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Daniel 6

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1 καὶ ἀρταξέρξης ὁ τῶν μήδων παρέλαβε τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ δαρεῖος πλήρης τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ ἔνδοξος ἐν γήρει

2 καὶ κατέστησε σατράπας ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ

3 καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῶν ἄνδρας τρεῖς ἡγουμένους αὐτῶν καὶ δανιηλ εἷς ἦν τῶν τριῶν ἀνδρῶν

4 ὑπὲρ πάντας ἔχων ἐξουσίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ καὶ δανιηλ ἦν ἐνδεδυμένος πορφύραν καὶ μέγας καὶ ἔνδοξος ἔναντι δαρείου τοῦ βασιλέως καθότι ἦν ἔνδοξος καὶ ἐπιστήμων καὶ συνετός καὶ πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ εὐοδούμενος ἐν ταῖς πραγματείαις τοῦ βασιλέως αἷς ἔπρασσε τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐβουλεύσατο καταστῆσαι τὸν δανιηλ ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς δύο ἄνδρας οὓς κατέστησε μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ σατράπας ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἑπτά

5 ὅτε δὲ ἐβουλεύσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς καταστῆσαι τὸν δανιηλ ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ τότε βουλὴν καὶ γνώμην ἐβουλεύσαντο ἐν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ δύο νεανίσκοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες ἐπεὶ οὐδεμίαν ἁμαρτίαν οὐδὲ ἄγνοιαν ηὕρισκον κατὰ τοῦ δανιηλ περὶ ἧς κατηγορήσουσιν αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα

6 καὶ εἶπαν δεῦτε στήσωμεν ὁρισμὸν καθ' ἑαυτῶν ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἀξιώσει ἀξίωμα καὶ οὐ μὴ εὔξηται εὐχὴν ἀπὸ παντὸς θεοῦ ἕως ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ δαρείου τοῦ βασιλέως εἰ δὲ μή ἀποθανεῖται ἵνα ἡττήσωσι τὸν δανιηλ ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ῥιφῇ εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων ᾔδεισαν γὰρ ὅτι δανιηλ προσεύχεται καὶ δεῖται κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας

7 τότε προσήλθοσαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐκεῖνοι καὶ εἶπαν ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως

8 ὁρισμὸν καὶ στάσιν ἐστήσαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἂν εὔξηται εὐχὴν ἢ ἀξιώσῃ ἀξίωμά τι παρὰ παντὸς θεοῦ ἕως ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ δαρείου τοῦ βασιλέως ῥιφήσεται εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων

9 καὶ ἠξίωσαν τὸν βασιλέα ἵνα στήσῃ τὸν ὁρισμὸν καὶ μὴ ἀλλοιώσῃ αὐτόν διότι ᾔδεισαν ὅτι δανιηλ προσεύχεται καὶ δεῖται τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας ἵνα ἡττηθῇ διὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ῥιφῇ εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων

10 καὶ οὕτως ὁ βασιλεὺς δαρεῖος ἔστησε καὶ ἐκύρωσεν

11 ἐπιγνοὺς δὲ δανιηλ τὸν ὁρισμόν ὃν ἔστησε κατ' αὐτοῦ θυρίδας ἤνοιξεν ἐν τῷ ὑπερῴῳ αὐτοῦ κατέναντι ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἔπιπτεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας καθὼς ἐποίει ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ἐδεῖτο

12 καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐτήρησαν τὸν δανιηλ καὶ κατελάβοσαν αὐτὸν εὐχόμενον τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν

13 τότε οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐνέτυχον τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εἶπαν δαρεῖε βασιλεῦ οὐχ ὁρισμὸν ὡρίσω ἵνα πᾶς ἄνθρωπος μὴ εὔξηται εὐχὴν μηδὲ ἀξιώσῃ ἀξίωμα παρὰ παντὸς θεοῦ ἕως ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα ἀλλὰ παρὰ σοῦ βασιλεῦ εἰ δὲ μή ῥιφήσεται εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἀκριβὴς ὁ λόγος καὶ μενεῖ ὁ ὁρισμός

13a καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ ὁρκίζομέν σε τοῖς μήδων καὶ περσῶν δόγμασιν ἵνα μὴ ἀλλοιώσῃς τὸ πρόσταγμα μηδὲ θαυμάσῃς πρόσωπον καὶ ἵνα μὴ ἐλαττώσῃς τι τῶν εἰρημένων καὶ κολάσῃς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὃς οὐκ ἐνέμεινε τῷ ὁρισμῷ τούτῳ καὶ εἶπεν οὕτως ποιήσω καθὼς λέγετε καὶ ἕστηκέ μοι τοῦτο

14 καὶ εἶπαν ἰδοὺ εὕρομεν δανιηλ τὸν φίλον σου εὐχόμενον καὶ δεόμενον τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας

15 καὶ λυπούμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν ῥιφῆναι τὸν δανιηλ εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων κατὰ τὸν ὁρισμόν ὃν ἔστησε κατ' αὐτοῦ τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς σφόδρα ἐλυπήθη ἐπὶ τῷ δανιηλ καὶ ἐβοήθει τοῦ ἐξελέσθαι αὐτὸν ἕως δυσμῶν ἡλίου ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν σατραπῶν

16 καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἐξελέσθαι αὐτὸν ἀπ' αὐτῶν

17 ἀναβοήσας δὲ δαρεῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε τῷ δανιηλ ὁ θεός σου ᾧ σὺ λατρεύεις ἐνδελεχῶς τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας αὐτὸς ἐξελεῖταί σε ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν λεόντων ἕως πρωὶ θάρρει

18 τότε δανιηλ ἐρρίφη εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων καὶ ἠνέχθη λίθος καὶ ἐτέθη εἰς τὸ στόμα τοῦ λάκκου καὶ ἐσφραγίσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ δακτυλίῳ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς δακτυλίοις τῶν μεγιστάνων αὐτοῦ ὅπως μὴ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀρθῇ ὁ δανιηλ ἢ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸν ἀνασπάσῃ ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου

19 τότε ὑπέστρεψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὰ βασίλεια αὐτοῦ καὶ ηὐλίσθη νῆστις καὶ ἦν λυπούμενος περὶ τοῦ δανιηλ τότε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ δανιηλ πρόνοιαν ποιούμενος αὐτοῦ ἀπέκλεισε τὰ στόματα τῶν λεόντων καὶ οὐ παρηνώχλησαν τῷ δανιηλ

20 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς δαρεῖος ὤρθρισε πρωὶ καὶ παρέλαβε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς σατράπας καὶ πορευθεὶς ἔστη ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ λάκκου τῶν λεόντων

21 τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκάλεσε τὸν δανιηλ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ λέγων ὦ δανιηλ εἰ ἄρα ζῇς καὶ ὁ θεός σου ᾧ λατρεύεις ἐνδελεχῶς σέσωκέ σε ἀπὸ τῶν λεόντων καὶ οὐκ ἠχρείωκάν σε

22 τότε δανιηλ ἐπήκουσε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ εἶπεν βασιλεῦ ἔτι εἰμὶ ζῶν

23 καὶ σέσωκέ με ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ τῶν λεόντων καθότι δικαιοσύνη ἐν ἐμοὶ εὑρέθη ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐναντίον δὲ σοῦ βασιλεῦ οὔτε ἄγνοια οὔτε ἁμαρτία εὑρέθη ἐν ἐμοί σὺ δὲ ἤκουσας ἀνθρώπων πλανώντων βασιλεῖς καὶ ἔρριψάς με εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων εἰς ἀπώλειαν

24 τότε συνήχθησαν πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις καὶ εἶδον τὸν δανιηλ ὡς οὐ παρηνώχλησαν αὐτῷ οἱ λέοντες

25 τότε οἱ δύο ἄνθρωποι ἐκεῖνοι οἱ καταμαρτυρήσαντες τοῦ δανιηλ αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐρρίφησαν τοῖς λέουσι καὶ οἱ λέοντες ἀπέκτειναν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔθλασαν τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν

26 τότε δαρεῖος ἔγραψε πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι καὶ χώραις καὶ γλώσσαις τοῖς οἰκοῦσιν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ λέγων

27 πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ὄντες ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου ἔστωσαν προσκυνοῦντες καὶ λατρεύοντες τῷ θεῷ τοῦ δανιηλ αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστι θεὸς μένων καὶ ζῶν εἰς γενεὰς γενεῶν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος

28 ἐγὼ δαρεῖος ἔσομαι αὐτῷ προσκυνῶν καὶ δουλεύων πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας μου τὰ γὰρ εἴδωλα τὰ χειροποίητα οὐ δύνανται σῶσαι ὡς ἐλυτρώσατο ὁ θεὸς τοῦ δανιηλ τὸν δανιηλ

29 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς δαρεῖος προσετέθη πρὸς τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ καὶ δανιηλ κατεστάθη ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας δαρείου καὶ κῦρος ὁ πέρσης παρέλαβε τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #754

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754. There are various ways in which a church comes to an end. It happens principally through circumstances which cause falsity to look like truth; and when this happens, the good which is inherently good, what is called spiritual good, can no longer exist. What is then believed to be good is only natural good, the product of a moral life. The reason for truth coming to an end, and good with it, is principally the two natural loves which are diametrically opposed to the two spiritual loves; these are called self-love and love of the world. When self-love is dominant, it is the opposite of love to God; and when the love of the world is dominant, it is the opposite of love towards the neighbour. Self-love is wishing well to no one but oneself, except for selfish reasons; and likewise the love of the world. Once those loves have got a grip, they spread like mortification through the body, and stage by stage destroy every part of it. It is clear that such a love attacked past churches from the description of Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9; Isaiah 13, 14, 47; Jeremiah 50; and in Daniel 2:31-47; 3:1-7ff; and Daniel 5; 6:8-end; Daniel 7:1-14; and in Revelation 17, 18, both from beginning to end). In the end, Babylon vaunted itself so much that it not only transferred to itself the Lord's Divine power, but also did its best to attract to itself all the riches of the world.

[2] Omens and far from misleading appearances allow us to conclude that outside Babylon similar loves would have broken out from many of the leaders of churches, had not their power been checked and so limited. What else might be expected but that such a person would look upon himself as God, the world as heaven, and pervert all the church's truth? For real truth, which is inherently true, cannot be known and acknowledged by a purely natural person; nor can God impart it to him, because it turns upside down and becomes falsity. As well as those two loves there are many more causes for truth and good coming to an end, and so causing the end of churches; but these are secondary causes, subordinate to the two mentioned.

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

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