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Amos 3

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1 Kuulkaa tämä sana, jonka Herra on puhunut teitä vastaan, te israelilaiset, koko sitä sukukuntaa vastaan, jonka minä olen johdattanut Egyptin maasta, sanoen:

2 Ainoastaan teidät minä olen valinnut kaikista maan sukukunnista; sentähden minä kostan teille kaikki teidän pahat tekonne.

3 Kulkeeko kaksi yhdessä, elleivät ole keskenänsä sopineet?

4 rjyykö leijona metsässä, ellei sillä ole raadeltavaa? Kiljuuko nuori leijona luolastansa, ellei se ole saalista saanut?

5 Käykö lintu maassa paulaan, ellei sen varalle ole pyydystä pantu? Nouseeko paula maasta saaliin siihen tarttumatta?

6 Puhalletaanko pasunaan kaupungissa, niin ettei kansa peljästy? Tahi tapahtuuko kaupungissa onnettomuutta, jota ei Herra ole tuottanut?

7 Sillä ei Herra, Herra, tee mitään ilmoittamatta salaisuuttaan palvelijoillensa profeetoille.

8 Leijona ärjyy: kuka ei pelkäisi? Herra, Herra puhuu: kuka ei ennustaisi?

9 Julistakaa Asdodin palatseille ja Egyptin maan palatseille ja sanokaa: Kokoontukaa Samarian vuorille ja katsokaa, mikä suuri meteli on sen keskellä ja mikä sorto sen sisällä.

10 He eivät ymmärrä tehdä sitä, mikä oikein on, sanoo Herra; he kokoovat väkivaltaa ja sortoa palatseihinsa.

11 Sentähden, näin sanoo Herra, Herra: Vihollinen on oleva kaikkialla maassa, ja hän kukistaa sinun linnoituksesi, ja sinun palatsisi ryöstetään.

12 Näin sanoo Herra: Niinkuin paimen saa pelastetuksi leijonan kidasta pari sääriluuta tai kappaleen korvaa, niin pelastuu israelilaisiakin, niitä, jotka istuvat Samariassa sohvankulmassa ja kirjosilkkisellä leposijalla.

13 Kuulkaa ja todistakaa Jaakobin heimoa vastaan, sanoo Herra, Herra, Jumala Sebaot:

14 Sinä päivänä, jona minä kostan Israelille hänen rikoksensa, minä kostan myös Beetelin alttareille, niin että alttarinsarvet hakataan irti ja putoavat maahan.

15 Ja minä sorran maahan talvihuoneen ja kesähuoneen, ja norsunluuhuoneet kukistuvat, ja paljoista huoneista tulee loppu, sanoo Herra.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #592

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592. 'Jehovah said, I will wipe out man' means that man would bring about his own end. This is clear from what has been stated already, that is to say, about statements made to the effect that Jehovah or the Lord punishes, tempts, does evil, wipes out or slays, and curses; for example, the statement that Jehovah slew Er, Judah's firstborn, and Onan, Judah's second son, Genesis 38:7, to; or the statement that Jehovah smote all the firstborn of Egypt, Exodus 12:10, 29. Also in

Jeremiah,

Those whom I smote in My anger, and in My fierce anger. Jeremiah 33:5.

In David,

He let loose on them His fierce anger, exceeding anger, and rage, and distress, a mission of evil angels. Psalms 78:49.

In Amos,

Will evil befall a city, and Jehovah has not done it? Amos 3:6.

In John,

Seven golden bowls full of the anger of God who lives for ever and ever. Revelation 15:1, 7; 16:1.

All of these qualities are attributed to Jehovah when in fact He is quite the reverse of them. They are attributed to Him for the reason already given, and also so that people may grasp first of all the very general idea that the Lord rules over and disposes every single thing there is. Then after that they may grasp the idea that the Lord never does evil, let alone slays anyone, but that instead it is man who brings evil upon himself, destroys, and slays himself. In one sense it is not man who does so but the evil spirits who incite him and lead him on. Yet in reality it is the man, for what else does he believe than that he himself does what he does? So then it is here said of Jehovah that He would wipe out man, though in fact it was man who would destroy himself and bring about his own end.

[2] The situation in this matter becomes particularly clear from those in the next life who are living in torment and in hell. They are constantly complaining and ascribing to the Lord all the evil that punishes. And so do evil spirits in the world of evil spirits who take delight, indeed it is their chief delight, in hurting and punishing others. And those who are being hurt and punished assume that it is sent by the Lord. They are told and shown that not a hint of evil comes from the Lord, but that they bring the evil upon themselves. For in the next life all is counterbalanced in such a way that evil recoils on the one who commits it, and becomes evil that punishes. Punishment is therefore inevitable. It is said to be permitted for the sake of correcting evil; yet all the time the Lord is converting all evil that punishes into good, with the result that nothing but good ever comes from the Lord. What permission is however nobody as yet knows. What is permitted is considered to be something done by Him who permits simply because He does permit it. But in reality the situation is altogether different, a subject which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on.

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