The Bible

 

Ezekielis 34

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1 Viešpats kalbėjo man:

2 “Žmogaus sūnau, pranašauk prieš Izraelio ganytojus ir jiems sakyk: ‘Taip sako Viešpats Dievas: ‘Vargas Izraelio ganytojams, kurie patys save gano. Juk ganytojai turėtų ganyti bandą!

3 Jūs valgote taukus, vilnomis apsirengiate, nupenėtas avis pjaunate, bet bandos neganote.

4 Silpnųjų nepastiprinote, sergančiųjų negydėte, sužeistųjų nesutvarstėte, paklydusių ir dingusių neieškojote, bet valdėte smurtu ir žiaurumu.

5 Jos buvo išblaškytos, nes nebuvo ganytojų, jos tapo ėdesiu laukiniams žvėrims.

6 Mano avys klajojo visame krašte, kalnuose ir aukštumose; nė vienas nesirūpino jomis ir jų neieškojo’.

7 Todėl dabar, ganytojai, klausykite Viešpaties žodžio:

8 ‘Kaip Aš gyvas­sako Viešpats,­už tai, kad mano avys tapo grobiu ir ėdesiu laukiniams žvėrims, nes nebuvo ganytojų, kurie mano kaimene rūpintųsi, bet ganytojai ganė patys save, neganydami mano avių’,­

9 todėl, ganytojai, klausykite Viešpaties žodžio!

10 Taip sako Viešpats Dievas: ‘Aš esu prieš ganytojus, Aš pareikalausiu savo avių iš jų ir padarysiu jiems galą. Jie nebeganys daugiau nei mano avių, nei patys savęs. Aš išplėšiu savo avis iš jų nasrų, ir jos nebebus jų maistas.

11 Aš pats ieškosiu savo avių ir jomis rūpinsiuosi.

12 Kaip ganytojas ieško savo avių tą dieną, kai jos išsklaidomos, taip Aš ieškosiu savo avių, išgelbėsiu jas ir surinksiu iš visų vietų, kuriose jos buvo išsklaidytos debesuotą ir tamsią dieną.

13 Aš jas surinksiu iš tautų ir iš kraštų, grąžinsiu į jų kraštą ir ganysiu Izraelio kalnuose prie upelių.

14 Aš ganysiu jas gražiuose slėniuose, aukštuose Izraelio kalnuose ir žaliuojančiose, vešliose lankose.

15 Aš pats ganysiu savo avis ir surasiu joms poilsio vietą,­sako Viešpats Dievas.­

16 Paklydusių ieškosiu, išsklaidytas surinksiu, sužeistas aptvarstysiu, ligotas pastiprinsiu. Bet riebiąsias ir stipriąsias sunaikinsiu ir ganysiu jas teisingai’.

17 O jums, mano kaimene, taip sako Viešpats Dievas: ‘Aš darysiu teismą tarp avies ir avies, tarp avinų ir ožių.

18 Kai ganotės ganykloje, kodėl sumindote, ko nesuėdate? Kai geriate tyrą vandenį, kodėl likusį sudrumsčiate kojomis?

19 Mano avys turi maitintis tuo, kas jūsų sumindžiota, ir gerti, kas sudrumsta’.

20 Todėl taip sako Viešpats: ‘Aš pats darysiu teismą tarp riebiųjų ir liesųjų avių.

21 Kadangi jūs silpnąsias šonais ir pečiais stumiate ir ragais badote,

22 tai Aš gelbėsiu savo avis. Jos nebebus jums grobiu, Aš darysiu teismą tarp avių.

23 Aš joms paskirsiu vieną ganytoją, kuris bus mano tarnas Dovydas. Jis jas ganys ir bus jų ganytojas.

24 Aš, Viešpats, būsiu jų Dievas ir mano tarnas Dovydas bus jų kunigaikštis. Aš, Viešpats, taip pasakiau.

25 Aš padarysiu su jomis taikos sandorą ir krašte išnaikinsiu laukinius žvėris. Tada jos galės ramiai gyventi dykumoje ir saugiai miegoti miškuose.

26 Aš palaiminsiu jas ir savo kalno apylinkes, Aš duosiu lietaus tinkamu metu; tai bus mano palaiminimų lietus.

27 Medžiai duos vaisius ir žemė duos derlių. Jie saugiai gyvens krašte ir žinos, kad Aš esu Viešpats, kai sulaužysiu jų jungą ir išgelbėsiu juos iš rankos tų, kuriems jie vergavo.

28 Jie nebebus grobiu tautoms, ir laukiniai žvėrys jų nebeės.

29 Aš duosiu jiems gausų derlių, jie nebadaus ir nekentės tautų paniekos.

30 Jie žinos, kad Aš, Viešpats, jų Dievas, esu su jais ir kad Izraelis­mano tauta,­sako Viešpats Dievas

31 Jūs esate mano avys, mano ganyklos avys, jūs­žmonės, o Aš­Viešpats, jūsų Dievassako Viešpats Dievas’ ”.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6078

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6078. 'For there is no pasture for the flock which belongs to your servants' means that factual knowledge holding forms of the good of truth is wanting. This is clear from the meaning of 'pasture for the flock' as factual knowledge holding forms of the good of truth, so that 'no pasture' means factual knowledge that does not hold any forms of the good of truth. In the internal sense 'pasture' is that which supports spiritual life; in particular it is truth contained in factual knowledge, for the human soul desires such truth just as the body desires food. Nourishment is derived from it, and for that reason 'feeding' means receiving instruction, 5201. That factual knowledge and truths sustain the human soul is quite evident from a person's desire for knowledge, as well as from the correspondence of food with factual knowledge, 1480, 3114, 4792, 5147, 5193, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579, 5915. This correspondence also manifests itself when a person is eating food. If he eats it while talking and listening the vessels that receive the chyle are opened, and he is nourished more fully than if he is alone. Spiritual truths and instruction in them would have the same kind of effect on people if they were to have an affection for what is good. The fact that truths nourish spiritual life is revealed primarily among good spirits and among angels in heaven. Those spirits and angels have a constant desire to acquire knowledge and wisdom; and when they lack this spiritual food they feel desolate, listless, and famished. Nor are they refreshed and raised into the bliss of their life until their desires are satisfied. But if that factual knowledge is to yield the soul wholesome nourishment, that knowledge must contain life received from forms of the good of truth. If it does not contain life received from them factual knowledge still sustains a person's inner life, but his natural life, not his spiritual life.

[2] The meaning of 'pasture' in the internal sense as that which sustains a person's spiritual life is also evident from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

I have given you as a covenant to the people, to restore the land; to say to the bound, Go out, to those who are in darkness, Reveal yourselves. They will feed along the ways, and on all slopes will their pasture be. Isaiah 49:8-9.

'Feeding along the ways' stands for receiving instruction in truths, 'the ways' being truths, see 627, 2333, and 'feeding' receiving instruction, 5201. 'On all slopes will their pasture be' stands for being sustained with good, for 'slopes', like 'mountains' are forms of the good of love, 795, 796, 1430, 2722, 4210.

[3] In Jeremiah,

Woe to the shepherds destroying and scattering the flock of My pasture. Jeremiah 23:1.

'Pasture' stands for the kinds of things that sustain spiritual life. In the same prophet,

The princes of Zion have become like deer, they have not found pasture. Lamentations 1:6.

'They have not found pasture' stands for no truth of good.

[4] In Ezekiel,

I, even I will look for My sheep. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the loftiness of Israel; there 1 they will lie down in a good fold, and on fat pasture they will feed upon the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 34:11, 14.

'A good and fat pasture upon the mountains of Israel' stands for forms of the good of truth. In the same prophet,

Is it a small thing to you? You feed off the good pasture but tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures. Ezekiel 34:18.

Here the meaning is similar. In Hosea,

I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. When [they had] their pasture, they were filled; they were filled and their heart was exalted. Hosea 13:5-6.

In Joel,

The beasts groan, the herds of cattle are perplexed because they have no pasture, even the flocks of sheep 2 are made desolate. Joel 1:18.

In David,

Jehovah is my Shepherd; He will make me lie down in green pasture; 3 He will lead me away to still waters; He will restore My soul. Psalms 23:1-3.

In the same author,

Jehovah made us and not we ourselves, His people and the flock of His pasture; therefore we are His, His people, and the flock of His pasture. 4 Psalms 100:3.

[5] 'Pasture' in these quotations stands for the truths in which a person receives instruction, here the kinds of things which have regard to spiritual life. For the nature of spiritual life is such that if it lacks that pasture it languishes and so to speak fades away, like the body when it lacks food. The fact that 'pasture' is the goodness and truth that refresh and sustain a person's soul or spirit is plain from the Lord's words in John,

I am the door. If anyone enters through Me he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9.

'Pasture' stands for the forms of good and the truths which those people have who acknowledge the Lord and seek life from Him alone.

Footnotes:

1. Reading there (ibi) for thus (ita)

2. literally, small cattle or livestock

3. literally, pasture of the plant

4. The first and second halves of this sentence are in fact alternative ways of understanding the original Hebrew.

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