The Bible

 

Ezekiel 25

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

2 Ho filo de homo, turnu vian vizagxon al la Amonidoj, kaj profetu pri ili;

3 kaj diru al la Amonidoj:Auxskultu la vorton de la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pro tio, ke vi diras pri Mia sanktejo:Ha, ha! gxi estas malsanktigita; kaj pri la lando de Izrael:GXi estas dezertigita; kaj pri la domo de Jehuda:Ili estas forkondukitaj en kaptitecon-

4 pro tio jen Mi transdonos vin kiel posedajxon al la filoj de la oriento, kaj ili starigos cxe vi siajn tendarojn kaj arangxos cxe vi siajn logxejojn; ili mangxos viajn fruktojn, kaj ili trinkos vian lakton.

5 Kaj Mi faros el Raba stalon por kameloj, kaj el la lando de la Amonidoj ripozejon por sxafoj; kaj vi ekscios, ke Mi estas la Eternulo.

6 CXar tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pro tio, ke vi aplauxdis per la manoj kaj frapis per la piedoj kaj kun plena kora malestimo gxojis pri la lando de Izrael-

7 pro tio jen Mi etendos Mian manon kontraux vin kaj transdonos vin al la nacioj por disrabo, kaj Mi ekstermos vin el inter la popoloj, malaperigos vin el inter la landoj, kaj pereigos vin; kaj vi ekscios, ke Mi estas la Eternulo.

8 Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pro tio, ke Moab kaj Seir diras:Jen la domo de Jehuda estas kiel cxiuj nacioj-

9 pro tio Mi malfermos la flankon de Moab en la urboj, en gxiaj limaj urboj, la belan landon de Bet-Jesximot, Baal-Meon, kaj Kirjataim;

10 kaj Mi donos tion kune kun la Amonidoj al la filoj de la oriento kiel posedajxon, por ke la Amonidoj ne plu estu rememorataj inter la popoloj.

11 Kaj kontraux Moab Mi faros jugxon; kaj ili ekscios, ke Mi estas la Eternulo.

12 Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pro tio, ke Edom faris vengxon al la domo de Jehuda kaj forte kulpigxis per sia vengxo kontraux ili-

13 pro tio tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Mi etendos Mian manon kontraux la landon de Edom, kaj ekstermos en gxi la homojn kaj brutojn, kaj faros gxin dezerto; de Teman gxis Dedan ili falos de glavo.

14 Kaj Mi faros Mian vengxon kontraux Edom per la mano de Mia popolo Izrael; kaj ili agos kun la Edomidoj konforme al Mia kolero kaj indigno, por ke cxi tiuj ekkonu Mian vengxon, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

15 Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pro tio, ke la Filisxtoj agis vengxe kaj faris la vengxon kun plena kora malbondeziro kaj faris ekstermon laux sia eterna malamo-

16 pro tio tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Jen Mi etendos Mian manon kontraux la Filisxtojn, ekstermos la Keretidojn, kaj pereigos la restintojn cxe la bordo de la maro.

17 Kaj Mi faros kontraux ili grandan vengxon kun kolerega puno; kaj ili ekscios, ke Mi estas la Eternulo, kiam Mi faros Mian vengxon kontraux ili.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10256

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10256. 'And sweet-smelling calamus' means the perception of and affection for interior truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'sweet-smelling calamus' as the perception of and affection for interior truth; for 'calamus' means that truth and 'a sweet smell' a perception of and affection for it. For the meaning of 'calamus' as truth, see below; and for that of 'a sweet smell' as a perception of and affection for it, see just above in 10254.

[2] Here interior truth is used to mean that truth which, as it exists in the internal man, is exterior. This is in keeping with what has been stated above in 10254, namely that within the external man there is an exterior and an interior, and within the internal likewise. So it is that four sweet-smelling substances were used in the preparation of the anointing oil - myrrh of the highest quality, sweet-smelling cinnamon, sweet-smelling calamus, and cassia. 'Myrrh of the highest quality' means the perception of exterior truth within the external man, which is truth on the level of the senses; 'sweet-smelling cinnamon' interior truth there, which is truth on the natural level; 'sweet-smelling calamus' exterior truth within the internal man; and 'cassia' interior truth there. And 'olive oil' means the actual good composing affections for and perceptions of those kinds of truth.

[3] The fact that 'calamus' means interior truth becomes clear from places in the Word which mention it. In these places however it is not spoken of as 'sweet-smelling calamus' but only as 'calamus' or 'good calamus', as in Isaiah,

You have not called Me, O Jacob, and you have been weary of Me, O Israel. You have not bought Me calamus with silver, and you have not satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices. Isaiah 43:22, 24.

In Ezekiel,

Dan and Javan exchanged yarn in your dealings; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were in your trading. Ezekiel 27:19.

And in Jeremiah,

To what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, and good calamus from a distant land? Jeremiah 6:20.

In these places, it is evident, 'calamus' is used to mean some attribute of the Church, and worship there; for what other reason could there be for talking about their buying calamus for Jehovah with silver or about good calamus coming to Him from a distant land? And since some attribute of the Church and its worship are meant it follows that truth or good is meant, because everything of the Church and its worship is connected with them. But exactly which kind of truth or good is meant - whether celestial or spiritual, external man's or internal man's - is clear from the internal sense, when the sequence of things mentioned is considered on this level of meaning. Then it is evident that interior truth is meant by 'calamus'.

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

The Bible

 

Exodus 30

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1 "You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.

2 Its length shall be a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.

3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.

4 You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.

5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

6 You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.

7 Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.

8 When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.

9 You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it.

10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh."

11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12 "When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are numbered among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh, when you number them; that there be no plague among them when you number them.

13 They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs;) half a shekel for an offering to Yahweh.

14 Everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to Yahweh.

15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.

16 You shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls."

17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

18 "You shall also make a basin of brass, and its base of brass, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.

19 Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it.

20 When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations."

22 Moreover Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

23 "Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;

24 and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil.

25 You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.

26 You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony,

27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,

28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base.

29 You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.

30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.

31 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.

32 It shall not be poured on man's flesh, neither shall you make any like it, according to its composition: it is holy. It shall be holy to you.

33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.'"

34 Yahweh said to Moses, "Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be an equal weight;

35 and you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:

36 and you shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy.

37 The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh.

38 Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people."