The Bible

 

耶利米哀歌 4

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1 何其失光!纯何其变色!所的石头倒在各市口上。

2 锡安宝贵的众子好比精金,现在何竟算为窑匠所做的瓦瓶?

3 野狗尚且把奶哺其子,我民的妇人倒成为残忍,好像旷野的鸵鸟一般。

4 吃奶孩子的舌头因乾渴贴住上膛;孩童求饼,无人擘给他们。

5 素来美好食物的,现今在街上变为孤寒;素来卧朱红褥子的,现今躺卧粪堆

6 都因我众民的孽比所多玛还大;所多玛虽然无人加於他,还是转眼之间被倾覆

7 锡安的贵胄素来比纯净,比奶更白;他们的身体比红宝玉(或译:珊瑚)更红,像光润的蓝宝石一样。

8 现在他们的面貌比煤炭更黑,以致在街上无人认识;他们的皮肤紧贴骨头,枯乾如同槁

9 饿的不如被刀杀的,因为这是缺了田间的土产,就身体衰弱,渐渐消灭。

10 慈悲的妇人,当我众民被毁灭的时候,亲自己的儿女作为食物。

11 耶和华发怒成就他所定的,倒出他的烈怒;在锡安使着起,烧毁锡安的根基

12 上的君和世上的居民都不信敌人和仇敌能进耶路撒冷的城

13 这都因他先知罪恶祭司孽;他们在城中流了人的血。

14 他们在街上如瞎子乱走,又被血玷污,以致人不能摸他们的衣服。

15 人向他们喊着:!不洁净的,躲开,躲开!不要挨近我!他们逃走飘流的时候,列国中有人:他们不可仍在这里寄居。

16 耶和华发怒,将他们分散,不再眷顾他们;人不重看祭司,也不厚待长老

17 我们仰望人来帮助,以致眼目失明,还是枉然;我们所盼望的,竟盼望一个不能人的国!

18 仇敌追赶我们的脚步像打猎的,以致我们不敢在自己的街上行走。我们的结局临近;我们的日子满足;我们的结局到了。

19 追赶我们的比空中的更快;他们在上追逼我们,在旷野埋伏,等候我们

20 耶和华的受膏者好比我们鼻中的气,在他们的坑中被捉住;我们曾论到他:我们必在他荫,在列国中存活。

21 乌斯以东民哪,只管欢喜快乐;苦杯也必传到你那里;你必喝醉,以致露体。

22 锡安的民哪,你孽的刑罚受足了,耶和华必不使你再被掳去。以东的民哪,他必追讨你的孽,显露你的罪恶

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #660

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660. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and shall be glad.- That this signifies the delights of infernal love with those who are opposed to the goods and truths of the church, is evident from the signification of they that dwell upon the earth, as denoting those who are in the church; in the present case, those therein who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, consequently those who are opposed to its goods and truths; and from the signification of rejoicing and being glad, as denoting here the delight of infernal love; for all joy and all gladness is from love. For every one rejoices and is glad when his love is favoured, and when he is in pursuit of and attains the object of his love; in a word, all man's joy proceeds from his love, and all sadness and grief of mind from antagonism to his love.

[2] It is said "to rejoice and to be glad" because of the marriage of good and truth. For joy is said of good because it relates to love, as it properly pertains to the heart and will, and gladness is said of truth, because it relates to love of truth, as it properly pertains to the mind and its thought; therefore we say "joy of heart" and "gladness of mind." For everywhere in the Word two expressions occur, one of which has reference to good and the other to truth, and this is the case because the conjunction of good and truth makes both heaven and the church, therefore both heaven and the church are compared to a marriage, from the fact that the Lord is called the bridegroom and husband, and heaven and the church, the bride and wife. He therefore who is not in that marriage is neither an angel of heaven, nor a man of the church. The reason of this also is, that good is not possible with any one unless formed by truths, nor is truth possible unless it lives from good. For all truth is the form of good, and all good is the esse of truth, and because one is not possible without the other, it follows that the marriage of good and truth must necessarily exist both with the men of the church and the angels of heaven; also all intelligence and wisdom are from that marriage, for from it truths and goods are being continually born, by which the understanding and will are formed.

[3] These things have been stated to make it clear why it is said "to rejoice and be glad;" for to rejoice is stated of good and its love or affection, and to be glad is stated of truth, and its love or affection. Similarly also in many other parts of the Word, in the following passages:

"The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice" (Psalm 96:11).

"Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee" (Psalm 40:16; 70:4).

"The just shall be glad, and exult before God, and shall rejoice in gladness" (Psalm 68:3).

"That we may rejoice all our days, make us glad according to the days thou hast afflicted us" (Psalm 90:14, 15).

"Be glad in Jerusalem, and exult in her, all ye that love her, rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her" (Isaiah 66:10).

"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom" (Lamentations 4:21).

"Behold joy and gladness; killing the ox" (Isaiah 22:13).

"They shall obtain joy and gladness, sadness and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10; 51:11).

"Joy and gladness shall be found in Zion, confession and the voice of singing" (Isaiah 51:3).

"Thou wilt make me to hear joy and gladness" (Psalm 51:8).

"Gladness and joy are cut off from the house of our God" (Joel 1:16).

"The fast of the tenth month shall be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness" (Zech. 8:19).

"The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" (Jeremiah 7:34; 25:10; 33:11).

[4] In the place of joy, exultation is also mentioned, because exultation like joy, is said of good, because it relates to love, to the heart and to the will; as in the following passages:

"Jacob shall exult, Israel shall be glad" (Psalm 14:7; 53:6).

"I exult and am glad in thy kindness" (Psalm 31:7).

"Be glad in Jehovah, and exult, O ye just" (Psalm 32:11).

"The mount of Zion shall be glad, and the daughters of Judah shall exult" (Psalm 48:11).

"Let all that trust in thee be glad, and let them that love thy name exult in thee" (Psalm 5:11).

"This is the day which Jehovah hath made, we will exult and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

"We will exult and be glad in his salvation" (Isaiah 25:9).

"Be glad and exult for ever in the things which I create" (Isaiah 65:18).

"Exult and be glad that Jehovah hath magnified his doing" (Joel 2:21).

"Sons of Zion exult and be glad in Jehovah your God" (Joel 2:23; Habakkuk 3:18).

"Be glad and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem" (Zephan. 3:14).

"Gladness and exultation are taken away from Carmel" (Isaiah 16:10; Jeremiah 48:33).

The angel said unto Zacharias, "Thou shalt have gladness and exultation, and many shall rejoice at his birth" (Luke 1:14).

In all these passages, exultation signifies delight from the love and affection for good, and gladness signifies pleasure from the love and affection for truth.

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