of Judah, i.e. I will bring them into confusion with the invasion of enemies, as with some edge I will wound them, like a sting they will be struck by their enemies. Os.5:13. And Ephraim saw his weakness, and Judah saw his sickness, because through experience he learned the cause of disasters. because when the Syrians threatened him with war, he called upon Fulus for help; and this was the king of Assyria. And he sent ambassadors to King Jaarim: neither can I heal you, and your sickness will not cease. When will the Assyrians invade you? You will again send ambassadors to the king of Egypt, asking him for help. However, you will not receive help from there either, but you will be given over to continuous suffering. And what “Jarim” calls the king of Egypt is not difficult to find out from what is said below: “And Ephraim was like a mad dove, without a heart: he prayed for Egypt, and went to Assyrians” (Hos. 7:11). Mine had to ask for help, and she was strong and very close to him: but Ephraim does not stop going back and forth, asking for help from the powerless, and no one will benefit from them. Hos.5:14. Zane I am like a panther to Ephraim, and like a lion to the house of Judah: and I will snatch, and I will go, and I will take, and I will not take away. For who can resist what I do? Who will snatch away those whom I punish? Os.5:15. I will go and return to My place; the Dondezh will perish. The allegory continues the same. Because he said: “I will be to them like a panther and like a lion,” then in accordance with this he added: “I will return to My place, until they perish.” For it is also the custom of these animals, as soon as they catch something, to return to their usual places, and there to rest from the labor incurred in catching. Therefore, I, says God, am like a panther and a lion, Having invaded you with hordes of enemies, I will finally leave you and will not deign you with even a small fortune.