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Ezekijel 18

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1 Dođe mi riječ Jahvina:

2 "Što vam je te o Izraelu ponavljate poslovicu: 'Oci jedoše kiselo grožđe, sinovima trnu zubi!'

3 Života mi moga, riječ je Jahve Gospoda: nitko od vas neće više u Izraelu ponavljati tu poslovicu;

4 jer, svi su životi moji, kako život očev tako i život sinovlji. I evo, onaj koji zgriješi, taj će umrijeti.

5 Tko je pravedan i poštuje zakon i pravdu

6 i ne blaguje po gorama i očiju ne podiže kumirima doma Izraelova, ne oskvrnjuje žene bližnjega svoga i ne prilazi ženi dok je nečista;

7 nikomu ne nanosi nasilja, vraća što je u zalog primio i ništa ne otima; kruh svoj dijeli s gladnim, gologa odijeva,

8 ne posuđuje uz dobit i ne uzima pridavka, ruku usteže od nedjela, po istini presuđuje,

9 po mojim naredbama hodi i čuva moje zakone, postupajući po istini - taj je zaista pravedan i taj će živjeti, riječ je Jahve Gospoda.

10 Ali, porodi li on sina nasilnika, koji krv prolijeva ili bratu takvo što učini,

11 a ne radi kao njegov roditelj, nego blaguje po gorama, oskvrnjuje ženu bližnjega;

12 ubogu i bijednu nanosi nasilje, otima, ne vraća što je u zalog primio, oči podiže kumirima čineći gadosti;

13 posuđuje uz dobit i uzima pridavak - ne, takav sin neće živjeti! Učinio je te gadosti i umrijet će, a krv će njegova na njega pasti.

14 A porodi li on sina koji uvidi sve grijehe što ih njegov otac počini, uvidi ih i tako više ne učini;

15 ne blaguje po gorama, očiju ne podiže kumirima doma Izraelova, ne oskvrnjuje žene bližnjega;

16 nikomu ne nanosi nasilja, ne prisvaja zaloga, ništa ne otima, kruh svoj dijeli s gladnim, gologa odijeva;

17 ruku usteže od nedjela, ne uzima dobiti ni pridavka, vrši moje zakone i hodi po mojim naredbama - ne, taj neće umrijeti zbog grijeha očeva, on će živjeti.

18 A njegov otac, koji je nemilice tlačio i pljačkao bližnjega, čineći u narodu što ne valja, zbog svojega će grijeha umrijeti.

19 Ali vi kažete: 'Zašto da sin ne snosi očev grijeh?' Zato što sin vrši zakon i pravdu, čuva i vrši sve moje naredbe, živjet će.

20 Onaj koji zgriješi, taj će i umrijeti. Sin neće snositi grijeha očeva, ni otac grijeha sinovljega. Na pravedniku će biti pravda njegova, a na bezbožniku bezbožnost njegova.

21 Ako se bezbožnik odvrati od svih grijeha što ih počini, i bude čuvao sve moje naredbe i vršio zakon i pravdu, živjet će i neće umrijeti.

22 Sva njegova nedjela što ih počini bit će zaboravljena: zbog pravednosti što je čini, živjet će.

23 Jer, zar je meni do toga da umre bezbožnik - riječ je Jahve Gospoda - a ne da se odvrati od svojih zlih putova i da živi?

24 Ako li se pravednik odvrati od svoje pravednosti i stane činiti nepravdu i sve gadosti koje radi bezbožnik - hoće li živjeti? Sva pravedna djela koja bijaše činio zaboravit će se, a zbog svoje nevjere kojom se iznevjerio i zbog grijeha što ih počini, umrijet će.

25 A vi velite: 'Put Jahvin nije pravedan!' Čuj, dome Izraelov: Moj Put da nije pravedan? Nisu li vaši putovi nepravedni?

26 Ako li se pravednik odvrati od svoje pravednosti i stane činiti nepravdu, pa zbog toga umre, umrijet će zbog nepravde što je počini.

27 A ako se bezbožnik odvrati od svoje bezbožnosti što je bijaše činio, pa stane vršiti moj zakon i pravdu, živjet će i neće umrijeti.

28 Jer je uvidio i odvratio se od svojih nedjela što ih bijaše počinio, živjet će i neće umrijeti.

29 Ali dom Izraelov kaže: 'Put Gospodnji nije pravedan!' Putovi moji da nisu pravedni, dome Izraelov? Nisu li vaši putovi nepravedni?

30 Dome Izraelov, ja ću suditi svakome po njegovim putovima - riječ je Jahve Gospoda. Obratite se, dakle, i povratite od svih svojih nedjela, i grijeh vam vaš neće biti na propast!

31 Odbacite od sebe sva nedjela koja ste činili i načinite sebi novo srce i nov duh! Zašto da umirete, dome Izraelov?

32 Ja ne želim smrti nikoga koji umre - riječ je Jahve Gospoda. Obratite se, dakle, i živite!

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8972

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8972. Verse 1 And these are the judgements which you shall set before them means those more external truths such as must exist in a civic state where the Church is representative, which flow from the internal truths belonging to order in heaven. The fact that these things are meant by 'the judgements that were to be set before the children of Israel' is clear from the meaning of 'judgements' as truths, dealt with in 2235, 6397, 7206, 8685, 8695. The reason why 'judgements' are truths is that all judgement is effected by means of truths; therefore 'executing judgement' in the Word means executing truth, that is, judging in accordance with truths. But the plural 'judgements' means civil laws, thus those more external truths such as exist in a civic state. The words 'where the Church is representative' are added because these truths contain and embody within themselves the truths that belong to order in heaven, as may be recognized from the internal sense of them.

[2] The laws which the Lord delivered to the children of Israel and commanded them to keep were divided into commandments, judgements, and statutes. The term 'commandments' was given to those which were laws of life, 'judgements' to those which were laws of the civic state, and 'statutes' to those which were laws of worship. As regards judgements specifically, they are the kinds of laws that are contained in the present chapter and also some that follow. They served as laws in a Church in which inner realities, those of heaven and of the Church, were represented by outward things; but they do not serve as laws in a Church in which inner realities are no longer represented by outward things, as in the Christian Church. The reason for this is that inner realities have been revealed to people of this Church, and therefore inner realities are the channel through which contact is made with heaven, not outward things, as had been the situation before the Christian Church. Here is the reason why members of the Christian Church are not bound to adhere to the outward requirements of the laws called judgements and statutes, only to the inward ones. Holiness still remains within them because they hold holy truths within them, as also does every single command in the Word regarding the sacrifices. Although these are no longer prescriptive laws they remain holy constituents of the Word because of the Divine realities which they hold within themselves and which they represented. For when they are read by a Christian the Divine realities which are held within them and which were represented by them are discerned in heaven. They fill the angels with holiness, and at the same time the reader too through influx from the angels, especially if the reader himself is thinking at the same time about the Divine realities within them. From this it is evident that even the Old Testament Word is extremely holy.

[3] The fact that the laws which the Lord delivered to the children of Israel and commanded them to keep were divided into commandments that were laws of life, judgements that were laws of the civic state, and statutes that were laws of worship, is evident in Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Go, say to them, Go back into your tents. But you, stand here with Me, that I may tell you all the commandments, and statutes, and judgements which you shall teach them, so that they may do them. Deuteronomy 5:30-31.

In the same author,

Furthermore these are the commandments, statutes, and judgements which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you. Deuteronomy 6:1.

In the same author,

Therefore you shall keep the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them. Deuteronomy 7:11.

In David,

If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgements, if they profane My statutes and do not keep My commandments, I will visit their transgression with the rod. Psalms 89:30-32.

[4] Furthermore all the laws, in that they were those of a representative Church, were generally called judgements and statutes, as in Moses,

Now therefore, O Israel, hear the statutes and the judgements which I will teach you, that you may do them. What great nation [is there] that has righteous statutes and judgements, like all this law which I will set before you today? Deuteronomy 4:1, 8; 5:1.

In Ezekiel.

Jerusalem has changed My judgements into wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes more than the lands that are around her; for they have repudiated My judgements, and have not walked in My statutes. Ezekiel 5:6-7.

In the same prophet,

Let him 1 walk in My statutes and keep My judgements - to do the truth. Ezekiel 18:9.

In addition to these there are many other places, such as Leviticus 18:5; 19:37; 20:22; 25:18; 26:15; Deuteronomy 26:17; Ezekiel 11:12, 20; 20:11, 13, 25; 37:24.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin means them but the Hebrew means him

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