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Hosea 4

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1 Ακουσατε τον λογον του Κυριου, υιοι Ισραηλ· διοτι ο Κυριος εχει κρισιν μετα των κατοικων της γης, επειδη δεν υπαρχει αληθεια ουδε ελεος ουδε γνωσις Θεου επι της γης.

2 Επιορκια και ψευδος και φονος και κλοπη και μοιχεια επλημμυρησαν, και αιματα εγγιζουσιν επι αιματα.

3 Δια τουτο θελει πενθησει η γη, και πας ο κατοικων εν αυτη θελει λιποψυχησει, μετα των θηριων του αγρου και μετα των πετεινων του ουρανου· ετι και οι ιχθυες της θαλασσης θελουσιν εκλειψει.

4 Πλην ας μη αντιλεγη μηδεις μηδ' ας ελεγχη τον αλλον· διοτι ο λαος σου ειναι ως οι αντιλεγοντες εις τον ιερεα.

5 Δια τουτο θελεις ολισθησει την ημεραν, και μετα σου θελει ολισθησει και ο προφητης την νυκτα, και θελω αφανισει την μητερα σου.

6 Ο λαος μου ηφανισθη δι' ελλειψιν γνωσεως· επειδη συ απερριψας την γνωσιν και εγω απερριψα σε απο του να ιερατευης εις εμε· επειδη ελησμονησας τον νομον του Θεου σου, και εγω θελω λησμονησει τα τεκνα σου.

7 Καθως επληθυναν, ουτως ημαρτησαν εις εμε· την δοξαν αυτων εις ατιμιαν θελω μεταβαλει.

8 Τρωγουσι τας αμαρτιας του λαου μου και εχουσι προσηλωμενην την ψυχην αυτων εις την ανομιαν αυτων.

9 Δια τουτο θελει εισθαι, καθως ο λαος, ουτω και ο ιερευς· και θελω επισκεφθη επ' αυτους τας οδους αυτων και ανταποδωσει εις αυτους τας πραξεις αυτων.

10 Διοτι θελουσι τρωγει και δεν θελουσι χορταζεσθαι, θελουσι πορνευει και δεν θελουσι πληθυνεσθαι· επειδη εγκατελιπον το να λατρευωσι τον Κυριον.

11 Πορνεια και οινος και μεθη αφαιρουσι την καρδιαν.

12 Ο λαος μου ερωτα τα ξυλα αυτου, και η ραβδος αυτου αποκρινεται προς αυτον· διοτι το πνευμα της πορνειας επλανησεν αυτους και επορνευσαν εκκλινοντες απο του Θεου αυτων.

13 Θυσιαζουσιν επι τας κορυφας των ορεων και θυμιαζουσιν επι τους λοφους, υπο τας δρυς και λευκας και τερεβινθους, διοτι η σκια αυτων ειναι καλη δια τουτο αι θυγατερες σας θελουσι πορνευσει και αι νυμφαι σας θελουσι μοιχευσει.

14 Δεν θελω τιμωρησει τας θυγατερας σας οταν πορνευσωσιν ουδε τας νυμφας σας οταν μοιχευσωσι, διοτι αυτοι αποχωριζονται μετα των πορνων και θυσιαζουσι μετα των ασελγων· δια τουτο ο λαος ο ασυνετος θελει κατακρημνισθη.

15 Εαν συ, Ισραηλ, πορνευης, τουλαχιστον ας μη ανομηση ο Ιουδας· μη υπαγετε λοιπον εις Γαλγαλα μηδ' αναβαινετε εις Βαιθ-αυεν μηδε ομνυετε, Ζη ο Κυριος.

16 Διοτι ο Ισραηλ απεσκιρτησεν ως δαμαλις αποσκιρτωσα· τωρα θελει βοσκησει αυτους ο Κυριος ως αρνια εν τοπω πλατει.

17 Ο Εφραιμ προσεκολληθη εις τα ειδωλα· αφησατε αυτον.

18 Το ποτον αυτων ωξυνισεν· ολως εδοθησαν εις την πορνειαν· οι υπερασπισται αυτης ω της αισχυνης, αγαπωσι το Δοτε.

19 Ο ανεμος θελει συσφιγξει αυτην εν ταις πτερυξιν αυτου, και θελουσι καταισχυνθη δια τας θυσιας αυτων.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3122

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3122. With regard to this truth, by which charity is meant, there is more to be said: The most ancient people, who were celestial, understood nothing else by mercy and truth from the Lord than the reception 1 of the influx of love to the Lord and from this of charity towards the neighbour; but the ancients, who were spiritual, took mercy and truth present with them from the Lord to mean charity and faith. The reason for this was that those who were celestial never thought about the things that are matters of faith or truth but about those that are matters of love or good, as becomes clear from what has been stated already about the celestial man in 202, 337, 2669, 2715. Furthermore it was by means of charity towards the neighbour that celestial people were led into love to the Lord when they were being reformed and regenerated. From this it is evident that 'mercy from the Lord' is used to mean nothing else than a perception of the influx of love to Him, and 'truth' to mean the influx of charity towards the neighbour from that inflowing love.

[2] With those who are spiritual however it is different. These do think about the things that are matters of faith, and when they are being reformed and regenerated it is by means of the things which are matters of faith that they are led into charity towards the neighbour. Consequently when spiritual people are the subject 'mercy from the Lord' is used to mean the influx of charity towards the neighbour, and 'truth' to mean the influx of faith. Nevertheless once the spiritual man has been regenerated this faith becomes charity, for now he acts from charity, so much so that anyone among them who does not act from charity is not regenerate, whereas anyone who does act from charity is regenerate. Also, he now has no interest at all in matters of faith or truth, for his life springs from the good of faith, and no longer from the truth of faith. Indeed truth has now so joined itself to good that it ceases to be seen except as the form which good takes, that is, faith is now nothing else so to speak than the form which charity takes.

[3] From this one may see what the most ancient people meant, and what the ancients meant, by mercy and truth which are mentioned so many times in the Word, as in David,

The king will dwell for ever before God. Prepare mercy and truth, let them watch over him. Psalms 61:7.

In the same author,

Mercy and truth will meet, righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Psalms 85:10.

In the same author,

The Lord God is great in mercy and truth. Psalms 86:15.

In the same author,

My truth and My mercy will be with Him. Psalms 89:24.

In the same author,

Jehovah has remembered His mercy and His truth to the house of Israel. Psalms 98:3.

In the same author,

O Jehovah, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your mercy and Your truth. Psalms 115:1.

In Micah,

Jehovah God will give truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old. Micah 7:20.

Here 'Jacob' stands for the Lord's external man, 'Abraham' for the internal as regards the human. In Hosea,

Jehovah's controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth, and no mercy, and no knowledge of God. Hosea 4:1.

'No truth' stands for no reception of the influx of charity, 'no mercy' for no reception of the influx of love, 'no knowledge of God' for no reception of the influx of the truth of faith.

Footnotes:

1. Or, reading what Swedenborg has in his rough draft the perception

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

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