The Bible

 

Ezekijel 31

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1 Jedanaeste godine, trećega mjeseca, prvoga dana, dođe mi riječ Jahvina:

2 "Sine čovječji, kaži faraonu, kralju egipatskom, i mnoštvu njegovu: 'Na koga naličiš veličinom svojom?

3 Usporedit ću te, evo, s cedrom libanonskim, lijepih grana, gusta lišća i debla visoka: vrh mu do oblaka seže.

4 Voda ga othrani i uzvisi bezdan; rijekama mu svojim nasad oblijevaše, rukave svoje slaše k svem drveću poljskom.

5 I zato rastom on nadvisi sve poljsko drveće. Grane mu se namnožiše, hvoje mu se razgranaše od obilne vode što mu dotjecaše;

6 ptice mu nebeske na granama gnijezda savijahu. Ispod hvoja njegovih legoše se divlje zvijeri. A u hladu njegovu svi veliki narodi sjeđahu.

7 Lijep on bijaše veličinom i širinom svojih grana; do dubokih voda žilje mu sezaše!

8 Ne bijahu mu ravni ni cedrovi u vrtu Božjem, ni čempresi se ne mogahu usporediti s granama njegovim, a platane ni kao hvoje njegove ne bijahu! Nijedno stablo u vrtu Božjem ne bješe mu po ljepoti ravno.

9 Ukrasih ga mnoštvom grana, i zaviđaše mu sve edensko drveće u vrtu Božjem.'

10 Stoga ovako govori Jahve Gospod: 'Jer se s rasta uzoholio što mu vrh do oblaka sezaše i srce mu visina zanese,

11 predadoh ga u ruke najmoćnijemu od svih naroda da učini s njime po zloći njegovoj, i odbacih ga.

12 Tuđinci, najokrutniji od naroda, posjekoše ga i oboriše, grane mu padahu po gorama i svim dolinama, hvoje mu se po svim uvalama polomiše, svi se narodi zemlje od njegova hlada udaljiše, ostaviše ga!

13 Na njegovo oboreno stablo sve ptice nebeske sletješe! Među njegovim se granama sve divlje zvijeri nastaniše!

14 Da se rastom svojim nijedno stablo pokraj vode više ne uzvisi i da vrh svoj među oblake ne uzdigne! I da se nijedno stablo koje pije vode u visinu svoju ne uzdaje! Jer su svi predani smrti, bačeni u podzemne krajeve, posred sinova ljudskih, s onima što slaze u jamu!'

15 Ovako govori Jahve Gospod: 'U dan kad on siđe u Podzemlje, u znak žalosti, zatvorih nad njim ponor i zaustavih rijeke njegove. I velike vode presahnuše te sav Libanon zbog njega u tugu zaogrnuh i sve se poljsko drveće zbog njega osuši!

16 Gromotom pada njegova potresoh narode kad ga strmoglavih u Podzemlje s onima što u jamu siđoše! I u podzemnom se kraju utješi sve drveće edensko, najizabranije i najljepše u Libanonu, sve što je vodu ispijalo.

17 I ono, mišica njegova, i oni među narodima koji u hladu njegovu sjeđahu, siđoše s njim u Podzemlje, k onima što mačem bijahu probodeni.

18 Na koga, dakle, među drvećem edenskim, naličiš svojom moći, slavom i veličinom? A sad si s njima oboren u podzemni kraj i s neobrezanima ležiš među onima što mačem bijahu probodeni. To je faraon i sve njegovo mnoštvo' - riječ je Jahve Gospoda."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #28

  
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28. In the work itself, named THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, it has been shown that by the two trees, the one of "life" and the other of the "knowledge of good and evil," being placed in the garden of Eden, is signified that free-determination in spiritual things was given to man (n. 466-469); to which must be added that without such free-determination man would not be a man, but only a figure and semblance; for his thought would be without reflection, consequently without judgment, and thus in Divine things, which are the things of the Church, he would have no more power of turning himself, than a door without a hinge, or, with a hinge, bolted with a steel bar; and his will would be without decision, consequently no more active with respect to justice or injustice than a tombstone, beneath which lies a dead body. That man's life after death, and the immortality of his soul, is owing to the gift of this free-determination, and that this is the "likeness of God," has been proved in the work itself-as also above.

[2] Yea, man, that is, his mind, without this would be like a sponge which imbibes water in great abundance but is not able to discharge it, in consequence of which both would decompose,-the water into foulness, and the sponge into slime. Consequently, the Church with such a person would not be a Church, and thus a temple wherein the worship of God is performed; it would be like the den of some wild beast under the root of a lofty tree which sways to and fro overhead; except, only, that it would be able to take something therefrom, and apply itself to some other use than lying in tranquillity under it. Moreover, without free-determination in spiritual things, man would be blinder in all and each of the things of the Church, than a bird of night in the light of day, but more sharp-sighted than such a bird in the darkness of night; for with his eyelids he would close his eyes, and dim their sight to the truths of faith, but would raise his eyelids, open his eyes, and expand their sight like an eagle, to the falsities of faith. Free-determination in spiritual things arises from man walking, and living his life in the midst between heaven and hell; from heaven operating into him from above, and hell from beneath; and from the option given to man of turning himself either to higher or to lower things, thus either to the Lord or to the Devil.

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