The Bible

 

Klagesangene 3

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1 Jeg er den, der så nød ved hans vredes ris,

2 mig har han ført og ledt i det tykkeste Mulm,

3 ja, Hånden vender han mod mig Dagen lang.

4 Mit Bød og min Hud har han opslidt, brudt mine Ben,

5 han mured mig inde, omgav mig med Galde og Møje,

6 lod mig bo i Mørke som de, der for længst er døde.

7 Han har spærret mig inde og lagt mig i tunge Lænker.

8 Om jeg end råber og skriger, min Bøn er stængt ude.

9 Han spærred mine Veje med Kvader, gjorde Stierne kroge.

10 Han blev mig en lurende Bjørn, en Løve i Baghold;

11 han ledte mig vild, rev mig sønder og lagde mig øde;

12 han spændte sin Bue; lod mig være Skive for Pilen.

13 Han sendte sit Koggers Sønner i Nyrerne på mig;

14 hvert Folk lo mig ud og smæded mig Dagen lang,

15 med bittert mætted han mig, gav mig Malurt at drikke.

16 Mine Tænder lod han bide i Flint, han trådte mig i Støvet;

17 han skilte min Sjæl fra Freden, jeg glemte Lykken

18 og sagde: "Min Livskraft, mit Håb til HE EN er ude."

19 At mindes min Vånde og Flakken er Malurt og Galde;

20 min Sjæl, den mindes det grant den grubler betynget.

21 Det lægger jeg mig på Sinde, derfor vil jeg håbe:

22 HE ENs Miskundhed er ikke til Ende, ikke brugt op,

23 hans Nåde er ny hver Morgen, hans Trofasthed stor.

24 Min Del er HE EN, (siger min Sjæl,) derfor håber jeg på ham.

25 Dem, der bier på HE EN, er han god, den Sjæl, der ham søger;

26 det er godt at håbe i Stilhed på HE ENs Frelse,

27 godt for en Mand, at han bærer Åg i sin Ungdom.

28 Han sidde ensom og tavs, når han lægger det på ham;

29 han trykke sin Mund mod Støvet, måske er der Håb.

30 ække Kind til den, der slår ham, mættes med Hån.

31 Thi Herren bortstøder ikke for evigt,

32 har han voldt Kvide, så ynkes han, stor er hans Nåde;

33 ej af Hjertet plager og piner han Menneskens Børn.

34 Når Landets Fanger til Hobe trædes under Fod,

35 når Mandens et for den Højestes Åsyn bøjes,

36 når en Mand lider Uret i sin Sag mon Herren ej ser det?

37 Hvo taler vel, så det sker, om ej Herren byder?

38 Kommer ikke både ondt og godt fra den Højestes Mund?

39 Over hvad skal den levende sukke? Hver over sin Synd!

40 Lad os ransage, granske vore Veje og vende os til HE EN,

41 løfte Hænder og Hjerte til Gud i Himlen;

42 vi syndede og stod imod, du tilgav ikke,

43 men hylled dig i Vrede, forfulgte os, dræbte uden Skånsel,

44 hylled dig i Skyer, så Bønnen ej nåed frem;

45 til Skarn og til Udskud har du gjort os midt iblandt Folkene.

46 De opspærred Munden imod os, alle vore Fjender.

47 Vor Lod blev Gru og Grav og Sammenbruds Øde;

48 Vandstrømme græder mit Øje, mit Folk brød sammen.

49 Hvileløst strømmer mit Øje, det kender ej o,

50 før HE EN skuer ned fra Himlen, før han ser til.

51 Synet af Byens Døtre piner min Sjæl.

52 Jeg joges som en Fugl af Fjender, hvis Had var grundløst,

53 de spærred mig inde i en Grube, de stenede mig;

54 Vand strømmed over mit Hoved, jeg tænkte: "Fortabt!"

55 Dit Navn påkaldte jeg, HE E, fra Grubens Dyb;

56 du hørte min øst: "O, gør dig ej døv for mit Skrig!"

57 Nær var du den Dag jeg kaldte, du sagde: "Frygt ikke!"

58 Du førte min Sag, o Herre, genløste mit Liv;

59 HE E, du ser, jeg lider Uret. skaf mig min et!

60 Al deres Hævnlyst ser du, alle deres ænker,

61 du hører deres Smædeord HE E, deres ænker imod mig,

62 mine Fjenders Tale og Tanker imod mig bestandig.

63 Se dem, når de sidder eller står, deres Nidvise er jeg.

64 Dem vil du gengælde, HE E, deres Hænders Gerning,

65 gør deres Hjerte forhærdet din Forbandelse over dem!

66 forfølg dem i Vrede, udryd dem under din Himmel.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #58

  
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58. The state of consummation of the Israelitish Church is described in both the historical parts of the Word, and its prophetic parts: in the prophetic, by the atrocious deeds of the kings, first of those of the Israelites, and afterwards of those of the Jews, by whom and under whom the land is said to have been profaned. But it is needless to recite them, because they are well known; only those passages from the prophetic parts shall be adduced in which the consummation and devastation of that Church are treated of. In these passages by "earth" and "land," "Zion," "Jerusalem," "cities," "mountains," "hills," "valleys," and "rivers," similar things are signified as above (n. 55). The following are from the prophetic parts of the Word:

[2] I saw the earth, and behold it was empty and void; and towards the heavens, and their light was not.... I saw, when, behold, Carmel 1 was a desert, and all the cities were desolated at the presence of Jehovah.... For thus hath Jehovah said, The whole land shall be wasteness, yet will I not make a consummation. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be blackened.

Thou, therefore, that art vastated, what wilt thou do? (Jer. 4:23-31; 5:10, 18).

The lion hath come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of nations... hath gone forth from his place, to reduce the land to a waste.... In that day... the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished (Jer. 4:7, 9).

In that day, every place where there were a thousand vines shall be... for thorns and briars,... because all the land shall be thorns and briars (Isa. 7:23-24).

A voice of the cry of the shepherds and... of the powerful ones of the flock, for Jehovah layeth waste their pastures: whence the sheepfolds of peace were devastated. Jehovah hath forsaken His tabernacle, for their land was reduced to a desolation (Jer. 25:36-38).

This house shall be like Shiloh, and Jerusalem shall be a devastation (Jer. 26:9; 27:17).

Jerusalem, and all the cities of Judah, shall be a desolation and a devastation in this day, because of the wickedness of your works; . . . your land is become a desolation, an astonishment and a curse (Jer. 44:2, 6, 22).

I will give the land to devastation, because they have committed transgression (Ezek. 15:8).

They shall be devastated in the midst of the devastated lands, and her cities in the midst of the desolated cities.... Then I will make the rivers drought,... the land into the hand of the evil, and I will vastate the land and the fulness thereof (Ezek. 30:7, 12).

When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens, and will make the stars thereof black. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine;... and I will set darkness upon the land... when I shall bring on thy breaking up (Ezek. 32:7-9);

in like manner as the Lord foretold concerning the consummation of the present Christian Church (Matt. 24:29).

[3] I will give Mount Seir to wasteness and to devastation.... I will make thee the wastes of eternity... (Ezek. 35:3-4, 7, 9, 12, 14-15).

In that day they shall bring up a proverb against you... and say, In vastating we are vastated (Micah 2:4).

Fear and the pit have taken hold of us, devastation and breaking up (Lam. 3:47).

The mountain of Zion is vastated (Lam. 5:18).

Thine iniquity is consummated, O daughter of Zion (Lam. 4:22).

Woe to the sinful nation, heavy with iniquity;... they have provoked the Holy One of Israel.... From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness;... your land is a solitude.... The daughter of Zion is left as a tent in a vineyard, as a besieged city (Isa. 1:4-8, and following verses).

What will ye do in the day of visitation and devastation? Consummation is finished, justice is overwhelmed; for the Lord Jehovih is making a consummation and decision in the whole land (Isa. 10:3, etc., Isa. 10:22-23).

I have heard a consummation and decision from the Lord Jehovih of hosts in the whole land (Isa. 28:22).

The prophet fell upon his face, and said, Lord Jehovih! Thou art making a consummation with the remnants of Israel (Ezek. 11:13).

My sanctuary was profaned, and the land of Israel was devastated (Ezek. 25:3).

Were even Noah, Daniel and Job in the midst of it,... they only shall be delivered, but the land shall become a desolation (Ezek. 14:14, 16).

[4] The completion of the consummation of the Israelitish and Jewish Church was accomplished when the Lord our Saviour, after receiving the sponge of vinegar, cried out upon the cross,

It is consummated (John 19:29-30);

for it is said in David:

They gave gall for My meat, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink:... let their habitation be devastated (Psalm 69:21, 25).

And in another place:

Without cause have they hid for Me the pit of the net; without cause have they digged for My soul. Let devastation come upon him before he is aware;... let him fall into devastation. Rescue My soul from their devastators, and My only one,-that is, the Church-from the lions' whelps (Psalm 35:7-8, 17).

I will make Jerusalem heaps, a habitation of dragons; I will reduce the cities of Judah to a waste;... behold, I am feeding them, even this people, with wormwood, and I will give them waters of gall to drink (Jer. 9:11-15).

Full consummation, after this, is described in Hosea thus:

The sons of Israel shall sit many days: no king, no prince, no sacrifice, no image, no ephod, and no teraphim (Hosea 3:4).

Such is their state at the present day. There is no need to adduce more passages. The passages in which the vastation, desolation and consummation of this Church are further mentioned, shall be only named: as, for example, Isa. 9:13-21; 22:4-14: Jer. 7:31-34; 25:33; 47:4: Ezek. 13:14-15; 14:8, 15; 19:7; 25:12-13; 26:2; 29:9-10, 12; 32:12, 15: Joel 1:15-20; 2:3; 3:19: Nahum 1:8-9: Zeph. 1:15; 2:9: Lam. 1:16: Psalm 73:17-19; 74:3.

The devastated are also called "thrust through" 2 (Ezek. 11:6-7; 21:30, 34; 26:6; 28:8, 23; 31:17-18; 32:20-24, 28-32; 35:8: Zeph. 2:12: Lam. 4:9: Psalm 69:27: and in other places). They are said to be "thrust through" because a "sword," by which this is done, signifies falsity destroying truth.

Footnotes:

1. See R.V. margin.

2. In most of these passages our ordinary Bibles have "slain"; but Young's Literal Translation of the Bible has "pierced," which, of course, is the same as "thrust through."

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