The Bible

 

Amos 2

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1 siger HE EN: for tre overtrædelser af Moab, ja fire jeg går ikke fra det, de brændte Edoms Konges Ben til kalk

2 så sender jeg Ild mod Moab, den skal æde Herijots Borge; og Moab skal under kampgny, Krigsskrig og Hornets Klang.

3 Af hans Midte udrydder jeg Hersker og dræber alle hans Fyrster, siger HE EN.

4 siger HE EN: For tre Overtrædelser af Juda, ja fire, jeg går ikke fra det: de ringeagted HE ENs Lov og holdt ej hans Bud, ledet vild af deres Løgneguder, til hvilke deres Fædre holdt sig

5 så sender jeg Ild mod Juda, den skal æde Jerusalems Borge.

6 siger HE EN: For tre Overtrædelser af Israel, ja fire, jeg går ikke fra det: de sælger retfærdig for Sølv og Fattigmand for et Par Sko,

7 træder ringes Hoved i Støvet og trænger sagtmodige fra Vejen. Søn og Fader går sammen til Skøgen og søler således mit hellige Navn.

8 På pantede Kapper strækker de sig ved hvert et Alter, og i deres Guds Hus drikker de Vin, der er givet i Bøde.

9 Og dog var det mig, som udrydded Amoriterne foran eder, høje som Cedertræer, stærke som Egetræer, udrydded deres Frugt foroven som og deres ødder forneden.

10 Det var mig, som førte jer op fra Ægypten og lod eder vandre i Ørken i fyrretyve År, så I tog Amoriternes Land.

11 Jeg tog blandt eders Sønner Profeter, Nasiræere blandt eders unge. Er det ej sandt, Israeliter? lyder det fra HE EN.

12 Men I gav Nasiræerne Vin, og Profeterne bød I ej at profetere.

13 Se, jeg lader Grunden vakle under jer, ligesom Vognen vakler, når den er fuld af Neg.

14 Den hurtige kan ikke undfly, den stærke ej bruge sin Kraft; ej redder Helten sit Liv,

15 ej holder Bueskytten Stand; ej undslipper rapfodet Mand, ej bjærger nogen ytter sit Liv;

16 den kækkeste Mand iblandt Helte skal den dag våbenløs fly, så lyder det fra 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.