The Bible

 

耶利米书 50

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1 耶和华先知耶利米论巴比伦和迦勒底人

2 你们要在万国中传扬报告,竖立大旗;要报告,不可隐瞒,:巴比伦被攻取,彼勒蒙羞,米罗达惊惶。巴比伦的像都蒙羞;他的偶像都惊惶。

3 因有一国从北方上来攻击他,使他的荒凉,无人居住,连人带牲畜都逃走了。

4 耶和华:当那日子、那时候,以色列人要和犹大人同,随走随哭,寻求耶和华─他们的

5 他们必访问锡安,又面向这里,说:罢,你们要与耶和华联合为永远不忘的约。

6 我的百姓作了迷失的,牧人使他们走差,使他们上。他们从大走到小,竟忘了安歇之处。

7 凡遇见他们的,就把他们吞灭。敌人:我们没有罪;因他们得罪那作公居所的耶和华,就是他们列祖所仰望的耶和华

8 我民哪,你们要从巴比伦中逃走,从迦勒底人出去,要像羊群前面走的公山

9 因我必激动联合的国从北方上来攻击巴比伦,他们要摆阵攻击他;他必从那里被攻取。他们的好像善射之勇士的,一枝也不徒然返回

10 迦勒底必成为掠物;凡掳掠他的都必心满意足。这是耶和华的。

11 抢夺我产业的啊,你们因欢喜快乐,且像踹谷撒欢的母牛犊,又像发嘶声的壮马。

12 你们的母巴比伦就极其抱愧,生你们的必然蒙羞。他要列在诸国之末,成为旷野、旱地、沙漠。

13 耶和华的忿怒,必无人居住,要全然荒凉。凡经过巴比伦的要受惊骇,又因他所遭的灾殃嗤笑。

14 所有拉的,你们要在巴比伦的四围摆阵,射攻击他。不要爱惜枝,因他得罪了耶和华

15 你们要在他四围呐;他已经投降。外郭坍塌了,城墙拆毁了,因为这是耶和华报仇的事。你们要向巴比伦报仇;他怎样待人,也要怎样待他。

16 你们要将巴比伦撒种的和收割时拿镰刀的都剪除了。他们各因怕欺压的刀,必归回本族,逃到本土。

17 以色列是打散的羊,是被狮子赶出的。首先是亚述王将他吞灭,末後是巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒将他的骨头折断。

18 所以万军之耶和华以色列的如此:我必罚巴比伦王和他的,像我从前罚亚述王一样。

19 我必再领以色列回他的草场,他必在迦密和巴珊吃草,又在以法莲上和基列境内得以饱足

20 耶和华:当那日子、那时候,虽寻以色列的孽,一无所有;虽寻犹大罪恶,也无所见;因为我所留下的人,我必赦免。

21 耶和华:上去攻击米拉大翁之,又攻击比割的居民。要追杀灭尽,照我一切所吩咐你的去行。

22 境内有打仗和毁灭的响声。

23 的大锤何竟砍断坏?巴比伦在列国中何竟荒凉?

24 巴比伦哪,我为你设下网罗,你不知不觉被缠住。你被寻着,也被捉住;因为你与耶和华争竞。

25 耶和华已经开了,拿出他恼恨的兵器;因为─万军之耶和华迦勒底人有当做的事。

26 你们要从极远的边界攻击他,开他的仓廪,将他堆如高堆,毁灭净尽,丝毫不留。

27 要杀他的一切牛犊,使他们去遭遇杀戮。他们有祸了,因为追讨他们的日子已经到。

28 (有从巴比伦之逃避出来的人,在锡安扬声报告耶和华─我们的报仇,就是为他的殿报仇。)

29 招集一切弓箭手来攻击巴比伦。要在巴比伦四围安营,不要容一人逃脱,照着他所做的报应他;他怎样待人,也要怎样待他,因为他向耶和华以色列的圣者发了狂傲。

30 所以他的少年人必仆倒在街上。当那日,一切兵丁必默默无声。这是耶和华的。

31 ─万军之耶和华:你这狂傲的啊,我与你反对,因为我追讨你的日子已经到。

32 狂傲的必绊跌仆倒,无人扶起。我也必使在他的城邑中里起来,将他四围所有的尽行烧灭。

33 万军之耶和华如此以色列人犹大人一同受欺压;凡掳掠他们的都紧紧抓住他们,不肯释放。

34 他们的大有能力,万军之耶和华是他的名。他必伸清他们的冤,好使全得平安,并搅扰巴比伦的居民

35 耶和华:有刀临到迦勒底人和巴比伦的居民,并他的首领与智慧人。

36 有刀临到矜夸的人,他们就成为愚昧;有刀临到他的勇士,他们就惊惶。

37 有刀临到他的马匹、车辆,和其中杂族的人民;他们必像妇女一样。有刀临到他的宝物,就被抢夺。

38 有乾旱临到他的众水,就必乾涸;因为这是有雕刻偶像之,人因偶像而颠狂。

39 所以旷野的走兽和豺狼必在那里,鸵鸟也在其中,永无人烟,世世代无人居住

40 耶和华:必无在那里,也无在其中寄居,要像我倾覆所多玛、蛾摩拉,和邻近的城邑一样。

41 看哪,有一种民从北方,并有一国和许多被激动,从到。

42 他们拿和枪,性情残忍,不施怜悯,他们的声音浪匉訇。巴比伦城阿,〔城原文作女子〕他们,都摆队伍如上战场的,要攻击你。

43 巴比伦王见他们的风声,就发软,痛苦将他抓住,疼痛彷佛产难的妇人。

44 仇敌必像狮子从约但河边的丛林上来,攻击坚固的居所。转眼之间,我要使他们逃跑,离开这地。谁蒙拣选,我就派谁治理这地。谁能比我呢?谁能给我定规日期呢?有何牧人能在我面前站立得住呢?

45 你们要耶和华攻击巴比伦所说的谋略和他攻击迦勒底人所定的旨意。仇敌定要将他们众微弱的拉去,定要使他们的居所荒凉。

46 因巴比伦被取的声音就震动,人在列邦都见呼喊的声音

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #459

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459. And idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood. This symbolically means that thus they engage in worship founded on nothing but falsities.

Idols in the Word symbolize falsities in worship, and therefore worshiping them symbolizes worship founded on falsities. Worshiping idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, then, symbolizes worship founded on falsities of every kind, and when taken in combination, worship founded on nothing but falsities. Moreover, the materials, figures, and garments of the idols among ancient peoples represented the falsities of religion on which they founded their worship. Idols of gold symbolized falsities regarding matters pertaining to God; idols of silver, falsities regarding matters pertaining to the spirit; idols of brass, falsities regarding charity; idols of stone, falsities regarding faith; and idols of wood, falsities regarding good works.

All of these falsities are held by people who do not repent, that is, who do not refrain from evils as being sins against God.

[2] Idols, which were carved and cast images, have this symbolic meaning in the spiritual sense in the following passages:

Everyone has been made stupid by knowledge; every metalsmith is has been put to shame by a carved image; for his cast image is a falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are futile, a work of errors; in the time of their visitation they shall perish. (Jeremiah 10:14-15; 51:17-18)

(Carved images are) the work of the hands of the workman... They do not speak... They are both foolish and stupid; the wood is a worthless teacher... They are all the work of skillful men. (Jeremiah 10:3-5, 8-10)

What profit is the carved image, that its maker has carved it, ...and a teacher of lies, that the maker of the lie trusts in it...? ...in it there is no breath. (Habakkuk 2:18-19)

In that day a man will cast away to the moles and bats his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship... (Isaiah 2:18, 20)

...they made for themselves cast images of their silver, idols according to their skill, all of it the work of craftsmen. (Hosea 13:2)

I will sprinkle clean water on you, that you may be cleansed... from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. (Ezekiel 36:25)

Clean waters are truths; idols are falsities in worship.

You shall judge unclean the covering of your graven images of silver, and the attire of your cast images of gold. You will throw them away as a menstrual cloth; you will call it excrement. (Isaiah 30:22)

[3] Falsities in religion and thus in worship are precisely what are symbolically meant by the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone that Belshazzar, king of Babylon, praised (i.e., worshiped) when with his great men, wives and concubines he drank wine from the vessels of gold and silver taken from the temple in Jerusalem, on which account he was driven from mankind and became as a beast (Daniel 5:1-5ff.).

And so also in many other places, as in Isaiah 10:10-11; 21:9; 31:7; 40:19-20; 41:29; 42:17; 48:5, Leviticus 26:30.

Properly speaking, idols symbolize falsities in worship springing from people's own intelligence. How a person fashions them and afterward adapts them so that they appear to be true is fully described in Isaiah 44:9-20.

  
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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.