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Lamentadoj 2

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1 Kiele la Sinjoro en Sia kolero kovris per mallumo la filinon de Cion! De la cxielo sur la teron Li jxetegis la belecon de Izrael, Kaj ne rememoris Sian piedbenketon en la tago de Sia kolero.

2 Senindulge ekstermis la Sinjoro cxiujn logxejojn de Jakob; Li detruis en Sia kolero la fortikajxojn de la filino de Jehuda, alniveligis ilin al la tero; Li frapis la regnon kaj gxiajn regantojn.

3 En flama kolero Li rompis cxiujn kornojn de Izrael; Li tiris Sian dekstran manon malantauxen, kiam venis la malamiko; Kaj Li ekbruligis en Jakob kvazaux flamantan fajron, kiu ekstermas cxion cxirkauxe.

4 Li strecxis Sian pafarkon kiel malamiko, direktis Sian dekstran manon kiel atakanto, Kaj mortigis cxion, kio estis cxarma por la okuloj; En la tendo de la filino de Cion Li elversxis Sian koleron kiel fajron.

5 La Sinjoro farigxis kiel malamiko, Li ekstermis Izraelon, ekstermis cxiujn liajn palacojn, detruis liajn fortikajxojn; Kaj al la filino de Jehuda Li donis multe da plorado kaj gxemado.

6 Kiel gxardenon Li ruinigis lian tendon, detruis lian kunvenejon; La Eternulo forgesigis en Cion feston kaj sabaton, Kaj forpusxis en la indigno de Sia kolero regxon kaj pastron.

7 La Sinjoro forlasis Sian altaron, abomenis Sian sanktejon, Transdonis en la manojn de malamikoj la murojn de gxiaj palacoj; Ili faris bruon en la domo de la Eternulo kiel en tago de festo.

8 La Eternulo decidis ekstermi la muregon de la filino de Cion; Li eltiris la mezursxnuron, ne detenis Sian manon de ekstermado; Li funebrigis la fortikajxon kaj muregon, ambaux havas nun mizeran aspekton.

9 Enprofundigxis en la teron gxiaj pordegoj; Li detruis kaj rompis gxiajn riglilojn; GXia regxo kaj gxiaj princoj estas inter la nacioj; La legxoj jam ne ekzistas, kaj gxiaj profetoj ne plu ricevas vizion de la Eternulo.

10 Silente sidas sur la tero la plejagxuloj de la filino de Cion; Polvon ili metis sur sian kapon, zonis sin per sakajxo; Al la tero klinis sian kapon la virgulinoj de Jerusalem.

11 Konsumigxis de larmoj miaj okuloj, sxvelis miaj internajxoj, Elversxigxis sur la teron mia hepato, pro la pereo de la filino de mia popolo, Kiam infanoj kaj sucxinfanoj senfortigxis de malsato sur la stratoj de la urbo.

12 Al siaj patrinoj ili diris:Kie estas pano kaj vino? Ili falis kiel vunditaj sur la stratoj de la urbo, Kaj eligis sian animon sur la brusto de siaj patrinoj.

13 Kiun mi povas montri al vi, kun kiu mi povas kompari vin, ho filino de Jerusalem? Kiun similan mi povas montri al vi, por konsoli vin, ho virgulino-filino de Cion? CXar granda kiel la maro estas via malfelicxo; kiu vin resanigos?

14 Viaj profetoj profetis al vi malverajxon kaj sensencajxon, Kaj ne montris al vi viajn malbonagojn, por antauxgardi vin kontraux kaptiteco; Ili predikis al vi viziojn malverajn, kiuj alportis al vi elpelon.

15 Kunfrapas pri vi siajn manojn cxiuj preterirantoj; Ili fajfas kaj balancas la kapon pri la filino de Jerusalem, dirante: CXu tio estas la urbo, kiun oni nomis perfektajxo de beleco, gxojo de la tuta tero?

16 Malfermegas kontraux vi sian busxon cxiuj viaj malamikoj; Ili fajfas kaj grincigas la dentojn, dirante:Ni englutis sxin; CXi tiun tagon ni atendis, ni gxin atingis, ni gxin vidas.

17 La Eternulo plenumis tion, kion Li intencis; Li plenumis Sian vorton, kiun Li eldiris antaux longa tempo; Li detruis senindulge, Li gxojigis pri vi la malamikon, Li altigis la kornon de viaj kontrauxuloj.

18 Ilia koro krias al la Sinjoro: Ho murego de la filino de Cion, versxu larmojn kiel torento tage kaj nokte; Ne ripozu, la pupilo de via okulo ne silentu.

19 Levigxu, ploregu en la nokto en la komenco de cxiu gardoparto; Elversxu kiel akvon vian koron antaux la vizagxo de la Sinjoro; Levu al Li viajn manojn pro la animo de viaj infanoj, kiuj senfortigxas de malsato en la komenco de cxiuj stratoj.

20 Rigardu, ho Eternulo, kaj vidu, kun kiu Vi agis tiamaniere! CXu ie aliloke mangxis virinoj sian frukton, siajn dorlotitajn infanojn? CXu ie estis mortigataj en la sanktejo de la Sinjoro pastroj kaj profetoj?

21 Surtere sur la stratoj kusxis junuloj kaj maljunuloj; Miaj junulinoj kaj junuloj falis de glavo; Vi mortigis en la tago de Via kolero, bucxis kaj ne kompatis.

22 Kiel por festa tago Vi kunvokis de cxirkauxe miajn terurajn najbarojn, Kaj en la tago de la kolero de la Eternulo neniu savigxis, neniu restis; Tiujn, kiujn mi dorlotis kaj edukis, cxiujn ekstermis mia malamiko.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10031

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10031. 'And the omentum over the liver' means the more internal good of the external or natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the omentum', which is over the liver, as the more internal good of the external or natural man. 'The omentum' means this good because it consists wholly of fat, and by 'fat' good is meant, dealt with above in 10029. The reason why the good is more internal is that this fat is higher in the body or more internal than the fat covering the intestines, which is spoken of immediately above. Also 'the liver' means more internal purification, for the liver purifies the blood, whereas the intestines purify the substances from which blood is produced. And the reason why that good belongs to the external or natural man is that 'the young bull' in which this omentum resided means the good of innocence and of charity in the external or natural man, 9990. In other places 'the liver' means the external good of innocence, the kind of good that exists with young children or infants. The reason for this is that before every other organ has been fully formed to serve its particular function, which is done while they are still in the womb, infants are fed through the liver; for it is to this organ that all their fluid nourishment is brought from their mother's womb by way of the placenta and umbilical cord. This fluid corresponds to the good of innocence.

[2] The fact that this good is meant by 'the liver' is clear in Jeremiah,

My eyes have been consumed by tears, my internal organs have been disturbed, 1 my liver has been poured out onto the earth, because of the destruction 2 of the daughter of my people, while the infant and the suckling faint in the streets; they say to their mothers, Where is grain and wine? Lamentations 2:11-12.

This describes the grief of a Church when it has been laid waste. Grief on account of truth that has been lost is meant by 'eyes have been consumed by tears'; grief on account of the truth of innocence which has been lost is meant by 'internal organs have been disturbed'; and grief on account of the good of innocence which has been lost is meant by 'liver has been poured out onto the earth'. This is the reason for the words, 'While the infant and the suckling faint in the streets', and 'they say to their mothers, Where is grain and wine?' 'The daughter of my people' because of whose destruction that grief exists is the Church, 2362, 3963, 6729; 'eyes' are the powers of inward sight, thus the truths of faith, 4526, 4528, 9051; 'internal organs' or 'bowels' are the truths of innocence, 3294; 'liver' is the good of innocence, since the infants and sucklings who faint in the streets are those with whom the good of innocence is present, 430, 3183, 4563, 5608; 'the grain and wine' - about which they say to their mothers, Where are they? - are the good of truth and the truth of good, 'grain' being the good of truth, 5959, and 'wine' the truth of good, 1071, 1798.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2362

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2362. That 'behold now, I have two daughters, who have not known a man' means the affections for good and for truth is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in 489-491. 'They have not known a man' means that they have not been defiled by falsity, for 'a man' means rational truth, and also in the contrary sense falsity, 265, 749, 1007. There are two types of affection, namely the affection for good and the affection for truth, see 1997. The first - the affection for good - constitutes the celestial church and in the Word is called 'the daughter of Zion' and also 'the virgin daughter of Zion'.

[2] But the second - the affection for truth - constitutes the spiritual church, and in the Word is called 'the daughter of Jerusalem'; as in Isaiah,

She has despised you, she has scorned you, the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you, the daughter of Jerusalem. Isaiah 37:22; 2 Kings 19:21.

In Jeremiah,

What shall I liken you to, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equate you with and comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? Lamentations 2:13.

In Micah,

You, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you will it come and the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Micah 4:8.

In Zephaniah,

Shout with joy, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! Zephaniah 3:14.

In Zechariah,

Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king will come to you. Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15.

[3] That the celestial Church, which is the Lord's celestial kingdom, is called 'the daughter of Zion' from the affection for good, that is, from love to the Lord Himself, see in addition Isaiah 10:32; 16:1; 52:2; 62:11; Jeremiah 4:31; 6:2, 23; Lamentations 1:6; 2:1, 4, 8, 10; Micah 4:10, 13; Zechariah 2:10; Psalms 9:14. And that the spiritual Church, which is the Lord's spiritual kingdom, is called 'the daughter of Jerusalem' from the affection for truth and so from charity towards the neighbour, see Lamentations 2:15. Both of those Churches, and the nature of each one, have been dealt with many times in Volume One.

[4] Because the celestial Church exists from love to the Lord which is present within love towards the neighbour it is likened in particular to an unmarried daughter or a virgin. Indeed it is also called 'a virgin', as in John,

These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes; for they are spotless before God's throne. Revelation 14:4-5.

And so that the same might be represented in the Jewish Church, the priests were commanded not to marry widows but virgins, Leviticus 21:13-15; Ezekiel 44:22.

[5] From the contents of the present verse it becomes clear how pure the Word is in the internal sense, however else it may appear in the letter. For when these words are read, 'Behold now, I have two daughters, who have not known a man; let me now bring them out to you and you may do to them as is good in your eyes; only do nothing to those men', nothing else comes to mind than something impure, especially to those leading an evil life. Yet how chaste these words are in the internal sense is evident from the explanation already given, which is that they mean the affections for good and truth and the blessedness perceived from the enjoyment of those affections by people who do no violence to the Lord's Divinity and [proceeding] Holiness.

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