The Bible

 

Ezekiel 23

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1 καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων

2 υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου δύο γυναῖκες ἦσαν θυγατέρες μητρὸς μιᾶς

3 καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσαν ἐν αἰγύπτῳ ἐν τῇ νεότητι αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ ἔπεσον οἱ μαστοὶ αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ διεπαρθενεύθησαν

4 καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἦν οολα ἡ πρεσβυτέρα καὶ οολιβα ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐγένοντό μοι καὶ ἔτεκον υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν σαμάρεια ἡ οολα καὶ ιερουσαλημ ἡ οολιβα

5 καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσεν ἡ οολα ἀπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐπέθετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐραστὰς αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσσυρίους τοὺς ἐγγίζοντας αὐτῇ

6 ἐνδεδυκότας ὑακίνθινα ἡγουμένους καὶ στρατηγούς νεανίσκοι ἐπίλεκτοι πάντες ἱππεῖς ἱππαζόμενοι ἐφ' ἵππων

7 καὶ ἔδωκεν τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ἐπ' αὐτούς ἐπίλεκτοι υἱοὶ ἀσσυρίων πάντες καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας οὓς ἐπέθετο ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐνθυμήμασιν αὐτῆς ἐμιαίνετο

8 καὶ τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ἐξ αἰγύπτου οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν ὅτι μετ' αὐτῆς ἐκοιμῶντο ἐν νεότητι αὐτῆς καὶ αὐτοὶ διεπαρθένευσαν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξέχεαν τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῶν ἐπ' αὐτήν

9 διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκα αὐτὴν εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἐραστῶν αὐτῆς εἰς χεῖρας υἱῶν ἀσσυρίων ἐφ' οὓς ἐπετίθετο

10 αὐτοὶ ἀπεκάλυψαν τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτῆς υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας αὐτῆς ἔλαβον καὶ αὐτὴν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἀπέκτειναν καὶ ἐγένετο λάλημα εἰς γυναῖκας καὶ ἐποίησαν ἐκδικήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ εἰς τὰς θυγατέρας

11 καὶ εἶδεν ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς οολιβα καὶ διέφθειρε τὴν ἐπίθεσιν αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ τὴν πορνείαν τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς

12 ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀσσυρίων ἐπέθετο ἡγουμένους καὶ στρατηγοὺς τοὺς ἐγγὺς αὐτῆς ἐνδεδυκότας εὐπάρυφα ἱππεῖς ἱππαζομένους ἐφ' ἵππων νεανίσκοι ἐπίλεκτοι πάντες

13 καὶ εἶδον ὅτι μεμίανται ὁδὸς μία τῶν δύο

14 καὶ προσέθετο πρὸς τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς καὶ εἶδεν ἄνδρας ἐζωγραφημένους ἐπὶ τοῦ τοίχου εἰκόνας χαλδαίων ἐζωγραφημένους ἐν γραφίδι

15 ἐζωσμένους ποικίλματα ἐπὶ τὰς ὀσφύας αὐτῶν καὶ τιάραι βαπταὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτῶν ὄψις τρισσὴ πάντων ὁμοίωμα υἱῶν χαλδαίων γῆς πατρίδος αὐτῶν

16 καὶ ἐπέθετο ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τῇ ὁράσει ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν χαλδαίων

17 καὶ ἤλθοσαν πρὸς αὐτὴν υἱοὶ βαβυλῶνος εἰς κοίτην καταλυόντων καὶ ἐμίαινον αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐμιάνθη ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῆς ἀπ' αὐτῶν

18 καὶ ἀπεκάλυψεν τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπεκάλυψεν τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπ' αὐτῆς ὃν τρόπον ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς

19 καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὴν πορνείαν σου τοῦ ἀναμνῆσαι ἡμέρας νεότητός σου ἐν αἷς ἐπόρνευσας ἐν αἰγύπτῳ

20 καὶ ἐπέθου ἐπὶ τοὺς χαλδαίους ὧν ἦσαν ὡς ὄνων αἱ σάρκες αὐτῶν καὶ αἰδοῖα ἵππων τὰ αἰδοῖα αὐτῶν

21 καὶ ἐπεσκέψω τὴν ἀνομίαν νεότητός σου ἃ ἐποίεις ἐν αἰγύπτῳ ἐν τῷ καταλύματί σου οὗ οἱ μαστοὶ νεότητός σου

22 διὰ τοῦτο οολιβα τάδε λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐξεγείρω τοὺς ἐραστάς σου ἐπὶ σέ ἀφ' ὧν ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή σου ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπάξω αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σὲ κυκλόθεν

23 υἱοὺς βαβυλῶνος καὶ πάντας τοὺς χαλδαίους φακουδ καὶ σουε καὶ κουε καὶ πάντας υἱοὺς ἀσσυρίων μετ' αὐτῶν νεανίσκους ἐπιλέκτους ἡγεμόνας καὶ στρατηγοὺς πάντας τρισσοὺς καὶ ὀνομαστοὺς ἱππεύοντας ἐφ' ἵππων

24 καὶ πάντες ἥξουσιν ἐπὶ σὲ ἀπὸ βορρᾶ ἅρματα καὶ τροχοὶ μετ' ὄχλου λαῶν θυρεοὶ καὶ πέλται καὶ βαλοῦσιν φυλακὴν ἐπὶ σὲ κύκλῳ καὶ δώσω πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν κρίμα καὶ ἐκδικήσουσίν σε ἐν τοῖς κρίμασιν αὐτῶν

25 καὶ δώσω τὸν ζῆλόν μου ἐν σοί καὶ ποιήσουσιν μετὰ σοῦ ἐν ὀργῇ θυμοῦ μυκτῆρά σου καὶ ὦτά σου ἀφελοῦσιν καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους σου ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καταβαλοῦσιν αὐτοὶ υἱούς σου καὶ θυγατέρας σου λήμψονται καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους σου πῦρ καταφάγεται

26 καὶ ἐκδύσουσίν σε τὸν ἱματισμόν σου καὶ λήμψονται τὰ σκεύη τῆς καυχήσεώς σου

27 καὶ ἀποστρέψω τὰς ἀσεβείας σου ἐκ σοῦ καὶ τὴν πορνείαν σου ἐκ γῆς αἰγύπτου καὶ οὐ μὴ ἄρῃς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἐπ' αὐτοὺς καὶ αἰγύπτου οὐ μὴ μνησθῇς οὐκέτι

28 διότι τάδε λέγει κύριος κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ παραδίδωμί σε εἰς χεῖρας ὧν μισεῖς ἀφ' ὧν ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή σου ἀπ' αὐτῶν

29 καὶ ποιήσουσιν ἐν σοὶ ἐν μίσει καὶ λήμψονται πάντας τοὺς πόνους σου καὶ τοὺς μόχθους σου καὶ ἔσῃ γυμνὴ καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσα καὶ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται αἰσχύνη πορνείας σου καὶ ἀσέβειά σου καὶ ἡ πορνεία σου

30 ἐποίησεν ταῦτά σοι ἐν τῷ ἐκπορνεῦσαί σε ὀπίσω ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐμιαίνου ἐν τοῖς ἐνθυμήμασιν αὐτῶν

31 ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου ἐπορεύθης καὶ δώσω τὸ ποτήριον αὐτῆς εἰς χεῖράς σου

32 τάδε λέγει κύριος τὸ ποτήριον τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου πίεσαι τὸ βαθὺ καὶ τὸ πλατὺ τὸ πλεονάζον τοῦ συντελέσαι

33 μέθην καὶ ἐκλύσεως πλησθήσῃ καὶ τὸ ποτήριον ἀφανισμοῦ ποτήριον ἀδελφῆς σου σαμαρείας

34 καὶ πίεσαι αὐτό καὶ τὰς ἑορτὰς καὶ τὰς νεομηνίας αὐτῆς ἀποστρέψω διότι ἐγὼ λελάληκα λέγει κύριος

35 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ἀνθ' ὧν ἐπελάθου μου καὶ ἀπέρριψάς με ὀπίσω τοῦ σώματός σου καὶ σὺ λαβὲ τὴν ἀσέβειάν σου καὶ τὴν πορνείαν σου

36 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρός με υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου οὐ κρινεῖς τὴν οολαν καὶ τὴν οολιβαν καὶ ἀπαγγελεῖς αὐταῖς τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν

37 ὅτι ἐμοιχῶντο καὶ αἷμα ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν τὰ ἐνθυμήματα αὐτῶν ἐμοιχῶντο καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἃ ἐγέννησάν μοι διήγαγον αὐτοῖς δι' ἐμπύρων

38 ἕως καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησάν μοι τὰ ἅγιά μου ἐμίαινον καὶ τὰ σάββατά μου ἐβεβήλουν

39 καὶ ἐν τῷ σφάζειν αὐτοὺς τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν καὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο εἰς τὰ ἅγιά μου τοῦ βεβηλοῦν αὐτά καὶ ὅτι οὕτως ἐποίουν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οἴκου μου

40 καὶ ὅτι τοῖς ἀνδράσιν τοῖς ἐρχομένοις μακρόθεν οἷς ἀγγέλους ἐξαπεστέλλοσαν πρὸς αὐτούς καὶ ἅμα τῷ ἔρχεσθαι αὐτοὺς εὐθὺς ἐλούου καὶ ἐστιβίζου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ ἐκόσμου κόσμῳ

41 καὶ ἐκάθου ἐπὶ κλίνης ἐστρωμένης καὶ τράπεζα κεκοσμημένη πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ θυμίαμά μου καὶ τὸ ἔλαιόν μου εὐφραίνοντο ἐν αὐτοῖς

42 καὶ φωνὴν ἁρμονίας ἀνεκρούοντο καὶ πρὸς ἄνδρας ἐκ πλήθους ἀνθρώπων ἥκοντας ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἐδίδοσαν ψέλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ στέφανον καυχήσεως ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν

43 καὶ εἶπα οὐκ ἐν τούτοις μοιχεύουσιν καὶ ἔργα πόρνης καὶ αὐτὴ ἐξεπόρνευσεν

44 καὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο πρὸς αὐτήν ὃν τρόπον εἰσπορεύονται πρὸς γυναῖκα πόρνην οὕτως εἰσεπορεύοντο πρὸς οολαν καὶ πρὸς οολιβαν τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἀνομίαν

45 καὶ ἄνδρες δίκαιοι αὐτοὶ ἐκδικήσουσιν αὐτὰς ἐκδικήσει μοιχαλίδος καὶ ἐκδικήσει αἵματος ὅτι μοιχαλίδες εἰσίν καὶ αἷμα ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν

46 τάδε λέγει κύριος κύριος ἀνάγαγε ἐπ' αὐτὰς ὄχλον καὶ δὸς ἐν αὐταῖς ταραχὴν καὶ διαρπαγὴν

47 καὶ λιθοβόλησον ἐπ' αὐτὰς λίθοις ὄχλων καὶ κατακέντει αὐτὰς ἐν τοῖς ξίφεσιν αὐτῶν υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ θυγατέρας αὐτῶν ἀποκτενοῦσι καὶ τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν ἐμπρήσουσιν

48 καὶ ἀποστρέψω ἀσέβειαν ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ παιδευθήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσουσιν κατὰ τὰς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν

49 καὶ δοθήσεται ἡ ἀσέβεια ὑμῶν ἐφ' ὑμᾶς καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῶν ἐνθυμημάτων ὑμῶν λήμψεσθε καὶ γνώσεσθε διότι ἐγὼ κύριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #137

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137. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation. (2:22) This symbolically means that therefore they must be left to their doctrine with its falsifications and be sorely infested by falsities.

A bed symbolizes doctrine, as we will see momentarily. Those committing adultery mean, symbolically, falsifications of truth (see nos. 134 and 136 above). And tribulation symbolizes an infestation by falsities (nos. 33, 95, 101), thus a great tribulation a severe infestation.

A bed symbolizes doctrine because of its correspondence; for as the body rests in its bed, so the mind rests in its doctrine. The doctrine symbolized by a bed, however, is the kind that each person acquires for himself, either from the Word or from his own intelligence. For it is in this that his mind finds repose and, so to speak, sleeps.

The beds that people rest in in the spiritual world come from just such an origin. For everyone there has a bed in keeping with the character of his knowledge and intelligence - the wise having magnificent beds, those without wisdom having humble beds, and falsifiers having squalid beds.

[2] This is the symbolic meaning of a bed in Luke:

I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. (Luke 17:34)

The subject is the Last Judgment. The two men in one bed are two who share the same doctrine, but not the same life.

In John:

Jesus said to (the sick man), "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And... he took up his bed, and walked. (John 5:8-12)

And in Mark:

...(Jesus) said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." (And to the scribes He said,) "Which is easier, to say..., 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, '...take up your bed and walk'?..." (Then He said,) "Rise, take up your bed (and walk.)" And... he took up the bed and went out (from their presence). (Mark 2:5, 9, 11-12)

It is apparent that a bed has some symbolic meaning here, because Jesus said, "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" To carry one's bed and walk means, symbolically, to meditate on doctrine. That is how it is understood in heaven.

[3] A bed symbolizes doctrine also in Amos:

As a shepherd rescues from the mouth of a lion..., so shall the children of Israel be rescued who dwell in Samaria at the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch. (Amos 3:12)

At the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch means relatively removed from the truths and goods of doctrine.

A bed or a couch has the same symbolic meaning elsewhere, as in Isaiah 28:20; 57:2, 7-8.

Because Jacob in the prophecies of the Word symbolizes the church in respect to its doctrine, therefore it is said of him that "he bowed himself on the head of the bed" (Genesis 47:31), that when Joseph came, "he sat up on the bed" (Genesis 48:2), and that "he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last" (Genesis 49:33).

Since Jacob symbolizes the church's doctrine, therefore at times, when thinking of Jacob, I have seen at a height before me a man lying on a bed.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.