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Jeremias 49

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1 Om Ammonitterne. Så siger Herren, har Israel ingen sønner eller har det ingen arvinger? Hvorfor har Milkom taget Gad i Eje og hans Folk bosat sig i dets Byer?

2 Se, derfor skal Dage komme, lyder det fra HE EN, da jeg lader Krigsskrig lyde mod abba i Ammon, og det skal blive en Grusdynge, og dets Døtre skal gå op i Luer. Da arver Israel sine Arvinger, siger HE EN.

3 Klag, Hesjbon, thi Aj er ødelagt; skrig, I abbas Døtre klæd jer i Sæk og klag, gå rundt i Foldene! Thi Milkom vandrer i Landflygtighed, hans Præster og Fyrster til Hobe.

4 Hvorfor gør du dig til af dine Dale, du frafaldne Datter, som stoler på dine Skatte og siger: "Hvem kan komme til mig,?"

5 Se, jeg lader ædsel komme over dig fra alle Kanter, lyder det fra Hærskarers HE E. I skal drives bort i hver sin etning, og ingen samler de flygtende.

6 Men siden vender jeg Ammoniternes Skæbne, lyder det fra HE EN.

7 Om Edom. Så siger Hærskarers HE E: Er der ikke mer Visdom i Teman, svigter de kloges åd, er deres Visdom rådden?

8 Fly, søg Ly i det dybe, I, som bor i Dedan! Thi Esaus Ulykke sender jeg over ham, Straffens Tid.

9 Gæstes du af Vinhøstmænd, levner de ej Efterslæt, af Tyve om Natten, ødelægger de, hvad de lyster.

10 Thi selv blotter jeg Esau, hans Skjulesteder røber jeg; at gemme sig evner han ikke. Han er ødelagt ved Brødres og Naboers Arm, han er borte.

11 Lad mig om dine faderløse, jeg holder dem i Live, dine Enker kan stole på mig.

12 Thi så siger HE EN: Se, de, hvem det ikke tilkom at tømme Bægeret, må tømme det, og du skulde gå fri? Du går ikke fri, men kommer til at tømme det.

13 Thi jeg sværger ved mig selv. lyder det fra HE EN: til ædsel og Spot, til Ørk og til et Forbandelsens Tegn skal Bozra blive, og alle dets Byer skal blive til evige Tomter.

14 Fra HE EN har jeg hørt en Tidende: Et Bud skal sendes ud blandt Folkene: Samler eder! Drag ud imod det og rejs jer til Strid!

15 Se, ringe har jeg gjort dig iblandt Folkene, foragtet blandt Mennesker.

16 ædsel over dig! Dit Hjertes Overmod bedrog dig. Du, som bor i Klippekløft og klynger dig til Fjeldtop: Bygger du ede højt som Ørnen, jeg styrter dig ned, så lyder det fra HE EN.

17 Edom skal blive til ædsel; alle, der kommer forbi, skal slås af ædsel og spotte over alle dets Sår.

18 Som det gik, da Sodoma og Gomorra og Nabobyerne omstyrtedes, siger HE EN, skal intet Menneske bo der, intet Menneskebarn dvæle der.

19 Som en Løve, der fra Jordans Stolthed skrider op til den stedsegrønne Græsgang, således vil jeg i et Nu drive dem bort derfra. Thi hvem er den udvalgte, jeg vil sætte over dem? Thi hvem er min Lige, og hvem kræver mig til egnskab? Hvem er den Hyrde, der står sig mod mig?

20 Hør derfor det åd, HE EN har for mod Edom, og de Tanker, han har mod Temans Indbyggere: Visselig skal Hjordens ringeste slæbes bort, visselig skal deres Græsgang forfærdes over dem.

21 Ved Braget af deres Fald skal Jorden skælve; Skriget kan høres til det røde Hav.

22 Se, som en Ørn med udbredte Vinger svæver han over Bozra; og Edoms Heltes Hjerte bliver på hin Dag som en nødstedt Kvindes Hjerte.

23 Om Damaskus. Til Skamme er Hamat og Arpad, thi de hører ond Tidende; de er ude af sig selv, i Uro som Havet, der ikke kan falde til o.

24 Damaskus er modfaldent, vender sig til Flugt, Angst falder over det, Vånde og Veer griber det som en fødende Kvinde.

25 Ve det! Forladt er den lovpriste By, Glædens Stad.

26 Derfor falder dets Ynglinge på dets Torve, alle Krigsfolkene omkommer på hin Dag, lyder det fra Hærskarers HE E.

27 Jeg sætter Ild på Damaskuss Mur, og den skal fortære Benhadads Borge.

28 Om Kedar og Hazors iger, som Kong Nebukadrezar af Babel slog. Så siger HE EN: Kom og drag op mod Kedar, ødelæg Østens Sønner!

29 Man skal tage deres Telte og Hjorde, deres Telttæpper, alle deres Kar, bortføre Kamelerne fra dem og råbe til dem: "Trindt om er ædsel!"

30 Fly i Hast, søg Ly i det dybe, Hazors Borgere, lyder det fra HE EN. Thi kong Nebukadrezar af Babel har oplagt et åd imod eder og undfanget en Tanke imod eder.

31 Kom, drag op mod et roligt Folk, der bor i Tryghed, lyder det fra HE EN, uden Porte og Slåer; de bor for sig selv.

32 Deres Kameler gøres til Bytte, deres mange Hjorde til ov. Jeg spreder dem, der har rundklippet Hår, for alle Vinde, og fra alle kanter bringer jeg Undergang over dem, lyder det fra HE EN.

33 Hazor bliver Sjakalers Bo, en Ørken til evig Tid; der skal ej bo et Menneske, ej dvæle et Menneskebarn.

34 HE ENs Ord, som kom til Profeten Jeremias om Elam i Kong Zedekias af Judas første egeringstid:

35 siger Hærskarers HE E: Jeg knækker Elams Bue, det ypperste af deres Kraft;

36 og jeg bringer over Elam de fire Vinde fra de fire Verdenshjørner og spreder dem for alle disse Vinde; der skal ikke være et Folk, som de bortdrevne Elamiter ikke kommer hen til.

37 Jeg knuser dem foran deres Fjender og dem, der står dem efter Livet, og jeg sender Ulykke over dem, min glødende Vrede, lyder det fra HE EN. Jeg sender Sværdet efter dem, til jeg får dem udslettet.

38 Jeg rejser min Trone i Elam og tilintetgør der både Konge og Fyrster, lyder det fra HE EN.

39 Men i de sidste Dage vender jeg Elams Skæbne, lyder det fra HE EN.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3762

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3762. 'And went to the land of the sons of the east' means a raising up towards truths that relate to love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of the sons of the east'. For Aram or Syria was called 'the land of the sons of the east', as is evident from the fact that it was the land to which Jacob went, see also 3249. In general, 'Syria' means cognitions of good, as shown in 1232, 1234, but specifically 'Aram Naharaim' or Syria of the [Two] Rivers means cognitions of truth, in 3051, 3664. Here however it is not said that he went to Aram or Syria but 'to the land of the sons of the east', so as to mean that which is the subject in the whole of this chapter, namely an ascent towards truths that relate to love. The expression 'truths that relate to love' is used to describe those truths which in other places have been called celestial truths, for they are cognitions concerning charity towards the neighbour and concerning love to the Lord. In the highest sense, where the Lord is the subject, they are truths that relate to Divine love.

[2] These truths, that is to say, those concerning charity towards the neighbour and concerning love to the Lord, must first be learned before a person can be regenerated, and must also be acknowledged and believed. And insofar as those truths are acknowledged and believed, and are endowed with life, that person is also regenerated and those truths are implanted in his natural, where they exist as in their own soil. They are first implanted there through the instruction received from parents and teachers, then from the Word of the Lord, and after that from personal reflection on them. But all of this does no more than to deposit those truths in the person's natural memory and so to place them among the cognitions there. They are still not acknowledged, believed, and received unless life is led in accordance with them, in which case the person enters into an affection for them; and insofar as he enters into an affection for them because his life accords with them, those truths are implanted in his natural as their own soil. Things that are not so implanted do indeed remain with that person, but only in his memory as some item of knowledge or historical fact which does no more than enable him to talk about such things, to further his reputation by means of them, and in so doing to grow in wealth and position. When this is the case truths have not been implanted within him.

[3] As regards the meaning of 'the land of the sons of the east' as truths relating to love, and so as cognitions of truth leading the way to good, this may be seen from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, and from the meaning of 'the east' as love, dealt with in 101, 1250, 3249. Their land is the soil in which they exist. For 'the sons of the east' are those who possess cognitions concerning truth and good and therefore the truths that relate to love. This may be seen further from other places in the Word, as in the first Book of Kings,

The wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of the Egyptians. 1 Kings 4:30.

Here 'the wisdom of the sons of the east' means interior cognitions concerning truth and good, and so means people who possess them. 'The wisdom of the Egyptians' however means knowledge of the same things as they exist in a lower degree -'the Egyptians' meaning factual knowledge in general, see 1164, 1165, 1462.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, Arise, go up against Kedar; lay waste the sons of the east. They will take their tents and flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and will take their camels. Jeremiah 49:28-29.

Here 'the sons of the east' is used to mean those who possess cognitions concerning good and truth. This is clear from the fact that 'they will take their tents and flocks, also their curtains and all their vessels, as well as their camels'. For 'tents' means holy forms of good, 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312; 'flocks' the goods that flow from charity, 343, 2566; 'curtains' holy truths, 2576, 3478; 'vessels' the truths of faith, and facts, 3068, 3079; 'camels' factual knowledge in general, 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145. Thus 'the sons of the east' means those who possess these, that is, cognitions concerning what is good and what is true.

[5] The wise men from the east who came to Jesus when He was born belonged to those people called the sons of the east. This becomes clear from the fact of their awareness that the Lord was to be born, and that they knew of His Coming from the star which appeared to them in the east. These matters are described in Matthew as follows,

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, behold wise men from the east came into Jerusalem, saying, Where is He born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Matthew 2:1-2.

The fact that such a prophecy existed from of old among the sons of the east, who were from Syria, is clear from Balaam's prophecy concerning the Lord's Coming, in Moses,

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob and a sceptre will rise up out of Israel. Numbers 24:17.

The fact that Balaam was from the land of the sons of the east, that is, from Syria, is evident from the following in Moses,

Balaam uttered his declaration and said, From Syria has Balak, the king of Moab, brought me, from the mountains of the east. Numbers 23:7.

The wise men who came to Jesus when He was born are called the magi, but this expression was used for wise men at that time, as is clear from many places, such as Genesis 41:8; Exodus 7:11; Daniel 2:27; 4:6-7; 1 Kings 4:30; and in various places in the Prophets.

[6] 'The sons of the east' in the contrary sense means cognitions concerning evil and falsity, and so means those who possess these. This is clear in Isaiah,

The envy of Ephraim will depart, and the enemies of Judah will be cut off. They will fly down onto the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea, and together they will plunder the sons of the east. Isaiah 11:13-14.

In Ezekiel, when prophesying against the sons of Ammon,

Behold, I have handed you over to the sons of the east as an inheritance, and they will station their ranks among you. Ezekiel 25:4, 10.

In the Book of Judges,

When Israel put in seed, Midian came up and Amalek, and the sons of the east; and they came up upon them. Judges 6:3.

'Midian' stands for those under the influence of falsity because the good of life does not exist with them, 3242; 'Amalek' for those under the influence of falsities with which they assail truths, 1679; 'the sons of the east' for those who possess cognitions that support what is false.

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