The Bible

 

耶利米书 51

Study

   

1 耶和华如此:我必使毁灭的刮起,攻击巴比伦和在立加米的人。

2 我要打发外邦人来到巴比伦,簸扬他,使他的空虚。在他遭祸的日子,他们要周围攻击他。

3 的,要向拉的和贯甲挺身的射箭。不要怜惜他的少年人;要灭尽他的全军。

4 他们必在迦勒底人被杀仆倒,在巴比伦的街上被刺透。

5 以色列犹大虽然境内充满违背以色列圣者的罪,却没有被他的─万军之耶和华丢弃。

6 你们要从巴比伦中逃奔,各自己的性命!不要陷在他的罪孽中一同灭亡;因为这是耶和华报仇的时候,他必向巴比伦施行报应。

7 巴比伦素来是耶和华中的杯,使天下沉;万国了他的酒就颠狂了。

8 巴比伦忽然倾覆毁坏;要为他哀号;为止他的疼痛,拿乳香或者可以治好。

9 我们想医治巴比伦,他却没有治好。离开他罢!我们归回本国;因为他受的审判通於上,达到穹苍。

10 耶和华已经彰显我们的公罢!我们可以在锡安报告耶和华我们的作为。

11 你们要磨尖了箭头,抓住盾牌。耶和华定意攻击巴比伦,将他毁灭,所以激动了玛代君的心;因这是耶和华报仇,就是为自己的殿报仇。

12 你们要竖立大旗,攻击巴比伦的城墙,要坚固瞭望台,派定守望的设下埋伏,

13 住在众水之上多有财宝的啊,你的结局到了!你贪婪之量满了!

14 万军之耶和华指着自己起誓说:我必使敌人充满你,像蚂蚱一样;他们必呐喊攻击你。

15 耶和华用能力创造大,用智慧建立世界,用聪明铺张穹苍。

16 他一发声,空中便有多水激动;他使云雾从极上腾。他造电随而闪,从他府中带出来。

17 各人都成了畜类,毫无知识。各银匠都因他的偶像羞愧;他所铸的偶像本是虚假的,其中并无气息,

18 都是虚无的,是迷惑人的工作,到追讨的时候,必被除灭。

19 雅各的分不像这些,因他是造作万有的;以色列也是他产业的支派。万军之耶和华是他的名。

20 你是我争战的斧子和打仗的兵器;我要用你打碎列国,用你毁灭列邦;

21 用你打碎和骑的;用你打碎战车和坐在其上的;

22 用你打碎男人女人;用你打碎老年和少年;用你打碎壮丁和处女;

23 用你打碎牧人和他的群畜;用你打碎农夫和他一对牛;用你打碎省长和副省长。

24 耶和华:我必在你们眼前报复巴比伦人和迦勒底居民在锡安所行的诸恶。

25 耶和华:你这行毁灭的哪,就是毁灭天下的,我与你反对。我必向你伸,将你从岩滚下去,使你成为烧毁的

26 人必不从你那里取石头为房角,也不取石头根基;你必永远荒凉。这是耶和华的。

27 要在境内竖立大旗,在各国中吹角,使列国预备攻击巴比伦,将亚拉腊、米尼、亚实基拿各国招来攻击他;又派军长来攻击他,使马匹上来如蚂蚱,

28 使列国和玛代君,与省长和副省长,并他们所管全之人,都预备攻击他。

29 必震动而瘠苦;因耶和华向巴比伦所定的旨意成立了,使巴比伦之荒凉,无人居住

30 巴比伦的勇士止息争战,藏在坚垒之中。他们的勇力衰尽,好像妇女一样。巴比伦的处有火着起,门闩都折断了。

31 通报的要彼此相遇,送信的要互相迎接,报告巴比伦王说:城的四方被攻取了,

32 渡口被占据了,苇塘被烧了,兵丁也惊慌了。

33 万军之耶和华以色列的如此:巴比伦城(原文作女子)好像踹谷的禾场;再过片时,收割他的时候就到了。

34 以色列人说:巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒灭我,压碎我,使我成为空虚的器皿。他像大鱼将我吞下,用我的美物充满他的肚腹,又将我赶出去。

35 锡安的居民:巴比伦以强暴待我,损害我的身体,愿这罪归给他。耶路撒冷人要:愿流我们血的罪归到迦勒底居民

36 所以,耶和华如此:我必为你伸冤,为你报仇;我必使巴比伦的枯竭,使他的泉源乾涸。

37 巴比伦必成为乱,为野狗的处,令人惊骇、嗤笑,并且无人居住

38 他们要像少壮狮子咆哮,像小狮子吼叫。

39 他们火热的时候,我必为他们设摆酒席,使他们沉醉,好叫他们快乐,睡了长觉,永不醒起。这是耶和华的。

40 我必使他们像羊羔、像公绵羊和公山羊到宰杀之地。

41 示沙克(就是巴比伦)何竟被攻取,天下所称赞的何竟被占据?巴比伦在列国中何竟变为荒场?

42 水涨起,漫过巴比伦;他被许多浪遮盖。

43 他的城邑变为荒场、旱、沙漠,无居住,无经过之

44 我必刑罚巴比伦的彼勒,使他吐出所吞的。万民必不再流归他那里;巴比伦的城墙也必坍塌了。

45 我的民哪,你们要从其中出去!各自己,躲避耶和华的烈怒。

46 你们不要心惊胆怯,也不要因境内所见的风声惧;因为这年有风声传;那年也有风声传,境内有强暴的事,官长攻击官长。

47 日子将到,我必刑罚巴比伦雕刻的偶像。他全必然抱愧;他被杀的人必在其中仆倒。

48 那时,和其中所有的,必因巴比伦欢呼,因为行毁灭的要从北方到他那里。这是耶和华的。

49 巴比伦怎样使以色列被杀的人仆倒,照样他全被杀的人也必在巴比伦仆倒。

50 你们躲避刀的要快走,不要站住!要在远方记念耶和华,心中追想耶路撒冷

51 我们见辱骂就蒙羞,满面惭愧,因为外邦人进入耶和华殿的圣所。

52 耶和华:日子将到,我必刑罚巴比伦雕刻的偶像,通国受伤的人必唉哼。

53 巴比伦虽升到上,虽使他坚固的处更坚固,还有行毁灭的从我这里到他那里。这是耶和华的。

54 有哀号的声音从巴比伦出来;有毁灭的响声从迦勒底人发出。

55 耶和华使巴比伦变为荒场,使其中的声灭绝。仇敌彷佛众水波浪匉訇,响声已经发出。

56 这是行毁灭的临到巴比伦。巴比伦的勇士被捉住,他们的折断了;因为耶和华是施行报应的神,必定施行报应。

57 君王─名为万军之耶和华的:我必使巴比伦的首领、智慧人、省长、副省长,和勇士都沉醉,使他们睡了长觉,永不醒起。

58 万军之耶和华如此:巴比伦宽阔的城墙必全然倾倒;他大的城必被焚烧。众民所劳碌的必致虚空;列国所劳碌的被焚烧,他们都必困乏。

59 犹大王西底家在位第四年,上巴比伦去的时候,玛西雅的孙子、尼利亚的儿子西莱雅与王同去(西莱雅是王宫的大臣),先知耶利米吩咐他。

60 耶利米切要临到巴比伦的灾祸,就是论到巴比伦的上。

61 耶利米对西莱雅:你到了巴比伦务要念这书上的

62 耶和华啊,你曾论到这地方:要剪除,甚至连人带牲畜没有在这里居住的,必永远荒凉。

63 你念完了这,就把一块石头拴在上,扔在伯拉中,

64 :巴比伦因耶和华所要降与他的灾祸,必如此沉下去,不再兴起,人民也必困乏。耶利米到此为止。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #481

Study this Passage

  
/ 1232  
  

481. Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.- This signifies that they shall not be affected by evil and falsity arising from lusts, as is evident from the signification of the sun, which denotes the Lord as to Divine Love, and in reference to men, spirits, and angels, the good of love from the Lord and directed to the Lord; and in the opposite sense, as here, it denotes the love of self, and thence evil from lusts (ex concupiscentiis); see above (n. 401); and in the Heaven and Hell 116-125). And from the signification of heat, which denotes falsity from that evil, consequently falsity from lusts. For when a man is in heat, that is, when he becomes hot, then he eagerly desires drink that his heat may be allayed, for he is thirsty, and drinking signifies to drink in truths, and in the opposite sense, to drink in falsities, because water and wine (vinum), which are drunk or imbibed, signify truths.

[2] That heat signifies falsity from lusts, or the lust for falsity, is evident from the following passages.

Thus in Jeremiah:

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out his roots by the river; he shall not see when heat cometh, but his leaf shall be green; he shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall he cease from yielding fruit" (17:7, 8).

The man who suffers himself to be led by the Lord is compared to a tree, to its growth and fructification, because a tree in the Word signifies the knowledge and perception of truth and good, consequently the man in whom those things are. The tree planted by the waters, means the man in whom there are truths from the Lord, waters denoting truths. That spreadeth out his roots by the river, signifies the extension of intelligence from the spiritual man into the natural. This is said because a river signifies intelligence, and because roots are sent out from the spiritual into the natural man; he shall not see when heat cometh, signifies that he shall not be affected by the lust for falsity. But his leaf shall be green, signifies scientifics (scientifica) living from truths; for leaf signifies the scientific (scientificum), and green signifies what is living from truths. He shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall he cease from yielding fruit, signifies, that in the state when there are no truth and good, he shall not be in fear for the loss and deprivation of them, but that even then truths united to good shall bear fruit. The year of drought signifies a state in which there are loss and deprivation of truth; this is said, because with spirits and angels there are alternations of state; see the Heaven and Hell 154-161).

[3] In Isaiah:

"For thou art become a place of defence to the poor, a fortress to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the inundation, a shadow from the heat; for the blast of the violent is as an inundation against the wall, as drought in a dry place; the tumult of strangers shalt thou subdue; the heat by the shadow of a cloud, the branch of the violent shall he repress" (25:4, 5).

By the poor and the needy are signified those who are destitute of good from ignorance of truth, and yet they desire these. It is called inundation and heat, when evils and falsities rise up and flow in from the proprium, and also from others who are in evil. The blast of the violent, signifies that those things are contrary to the goods and truths of the church; they are called violent who endeavour to destroy goods and truths, and their blast signifies their eager desire to destroy. The tumult of strangers shalt thou subdue, signifies that the Lord will allay and remove the irruption of falsities from evil; tumult signifies irruption, strangers signify falsities from evil, and to subdue signifies to allay and remove. To subdue the heat by the shadow of a cloud, signifies to defend from the lust for falsity, heat denoting the lust for falsity, and the shadow of a cloud, defence therefrom; for the shadow of a cloud tempers the heat of the sun, and assuages its intensity.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"His dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost" (36:30).

These words were said concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, after he had burned the roll written by Jeremiah, and this act signifies that the truths of the church would perish through the lust for falsities, and thence by hatred of truths. The kings of Judah represented and thence signified in the Word truths from good, and the king there mentioned, the truth of the church which was about to perish. The roll which he burnt signifies the Word; this is said to be burnt when it is falsified and adulterated, and this takes place by means of the lust for falsity from evil. His dead body signifies the man of the church without that spiritual life which is acquired by means of truths from the Word. If this spiritual life becomes extinct, lust for falsities and an aversion to truths alone remain, and consequently he becomes dead, and in the spiritual sense a carcase. Lust for falsities is signified by heat in the day, and hatred of truths by frost in the night. For when the light of heaven, which in its essence is Divine Truth, flows in, those who are in falsities from evil are seized with cold, which is more or less intense according to the warmth of the falsity from evil.

[5] In the same:

"When they are heated I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may exult, and sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake" (Jeremiah 51:39).

These words are concerning Babylon, which signifies the profanation of good and truth. When they are heated, signifies the warm desire and lust to falsify truths and adulterate goods. To make their feasts, to make them drunken, and to exult, signifies from falsifications to be insane in an extreme degree; their feasts signify the adulterations of good and truth, drunkenness and rejoicing signify insanities in the highest degree, or such as are extreme. To sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake, signifies that they will not perceive truths for ever.

[6] In Hosea:

"They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings fall; there is none among them that calleth unto me" (7:7).

To be hot as an oven signifies lusting after falsity from love of it. To devour their judges, and all their kings to fall, signifies the destruction of all intelligence, the truths from which it arises having been destroyed; judges signify those that are intelligent, and, in an abstract sense, those things which belong to intelligence; and kings signify truths. There is none among them that calleth unto me, signifies that no one cares for truths from the Divine.

[7] In Job:

"He regardeth not the way of the vineyards; drought and heat shall consume the waters of snow" (24:18, 19).

Not to regard the way of the vineyards signifies to regard the truths of the church as of no importance. Drought and heat shall consume the waters of snow, signifies that the want of truth, and thence the lust for falsity will destroy all genuine truths, waters of snow denoting genuine truths.

[8] In Isaiah:

"He will say to the bound, Go forth, to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed upon the ways, and their pasture shall be on all heights. They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither the heat nor the sun shall smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, yea, even unto fountains of waters shall he guide them" (49:9, 10).

The signification of these words need not be explained in detail, since they are similar to those that we are now explaining in the Apocalypse, and are as follows:- "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb shall feed them and lead them unto living fountains of waters."

These things in the Apocalypse, in a similar manner to those in the prophet, are spoken of the Lord. By the bound here mentioned, to whom he shall say, "Go forth," and by those who are in darkness, to whom he shall say, "shew yourselves," are signified also the Gentiles, who had lived in good according to their religion, and yet were in falsities from ignorance; they are said to be bound, when they are in temptations. Darkness denotes falsities arising from ignorance. That the heat shall not smite them, signifies that falsity from lust (ex concupiscentia) shall not affect them.

[9] In the Apocalypse:

"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and it was given unto him to scorch men with fire; and men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God" (16:8, 9).

These words will be explained hereafter in their proper place. Because the sun signifies the Divine Love, therefore also heat signifies ardent desire for truth, as in Isaiah 18:4; and Zech. 8:2, where heat is attributed to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord. In many passages anger and wrath are predicated of God, and by anger is signified zeal for good, and by wrath zeal for truth; for wrath and heat are from the same word in the original tongue.

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.