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Ezekiel 5

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1 και συ υιε ανθρωπου λαβε σεαυτω ρομφαιαν οξειαν υπερ ξυρον κουρεως κτηση αυτην σεαυτω και επαξεις αυτην επι την κεφαλην σου και επι τον πωγωνα σου και λημψη ζυγον σταθμιων και διαστησεις αυτους

2 το τεταρτον εν πυρι ανακαυσεις εν μεση τη πολει κατα την πληρωσιν των ημερων του συγκλεισμου και λημψη το τεταρτον και κατακαυσεις αυτο εν μεσω αυτης και το τεταρτον κατακοψεις εν ρομφαια κυκλω αυτης και το τεταρτον διασκορπισεις τω πνευματι και μαχαιραν εκκενωσω οπισω αυτων

3 και λημψη εκειθεν ολιγους εν αριθμω και συμπεριλημψη αυτους τη αναβολη σου

4 και εκ τουτων λημψη ετι και ριψεις αυτους εις μεσον του πυρος και κατακαυσεις αυτους εν πυρι εξ αυτης εξελευσεται πυρ και ερεις παντι οικω ισραηλ

5 ταδε λεγει κυριος αυτη η ιερουσαλημ εν μεσω των εθνων τεθεικα αυτην και τας κυκλω αυτης χωρας

6 και ερεις τα δικαιωματα μου τη ανομω εκ των εθνων και τα νομιμα μου εκ των χωρων των κυκλω αυτης διοτι τα δικαιωματα μου απωσαντο και εν τοις νομιμοις μου ουκ επορευθησαν εν αυτοις

7 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ανθ' ων η αφορμη υμων εκ των εθνων των κυκλω υμων και εν τοις νομιμοις μου ουκ επορευθητε και τα δικαιωματα μου ουκ εποιησατε αλλ' ουδε κατα τα δικαιωματα των εθνων των κυκλω υμων ου πεποιηκατε

8 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω επι σε και ποιησω εν μεσω σου κριμα ενωπιον των εθνων

9 και ποιησω εν σοι α ου πεποιηκα και α ου ποιησω ομοια αυτοις ετι κατα παντα τα βδελυγματα σου

10 δια τουτο πατερες φαγονται τεκνα εν μεσω σου και τεκνα φαγονται πατερας και ποιησω εν σοι κριματα και διασκορπιω παντας τους καταλοιπους σου εις παντα ανεμον

11 δια τουτο ζω εγω λεγει κυριος ει μη ανθ' ων τα αγια μου εμιανας εν πασιν τοις βδελυγμασιν σου καγω απωσομαι σε ου φεισεται μου ο οφθαλμος καγω ουκ ελεησω

12 το τεταρτον σου εν θανατω αναλωθησεται και το τεταρτον σου εν λιμω συντελεσθησεται εν μεσω σου και το τεταρτον σου εις παντα ανεμον σκορπιω αυτους και το τεταρτον σου εν ρομφαια πεσουνται κυκλω σου και μαχαιραν εκκενωσω οπισω αυτων

13 και συντελεσθησεται ο θυμος μου και η οργη μου επ' αυτους και επιγνωση διοτι εγω κυριος λελαληκα εν ζηλω μου εν τω συντελεσαι με την οργην μου επ' αυτους

14 και θησομαι σε εις ερημον και τας θυγατερας σου κυκλω σου ενωπιον παντος διοδευοντος

15 και εση στενακτη και δηλαιστη εν τοις εθνεσιν τοις κυκλω σου εν τω ποιησαι με εν σοι κριματα εν εκδικησει θυμου μου εγω κυριος λελαληκα

16 εν τω εξαποστειλαι με τας βολιδας μου του λιμου επ' αυτους και εσονται εις εκλειψιν και συντριψω στηριγμα αρτου σου

17 και εξαποστελω επι σε λιμον και θηρια πονηρα και τιμωρησομαι σε και θανατος και αιμα διελευσονται επι σε και ρομφαιαν επαξω επι σε κυκλοθεν εγω κυριος λελαληκα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #588

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588. The Lord is referred to as repenting and grieving in heart however because all human mercy seems to involve those feelings. Consequently as is the case many times elsewhere in the Word, the manner of speaking here is in accordance with the outward appearance. Nobody can know what the Lord's mercy is, for it infinitely transcends all human understanding. But one does know what human mercy is; it is repenting and grieving. And unless a person grasps the idea of mercy from some different feeling whose nature he knows, he can have no possible conception of it and so cannot learn anything about it. This is the reason why human characteristics are frequently attributed to Jehovah, or the Lord - for example, that Jehovah or the Lord punishes, leads into temptation, destroys, and burns with anger, when in fact He never punishes anybody, never leads anybody into temptation, never destroys anybody, and never burns with anger. Now seeing that such things are attributed to the Lord, repentance and grief may be attributed as well, for the attribution of the one follows on from that of the other, as is quite clear from the following places in the Word:

[2] In Ezekiel,

My anger will be accomplished, I will make My wrath die down again, and I will repent. Ezekiel 5:13.

Here, because 'anger' and 'wrath' are attributed to Him, 'repenting' is attributed as well. In Zechariah,

As I thought to do Evil when your fathers provoked Me to anger, said Jehovah Zebaoth, and I did not repent, so again I will think in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Zechariah 8:14-15.

Here it is said that Jehovah 'thought to do evil', when in fact He never thinks to do evil to anyone, but good to every single human being. And when Moses sought to placate the face 1 of Jehovah, Turn from the heat of Your anger, and repent over the evil of Your people. And Jehovah repented over the evil which He said He would do to His people. Exodus 32:12, 14.

Here also the heat of anger, and consequently repentance, is ascribed to Jehovah. In Jonah,

The king of Ninevah [said], Who knows, God may turn and repent, and turn from the heat of His anger, and we shall not perish! Jonah 3:9.

Here similarly 'repentance' is attributed to Him because 'anger' is also.

[3] In Hosea,

My heart has turned within Me, and at the same time My repentings have been kindled; I will not execute the heat of My anger. Hosea 11:8-9.

Here 'repentings having been kindled', said of the heart, is similar in meaning to 'He was grieved in heart'. 'Repentings' clearly stands for abundant mercy. Similarly in Joel,

Return to Jehovah your God, for He is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, abounding in mercy, and repenting of evil. Joel 2:13.

Here again 'repenting' quite clearly means mercy. In Jeremiah,

It may be they will listen and every man turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil. Jeremiah 26:3.

'Repent' stands for having mercy. In the same prophet,

If that nation turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil. Jeremiah 18:8.

Here also 'repenting' stands for having mercy on them if only they would turn back, for it is man who turns the Lord's mercy away from himself. It is never the Lord who turns it away from man.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the faces

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

The Bible

 

Jeremiah 7:9

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9 και φονευετε και μοιχασθε και κλεπτετε και ομνυετε επ' αδικω και εθυμιατε τη βααλ και επορευεσθε οπισω θεων αλλοτριων ων ουκ οιδατε του κακως ειναι υμιν