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耶利米书 44

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1 有临到耶利米,论及一切埃及的犹大人,就是在密夺、答比匿、挪弗、巴忒罗境内的犹大人,说:

2 万军之耶和华以色列的如此:我所降与耶路撒冷犹大各城的一切灾祸你们都见了。那些城邑今日荒凉,无人居住

3 这是因居民所行的恶,去烧香事奉别,就是他们和你们,并你们列祖所不认识的,惹我发怒。

4 我从起来差遣我的仆人先知去说,你们切不要行我所厌恶这可憎之事。

5 他们却不从,不侧耳而,不离恶事,仍向别烧香。

6 因此,我的怒气和忿怒都倒出来,在犹大城邑中和耶路撒冷的街上,如火着起,以致都荒废凄凉,正如今日一样。

7 现在耶和华─万军之以色列的如此:你们为何作这恶自害己命,使你们的男人妇女、婴孩,和吃奶的都从犹大中剪除、不留一呢?

8 就是因你们所做的,在所去寄居的埃及向别烧香惹我发怒,使你们被剪除,在天下万国中令人咒诅羞辱。

9 你们列祖的恶行,犹大和他们后妃的恶行,你们自己和你们妻子的恶行,就是在犹大耶路撒冷街上所行的,你们都忘了麽?

10 到如今还没有懊悔,没有惧,没有遵行我在你们和你们列祖面前所设立的法度律例。

11 所以万军之耶和华以色列的如此:我必向你们变脸降灾,以致剪除犹大众人。

12 那定意进入埃及、在那里寄居的,就是所剩下的犹大人,我必使他们尽都灭绝,必在埃及仆倒,必因刀饥荒灭绝;从最小的到至的都必遭刀饥荒而,以致令人辱骂、惊骇、咒诅、羞辱。

13 我怎样用刀、饥荒、瘟疫刑罚耶路撒冷,也必照样刑罚那些埃及的犹大人;

14 甚至那进入埃及寄居的,就是所剩下的犹大人,都不得逃脱,也不得存留归回犹大。他们心中甚想归回居住;除了逃脱的以外,一个都不能归回。

15 那些埃及巴忒罗知道自己妻子向别烧香的,与旁边站立的众妇女,聚集成群,回答耶利米

16 论到你奉耶和华的名向我们我们必不从。

17 我们定要成就我们中所出的一切,向后烧香、浇奠祭,按着我们我们列祖、君、首领在犹大的城邑中和耶路撒冷的街上素常所行的一样;因为那时我们吃饱饭、享福乐,并不见灾祸。

18 自从我们停止向后烧香、浇奠祭,我们倒缺乏一切,又因刀饥荒灭绝。

19 妇女:我们向后烧香、浇奠祭,做后像的饼供奉他,向他浇奠祭,是外乎我们的丈夫麽?

20 耶利米对一切那样回答他的男人妇女

21 你们与你们列祖、君、首领,并国内的百姓,在犹大城邑中和耶路撒冷上所烧的香,耶和华岂不记念,中岂不思想麽?

22 耶和华因你们所作的恶、所行可憎的事,不能再容忍,所以你们的荒凉,令人惊骇咒诅,无人居住,正如今日一样。

23 你们烧香,得罪耶和华,没有听从他的话,没有遵行他的律法、条例、法度,所以你们遭遇这灾祸,正如今日一样。

24 耶利米又对众民和众妇女:你们在埃及的一切犹大人当耶和华的

25 万军之耶和华以色列的如此:你们和你们的妻都里做,我们定要偿还所许的愿,向后烧香、浇奠祭。现在你们只管坚定所许的愿而偿还罢!

26 所以你们埃及的一切犹大耶和华的耶和华:我指着我的名起誓,在埃及,我的名不再被犹大一个称呼:我指着─永生的耶和华起誓。

27 我向他们留意降祸不降福;在埃及的一切犹大必因刀、饥荒所灭,直到灭尽。

28 脱离刀、从埃及归回犹大的人数很少;那进入埃及要在那里寄居的,就是所剩下的犹大人,必知道是谁的立得住,是我的呢?是他们的呢?

29 耶和华:我在这地方刑罚你们,必有预兆,使你们知道我降祸与你们的必要立得住。

30 耶和华如此:我必将埃及王法老合弗拉交在他仇敌和寻索其命的人中,像我将犹大王西底家交在他仇敌和寻索其命的巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒中一样。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #56

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56. The passages from the Prophetic Word, where the Israelitish Church is treated of, in which "vastation," "desolation," and "breaking," and also a "desert" are mentioned, are the following:

O inhabitant of Jerusalem, and man of Judah,... what should I do to My vineyard that I had not done? I looked that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes... I will make it a desolation, it shall not be pruned nor weeded, that the briar may come up;... and houses shall be a devastation; . . . for they regard not the work of Jehovah, neither see the operation of His hands (Isa. 5:3-12).

Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard, they have trampled My field, they have reduced the field of My desire to a desert of solitude; he hath made it a solitude.... O desolate, desolate is the whole land, because no one layeth it to heart. The vastators came upon all hills in the desert;... they have sown wheat, but have reaped thorns (Jer. 12:10-13).

A nation hath come up upon My land,... and hath reduced My vine to a waste (Joel 1:6-7).

The field is devastated; the land mourneth, for the corn is devastated; the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth (Joel 1:10):

by "vineyard" and "field" in these as in other passages of the Word, is signified the Church.

In all your dwelling-places the cities shall be devastated, and the high places shall be desolated; that your altars may be devastated and desolated,... and your idols may cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished (Ezek. 6:6; see also ver. 14).

My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to vanity,... to make the land a waste (Jer. 18:15-16);

"land," here denotes the Church.

The high places of Isaac shall be vastated, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be desolated (Amos 7:9).

Go and say to this people, Hearing hear ye, but understand not; and seeing see ye, but know not; make the heart of this people fat, and shut his eyes: (Isa. 6:9-10).

then said the prophet,

Lord, how long? and He said, Until the cities be devastated, and the land reduced to a solitude: Jehovah will multiply deserts in the midst of the land (Isa. 6:11-12).

Behold, Jehovah maketh the land empty, and maketh it void; . . . the land shall be utterly emptied;... because they have transgressed the laws, passed by the statute, and made void the covenant of eternity. Therefore... in the city there shall be a waste, and the gate shall be smitten even to devastation (Isa. 24:1, 3, 5, 12).

The paths are devastated, the wayfarer hath ceased, he hath made void the covenant.... Conceive ye chaff, bring forth stubble (Isa. 33:8, 11).

I have kept silence from eternity.... I will desolate and devour together. I will vastate mountains and hills (Isa. 42:14-15).

Thy destroyers and devastators shall go forth out of thee. . . . For as for thy vastations and desolations, and the land of thy devastations,... the devourers shall be far away (Isa. 49:17, 19).

Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you.... They set an asp's eggs, and wove the spider's webs.... Vastation and breaking are in their paths.... We look for light, but behold darkness;... we grope for the wall like the blind;... we stumble at noon-day as in the twilight (Isa. 59:2, 5, 7, 9-10).

The cities of Thy holiness are become a desert, Zion is become a desert and Jerusalem a waste. Our house of holiness... is become a burning of fire, and all our desirable things are become a waste (Isa. 64:10-11).

The young lions roar against Israel;... they reduce his land to a waste (Jer. 2:15).

Woe unto us! for we are devastated. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness.... How long shall thoughts of iniquity tarry within thee? (Jer. 4:13-14).

As a fountain maketh her waters to gush forth, so Jerusalem maketh her wickedness to gush forth. Violence and vastation is heard in her.... Admit chastisement,... lest I reduce thee to a waste.... O daughter of My people, gird thee with sackcloth, and roll thee in ashes;... for the vastator shall suddenly come upon us (Jer. 6:7-8, 26).

A voice of wailing is heard in Zion, How are we devastated! because we have deserted the land (Jer. 9:19);

"land" denotes the Church.

My tent is devastated, all its ropes are plucked out,... for the shepherds have become foolish, and have not sought Jehovah (Jer. 10:20-21):

"tent" denotes worship.

The voice of a tumult; behold it cometh, and a great commotion from the land of the north, to reduce the cities of Judah to a waste, a habitation of dragons (Jer. 10:22).

The whole land shall be a desolation, a devastation (Jer. 25:11);

"land" denotes the Church.

The voice of a cry from Horonaim, devastation and great breaking;... the vastator shall come upon every city (Jer. 48:3, 5, 8-9, 15, 18):

these things are about Moab, by whom is meant confidence in one's own works and in self-intelligence (as is manifest from verse 29 of that chapter).

That they may want bread and water, and be desolated, a man and his brother, and pine away for their iniquity (Ezek. 4:17):

"bread" and "water" denote good and truth.

Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of devastation and desolation (Ezek. 23:33).

Woe unto them! for they have wandered; devastation unto them! (Hosea 7:13).

The land shall be a desolation, because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings (Micah 7:13).

Besides many other passages, as Isa. 7:18-19; 17:4-6, 9-14; 22:4-9; 29:10-12; 2:19: Jer. 19:8; 25:9-11,18; 44:2, 6, 22: Ezek. 9:1 to end; 12:19-20; 33:24, 28-29: Hosea 10:14; 12:2: Joel 2:20: Amos 5:9: Micah 6:13, 16: Hab. 1:3: Hag. 1:4, 9: Zech. 7:14; 11:2-3.

From all these passages may be seen what "vastation" and "desolation" are; and that it is not a vastation and desolation of the peoples of a land and of cities, but of the goods and truths of the Church, in consequence of which there is nothing left but evils and falsities.

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