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Ezekijel 34

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1 I dođe mi riječ Jahvina:

2 "Sine čovječji, prorokuj protiv Izraelovih pastira, prorokuj im i reci: 'Ovako govori Jahve Gospod: Jao pastirima Izraelovim koji napasaju sami sebe! Ne moraju li pastiri napasati stado?

3 Mlijekom se hranite, vunom odijevate, ovnove tovne koljete, a stada ne pasete.

4 Nemoćnih ne krijepite, bolesnih ne liječite, ranjenih ne povijate, zalutalih natrag ne dovodite, izgubljenih ne tražite, nego nasilno i okrutno njima gospodarite.

5 I tako se ovce raspršiše nemajuć' pastira, i raspršene postadoše plijen zvijerima.

6 Ovce lutaju po svim gorama i visokim bregovima; po svoj su zemlji raspršene ovce moje i nitko za njih ne pita, nikoga nema da ih traži.'

7 Zato, pastiri, čujte riječ Jahvinu:

8 'Tako mi života, riječ je Jahve Gospoda: zato što ovce moje postadoše plijen i hrana zvijerima, nemajuć' pastira, dok pastiri moji ovaca mojih ne traže nego sami sebe pasu, a ne pasu stada mojega -

9 zato, pastiri, čujte riječ Jahvinu:

10 Ovako govori Jahve Gospod: 'Evo me na pastire! Ovce svoje tražit ću iz ruku njihovih i neću im dati da mi više stado pasu ni da sami sebe pasu: istrgnut ću ovce iz usta njihovih, neće im više biti hrana.'

11 Jer ovako govori Jahve Gospod: 'Evo me, sam ću potražiti ovce svoje i sam ću ih pasti!

12 Kao što se pastir brine za ovce svoje kad se nađe uza stado raspršeno, i ja ću se pobrinuti za svoje ovce i skupit' ih iz svih mjesta u koje se raspršiše u dan oblaka i mraka.

13 Izvest ću ih iz naroda, skupit ću ih iz zemalja i dovesti ih u zemlju njihovu da ih pasem na gorama izraelskim, po svim dolinama i travnjacima.

14 Past ću ih na izvrsnim pašama, ovčinjaci će im biti na visokim gorama izraelskim; ondje će počivati u dobrim ovčinjacima i past će na sočnim pašama, po gorama izraelskim.

15 Sam ću pasti ovce svoje i sam ću im dati počinka - riječ je Jahve Gospoda.

16 Potražit ću izgubljenu, dovesti natrag zalutalu, povit ću ranjenu i okrijepiti nemoćnu, bdjeti nad pretilom i jakom - past ću ih pravedno.'

17 A vama, ovce moje, ovako govori Jahve Gospod: 'Evo me da sudim između ovce i ovce, između ovnova i jaraca!

18 Zar vam je malo pasti na dobroj paši te ostatak paše nogama gazite? Malo vam je piti bistru vodu te ostatak nogama mutite?

19 A moje ovce moraju pasti što vi nogama izgaziste, piti što vi nogama zamutiste.'

20 Stoga ovako govori Jahve Gospod: 'Evo me da sudim između ovce pretile i mršave!

21 Jer bokovima i plećima, bodući rogovima, slabe ovce guraste dok ih ne izguraste.

22 Ja ću izbaviti ovce svoje da više ne budu plijenom i sudit ću između ovce i ovce.

23 Postavit ću im jednoga pastira koji će ih pasti, slugu svoga Davida: on će ih sam pasti i bit će im pastir,

24 a ja, Jahve, bit ću njihov Bog, i moj sluga David bit će im knez. Ja, Jahve, rekoh!

25 I sklopit ću s njima Savez mira i uklonit ću iz zemlje sve divlje zvijeri, i živjet će mirno u pustinji i spavati po šumama.

26 Njih i sve oko brda svojega učinit ću blagoslovom i dat ću im na vrijeme kišu, i bit će to kiša blagoslova.

27 I drveće će poljsko donositi plodove, a zemlja će dati rod svoj. I oni će mirno živjeti u svojoj zemlji i znat će da sam ja Jahve kad slomim palice jarma njihova i kad ih izbavim iz ruku onih što ih podjarmiše.

28 I neće više biti plijenom narodima, i zvijeri ih više neće žderati, nego će mirno živjeti i nitko ih neće plašiti.

29 I učinit ću da im probuja slavni nasad, i glad ih više neće zatirati, u zemlji više neće podnositi rug narodÄa.

30 I znat će da sam ja, Jahve, Bog njihov, s njima i da su oni, dom Izraelov, narod moj - riječ je Jahve Gospoda.

31 Vi, ovce moje, vi ste stado paše moje, a ja sam Bog vaš' - riječ je Jahve Gospoda."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1460

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1460. That 'there was a famine in the land' means a lack of cognitions which still existed with the Lord when He was a boy is clear from what has been stated already. In childhood the cognitions that reside with man never come from that which is interior but from the objects of the senses, most of all from hearing; for, as has been stated, with the external man there are recipient vessels which are called those of the memory. Those vessels, as anyone may know, are formed by means of cognitions, the internal man flowing in and assisting that formation. Consequently the learning of cognitions and their implantation in the memory take place in the measure that the internal man is flowing in. So also with the Lord when a boy, for He was born as any other and received instruction as any other. But in His case the interiors were celestial, which fashioned the vessels to receive cognitions, and after that these cognitions to become vessels for receiving the Divine. The interiors with Him were Divine, being from Jehovah His Father, but the exteriors were human, being from Mary His mother. From this it becomes clear that in childhood a lack of cognitions within His external man existed with the Lord as much as with all others.

[2] That 'famine' means a lack of cognitions is clear from elsewhere in the Word, as in Isaiah,

They do not look closely at the work of Jehovah, and they do not regard what His hands have done. Therefore My people will go into exile because they have no knowledge, and their honourable men will be famished,' and their multitude parched with thirst. Isaiah 5:12-13.

'Honourable men famished 1 stands for a lack of celestial cognitions, 'multitude parched with thirst' for a lack of spiritual cognitions. In Jeremiah,

They have lied against Jehovah and said, It is not He; and no evil will come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine. And the prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Jeremiah 5:12-13.

'Sword and famine' stands for becoming robbed of cognitions of truth and good. 'Prophets' stands for those who teach, in whom 'the word is not'. That 'being consumed by sword and famine' means becoming robbed of cognitions of truth and good, and that these have to do with vastation, 'sword' as to spiritual things, 'famine' as to celestial things, is clear from many parts of the Word, such as Jeremiah 14:13-16, 18; Lamentations 4:9; and elsewhere.

[3] So also in Ezekiel,

I will bring more famine upon you, and will break for you the staff of bread; and I will send famine and evil beasts upon you, and they will rob you of your children. And I will bring the sword upon you. Ezekiel 5:16-17.

'Famine' stands for when one has been robbed of celestial cognitions, or cognitions of good, and therefore falsities and evils occur. In David,

And He summoned a famine over the land, He broke every staff of bread. Psalms 105:16.

'Breaking the staff of bread' stands for being deprived of celestial nourishment, for the life of good spirits and of angels is sustained by no other food than cognitions of good and truth, and by goods and truths themselves. This is the origin of the meaning in the internal sense of famine and bread. In the same author,

He has satisfied the longing soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with good. Psalms 107:9.

This stands for those desiring cognitions. In Jeremiah,

Lift up your hands for the soul of your little children who faint from famine at the head of every street. Lamentations 2:19.

'Famine' stands for an absence of cognitions, 'streets' for truths. In Ezekiel,

They will dwell securely and not be made afraid; and I shall raise up for them a plant for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land. Ezekiel 34:28-29.

This stands for their being deprived no longer of the cognitions of good and truth.

[4] In John,

They will not hunger any more, nor thirst any more. Revelation 7:16.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom where they have an abundance of all celestial cognitions and goods, meant by 'not hungering', and of spiritual cognitions and truths, meant by 'not thirsting'. The Lord said something similar, in John,

I am the Bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35.

In Luke,

Blessed are you that hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Luke 6:21.

In the same gospel,

He has filled the hungry with good things. Luke 1:53.

This refers to celestial goods and the cognitions of these. In Amos there is a plain statement that 'famine' means the lack of cognitions,

Behold, the days are coming, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah. Amos 8:11-12.

Footnotes:

1. literally, their glory will be mortals of famine

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