The Bible

 

Hosea 2

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1 Sanokaat teidän veljillenne: He ovat minun kansani, ja teidän sisarillenne: He ovat armossa.

2 Riidelkäät teidän äitinne kanssa, riidelkäät, sillä ei hän ole minun emäntäni, enkä minä ole hänen miehensä, että hän heittäis pois haureutensa kasvoistansa ja huoruutensa rinnoistansa:

3 Etten minä häntä alasti riisuisi, ja panisi häntä niinkuin hän syntyissänsä oli, ja panisi myös häntä niinkuin hävitettyä ja niinkuin karkiaa maata, enkä janoon häntä kuolettaisi;

4 Ja en armahtaisi hänen lapsiansa; sillä he ovat huoran lapset.

5 Sillä heidän äitinsä on huorin tehnyt, ja se, joka heidät siitti,käytti itsensä häpiällisesti, ja sanoi: Minä tahdon juosta rakastajaini perässä, jotka minulle antavat leipää, vettä, villoja, pellavia, öljyä ja juomaa.

6 Sentähden katso, minä aitaan sinun ties orjantappuroilla ja panen aidan eteen, ettei hän löytäisi polkujansa.

7 Ja kuin hän juoksee rakastajainsa perässä, niin ei hänen pidä heitä käsittämän, eikä löytämän, kuin hän heitä etsii; ja hänen pitää sanoman: Minä menen ja palajan entisen mieheni tykö, sillä silloin oli minun parempi kuin nyt.

8 Ja ei hän tahdo tietää minua siksi, joka hänelle annoin jyviä, viinaa ja öljyä, ja että minä annoin hänelle paljon hopiaa ja kultaa, josta he Baalimit tekivät.

9 Sentähden minä palajan ja otan aikanansa jälleen minun jyväni, ja minun viinani ajallansa, ja otan pois villani ja pellavani, joilla hän häpiänsä peittää.

10 Ja minä tahdon paljastaa hänen häpiänsä, hänen rakastajainsa silmäin eteen; ja ei pidä kenenkään häntä minun käsistäni päästämän.

11 Ja minä lakkautan kaiken hänen ilonsa, juhlansa, uuden kuunsa, lepopäivänsä ja kaikki hänen pyhäpäivänsä.

12 Minä hävitän myös hänen viinapuunsa ja fikunapuunsa, että hän sanoi: Se on minun palkkani, jonka minun rakastajani minulle antaneet ovat; minä teen niistä metsän, että metsän pedot ne syövät.

13 Juuri niin etsin minä häntä Baalimin päivinä, joina hän heille savu-uhria sytytti, ja kaunisti itsensä kultalehdillä ja kaulakaunistuksella, ja juoksi rakastajainsa perässä; ja niin unhotti minun, sanoo Herra.

14 Sentähden katso, minä tahdon häntä houkutella, viedä hänen korpeen ja puhua suloisesti hänen kanssansa.

15 Silloin annan minä hänelle hänen viinamäkensä ja Akorin laakson, ja tahdon toivon avata; siellä hän on lauleskeleva, niinkuin nuorella ijällänsä ja niinkuin sinä päivänä, jona hän Egyptin maalta läksi.

16 Ja sinä päivänä pitää tapahtuman, sanoo Herra, ettäs minun kutsut miehekses, ja et enään minua kutsu Baalimiksi.

17 Sillä minä tahdon Baalimin nimet ottaa pois hänen suustansa, niin ettei kenenkään pidä sitä nimeä enään muistaman.

18 Vaan minä tahdon tehdä heille sillä ajalla liiton, petoin kanssa kedolla, lintuin kanssa taivaan alla ja matoin kanssa maan päällä; ja tahdon ottaa pois joutsen, miekan ja sodan maalta, ja annan heidän asua turvallisesti.

19 Minä kihlaan sinun itselleni ijankaikkisesti; ja minä kihlaan sinun itselleni vanhurskaudessa, tuomiossa, armossa ja laupiudessa.

20 Minä kihlaan tosin sinun itselleni uskossa, ja sinun pitää Herran tunteman.

21 Sillä ajalla, sanoo Herra; tahdon minä kuulla, minä tahdon taivaasta kuulla, ja taivaan pitää maata kuuleman.

22 Mutta maan pitää kuuleman jyviä, viinaa ja öljyä, ja niiden pitää Jisreeliä kuuleman.

23 Ja minä tahdon sen itselleni pitää siemeneksi maan päälle, ja tahdon sitä armahtaa, jota ei ole armahdettu. Ja sanon hänelle, joka ei ollut minun kansani: Sinä olet minun kansani, ja hänen pitää sanoman: Sinä olet minun Jumalani.

   


SWORD version by Tero Favorin (tero at favorin dot com)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #46

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46. That 'beasts' means affections residing with man - evil affections in evil men and good affections in good men - becomes clear from many examples in the Word, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, so that you will be tilled and sown; and I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they will be multiplied and be fruitful, and I will resettle you 1 to be as in your ancient times. Ezekiel 36:9-11.

This refers to regeneration. In Joel,

Fear not, you beasts of My field, for the dwelling-places of the wilderness have been made green. Joel 2:22.

In David,

I was stupid, a beast 2 was I with God. Psalms 73:12.

In Jeremiah,

Behold, the days are coming when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast, and I will watch over them to build and to plant. Jeremiah 31:27-28.

This refers to regeneration.

[2] 'Wild animals' (fera) has a similar meaning, as in Hosea,

I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, 3 and with the creeping things of the earth. Hosea 2:18.

In Job,

You will not fear the wild animals of the earth, for your covenant will be with the stones of the field, and the wild beasts of the field will be at peace with you. Job 5:22-23.

In Ezekiel,

I will make with them 4 a covenant of peace, and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness. Ezekiel 34:25.

In Isaiah,

The wild animals of the field will honour me, for I have given water in the desert. Isaiah 43:20.

In Ezekiel,

In its branches all the birds of the air 3 made their nests and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezekiel 31:6.

This refers to Assyria, which means the spiritual man and is compared to the Garden of Eden. In David,

Praise Jehovah, all his angels, praise Him from the earth, sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, and all beasts, creeping things, and flying birds! Psalms 148:2-4, 7, 9-10.

Here the list is precisely the same - sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, beasts, creeping things, and birds. Unless they all mean things that are alive in human beings, they cannot possibly be referred to as praising Jehovah.

[3] A careful distinction is made in the Prophets between beasts and wild animals of the earth, and between beasts and wild animals of the field. The practice of calling goods 'beasts' extends to calling people in heaven who are nearest to the Lord 'living creatures', both in Ezekiel and in John,

All the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God. 5 Revelation 7:11; 19:4.

The expression 'creatures' is also used of people who are to have the gospel preached to them because they are to be created anew, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15.

Footnotes:

1. literally, I will cause you to inhabit

2. literally, beasts

3. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)

4. The Latin means with you; but the Hebrew means with them which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.

5. The Latin means the Lamb; but the Greek means God which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.

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

The Bible

 

Joel 2

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1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is close at hand:

2 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

3 A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

7 They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don't swerve off course.

8 Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and don't break ranks.

9 They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

10 The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

11 Yahweh thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of Yahweh is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

12 "Yet even now," says Yahweh, "turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning."

13 Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

14 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

16 Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her room.

17 Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare your people, Yahweh, and don't give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

18 Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.

19 Yahweh answered his people, "Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

20 But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise." Surely he has done great things.

21 Land, don't be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things.

22 Don't be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

23 "Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh, your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.

24 The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.

26 You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.

27 You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed.

28 "It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.

29 And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.

30 I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.

32 It will happen that whoever will call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls.