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Ezekiel 20

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1 And it was, in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me.

2 And the word of Jehovah was unto me, saying,

3 Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord Jehovih*; Are you come to inquire of Me? As I live, says the Lord Jehovih, I will not be inquired of by you.

4 Wilt thou judge them, wilt thou judge, son of man? Make them to know the abominations of their fathers;

5 and say unto them, Thus says the Lord Jehovih; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted·​·up My hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made· Myself ·known unto them in the land of Egypt, then I lifted·​·up My hand unto them, saying, I am Jehovah your God;

6 in that day that I lifted·​·up My hand to them, to bring· them ·out from the land of Egypt to a land that I had explored for them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the elegance for all the lands:

7 and I said to them, Cast· ye ·away each·​·man the detestable thing of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Jehovah your God.

8 But they rebelled against Me, and were· not ·willing to hearken to Me; they did not each·​·man cast·​·away the detestable things of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: and I said, I will spill·​·out My fury on them, to complete My anger among them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But I did so·​·that My name should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations, among whom they were, before whose eyes I made· Myself ·known unto them, in bringing· them ·forth out·​·of the land of Egypt.

10 And I caused them to go·​·out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

11 And I gave them My statutes, and caused them to know My judgments, that man shall do them, and shall live by them.

12 And I also gave to them My Sabbaths, to be for a sign between Me and them, so·​·that they might know that I am Jehovah who sanctifies them.

13 But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes, and they rejected My judgments, which if man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they profaned exceedingly: and I said I would spill My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume· them ·all.

14 But I made for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I brought· them ·out.

15 But also I lifted·​·up My hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the elegance for all the lands;

16 because they rejected My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.

17 But My eye spared them from their destroying, and I did not make a complete end with them in the wilderness.

18 But I said unto their sons in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

19 I am Jehovah your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them;

20 and hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Jehovah your God.

21 But the sons rebelled against Me; they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which man should do, and live in them; they profaned My Sabbaths; and I said I would spill·​·out My fury upon them, to complete My anger on them in the wilderness.

22 But I turned·​·back My hand, and made for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I brought· them ·out.

23 I lifted·​·up My hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the lands;

24 because they had not made My judgments, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathersidols.

25 And I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

26 and I defiled them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass·​·through the fire all that opens·​·up the womb, so·​·that I might make· them ·desolate, so·​·that they might know that I am Jehovah.

27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord Jehovih; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they have trespassed a trespass against Me.

28 And I had brought them into the land, for which I lifted My hand to give it to them, and they saw every high hill, and all the intertwined trees, and they sacrificed their sacrifices there, and there they gave the provocation of their offering; and there they set their restful smell, and there poured·​·out their poured·​·offerings.

29 And I said to them, What is the high·​·place into which you are coming? And its name is called Bamah* even·​·to this day.

30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Jehovih: Are you defiled after the way of your fathers, and do you commit·​·harlotry after their detestable things?

31 And when you lift·​·up your gifts, when you make your sons to pass·​·through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even·​·to this day; and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I am alive, says the Lord Jehovih, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 And that which goes·​·up into your spirit shall not be at all, that you say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, to minister wood and stone.

33 As I live, says the Lord Jehovih, surely with a firm hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury spilled·​·out, will I reign over you;

34 and I will bring· you ·out from the peoples, and will bring· you ·together from the lands in which you are scattered, with a firm hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury spilled·​·out.

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

36 As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, says the Lord Jehovih.

37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the commitment of the covenant;

38 and I will purify you from those who revolt, and from those who transgress against Me; I will bring· them ·out from the land of their sojournings, and they shall not come to the ground of Israel; and you shall know that I am Jehovah.

39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord Jehovih; Go ye, serve ye each·​·man his idols, and afterwards also, if you will not hearken unto Me; but profane you not My holy name any·​·more with your gifts, and with your idols.

40 For in My holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord Jehovih, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me; there will I be·​·well·​·pleased in them, and there will I require your upliftings, and the firstfruits of your portions, with all your holy things.

41 I will be·​·well·​·pleased with you with your restful smell, when I bring· you ·out from the people, and bring· you ·together from the lands in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the eyes of the nations.

42 And you shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall bring you to the ground of Israel, to the land for which I lifted My hand to give to your fathers.

43 And there shall you remember your ways, and all your actions, wherein you have been defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves to your own face in all your evils that you have done.

44 And you shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have done with you for the sake of My name, not according·​·to your evil ways, nor according·​·to your corrupt actions, O ye house of Israel, says the Lord Jehovih.

45 21:1 And the word of Jehovah was unto me, saying,

46 21:2 Son of man, set thy face toward the way of the south, and drop·​·down thy word toward the south, and prophesy to the forest of the field of the south;

47 21:3 and say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of Jehovah; Thus says the Lord Jehovih; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every fresh tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flame of a grievous·​·flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned in her.

48 21:4 And all flesh shall see that I, Jehovah, have burned it; it shall not be quenched.

49 21:5 And I said, Alas Lord Jehovih! they are saying of me, Does he not prophetically·​·enunciate prophetic·​·enunciation?

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Fragrance

  

In Genesis 27:27, this signifies perceiving what is pleasant in the truth of good. (Arcana Coelestia 3575)

In Exodus 30:38, this signifies something pleasant done by affections for good and truth. (Arcana Coelestia 10309)

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 10295)

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Arcana Coelestia # 10309

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10309. 'The man who makes any like it, to make an odour with it' means an imitation - springing from self - of the worship of God expressed through affections for truth and good. This is clear from the meaning of 'making any like it' as imitating the worship of God, for 'making' means imitating, and the incense to which this refers means the worship of God, as above; and from the meaning of 'making an odour' as producing what is pleasing. And since this is done through affections for truth and good, these affections are what is meant by such pleasure; for 'odour' means the perception of something enjoyable, and so means that which is pleasing, 10292. It is evident that any imitation of this springs from self, for it says that 'he who makes it will be cut off from his people'. The proprium or self is the source of any endeavour that springs from an affection which desires truth and good not for their own sake but for a selfish reason; and doing something for a selfish reason implies doing it for the sake of personal gain, important positions, and reputation as the ends in view, and not for the sake of the welfare of one's neighbour and the glory of the Lord. Consequently that endeavour springs from evil and not from good; or what amounts to the same thing, it springs from hell and not from the Lord. This therefore is what should be understood by an imitation - springing from self - of the worship of God expressed through affections for truth and good, meant by 'making an incense like it, to make an odour with it'. The people therefore who do this are those who love the world more than heaven, and themselves more than God. Also, when they think secretly within themselves they have no belief at all in heaven nor in the Lord; but when they think openly, as they do when talking in the presence of other people, they talk about heaven and the Lord with more emotion and conviction than others express. How much more depends on the degree to which they burn with the desire for personal gain, important positions, and reputation. Their condition at this time is such that inwardly they are black and outwardly shining white, that is, they are devils in the shape of angels of light. For their interiors which ought to lie exposed to heaven are closed, and their exteriors which lie exposed to the world are open. And if they are moved at this time by an affection that seemingly belongs to love to raise their eyes and hands towards heaven, they are nevertheless like statues skillfully made to portray that pose; and they also appear to angels as such statues. Indeed, can you believe it, there are in hell very many such as these who are present with and inspire people like them in the world, especially with preachers who for selfish reasons imitate the worship of God by expressing affections for truth and good. Furthermore the Lord allows them to act in this way, because at the same time they also perform a useful function; for good people can still receive the Word properly from them. They can do so because the reception of the Word by a person, no matter whose mouth it goes out of, depends on the character of the good governing that person. But such externals, being mere postures, are stripped away from them in the next life, and then their spirit is shown to be black, as it had been while they were in the body.

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