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Amos 1

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1 De Ord, som Amos, der hørte til fårehyrderne fra Tekoa, skuede om Israel, i de Dage da Uzzija var Konge i Juda, og Jeroboam, Joas's Søn, i Israel, to År før Jordskælvet.

2 Han sagde: HE EN brøler fra Zion, fra Jerusalem løfter han sin øst; Hyrdernes Græsmarker sørger, vissen er Karmels Top.

3 siger HE EN: For tre Overtrædelser af Damaskus, ja fire, jeg går ikke fra det: de tærskede Gilead med Tærskeslæder af Jern

4 så sender jeg Ild mod Hazaels Hus, den skal æde Benhadads Borge;

5 jeg knuser Damaskus's Portslå, udrydder Bikat-Avens Borgere og den, som bærer Scepter i Bet Eden; Aramæerne skal føres til Kir, siger HE EN.

6 siger HE EN: For tre Overtrædelser af Gaza, ja fire, jeg går ikke fra det: de bortførte hele Byer og solgte dem til Edom

7 så sender jeg Ild mod Gazas Mur, den skal æde dets Borge;

8 jeg udrydder Asdods Borgere og den, som bærer Scepter i Askalon; jeg vender min Hånd imod Ekron, og den sidste Filister forgår, siger den Herre HE EN.

9 siger HE EN: For tre Overtrædelser af Tyrus, ja fire, jeg går ikke fra det: de solgte hele bortførte Byer til Edom uden at ænse Broderpagt

10 så sender jeg Ild mod Tyruss Mur, den skal æde dets Borge.

11 siger HE EN: For tre Overtrædelser af Edom, ja fire, jeg går ikke fra det: med Sværd forfulgte han sin Broder og kvalte sin Medynk, holdt altid fast ved sin Vrede og gemte stadig på Harme

12 så sender jeg. Ild mod Teman, den skal æde Bozras Borge.

13 siger HE EN: For Ammoniternes tre Overtrædelser, ja fire, jeg går ikke fra det: de oprev Livet på Gileads svangre Kvinder for at vinde sig mere Land

14 så sætter jeg Ild på abbas Mur, den skal æde dets Borge under Krigsskrig på Stridens Dag, under Uvejr på Stormens Dag.

15 Landflygtig skal Kongen blive, han og alle hans Fyrster, siger HE EN.


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3995

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3995. 'And the spotted and speckled among the she-goats' means that after this all the good of truth that has falsity and evil mingled within it will be 'Jacob's'. This is clear from the meaning of 'spotted' as falsity, and from the meaning of 'speckled' as evil, dealt with just above in 3993, and from the meaning of 'she-goats' as the good of truth, or the charity of faith, dealt with in 3519. The fact that all of this will be 'Jacob's' is also meant by the statement which follows, 'And that will be my wages'.

[2] What is meant by the good of truth, or the charity of faith, will be discussed briefly. While a person is being regenerated it seems as though the truth of faith takes precedence and as though the good of charity is secondary; but once he has been regenerated it is quite plain that the good of charity takes precedence, and that the truth of faith is secondary. For what is seen before regeneration is the appearance but what is seen after it is the reality of the situation, see 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3616, 3701. For while a person is being regenerated he does what is good from the truth he has learned, it being from truth that he learns what good is. Yet it is the good present inwardly that performs what is good because good is flowing in from the Lord by an internal route, that is, by way of the soul, while truth flows in by an external route, that is, by way of the senses, which is that of the body. Truth which enters by the external route is adopted by the good present inwardly and is joined to it, an activity which continues until that person has been regenerated. Then a reversal takes place and truth is done from good. This shows what is meant by the good of truth and by the truth of good. It also explains why so many at the present day speak of the good deeds of charity as the fruits of faith, for these are what those deeds are seen to be when regeneration first begins. These people base such a conclusion on the appearance and know nothing else, for those who are being regenerated are few and none can have a knowledge of this matter except one who has been regenerated, that is, who has an affection for good, which is charity. It is from an affection for good, or charity, that it can be seen clearly, and also perceived, by him. People however who are not regenerate do not even know what the affection for good is, that is, what charity is, but reason about it as something foreign or extraneous to themselves. As a consequence they call charity the fruit of faith, when in fact faith is a product of charity. However, it does not matter very much whether simple people know which is prior and which is posterior, provided they are leading charitable lives, for charity is the life of faith.

[3] By the expression 'member of the flock' here is meant not only lambs but also sheep, kids, she-goats, rams, and he-goats, though only lambs and she-goats are actually mentioned. These alone are mentioned because 'lambs' means innocence, and 'she-goats' the charity of faith, these being the subject at this point in the internal sense. This too is why in the original language 'spotted' is expressed by a word which also means lambs, as in Isaiah 40:10-11, while 'speckled' is expressed by a word which also means a sheep breeder, as in 2 Kings 3:4; Amos 1:1.

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