The Bible

 

Tužaljke 2

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1 Kako mrakom zastrije Gospod u svom gnjevu Kćer sionsku. S neba na zemlju baci slavu Izraelovu! I ne sjeti se podnožja svoga u dan gnjeva svojega!

2 Bez milosti Gospod satrije sve stanove Jakovljeve, u svom gnjevu razori tvrđave kćeri Judine; sa zemljom je sravnio i prokleo kraljevstvo i njegove knezove.

3 U rasplamtjelom gnjevu svojem razbi svu snagu Izraelovu, povuče svoju desnicu pred neprijateljem; u Jakovu raspiri plamen ognjeni koji sve uokolo proždire.

4 Nategao je luk k'o neprijatelj, kao dušman ispružio desnicu, ubijajući sve što mu drago bijaše. Na šator Kćeri sionske sasu k'o oganj gnjev svoj jarosni.

5 K'o neprijatelj Gospod bijaše: razorio je Izraela, razorio sve dvore njegove, porušio njegove utvrde, umnožio kćeri Judinoj uzdisaje i jecaje.

6 Kao vrtu razvali mu sjenicu, razori mjesto sastanka. Baci Jahve u zaborav svetkovine i subote na Sionu; u gnjevu svojem prezre kralja i svećenika.

7 Svoj oltar je Gospod odbacio, zgadilo mu se Svetište njegovo. U ruke neprijatelja je predao bedeme svoje i dvorove. Bučili su u Domu Jahvinu, kao u dan blagdanji.

8 Jahve naumi razvaliti zidove Kćeri sionske. Nape uže mjerničko, ne ustegnu ruku od rušenja. Predziđe, zidine zavi u tugu: oronuše zajedno.

9 Vrata njina utonuše u zemlju, on im je razbio zasune; kralj i knezovi su među pucima, Zakona nema! Ni u prorokÄa više se ne nalaze viđenja Jahvina.

10 Starješine Kćeri sionske na zemlji sjede i šute, posiplju glavu prašinom, kostrijet pripasuju. K zemlji glave obaraju djevice jeruzalemske.

11 Iščilješe mi oči od suza, utroba moja ustreptala, jetra mi se na zemlju prosula zbog sloma kćeri naroda mojega, jer djeca i dojenčad umiru po trgovima Grada.

12 Govore majkama svojim: "Gdje je žito i vino?" dok obamiru kao ranjeni po trgovima Grada, dok ispuštaju dušu svoju na grudima matera svojih.

13 S čime da te prispodobim? Na koga si nalik, Kćeri jeruzalemska? S kime da te usporedim, kako utješim, djevice, Kćeri sionska? Jer kao more tvoja je nesreća neizmjerna. Tko će te iscijeliti?

14 Viđenja tvojih proroka bijahu varka i laž, oni nisu objavili krivnju tvoju da te od izgnanstva odvrate. Varali su te utvarama lažnim i zamamnim.

15 Nad tobom plješću rukama svi koji putem prolaze, zvižde i vrte glavom zbog Kćeri jeruzalemske: "Je li to grad na glasu ljepotom, radost svemu svijetu?"

16 Na tebe otvaraju usta svi neprijatelji tvoji, zvižde, škrguću zubima i govore: "Proždrijesmo je! To je dan za kojim čeznusmo, doživjesmo, vidjesmo!"

17 Jahve izvrši naum svoj, održa svoju riječ koju naredi u davnim danima: nemilice te razorio. Neprijatelj likuje zbog tebe, tvoj protivnik rog svoj podiže.

18 U sav glas viči Gospodu, jecaj, Kćeri sionska! Neka k'o potok teku tvoje suze danju i noću. Ne daj počinka sebi, neka se zjenica oka tvoga ne odmori.

19 Ustani, viči noću za svake promjene straže. K'o vodu izlij srce pred licem Gospodnjim, k njemu podiži ruke i traži milost za svoju nejačad koja od glada obamire po uglovima ulica.

20 Pogledaj, Jahve, i vidi kome si to učinio. Zar žene da jedu porod svoj, djecu što njišu u naručju? Zar moradoše biti poklani u Svetištu Gospodnjem svećenici i proroci?

21 U uličnoj prašini leže djeca i starci; moje djevice i moji mladići od mača padoše. Ti ih pomori u dan gnjeva svojega, ti ih pokla nemilice.

22 Ti si, kao na dan svečani, sa svih strana sazvao užase moje. U dan gnjeva Jahvina nitko nije preživio, nitko se nije spasio. One koje sam odnjihala i odgojila neprijatelj moj sve je istrijebio.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #620

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620. 14:4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. This symbolically means that they did not adulterate the church's truths or defile them with the falsities of their faith, but loved the truths because they are true.

A woman symbolizes the church from an affection for truth, and so in an opposite sense the church from an affection for falsity, as may be seen in nos. 434, 533 above - here the church from an affection for truth, because we are told that they were not defiled with women. Being defiled with women has the same symbolic meaning as committing adultery and behaving licentiously. To commit adultery and behave licentiously means, symbolically, to adulterate and falsify the Word, as may be seen in no. 134 above.

For they are virgins means, symbolically, because they have loved truths because they are true, thus loving them from a spiritual affection. These are meant by virgins because a virgin symbolizes the church as a bride who desires to be conjoined with the Lord and to become a wife; and a church that desires to be conjoined with the Lord loves truths because they are true. For truths bring about conjunction when people live in accordance with them.

That is why Israel, Zion and Jerusalem are called in the Word virgins and daughters; for Israel, Zion and Jerusalem symbolize the church.

[2] People in the Lord's church who are of such a character are all meant by virgins, whether they are maidens or youths, wives or husbands, boys or old men, girls or old ladies, and this can be seen from places in the Word where virgins are mentioned, such as the virgin of Israel (Jeremiah 18:13; 31:4, 21, Amos 5:2, Joel 1:8); the virgin daughter of Judah (Lamentations 1:15); the virgin daughter of Zion (2 Kings 19:21, Isaiah 37:22, Lamentations 1:4; 2:13); the virgins of Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:10); the virgin of My people (Jeremiah 14:17).

For that reason the Lord likened the church to ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and we read in Jeremiah:

...I will build you, that you may be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again... go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. (Jeremiah 31:4, 13)

And in the book of Psalms:

They have seen Your goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary..., in the midst of maidens playing timbrels. (Psalms 68:24-25)

And elsewhere:

Kings' daughters are among Your precious ones; at Your right hand stands the queen in pure gold from Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, and see... The King will delight in your beauty... The daughter of Tyre also will bring a gift; the rich among the people will appease Your face.

The King's daughter is all precious within; her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the King in embroidered garments. The virgins after her, her companions, shall come... into the palace of the King. (Psalms 45:9-15)

The King there means the Lord; the queen the church as a wife; and the daughters and virgins affections for goodness and truth.

[3] Similar affections are symbolically meant by virgins elsewhere in the Word in places where young men are mentioned at the same time, because young men symbolize truths, and virgins affections for those truths. For instance, in the following places:

Behold, the days are coming... that 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... In that day the fair virgins and young men shall faint from thirst. (Amos 8:11, 13)

Be ashamed, O Sidon; ...the sea has said..., "I have not travailed or given birth; neither have I reared young men or brought up virgins." (Isaiah 33:4)

The Lord trampled a winepress for the virgin daughter of Zion... Behold my sorrow; the virgins and the young men have gone into captivity. (Lamentations 1:4, 15, 18)

...how great is His goodness, and how great His beauty! Grain shall make the young men grow up, and new wine the young women. (Zechariah 9:17)

The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in My streets. (Zechariah 8:5)

They sit on the ground..., the virgins of Jerusalem... To what shall I liken you..., O virgin daughter of Zion... ...They lay... in the streets..., My virgins and My young men... (Lamentations 2:10, 13, 21)

And so on elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 51:20-23, Lamentations 5:11, 13, 14, Ezekiel 9:4, 6, Psalms 78:62-64, Deuteronomy 32:25.

  
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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.