The Bible

 

耶利米哀歌 2

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1 主何竟发怒,使黑云遮蔽锡安城!他将以色列的华美从扔在上;在他发怒的日子并不记念自己的脚凳

2 雅各一切的住处,并不顾惜。他发怒倾覆犹大民的保障,使这保障坍倒在;他辱没这国和其中的首领。

3 他发烈怒,把以色列的角全然砍断,在仇敌面前收回右手。他像焰四围吞灭,将雅各烧毁。

4 他张好像仇敌;他站着举起右手,如同敌人将悦人眼目的,尽行杀戮。在锡安百姓的帐棚上倒出他的忿怒,像一样。

5 主如仇敌以色列和锡安的一切宫殿,拆毁百姓的保障;在犹大民中加增悲伤哭号。

6 他强取自己的帐幕,好像是园中的窝棚,毁坏他的聚会之处。耶和华使圣节和安息日在锡安都被忘记,又在怒气的愤恨中藐视君王和祭司。

7 耶和华丢弃自己的祭坛,憎恶自己的圣所,将宫殿的墙垣交付仇敌。他们在耶和华的殿中喧嚷,像在圣会之日一样。

8 耶和华定意拆毁锡安的城墙;他拉了准绳,不将收回,定要毁灭。他使外郭和城墙都悲哀,一同衰败。

9 锡安的都陷入内;将她的闩毁坏,折断。她的君王和首领落在没有律法的列国中;她的先知不得见耶和华的异象

10 锡安城的长老上默默无声;他们扬起尘土落在上,腰束麻布耶路撒冷处女

11 我眼中流泪,以致失明,我的心肠扰乱,胆涂,都因我众民遭毁灭,又因孩童和吃奶的在城内街上发昏。

12 那时,他们在城内街上发昏,好像受伤的,在母亲的怀里,将要丧命;对母亲:谷、酒在哪里呢?

13 耶路撒冷的民哪,我可用甚麽向你证明呢?我可用甚麽与你相比呢?锡安的民哪,我可拿甚麽和你比较,好安慰你呢?因为你的裂口,谁能医治你呢?

14 你的先知为你见虚假和愚昧的异象,并没有显露你的罪孽,使你被掳的归回;却为你见虚假的默示和使你被赶出本境的缘故。

15 凡过的都向你拍掌。他们向耶路撒冷城嗤笑,摇:难道人所称为全美的,称为全所喜悦的,就是这城吗?

16 你的仇敌都向你大大张;他们嗤笑,又切齿:我们灭她。这真是我们所盼望的日子临到了!我们亲眼见了!

17 耶和华成就了他所定的,应验了他古时所命定的。他倾覆了,并不顾惜,使你的仇敌向你夸耀;使你敌人的角也被高举。

18 锡安民的哀求主。锡安的城墙啊,愿你泪如,昼夜不息;愿你眼中的瞳人泪不止。

19 夜间,每逢交更的时候要起来呼喊,在主面前倾。你的孩童在各市口上受饿发昏;你要为他们的性命向主举手祷告。

20 耶和华啊,求你观!见你向谁这样行?妇人岂可自己所生育手里所摇弄的婴孩吗?祭司和先知岂可在主的圣所中被杀戮吗?

21 少年人和老年人都在街上躺卧;我的处女和壮丁都倒在刀下;你发怒的日子杀死他们。你杀了,并不顾惜。

22 你招聚四围惊吓我的,像在大会的日子招聚人一样。耶和华发怒的日子,无人逃脱,无人存留。我所摇弄所养育的婴孩,仇敌都杀净了。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #492

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492. "Clothed in sackcloth." This symbolizes the grief experienced meanwhile over the truth's not being accepted.

Being clothed in sackcloth symbolizes grief over the destruction of truth in the church, for garments symbolize truths (nos. 166, 212, 328, 378, 379). Consequently to be clothed in sackcloth, which is not a garment, symbolizes grief over the lack of truth, and where there is no truth, there is no church.

The children of Israel represented grief in various ways, which, because of their correspondence, were symbolic. For example, they would put ash on their heads, roll around in the dust, sit on the ground for a long time in silence, shave themselves, beat their breasts and wail, rend their garments, and also clothe themselves in sackcloth, and so on. Each action symbolized some evil in the church among them for which they were being punished. Then, when they were being punished, they put on a representation of repentance in these ways, and because of their representation of repentance, and at the same time then of their humbling themselves, they were heard.

[2] That putting on sackcloth represented grief over the destruction of truth in the church may be seen from the following passages:

The lion has come up from his thicket... He has gone forth from his place to make your land desolate... For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament, wail. (Jeremiah 4:7-8)

O daughter of my people, gird yourself in sackcloth and roll about in ashes! ...For the destroyer will suddenly come upon us. (Jeremiah 6:26)

Woe to you, Chorazin (and) Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented... in sackcloth and ashes. (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13)

After the king of Nineveh heard the words of Jonah, he "laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes." Moreover, he proclaimed a fast and ordered that "man and beast be covered with sackcloth." (Jonah 3:5-8)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 3:24; 15:2-3; 22:12; 37:1-2; 50:3; Jeremiah 48:37-38; 49:3; Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 7:17-18; 27:31; Daniel 9:3; Joel 1:8, 13; Amos 8:10; Job 16:15-16; Psalms 30:11; Psalms 35:13; 69:10-11; 2 Samuel 3:31; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 6:30; 19:1-2.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.