The Bible

 

הושע 9

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1 אַל־תִּשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־גִּיל כָּעַמִּים כִּי זָנִיתָ מֵעַל אֱלֹהֶיךָ אָהַבְתָּ אֶתְןָן עַל כָּל־גָּרְנֹות דָּגָן׃

2 גֹּרֶן וָיֶקֶב לֹא יִרְעֵם וְתִירֹושׁ יְכַחֶשׁ בָּהּ׃

3 לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוָה וְשָׁב אֶפְרַיִם מִצְרַיִם וּבְאַשּׁוּר טָמֵא יֹאכֵלוּ׃

4 לֹא־יִסְּכוּ לַיהוָה יַיִן וְלֹא יֶעֶרְבוּ־לֹו זִבְחֵיהֶם כְּלֶחֶם אֹונִים לָהֶם כָּל־אֹכְלָיו יִטַמָּאוּ כִּי־לַחְםָם לְנַפְשָׁם לֹא יָבֹוא בֵּית יְהוָה׃*

5 מַה־תַּעֲשׂוּ לְיֹום מֹועֵד וּלְיֹום חַג־יְהוָה׃

6 כִּי־הִנֵּה הָלְכוּ מִשֹּׁד מִצְרַיִם תְּקַבְּצֵם מֹף תְּקַבְּרֵם מַחְמַד לְכַסְפָּם קִמֹּושׂ יִירָשֵׁם חֹוחַ בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם׃

7 בָּאוּ יְמֵי הַפְּקֻדָּה בָּאוּ יְמֵי הַשִּׁלֻּם יֵדְעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֱוִיל הַנָּבִיא מְשֻׁגָּע אִישׁ הָרוּחַ עַל רֹב עֲוֹנְךָ וְרַבָּה מַשְׂטֵמָה׃

8 צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם עִם־אֱלֹהָי נָבִיא פַּח יָקֹושׁ עַל־כָּל־דְּרָכָיו מַשְׂטֵמָה בְּבֵית אֱלֹהָיו׃

9 הֶעְמִיקוּ־שִׁחֵתוּ כִּימֵי הַגִּבְעָה יִזְכֹּור עֲוֹנָם יִפְקֹוד חַטֹּאותָם׃ ס

10 כַּעֲנָבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר מָצָאתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּבִכּוּרָה בִתְאֵנָה בְּרֵאשִׁיתָהּ רָאִיתִי אֲבֹותֵיכֶם הֵמָּה בָּאוּ בַעַל־פְּעֹור וַיִּנָּזְרוּ לַבֹּשֶׁת וַיִּהְיוּ שִׁקּוּצִים כְּאָהֳבָם׃

11 אֶפְרַיִם כָּעֹוף יִתְעֹוףֵף כְּבֹודָם מִלֵּדָה וּמִבֶּטֶן וּמֵהֵרָיֹון׃

12 כִּי אִם־יְגַדְּלוּ אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם וְשִׁכַּלְתִּים מֵאָדָם כִּי־גַם־אֹוי לָהֶם בְּשׂוּרִי מֵהֶם׃

13 אֶפְרַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר־רָאִיתִי לְצֹור שְׁתוּלָה בְנָוֶה וְאֶפְרַיִם לְהֹוצִיא אֶל־הֹרֵג בָּנָיו׃

14 תֵּן־לָהֶם יְהוָה מַה־תִּתֵּן תֵּן־לָהֶם רֶחֶם מַשְׁכִּיל וְשָׁדַיִם צֹמְקִים׃

15 כָּל־רָעָתָם בַּגִּלְגָּל כִּי־שָׁם שְׂנֵאתִים עַל רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיהֶם מִבֵּיתִי אֲגָרְשֵׁם לֹא אֹוסֵף אַהֲבָתָם כָּל־שָׂרֵיהֶמ* סֹרְרִים׃

16 הֻכָּה אֶפְרַיִם שָׁרְשָׁם יָבֵשׁ פְּרִי [כ= בְלִי]־ [ק= בַל]־יַעֲשׂוּן גַּם כִּי יֵלֵדוּן וְהֵמַתִּי מַחֲמַדֵּי בִטְנָם׃ ס

17 יִמְאָסֵם אֱלֹהַי כִּי לֹא שָׁמְעוּ לֹו וְיִהְיוּ נֹדְדִים בַּגֹּויִם׃ ס

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

The Lord #3

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3. I need at this point to say briefly what all the prophets of the Old Testament from Isaiah to Malachi have to say about the Lord, in general and in some detail.

1. The Lord came into the world in the fullness of time [Galatians 4:4], which was when he was no longer recognized by Jews and when for this reason there was no longer anything left of the church; and unless the Lord had come into the world and revealed himself at that time, humankind would have suffered eternal death. He says in John, “If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).

2. The Lord came into the world to carry out a last judgment, thereby subduing the hells that were then in control, and doing so by means of battles or trials that were permitted to attack the human nature he had received from his mother, and by a constant succession of victories. Unless the hells had been subdued, no one could have been saved.

3. The Lord came into the world to glorify his human nature-that is, to unite it to the divine nature that he had from conception.

4. The Lord came into the world to found a new church that would recognize him as Redeemer and Savior and that would be redeemed and saved through its love for and faith in him.

5. At the same time he was reorganizing heaven and uniting it with the church.

6. The suffering on the cross was the final battle or trial by means of which he completely subdued the hells and completely glorified his human nature.

In my forthcoming booklet on Sacred Scripture it will become evident that these are the sole subjects of the Word.

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

The Bible

 

Zephaniah 1:7-8

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7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh is at hand. For Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.

8 It will happen in the day of Yahweh's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, the king's sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.