The Bible

 

Ezekielis 16

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1 Viešpats kalbėjo man:

2 “Žmogaus sūnau, paskelbk Jeruzalei jos bjaurystes

3 ir sakyk jai: ‘Tavo kilmė ir giminė yra iš Kanaano krašto. Tavo tėvas buvo amoritas ir motina hetitė.

4 Kai tu gimei, tavo virkštelė nebuvo nupjauta, nebuvai nuplauta vandeniu nei ištrinta druska, nei vystyklais suvystyta.

5 vienas nepažvelgė į tave su gailesčiu ir nepadėjo tau. Kai gimei, buvai išmesta laukan.

6 Aš ėjau pro šalį ir, matydamas tave begulinčią kraujyje, tariau: ‘Gyvenk’.

7 Aš užauginau tave kaip lauko augalą. Tu užaugai, subrendai, tapai labai graži, iškilo krūtinė, užaugo plaukai, tačiau tu buvai plika ir nuoga.

8 Kai Aš eidamas pažiūrėjau į tave, buvo atėjęs tavo meilės laikas. Aš apdengiau tavo nuogumą savo apsiaustu, prisiekiau tau, padariau su tavimi sandorą, ir tu tapai mano.

9 Aš apiploviau tave vandeniu, nuploviau tavo kraują, patepiau aliejumi,

10 aprengiau margais drabužiais, apaviau brangiais odiniais sandalais, apgaubiau plona drobe, uždėjau šilkinį šydą

11 ir papuošiau papuošalais: ant rankų uždėjau apyrankes, ant kaklo grandinėlę,

12 į nosį įvėriau žiedą, į ausis­auskarus ir ant galvos uždėjau puikų vainiką.

13 Tu pasipuošei auksu ir sidabru, plona drobe, šilkais ir margais audiniais; valgei kvietinius miltus, medų ir aliejų; buvai graži ir pasiekei karališką didybę.

14 Tavo garsas sklido tautose dėl tavo grožio, nes, pasipuošusi papuošalais, kuriuos tau daviau, pasiekei tobulą grožį,­sako Viešpats Dievas.­

15 Pasitikėdama savo grožiu, tu pradėjai paleistuvauti ir atsiduodavai kiekvienam praeiviui.

16 Savo margais drabužiais papuošei aukštumas ir paleistuvavai jose. Taip niekada nebuvo ir nebus.

17 Iš mano tau duotų aukso ir sidabro papuošalų pasidarei vyrų atvaizdus ir paleistuvavai su jais.

18 Tu savo margais audiniais apdengei juos ir mano aliejų bei smilkalus aukojai jiems.

19 Tau duotą maistą: kvietinius miltus, aliejų ir medų­tu aukojai jiems, kaip malonų kvapą.

20 Net savo sūnus ir dukteris, kuriuos man pagimdei, aukojai jiems praryti. Ar dar neužteko tau paleistuvystės,

21 kad mano vaikus žudei ir aukojai jiems, leisdama per ugnį?

22 Taip elgdamasi ir paleistuvaudama, neatsiminei savo jaunystės dienų, kai plika ir nuoga gulėjai savo kraujyje.

23 Po visų tavo nedorybių­vargas, vargas tau,­sako Viešpats,­

24 tu pasistatei paleistuvystės namus ir įrengei aukštumas kiekvienoje gatvėje.

25 Kiekvienos gatvės pradžioje įsirengei aukštumas ir savo grožį apdrabstei purvais, atsiduodama kiekvienam praeiviui ir daugindama savo paleistuvystes.

26 Tu svetimavai su kaimynais, augalotais egiptiečiais, sukeldama mano pyktį.

27 Dabar Aš ištiesiau savo ranką virš tavęs ir atėmiau tavo dalį, ir atidaviau tave toms, kurios tavęs nekenčia, filistinų dukterims, kurios gėdijosi tavo gašlumo.

28 Tu ištvirkavai su asirais, nes buvai nepasotinama, bet ir su jais negalėjai pasitenkinti.

29 Tavo paleistuvystės padaugėjo nuo Kanaano krašto iki Chaldėjos, bet ir to tau dar neužteko.

30 Kokia nusilpusi tavo širdis,­sako Viešpats Dievas,­jei tu darei visa tai kaip begėdė paleistuvė.

31 Kiekvienoje gatvėje ir kiekvienoje aikštėje įrengei paleistuvystės namus ir aukštumas. Tu nebuvai paprasta paleistuvė, nes paniekinai užmokestį,

32 bet svetimautoja žmona, kuri savo vyro vieton priima svetimus.

33 Jie duoda dovanas paleistuvėms, bet tu pati davei dovanas savo meilužiams ir papirkdavai juos, kad jie ateitų pas tave.

34 Tavo ištvirkavimas buvo ne toks, koks kitų moterų. Ne paskui tave sekiojo, bet tu duodavai užmokestį, o pati nieko negaudavai. Tuo tu skyreisi iš kitų’.

35 Paleistuve, išgirsk Viešpaties žodį!

36 ‘Kadangi tu atidengei savo gėdą, ištvirkaudama su meilužiais, su savo bjauriais stabais ir aukojai jiems savo vaikų kraują,

37 todėl Aš surinksiu visus tavo meilužius, kuriuos mylėjai, ir tuos, kurių nekentei. Aš juos surinksiu iš visur ir atidengsiu jiems visą tavo nuogumą.

38 Aš teisiu tave kaip svetimautoją ir žudytoją. Savo rūstybėje ir pavyde praliesiu tavo kraują

39 ir atiduosiu tave į jų rankas. Jie sugriaus tavo paleistuvystės namus ir sunaikins aukštumas. Jie nuplėš tau drabužius, atims papuošalus ir paliks tave pliką ir nuogą.

40 Susirinkę prieš tave, jie užmuš tave akmenimis, sukapos kardu,

41 sudegins tavo namus ir įvykdys teismo sprendimą daugelio moterų akivaizdoje. Taip padarysiu galą tavo paleistuvystei, ir tu nebedalysi daugiau dovanų.

42 Taip mano rūstybė prieš tave nurims ir pavydas liausis. Aš būsiu ramus ir nebepyksiu.

43 Tu neatsiminei savo jaunystės dienų, bet savo elgesiu supykdei mane, todėl visus tavo darbus suverčiau tau ant galvos.

44 Kiekvienas, kas vartoja patarles, sakys apie tave: ‘Kokia motina, tokia ir duktė’.

45 Tu esi duktė savo motinos, kuri paliko savo vyrą ir vaikus; tu esi sesuo savo seserų, kurios paliko savo vyrus ir vaikus. Jūsų motina buvo hetitė ir tėvas amoritas.

46 Tavo vyresnioji sesuo yra Samarija su savo dukterimis, gyvenanti tavo kairėje. Tavo jaunesnioji sesuo, gyvenanti tavo dešinėje, yra Sodoma su savo dukterimis.

47 Tačiau tu nevaikščiojai jų keliais ir nesielgei pagal jų bjaurystes. To buvo per maža tau, todėl tu iškrypai dar daugiau visuose savo keliuose.

48 Kaip Aš gyvas,­sako Viešpats Dievas,­tavo sesuo Sodoma su savo dukterimis nesielgė taip, kaip tu ir tavo dukterys.

49 Tavo sesers Sodomos ir jos dukterų nusikaltimas buvo išdidumas, perteklius ir dykinėjimas; beturčiui ir vargšui jos nepadėjo.

50 Jos kėlėsi puikybėn ir darė bjaurystes mano akivaizdoje. Todėl Aš sunaikinau jas.

51 Samarija nepadarė nė pusės tavo nuodėmių. Tu ją pralenkei savo bjaurystėmis. Tavo seserys yra teisesnės už tave.

52 Tu, kuri smerkei savo seseris, kentėk gėdą dėl nuodėmių, kurias padarei, kurios bjauresnės už jų nuodėmes. Jos yra teisesnės už tave. ausk ir kęsk savo gėdą, nes tu pateisinai savo seseris.

53 Kai Aš parvesiu Sodomos ir jos dukterų ištremtuosius, taip pat Samarijos ir jos dukterų ištremtuosius, parvesiu ir tavo ištremtuosius kartu su jais,

54 kad kęstum savo gėdą ir raustum dėl visko, ką darei, būdama joms paguoda.

55 Tavo seserys, Sodoma ir jos dukterys bei Samarija ir jos dukterys, sugrįš į savo senąją būklę, tada tu ir tavo dukterys sugrįšite į senąją savo būklę.

56 Savo sesers Sodomos vardo nė neminėdavai savo išdidumo metu,

57 kol atsidengė tavo nedorybės. Dabar tu esi pajuoka ir panieka Sirijos dukterims ir visiems aplinkui gyvenantiems bei filistinų dukterims.

58 Tu kentėjai už savo ištvirkavimą ir bjaurystes,­sako Viešpats Dievas.­

59 Aš pasielgsiu su tavimi taip, kaip tu pasielgei su manimi. Tu paniekinai priesaiką ir sulaužei sandorą.

60 Tačiau Aš atsiminsiu savo sandorą su tavimi, padarytą tavo jaunystės dienomis, ir sudarysiu su tavimi amžiną sandorą.

61 Tada atsiminusi savo kelius, tu gėdysies, kai priimsi savo seseris, vyresniąją ir jaunesniąją, kurias duosiu tau kaip dukteris, bet ne dėl tavo sandoros.

62 Aš įtvirtinsiu savo sandorą su tavimi ir tu žinosi, kad Aš esu Viešpats.

63 Tu atsiminsi, gėdysies ir neatversi burnos, kai tau atleisiu visa, ką darei’,­sako Viešpats Dievas”.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8409

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8409. As regards 'flesh' and its meaning the proprium in both the genuine and contrary senses, in the highest sense it is the Lord's Divine proprium, which is His Divine Human, and so is the good of His love towards the entire human race. From this in the sense that relates to man 'flesh' means a proprium made alive by the Lord's Proprium; that is, it is the Lord's Proprium present with the person, and so is the good of love to Him. Regarding the meaning of 'flesh' in this sense, see 3813, 7850. But in the contrary sense 'flesh' is the proprium that is man's own, thus the evil of self-love, and consequently the desires of that love, which are cravings, 999, 3813. The proprium that is man's own is nothing but evil, see 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1023, 1044, 1047, 3812 (end), 5660, 5786. The fact that 'flesh' means the proprium that is man's own, thus evil of every kind, is in addition clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

I will feed your oppressors with their flesh, and they will be drunk with their blood as with new wine. Isaiah 49:26.

'Feeding with flesh' stands for filling with their own evil.

[2] In Jeremiah,

Cursed is the man (vir) who trusts in man (homo), and makes flesh his arm, but his heart departs from Jehovah. Jeremiah 17:5.

'Making flesh his arm' stands for trusting in power that is one's own; therefore eating the flesh of one's arm stands for trusting in self, Isaiah 9:20. In Isaiah,

Egypt is man (homo) and not God, and his horses are flesh and not spirit. Isaiah 31:3.

'Horses of Egypt' stands for factual knowledge belonging to a perverted understanding, 6125; 'flesh' stands for what is dead, and 'spirit' for what is living. This is why the Egyptians 1 are called great in flesh, Ezekiel 16:26. The expression 'what is dead' is applied to evil, since evil leads to spiritual death, and 'what is living' is applied to good, since good leads to spiritual life.

[3] This explains why 'flesh' and 'spirit' are set in contrast to each other in the Word, as in John,

That which has been born of flesh is flesh, and that which has been born from the spirit is spirit. John 3:6.

In the same gospel,

It is the Spirit who bestows life, the flesh does not profit anything. The words which I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. John 6:63.

In the Book of Genesis,

Jehovah said, My spirit will not reprove man forever, in that he is flesh. Genesis 6:3.

'Flesh' here stands for the proprium that is man's own. Similarly in Matthew,

Jesus said, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:17.

And in John,

As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born, not of blood, 2 nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man (vir), but of God. John 1:12-13.

'The will of the flesh' stands for the proprium, the will part, 'the will of man' for the proprium, the understanding part; and 'sons of God' stands for those who have been regenerated. And those undergoing regeneration all receive life from the Lord's Proprium, which is the Lord's Flesh and body and is Divine Goodness itself.

[4] Since 'flesh' in the contrary sense means the proprium that is man's own, and so means evil, it also means craving, for the life of the flesh, which belongs properly to the body, consists of nothing else than the desires of the senses, the delights of the bodily appetites, and cravings. The fact that 'flesh' means craving is clear from the following verses in Moses,

The rabble who were in the midst of the people had a strong craving, and so the children of Israel wept repeatedly and said, Who will feed us with flesh? But now our soul is dry; there is nothing at all except the man[na] for our eyes [to look] at. And Jehovah said to Moses, You shall say to the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, in order that you may eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, Who will feed us with flesh, for it was better for us in Egypt? Jehovah will give you flesh to eat - for a whole month, 3 until it comes out of your nose and is loathsome to you. The flesh was still between their teeth, before it could be swallowed when Jehovah's anger flared up against the people, and Jehovah struck the people with an extremely great plague. So he called the name of that place The Craves of Craving, because there they buried the people having the craving. Numbers 11:4, 6, 16, 18, 20, 33-34.

From all this one may now see what 'sitting by a pot of flesh in the land of Egypt' means, namely a life according to their own pleasure and such as they craved for, which is the life of the proprium.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the children (or sons) of Egypt

2. literally, bloods

3. literally, month of days

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6125

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6125. 'In exchange for horses' means factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'horses' as ideas forming the understanding, dealt with in 2760-2762, 3217, 5321; and since they are spoken of in connection with Egypt, which means factual knowledge, 'horses' here are factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. But what factual knowledge supplied from the understanding is must be stated. There is an understanding part and there is a will part in the human mind, and these are situated not only in his internal man but also in his external. The human understanding is developing and growing from early childhood through to manhood, and it consists in a discernment of things gained from experience and formal knowledge, also a discernment of causes from effects as well as of consequences from a chain of causes. Thus the understanding part consists in a comprehension and perception of such things as are part of everyday life, public and private. An inflowing of light from heaven brings it into existence, and for that reason everyone's understanding is capable of being made more perfect. Understanding is given to everyone in accordance with his effort to make use of what he knows, in accordance with the life he leads, and in accordance with his individual character; no one lacks it provided he is of sound mind. A person is given it to the end that he may have freedom of choice, that is, have the freedom to choose good or evil. Unless he possesses an understanding like the one just described, he has no power of his own to make that choice; thus nothing could possibly be made his own.

[2] In addition to this it should be recognized that the understanding part of a person's mind is that which receives what is spiritual, so that it is the recipient of spiritual truth and good. For no good at all, that is, no charity, nor any truth at all, that is, any faith, can be instilled into anyone if he does not have that understanding part; but they are instilled in the measure that he does have it. This also explains why a person is not regenerated by the Lord until adult life when he does possess an understanding. Till then the good of love and the truth of faith fall like seed into utterly infertile soil. But once a person has been regenerated his understanding serves the function of enabling him to see and perceive what good is and from this what truth is. For the understanding converts things belonging to the superior light of heaven into those belonging to the inferior light of the natural world, as a consequence of which the former are then seen within the latter in the same way as a person's inner affections are seen in his face when it lacks all pretence. And because the understanding serves that function, many places in the Word where the spiritual side of the Church is referred to refer also to its power of understanding, a matter which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere.

[3] From all this one may now see what is meant by factual knowledge supplied from the understanding, namely known facts which lend support to the things a person grasps and perceives with his understanding, whether those things are bad or good. Such facts are what are meant in the Word by 'horses from Egypt', as in Isaiah,

Woe to those who go down into Egypt for help, and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and on horsemen because they are extremely strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel and do not seek Jehovah. For Egypt is man (homo), not God; and his horses are flesh, not spirit. Isaiah 31:1, 3.

'Horses from Egypt' stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding.

[4] In Ezekiel,

He rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that ha might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does this be rescued? Ezekiel 17:15.

'Horses from Egypt' again stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding, which knowledge is resorted to in matters of faith, though there is no belief in the Word, that is, in the Lord, apart from what that knowledge provides. Thus no belief ever comes to exist, for within a perverted understanding a negative attitude reigns.

[5] The destruction which such factual knowledge underwent is represented by the drowning of Pharaoh's horses and chariots in the Sea Suph; and since that knowledge is meant by 'horses' and false matters of doctrine by 'chariots', his horses and chariots are mentioned so many times in the description of that event, see Exodus 14:17-18, 27, 26, 28. And the Song of Moses and Miriam consequently contains these words,

Pharaoh's horse went, also his chariot, also his horsemen, into the sea; but Jehovah made the waters of the sea come back over them. Sing to Jehovah, for He has highly exalted Himself; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. Exodus 15:19, 21.

[6] Similar factual knowledge is also meant by the things required before-hand for a king over Israel, in Moses,

If they desire a king, from among their brothers shall a king be set over them. Only let him not multiply horses for himself nor lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses. Deuteronomy 17:15-16.

'A king' represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4789, 4966, 5044, 5068, thus as regards intelligence since this comes, when it is genuine, from Divine Truth. The need for intelligence to be acquired through the Word, which is Divine Truth, and not through factual knowledge taken from one's own understanding is meant by the injunction that the king should not multiply horses or lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses.

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