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Ezekiel 18

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1 HE ENs Ord kom til mig således:

2 Hvor tør I bruge det Mundheld i Israels Land: Fædre åd sure Druer, og Børnenes Tænder blev ømme.

3 Så sandt jeg lever, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN: Ingen skal mere bruge dette Mundheld i Israel.

4 Se, alle Sjæle er mine; både Faderens Sjæl og Sønnens Sjæl er mine; den Sjæl der synder skal .

5 Når en Mand er retfærdig og gør et og Skel,

6 ikke spiser på Bjergene eller løfter sit Blik til Israels Huses Afgudsbilleder eller skænder sin Næstes Hustru eller nærmer sig en Kvinde, så længe hun er uren,

7 eller volder noget Menneske Men, men giver sit Håndpant tilbage, ikke raner, men giver den sultne sit Brød og klæder den nøgne,

8 ikke låner ud mod Åger eller tager Opgæld, men holder sin Hånd fra Uret, fælder redelig Dom Mand og Mand imellem,

9 vandrer efter mine Anordninger og tager Vare på at udføre mine Lovbud, han er retfærdig, han skal visselig leve, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN.

10 Men avler han en Voldsmand til Søn, som udøser Blod og gør en eneste af disse Ting

11 medens han selv ikke gjorde nogen af disse Ting - spiser på Bjergene, skænder sin Næstes Hustru

12 volder de arme og fattige Men raner, ikke giver Håndpant tilbage, men løfter sit Blik til Afgudsbillederne, gør, hvad vederstyggeligt er,

13 låner ud mod Åger og tager Opgæld, så skal han ingenlunde leve; han har øvet alle disse Vederstyggeligheder, han skal visselig lide Døden, hans Blod skal komme over ham.

14 Men sæt, at Sønnen avler en Søn, som ser alle de Synder, Faderen gjorde, og at han bliver angst og ikke bærer sig således ad,

15 ikke spiser på Bjergene eller løfter sit Blik til Israels Huses Afgudsbilleder eller skænder sin Næstes Hustru

16 eller volder noget Menneske Men eller tager Håndpant eller raner, men giver den sultne sit Brød og klæder den nøgne,

17 holder sin Hånd fra Uret, ikke tager Åger eller Opgæld, men holder mine Lovbud og vandrer efter mine Anordninger, så skal han ikke for sin Faders Misgerning, men visselig leve.

18 Hans Fader derimod døde for sin Misgerning, fordi han øvede Vold, ranede og gjorde i sit Folk hvad ikke var godt.

19 Og I siger: "Hvorfor skulde Sønnen ikke bære Faderens Misgerning?" Nej, thi Sønnen gjorde et og Skel, holdt alle mine Lovbud og levede efter dem. Visselig skal han leve.

20 Den Sjæl, der synder, den skal ; Søn skal ikke bære Faders Misgeming, ej heller Fader Søns. Over den retfærdige skal hans etfærdighed komme, over den gudløse hans Gudløshed.

21 Men når den gudløse omvender sig fra alle de Synder, han har gjort, og holder alle mine Anordninger og gør et og Skel, da skal han visselig leve og ikke .

22 Ingen af alle de Overtrædelser, han har øvet, skal tilregnes ham; i Kraft af den etfærdighed, han øver, skal han leve.

23 Mon jeg har Lyst til den gudløses Død, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN, mon ikke til, at han omvender sig fra sin Vej, så han må leve?

24 Men når den retfærdige vender sig fra sin etfærdighed og gør Uret, lignende Vederstyggeligheder, som den gudløse øver, så skal ingen af de retfærdige Gerninger, han har gjort tilregnes ham; for den Troløshed, han øvede, og den Synd, han gjorde, skal han .

25 Og I siger: "HE ENs Vej er ikke ret!" Hør dog, Israels Hus! Er det min Vej, der ikke er ret? Er det ikke snarere eders Vej, der ikke er ret?

26 Når den retfærdige vender sig fra sin etfærdighed og gør Uret, skal han ; for den Uret, han gør, skal han .

27 Men når en gudløs vender sig fra den Gudløshed, han har øvet, og gør et og Skel, skal han holde sin Sjæl i Live.

28 Han vendte sig fra alle de Overtrædelser, han havde øvet; han skal visselig leve og ikke .

29 Og Israels Hus siger: "H ENs Vej er ikke ret!" Er det min Vej, Israels Hus, der ikke er ret? Er det ikke snarere eders Vej, der ikke er ret?

30 Derfor dømmer jeg enhver af eder efter hans Veje, Israels Hus, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN. Vend om og omvend eder fra alle eders Overtrædelser, at de ikke skal blive eder Årsag til Skyld.

31 Gør eder fri for alle de Overtrædelser, I har øvet imod mig, og skab eder et nyt Hjerte og en ny Ånd; thi hvorfor vil I , Israels Hus?

32 Thi jeg har ikke Lyst til nogens Død, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN. Omvend eder derfor, så skal I leve!

   


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Arcana Coelestia # 6353

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6353. 'Instruments of violence are their swords (machaera)' means that religious teachings serve to destroy charitable deeds, thus charity itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'instruments of violence' as things that serve to destroy charity (the fact that 'instruments' are things that serve is self-evident, while the fact that 'violence' means the destruction of charity will be seen shortly below); and from the meaning of 'swords as religious teachings. For 'swords' (gladius) are the truths of faith that are employed to fight against falsities and evils, 2799; thus swords' (machaera) 1 are religious teachings, here teachings employed to fight against truth and goodness and to annihilate them, for they are employed by those who champion faith alone, or faith separated from charity, and with whom the opposite of charity resides.

[2] The religious teachings employed by those who champion faith alone to dispense with charitable works are principally these:

A person is saved by faith alone without the works of charity.

Those works are unnecessary, and a person can be saved by faith alone even in his final hour when he dies, irrespective of how he has lived throughout the whole course of his life.

Thus those who have performed nothing else than cruel deeds, robberies, acts of adultery, or unholy deeds can be saved.

Consequently salvation is merely a letting into heaven, which means that none are let in except those who have received that grace at the end of their lives, and which also means that some by God's mercy have been chosen and others by the lack of it have been damned.

The truth of the matter however is that the Lord does not deny heaven to anyone. The life people have led and the communication of that life, which is perceived in heaven in the way an odour is on earth by its recipients, make it completely impossible for them to be there; for they are tormented in heaven by the wicked life they led more than they are in the deepest hell.

[3] 'A sword' means falsity fighting and killing. This is evident in John,

There went out another horse, fiery red; and it was granted to the one sitting on it to take away peace from the earth, so that people would kill one another, for which reason there was given him a great sword. Revelation 6:4.

In the same author,

If anyone kills with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. Revelation 13:10, 14.

[4] 'Violence' is the use of force against charity. This is plain from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

The violent one will cease to be and the scornful one will be destroyed. All ripeners of iniquity 2 will be cut off, those who cause a person to sin by a word, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and cause him who is just to turn aside to something empty. Isaiah 59:20, 21.

Here a different expression is used in the original language for 'the violent one'; but it carries a similar spiritual meaning. The fact that 'the violent one' is someone who uses force against charity is meant when it says that 'they cause a person to sin by a word' and 'cause him who is just to turn aside'.

[5] In the same prophet,

Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Isaiah 59:6-7.

Here 'violence' stands for force used against charity, a force that is also meant by 'shedding blood', see 774, 1005. In the same prophet,

No longer will there be violence in your land, a laying waste and ruin within your borders. Isaiah 60:18.

'Violence' stands for the destruction of charity, for the outcome is a laying waste and ruin in the land, that is, in the Church.

[6] In Jeremiah,

I proclaim violence and a laying waste, for the word of Jehovah was made to me a reproach and ignominy the whole day. Jeremiah 20:8.

Here also 'violence' stands for violence in spiritual things, thus for the destruction of charity, and also of faith. In Ezekiel,

The land is full of the judgement of blood, 3 and the city is full of violence. Ezekiel 7:23.

'The judgement of blood' stands for the destruction of faith, 'violence' for the destruction of charity.

[7] In the same prophet,

If he begets a violent son, a shedder of blood, who does any one of these things; if he eats on the mountains, or defiles his companion's wife, oppresses the wretched and needy, engages in plunderings, does not restore the pledge, or lifts his eyes to idols, commits abomination, lends at interest and takes usury, will he live? He will not live; he will surely die. Ezekiel 18:10-13.

In this description of what 'a violent son and a shedder of blood' is, the wrong-doings that are listed are all the charitable works he destroys; thus 'a violent son and a shedder of blood' is one who destroys charity and faith.

[8] In David,

Deliver me, O Jehovah, from the evil person; from the man of violent actions preserve me. Those who think evil things in their heart gather together all the day for war, they make their tongue sharp, like a serpent; the poison of an asp is under their lips. Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked; from the man of violent actions preserve me. Do not let a slanderer 4 be established in the land; as for the violent man, evil hunts him down, to overthrow him. Psalms 140:1-4, 11.

'The man of violent actions' stands for those who destroy the truths of faith and forms of the good of charity. Their fight against these is meant by 'they gather together all the day for war, they make their tongue sharp, like a serpent', 'the poison of an asp is under their lips', and 'evil hunts him down, to overthrow him'. 'Violence' is referred to in other places besides these, such as Ezekiel 12:19; Joel 3:19; Malachi 2:16-17; Zephaniah 3:4; Psalms 18:48; 55:9-11; 58:2-5; Deuteronomy 19:16.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. The Hebrew word m'kerah, which Swedenborg renders machaera here in Genesis 49:7, does not occur again in OT. But machaera, a Greek word for a sword, is generally retained by Swedenborg in quotations from NT.

2. The Latin means judgement but the Hebrew means iniquity.

3. literally, bloods

4. literally, a man of tongue

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