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Ezekiel 14

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1 Venis al mi kelkaj el la plejagxuloj de Izrael, kaj sidigxis antaux mi.

2 Kaj aperis al mi vorto de la Eternulo, dirante:

3 Ho filo de homo! cxi tiuj homoj levis siajn idolojn en sian koron, kaj allogilon de sia malpieco ili starigis antaux sia vizagxo; cxu Mi nun respondu al ili, kiam ili Min demandas?

4 Tial parolu kun ili, kaj diru al ili:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Se iu el la domo de Izrael levis siajn idolojn en sian koron kaj starigis antaux si la allogilon de sia malpieco, kaj poste venas al la profeto, tiam Mi, la Eternulo, respondos al li tiel, kiel li meritas per sia granda idolisteco,

5 por ke la domo de Izrael estu kaptata konforme al sia koro, kiun ili defaligis de Mi per cxiuj siaj idoloj.

6 Tial diru al la domo de Izrael:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pentu, kaj deturnu vin de viaj idoloj, kaj de cxiuj viaj abomenindajxoj deturnu vian vizagxon.

7 CXar se iu el la domo de Izrael, aux el la fremduloj, kiu logxas cxe Izrael, defalas de Mi, levas siajn idolojn en sian koron, starigas antaux sia vizagxo la allogilon de sia malpieco, kaj poste venas al la profeto, por fari per li demandojn al Mi, tiam Mi, la Eternulo, respondos al li per Mi mem;

8 Mi direktos Mian vizagxon kontraux tiun homon kaj faros lin avertilo kaj ekzemplo, kaj Mi ekstermos lin el inter Mia popolo; kaj vi ekscios, ke Mi estas la Eternulo.

9 Kaj se la profeto estos delogita kaj ion parolos, tiam Mi, la Eternulo, malsagxigis tiun profeton, kaj Mi etendos Mian manon sur lin kaj ekstermos lin el inter Mia popolo Izrael.

10 Tiamaniere ili estos punitaj pro sia malpieco:la puno de la demandanto kaj la puno de la profeto estos egalaj;

11 por ke ili ne plu forerarigu de Mi la domon de Izrael kaj ili ne plu malpurigu sin per cxiuj siaj krimoj; sed ili estu Mia popolo kaj Mi estu ilia Dio, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

12 Kaj aperis al mi vorto de la Eternulo, dirante:

13 Ho filo de homo! se lando pekos kontraux Mi, forte kulpigxante antaux Mi, tiam Mi etendos Mian manon sur gxin, kaj rompos al gxi la panan apogon, venigos sur gxin malsaton, kaj ekstermos en gxi la homojn kaj brutojn.

14 Kaj se meze de gxi trovigxus tiaj tri homoj, kiel Noa, Daniel, kaj Ijob, ili pro sia virteco savus sian vivon, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

15 Se Mi venigus en la landon sovagxajn bestojn, por gxin senhomigi, por ke gxi farigxu dezerta kaj neniu povu iri tra gxi pro la bestoj-

16 kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, ecx tiuj tri homoj en gxi ne savus la filojn nek filinojn; nur ili mem savigxus, sed la lando farigxus dezerta.

17 Aux se Mi venigus glavon sur tiun landon, kaj dirus:Glavo, trairu la landon; kaj Mi ekstermus en gxi homojn kaj brutojn-

18 kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, ecx tiuj tri homoj en gxi ne savus la filojn nek filinojn; nur ili mem savigxus.

19 Aux se Mi venigus peston sur tiun landon, kaj Mi elversxus sur gxin Mian koleron en sango, por ekstermi en gxi homojn kaj brutojn,

20 kaj Noa, Daniel, kaj Ijob estus en gxi-kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, ili ne savus filon nek filinon; nur ili pro sia virteco savus sian animon.

21 CXar tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Ecx se Mi venigus sur Jerusalemon la kvar malbonajn punojn, la glavon, malsaton, sovagxajn bestojn, kaj peston, por ekstermi en gxi homojn kaj brutojn-

22 tamen restos en gxi restajxo da mortevitintaj filoj kaj filinoj, kaj jen ili eliros al vi, kaj vi vidos ilian konduton kaj iliajn agojn, kaj vi konsoligxos pri la malbono, kiun Mi venigis sur Jerusalemon, pri cxio, kion Mi venigis sur gxin.

23 Kaj ili vin konsolos, kiam vi vidos ilian konduton kaj iliajn agojn, kaj ekscios, ke ne vane Mi faris cxion, kion Mi faris kontraux gxi, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9688

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9688. 'The work of an embroiderer' means things that belong to factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the work of an embroiderer', or embroidery, as factual knowledge. A large number of places in the Word speak of that which has been embroidered and of embroidery, and in every case factual knowledge is meant by it. The reason for this goes back to representatives in the next life; there garments embroidered in various ways are seen, and by these garments truths on the level of factual knowledge are meant.

[2] Truths on the level of factual knowledge differ from those on the level of the understanding in the same way as outward things differ from inward ones, or as the natural level with a person differs from the spiritual. Facts serve the understanding as objects from which it may deduce truths; for the power of understanding is the internal or spiritual man's power of sight, and known facts are its objects in the external or natural man. These facts are meant by 'the work of an embroiderer' whereas that power of understanding is meant by 'the work of a designer', 9598, for designing is a function of the understanding, and embroidering a function of the knowledge and skill employed by the understanding. This explains why the objects within the dwelling-place, which were signs meaning inner realities, were the work of a designer, such as the curtains that formed it, verse 1, and the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies, verse 31. But the objects which were signs meaning outer realities were the work of an embroiderer, such as the screen in place of a tent door, and the screen in place of a gate of the court, Exodus 38:18, and also the girdle, Exodus 39:29, 'the girdle' being what is external linking everything internal, 'the court' being the lowest part of heaven, and 'the tent door' the place where there is an exit from the middle heaven into the lowest.

[3] The fact that 'embroidery' and that which has been 'embroidered' mean factual knowledge belonging to the external or natural man is clear from the following places in the Word: In Ezekiel,

Fine linen with embroidery from Egypt was your sail; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks; [they exchanged for your wares] chrysoprase and purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen. The merchants of Sheba [came] with balls of violet and with embroidered work. Ezekiel 27:7, 16, 24.

This refers to Tyre, by which those in possession of cognitions or knowledge of truth and good are meant, and in the abstract sense those cognitions themselves, 1201. 'Fine linen with embroidery' means truth on the level of factual knowledge, for 'fine linen' means truth from a celestial origin, 5319, 9469, and 'embroidery' is factual knowledge. This also is the reason why it says that it came from Egypt - for 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 5702, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7779 (end), 9391 - and also from Syria and from Sheba, since cognitions of truth and good are meant by 'Syria', 1232, 1234, 3051, 3249, 3664, 3680, 4112, and in like manner by 'Sheba', 1171, 3240. Cognitions of truth and good constitute the Church's factual knowledge. Anybody endowed with the ability to think intelligently and weigh things up can see that in these verses from Ezekiel one should not understand embroidery, fine linen, violet, or purple, but that these commodities mean things such as are worthy of mention in the Word, namely spiritual realities that belong to heaven and the Church.

[4] In the same prophet,

All the princes of the sea will step down from upon their thrones, and will cast away their robes and will strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with tremblings. Ezekiel 26:16.

This too refers to Tyre. 'The princes of the sea' are the first and foremost known facts, which are called dogmas, 'princes' meaning things which are first and foremost, see 1482, 2089, 5044, and 'the sea' factual knowledge in general 28, 2850. 'Robes' are external truths, 'embroidered' are truths on the level of factual knowledge, which too are external ones. For the meaning of 'garments' as truths, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917, 6918, 9093, 9158, 9212, 9216.

[5] In the same prophet,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shod you with badger; I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver; and your garments were fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. But you took your embroidered garments and covered the images, with which you committed whoredom. 1 Ezekiel 16:10, 13, 18.

This refers to Jerusalem, by which the Church is meant. 'Embroidered garments' stands for truths on the level of factual knowledge. 'Covering the images, with which she committed whoredom' stands for giving strength to falsities, for 'committing whoredom' means perverting truths by bringing them into contact with falsities or with evils. Is there anyone who cannot see that since these verses describe Jerusalem 'fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth' are not used to mean fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth? Yet what they really mean the Christian world does not seek to know, because it supposes that heavenly and spiritual matters in the Word reside in its literal sense; the more internal contents of the Word it calls mystical, but has no interest in them.

[6] In the same prophet,

A great eagle with great wings, with long pinions, full of feathers, 2 which had embroidery ... Ezekiel 17:3.

This refers to the house of Israel, which means the spiritual Church; and this Church is called 'an eagle' by virtue of its perception of truth, 3901, 8764, 'which had embroidery' standing for its possession of factual knowledge. In David,

All glorious is the king's daughter within, in her clothing with gold interweavings; in an embroidered [robe] she will be led to the king. Psalms 45:13-14.

'The king's daughter' stands for an affection for truth, 'an embroidered [robe]' for factual knowledge of truth. In the Book of Judges,

Will they not divide the spoil, ... the spoil of colours for Sisera, the spoil of colours of embroidered work, embroiderers' colour - on the necks of the spoil? 3 Judges 5:30.

In this verse, which is part of the Song of Deborah and Barak, 'embroidered [work]' stands for factual knowledge belonging to the natural man.

Footnotes:

1. Here verse 18 of Ezekiel 16 has become confused with the preceding verse 17.

2. literally, A great eagle, great with wings, long with pinions, and full with feathers,

3. The meaning in the Hebrew of this verse is very obscure. The Latin rendering by Sebastian Schmidt, which Swedenborg relies on here, is literal and equally difficult to make sense of.

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