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約書亞記 7

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1 以色列人在當滅的物上犯了罪;因為猶大支派中,謝拉的曾孫,撒底的孫子,迦米的兒子亞干取了當滅的物;耶和華的怒氣就向以色列人發作。

2 當下,約書亞從耶利哥打發人往伯特利東邊、靠近伯亞文的艾城去,吩咐他們:你們上去窺探那。他們就上去窺探艾城。

3 他們回到約書亞那裡,對他:眾民不必都上去,只要二上去就能攻取艾城;不必勞累眾民都去,因為那裡的少。

4 於是民中約有上那裡去,竟在艾城面前逃跑了。

5 艾城的擊殺了他們三十,從城前追趕他們,直到示巴琳,在下坡殺敗他們;眾民的心就消化如

6 約書亞便撕裂衣服;他和以色列的長老把灰撒在上,在耶和華的約櫃前俯伏在,直到晚上

7 約書亞:哀哉!耶和華阿,你為甚麼竟領這百姓過約但河,將我們交在亞摩利人的中,使我們滅亡呢?我們不如在約但河那邊倒好。

8 主阿,以色列人既在仇敵面前背逃跑,我還有甚麼可的呢?

9 迦南人和這一切的居民見了就必圍困我們,將我們的名從上除滅。那時你為你的名要怎樣行呢?

10 耶和華吩咐約書亞起來!你為何這樣俯伏在地呢?

11 以色列人犯了罪,違背了我所吩咐他們的約,取了當滅的物;又竊,又行詭詐,又把那當滅的放在他們的家具裡。

12 因此,以色列人在仇敵面前站立不住。他們在仇敵面前背逃跑,是因成了被咒詛的;你們若不把當滅的物從你們中間除掉,我就不再與你們同在了。

13 起來,叫百姓自潔,對他們:你們要自潔,預備明天,因為耶和華以色列的這樣以色列阿,你們中間有當滅的物,你們若不除掉,在仇敵面前必站立不住!

14 到了早晨,你們要按著支派近前來;耶和華所取的支派,要按著宗族近前來;耶和華所取的宗族,要按著家室近前來;耶和華所取的家室,要按著人丁,一個一個的近前來。

15 被取的人有當滅的物在他那裡,他和他所有的必被焚燒;因他違背了耶和華的約,又因他在以色列中行了愚妄的事。

16 於是,約書亞清起來,使以色列人按著支派近前來,取出來的是猶大支派;

17 使猶大支派(原文是宗族)近前來,就取了謝拉的宗族;使謝拉的宗族,按著家室人丁,一個一個的近前來,取出來的是撒底;

18 使撒底的家室,按著人丁,一個一個的近前來,就取出猶大支派的人謝拉的曾孫,撒底的孫子,迦米的兒子亞干。

19 約書亞對亞干:我兒,我勸你將榮耀歸耶和華以色列的,在他面前認罪,將你所做的事告訴我,不要向我隱瞞。

20 亞干回答約書亞:我實在得罪了耶和華以色列的。我所做的事如此如此:

21 我在所奪的財物中件美的示拿衣服,二舍客勒子,子重五十舍客勒,我就貪愛這些物件,便拿去了。現今藏在我帳棚內的裡,子在衣服底

22 約書亞就打發人跑到亞干的帳棚裡。那件衣服果然藏在他帳棚內,子在底

23 他們就從帳棚裡取出,拿到約書亞和以色列眾人那裡,放在耶和華面前。

24 約書亞和以色列眾人把謝拉的曾孫亞干和那子、那件衣服、那條子,並亞干的兒女、牛、、帳棚,以及他所有的,都帶到亞割去。

25 約書亞:你為甚麼連累我們呢?今日耶和華必叫你受連累。於是以色列眾人用石頭打死他,將石頭扔在其上,又用焚燒他所有的(他所有的原文作他們)。

26 眾人在亞干身上成一石頭,直存到今日。於是耶和華意,不發他的烈怒。因此那地方亞割(亞割就是連累的意思),直到今日。

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 2327

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2327. 'And bowed down with his face towards the ground' means humiliation. This becomes clear without explanation. The reason why in the past, especially in the representative Churches, people would bow so far down that their faces touched the ground, was that 'the face' meant man's interiors, 358, 1999. And they did so down 'to the ground' because 'the dust of the ground' meant that which is profane and condemned, 278. In doing this they represented the fact that of themselves they were profane and condemned. They therefore prostrated themselves face downwards on the ground, indeed they wallowed in dust and ashes, and also cast dust or ashes over their heads, as becomes clear from Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 27:30; Micah 1:10; Joshua 7:6; Revelation 18:19; and elsewhere.

[2] By these actions they represented a state of true humility, which can in no way exist unless people acknowledge that of themselves they are profane and condemned, and so of themselves are incapable of looking towards the Lord where everything is Divine and Holy. To the extent therefore that a person acknowledges his own condition he can possess true humility, and when engaged in worship can have real devotion. For all worship must contain humility, and if separated from it no adoration and so no worship at all is present.

[3] The reason a state of humility is vital to worship itself is that insofar as the heart is humbled self-love and all resulting evil come to an end; and insofar as these come to an end good and truth, that is, charity and faith, flow in from the Lord. For what above all else stands in the way of their being received is self-love. Indeed within self-love there lies contempt for all others in comparison with oneself; there lies hatred and revenge if one is not venerated most highly; and there lies mercilessness and cruelty within it, and thus the worst evils of all into which good and truth cannot possibly be introduced, since they are completely opposite.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.