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Hoseas 2

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1 Kald eders Broder Mit-Folk og eders Søster nåderig.

2 Gå i rette med eders Moder, gå i rette, thi hun er ikke min Hustru, og jeg er ej hendes Mand. For Hormærket fri hun sit Ansigt, for Bolemærket sit Bryst.

3 Jeg klæder hende ellers nøgen, stiller hende frem, som hun fødtes; jeg reder hende til som en Ørk, som et Tørkeland gør jeg hende, lader hende tørste ihjel.

4 Jeg ynkes ej over hendes Børn, fordi de er Horebørn;

5 thi Horkvinde var deres Moder, skamløs var hun, som bar dem. Thi hun sagde: "Mine Elskere holder jeg mig til, som giver mig mit Brød og mit Vand, min Uld og min Hør, min Olie og Vin."

6 Se, derfor spærrer jeg med Tjørn hendes Vej, foran hende murer jeg en Mur, så hun ikke kan finde sine Stier.

7 Efter Elskerne kan hun så løbe, hun når dem alligevel ikke; hun søger dem uden at finde, og da skal hun sige: "Jeg går på ny til min første Mand; da, havde jeg det bedre end nu."

8 Ja hun, hun skønner ikke, at det var mig, som gav hende Korn og Most og Olie, gav hende rigeligt Sølv. og Guld, som de gjorde til Baaler.

9 Derfor tager jeg atter mit Korn, når Tiden er til det, min Most, når Timen er inde, borttager min Uld og min Hør, som hun skjuler sin Nøgenhed med.

10 Jeg blotter nu hendes Skam lige for Elskernes Øjne, af min Hånd frier ingen hende ud.

11 Jeg, gør Ende på al hendes. Glæde, Fester, Nymåner, Sabbater, hver en Højtid, hun har.

12 Jeg ødelægger hendes Vinstok og Figentræ, om hvilke hun sagde: "Her er min Skøgeløn, den, mine Elskere gav mig." Jeg skaber dem om til Krat, af Markens Dyr skal de ædes.

13 Jeg hjemsøger hende for Baalernes Fester, på hvilke hun bragte dem Ofre, smykket med ing og Kæde. Sine Elskere holdt hun sig til, mig glemte hun, lyder det fra HE EN.

14 Se, derfor vil jeg lokke og føre hende ud i Ørkenen og tale hende kærligt til.

15 giver jeg hende hendes Vingårde der og Akors Dal til en Håbets Dør. Der skal hun synge som i Ungdommens Dage, som da hun drog op fra Ægyptens Land.

16 På hin Dag, lyder det fra HE EN, skal hun påkalde sin Ægtemand, og ikke mere Baalerne.

17 Baalsnavnene fjerner jeg fra hendes Mund, ej mer skal Navnene huskes.

18 På hin Dag slutter jeg en Pagt for dem med Markens Dyr og Himmelens Fugle og Jordens Kryb; Bue, Sværd og Stridsvåben sønderbryder jeg i Landet, og jeg lader dem bo trygt.

19 Jeg trolover mig med dig for evigt, jeg trolover mig med dig med etfærd og et, med Miskundhed og Barmhjertighed;

20 jeg trolover mig med dig i Troskab, og du skal kende HE EN.

21 Da skal det ske på hin Dag, at jeg bønhører, lyder det fra HE EN, ja, at jeg bønhører Himlen, at den så bønhører Jorden,

22 og Jorden bønhører Hornet, Mosten og Olien, og de bønhører Jizreel.

23 Jeg sår hende ud i Landet, mod Nådeløs er jeg nådig og siger til Ikke-mit-Folk: "Mit Folk er du!" og han skal sige: "Min Gud!"

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2235

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2235. That 'righteousness' means in regard to good, and 'judgement' to truth, becomes clear from the meaning of 'righteousness' and from the meaning of 'judgement'. Righteousness and judgement are mentioned together many times in the Word, but what they mean in the internal sense has not yet been known. In the proximate sense 'righteousness' has reference to that which is righteous, and 'judgement' to that which is upright. That which is righteous occurs when something is judged from good, and according to conscience, but that which is upright when it is judged from law, and so from the righteous demands of the law, thus also according to conscience since the law gives conscience its standards. In the internal sense however, 'righteousness' is that which stems from good, and 'judgement' that which stems from truth. Good is everything that belongs to love and charity, truth everything that belongs to faith derived from love and charity. Truth derives its essence from good, and is called truth derived from good, just as faith is derived from love, and so also judgement from righteousness.

[2] That such is the meaning of 'righteousness and judgement' is clear from the following places in the Word: In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, Do judgement and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Woe to him who builds his house in unrighteousness, and his upper rooms not in judgement! Did not your father eat and drink, and do judgement and righteousness? Then it was well with him. Jeremiah 22:3, 13, 15.

'Judgement' stands for the things connected with truth, 'righteousness' for those connected with good. In Ezekiel,

If the wicked man turns away from his sin and does judgement and righteousness, all his sins which he has committed will not be remembered; he has done judgement and righteousness; he will surely live. When the wicked turns away from his wickedness and does judgement and righteousness he will live because of these. Ezekiel 33:14, 16, 19.

Here similarly 'judgement' stands for the truth of faith, and 'righteousness' for the good of charity.

[3] In Amos,

Let judgement flow like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Amos 5:24.

Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,

Thus said Jehovah, Keep judgement and do righteousness, for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to reveal itself. Isaiah 56:1.

In the same prophet,

To peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in judgement and righteousness, from now and even for evermore. Isaiah 9:7.

Here 'judgement and righteousness' stands for the existence with them of the truths of faith, and of the goods of charity. In the same prophet,

Jehovah is exalted, for He dwells on high. He has filled Zion with judgement and righteousness. Isaiah 33:5.

'Judgement' stands for faith, 'righteousness' for love, 'Zion' for the Church. 'Judgement' is mentioned first because love comes through faith; but when 'righteousness' is mentioned first it is for the reason that faith is derived from love, as in Hosea,

I will betroth you to Me for ever, and I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and judgement, and in mercy and in compassion, 1 and I will betroth you to Me in faith, and you will know Jehovah. Hosea 2:19-20.

Here 'righteousness' is mentioned first, as also is 'mercy', which are the attributes of love, while 'judgement' is mentioned second, as also is 'compassion', which are the attributes of faith that is derived from love. And both are called 'faith' or faithfulness.

[4] In David,

O Jehovah, Your mercy is in the heavens; Your truth reaches up to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgements like the great deep. Psalms 36:5-6.

Here both 'mercy' and 'righteousness' are in a similar way the attributes of love, while 'truth' and 'judgements' are those of faith. In the same author,

Let truth spring out of the ground, and let righteousness look down from heaven. Jehovah will indeed give what is good, and our land will give its increase. Psalms 85:11-12.

Here 'truth', which constitutes faith, stands for judgement, and 'righteousness' for love or mercy. In Zechariah,

I will lead them and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people, and I will be their God in truth and in righteousness. Zechariah 8:8.

From this place also it is evident that 'judgement' is truth and 'righteousness' good, since 'truth' is mentioned here in place of judgement. Similarly in David,

He who walks blameless and performs righteousness and speaks the truth. Psalms 15:2.

[5] Because faith is grounded in charity, that is, because truth is grounded in good, truths rooted in good are in various places called 'the judgements of righteousness', so that 'judgements' has virtually the same meaning as commandments, as in Isaiah,

Let them seek Me day by day and desire the knowledge of My ways, as though a nation that does righteousness and does not forsake the judgement of their God. Let them ask of Me the judgements of righteousness, let them desire the approach of God. Isaiah 58:2.

That 'commandments' means virtually the same may be seen in David,

Seven times in the day I have praised You for Your judgements of righteousness. All Your commandments are righteousness. Psalms 119:164, 172.

It is said in particular of the Lord that He performs 'judgement and righteousness' when He creates man anew, as in Jeremiah,

Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Jehovah who performs mercy, judgement and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I am well pleased. Jeremiah 9:24.

Here mercy, which is an attribute of love, is described as 'judgement and righteousness'. In the same prophet,

I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he will rule as king, and act intelligently, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15.

[6] Hence the following in John,

If I go away I will send the Paraclete to you. And when He comes He will convince the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I go away to the Father, and you will see Me no more; in regard to judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. John 16:7-11.

'Sin' here stands for all faithlessness. 'He will convince in regard to righteousness' means in regard to everything that is contrary to good, when yet the Lord united the Human to the Divine to save the world, meant by 'I go away to the Father and you will see Me no more'. 'In regard to judgement' means in regard to everything that is contrary to the truth, when yet evils were cast down into their own hells so that they could not do harm any more, meant by 'the prince of this world is judged'. In general 'He will convince in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgement' means in regard to all faithlessness contrary to good and truth, and so means that no charity and faith exist. For in ancient times righteousness and judgement were used, in reference to the Lord, to mean all mercy and grace, but in reference to man all charity and faith.

Footnotes:

1. literally, compassions

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