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Jeremiah 50

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1 The word that Jehovah spoke to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.

2 Tell it among the nations, and make it heard, and lift a standard; make it heard, and conceal not; say, Babylon is captured, Bel is shamed, Merodach is·​·dismayed; her images are shamed, her idols are·​·dismayed.

3 For out of the north there comes up a nation against her, which shall set her land as a desolation, and none shall dwell therein; they shall flee·​·away, they shall go, both man and beast.

4 In those days, and in that time, says Jehovah, the sons of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together, going and weeping; they shall go, and seek Jehovah their God.

5 They shall ask Zion concerning the way with their faces hither, saying: Come, and let us join ourselves to Jehovah in an eternal covenant that shall not be forgotten.

6 My people have been as a flock of the lost; their shepherds have caused them to go·​·astray; they have turned· them ·back on the mountains. They have walked from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their place·​·to·​·lie·​·down.

7 All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, We are· not ·guilty, on account of the fact that they have sinned against Jehovah, the home of justice, and the hope of their fathers, Jehovah.

8 Flee·​·away from the midst of Babylon, and from the land of the Chaldeans go·​·out, and be as the he-goats before the flock.

9 For, behold, I will stir·​·up and cause to go·​·up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north; and they shall set·​·themselves·​·in·​·array against her; from thence she shall be taken; his arrows shall be as a mighty·​·man bereaving; none shall return empty.

10 And Chaldea shall be a spoil; all who spoil her shall be satisfied, says Jehovah,

11 because you were·​·glad, because you triumphed, O ye pillagers of My inheritance, because you are spread·​·out as the heifer on the tender·​·herb, and neigh as steeds.

12 Your mother shall be very ashamed; she who gave·​·birth to you shall blush; behold, the last of the nations shall be a wilderness, an arid place, and a desert.

13 From the rage of Jehovah she shall not dwell, and all of her shall be desolate; all who pass·​·by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her blows.

14 Set· yourselves ·in·​·array against Babylon all around; all ye that bend the bow, shoot·​·out at her, spare not the arrow: for she has sinned against Jehovah.

15 Shout against her all around; she has given her hand; her foundations are fallen, her walls are broken·​·down; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah; avenge on her; as she has done, do to her.

16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handles the sickle in the time of harvest; for fear of the oppressing sword they shall face every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

17 As an animal·​·of·​·the·​·flock Israel is scattered; the lions have expelled him; first the king of Assyria has eaten him up; and afterwards Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, has removed· his ·bones.

18 Therefore thus says Jehovah of Armies, the God of Israel, Behold, I will visit the king of Babylon and his land, as I have visited the king of Assyria.

19 And I will return Israel to his home, and he shall pasture on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.

20 In those days, and in that time, says Jehovah, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I have left.

21 Against the land of Merathaim, go·​·up against her, and against those who dwell in Pekod; waste and doom thou after them, says Jehovah, and do according·​·to all that I have commanded thee.

22 A voice of battle is in the land, and of great breaking.

23 How is the mallet of all the earth hewn·​·off and broken! How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

24 I have set a snare for thee, and thou art also captured, O Babylon, and thou dost· not ·know; thou art·​·found, and also caught, for thou hast meddled with Jehovah.

25 Jehovah has opened His treasury, and has brought·​·out the weapons of His indignation; for it is the business of the Lord Jehovih* of Armies in the land of the Chaldeans.

26 Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses; build· her ·up as stacks, and doom her: let nothing of her be left.

27 Waste all her bullocks; let them go·​·down to the butchering. Woe to them! For their day is come, the time of their visitation.

28 The voice of them that flee and are delivered from the land of Babylon, to tell in Zion about the vengeance of Jehovah our God, the vengeance of His temple.

29 Cause the shooters of arrows to hear against Babylon; all ye who bend the bow, camp against her all around; let none thereof escape; repay her according·​·to her work; according·​·to all that she has done, do to her: for she has been·​·presumptuous to Jehovah, to the Holy·​·One of Israel.

30 Therefore shall her young·​·men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be·​·still in that day, says Jehovah.

31 Behold, I am against thee, O thou most presumptuous, says the Lord Jehovih of Armies; for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

32 And the presumptuous shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise· him ·up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all those around him.

33 Thus says Jehovah of Armies; The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah were oppressed together; and all that took them captives held· them ·firm; they refused to send· them ·out.

34 Their Redeemer is firm; Jehovah of Armies is His name; pleading He shall plead their plea, so·​·that He may give·​·repose to the land, and make those who dwell in Babylon tremble.

35 A sword is upon the Chaldeans, says Jehovah, and upon those who dwell in Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

36 A sword is upon the fabricators; and they shall become·​·stupid; a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall·​·be·​·dismayed.

37 A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the commingled crowd that are in her midst; and they shall become as women; a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be preyed·​·on.

38 A drought is to her waters; and they shall be dried·​·up; for she is a land of carved images, and they rave by terrors.

39 Therefore the Tsiim with the Ijim* shall dwell there, and in her shall dwell the daughters of an owl; and no one shall dwell·​·in her any·​·more perpetually; neither shall it be inhabited even·​·to generation and generation.

40 As God overturned Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbor, says Jehovah; a man shall not dwell there, a son of man shall not sojourn in her.

41 Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be stirred·​·up from the flanks of the earth.

42 They shall take·​·hold of the bow and the javelin; they are cruel, and will not have·​·compassion; their voice shall make a noise as the sea, and they shall ride on horses, every one set·​·in·​·array, as a man for the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

43 The king of Babylon has heard the rumor of them, and his hands have slackened; adversity held· him ·firmly, and travailing as a woman giving·​·birth.

44 Behold, he shall come·​·up as a lion from the pride of the Jordan to the home of Ethan*; but running I will make him run away from her in a moment. And who is chosen that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? And who will cause Me to congregate, and who is this shepherd that will stand before Me?

45 Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that He has taken counsel against Babylon; and His thoughts, that He has reckoned against the land of the Chaldeans; Surely the little ones of the flock shall drag· them ·out; surely He shall make their home desolate with them.

46 At the voice of the occupying of Babylon the earth has quaked, and a cry is heard among the nations.

   


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

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Arcana Coelestia # 1186

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1186. That 'Asshur' is reasoning is clear from the meaning of 'Asshur' or Assyria in the Word, where in every case it stands for those things that belong to reason. It stands for them in both senses, namely for rational things and for reasonings - reason and rational things being used strictly speaking to mean things that are true, and reasoning and reasonings to mean those that are false. Because 'Asshur' means reason and reasoning it is very frequently linked with Egypt, which means facts, for reason and reasoning are based on facts. That Asshur means reasoning is clear in Isaiah,

Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, he does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right He has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence. Isaiah 10:5, 7, 13.

Here 'Asshur' stands for reasoning, and therefore he is referred to as 'not thinking and not considering what is right', and it is said that 'he acts by his own wisdom, for he has intelligence'.

[2] In Ezekiel,

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt. In their youth they committed whoredom. One committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians), her neighbours, clothed in violet, leaders and governors, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses The sons of Babel came to her and they defiled her with their whoredom. Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-6, 17.

Here 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning, 'the sons of Babel' for falsities springing from evil desires.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jerusalem, you committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, you committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Canaan towards Chaldaea. Ezekiel 16:26, 28-29.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. Reasoning, based on facts, concerning spiritual and celestial things is called 'whoredom' both here and elsewhere in the Word. Anyone may see that committing whoredom with Egyptians and with Assyrians is not the meaning.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Israel, what have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? Jeremiah 2:18, 36.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. In the same prophet,

Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have driven him away. First the king of Asshur has devoured him, and last this king of Babel has removed his bones. Jeremiah 50:17-18

'Asshur' stands for reasoning concerning spiritual things.

[5] In Micah,

And this will be peace, when Asshur comes into our land and when he treads our palaces, and we will set up over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men and they will rule the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates; and he will deliver [us] from Asshur when he comes into our land and when he treads our border. Micah 5:5-6.

This refers to Israel, or the spiritual Church, concerning which it is said that 'Asshur will not enter in', that is, reasoning will not do so. 'The land of Nimrod' stands for the kind of worship meant by Nimrod, which has interior evils and falsities within it.

[6] The fact that in the Word 'Asshur' also means reason present with the member of the Church, by means of which reason he sees clearly what is true and what is good, is clear in Hosea,

They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove from the land of Asshur. Hosea 11:11.

Here 'Egypt' stands for the knowledge a member of the Church possesses, 'Asshur' for his reason. That 'a bird' means facts that are known and understood, and 'a dove' rational good, has been shown already.

[7] In Isaiah,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. 1 On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

This refers to the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, 'Asshur' being its reason, and 'Egypt' its knowledge. These three constitute the intellectual powers of the member of the spiritual Church which come in that order one after another. In other places where Asshur is mentioned it means the rational, true or false, as in Isaiah 20:1-6; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8; 36, 37; 52:4; Ezekiel 27:23-24; Ezekiel 31:3-18; 32:22; Micah 7:12; Zephaniah 2:13; Zechariah 10:11; Psalms 83:8. 'Asshur' stands for reasoning in Hosea 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; and in Zechariah 10:10, where the reference is to Ephraim who means the intellectual part of the mind, though in this instance when perverted.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. The Hebrew of this text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.

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