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Joel 2

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1 σαλπισατε σαλπιγγι εν σιων κηρυξατε εν ορει αγιω μου και συγχυθητωσαν παντες οι κατοικουντες την γην διοτι παρεστιν ημερα κυριου οτι εγγυς

2 ημερα σκοτους και γνοφου ημερα νεφελης και ομιχλης ως ορθρος χυθησεται επι τα ορη λαος πολυς και ισχυρος ομοιος αυτω ου γεγονεν απο του αιωνος και μετ' αυτον ου προστεθησεται εως ετων εις γενεας γενεων

3 τα εμπροσθεν αυτου πυρ αναλισκον και τα οπισω αυτου αναπτομενη φλοξ ως παραδεισος τρυφης η γη προ προσωπου αυτου και τα οπισθεν αυτου πεδιον αφανισμου και ανασωζομενος ουκ εσται αυτω

4 ως ορασις ιππων η οψις αυτων και ως ιππεις ουτως καταδιωξονται

5 ως φωνη αρματων επι τας κορυφας των ορεων εξαλουνται και ως φωνη φλογος πυρος κατεσθιουσης καλαμην και ως λαος πολυς και ισχυρος παρατασσομενος εις πολεμον

6 απο προσωπου αυτου συντριβησονται λαοι παν προσωπον ως προσκαυμα χυτρας

7 ως μαχηται δραμουνται και ως ανδρες πολεμισται αναβησονται επι τα τειχη και εκαστος εν τη οδω αυτου πορευσεται και ου μη εκκλινωσιν τας τριβους αυτων

8 και εκαστος απο του αδελφου αυτου ουκ αφεξεται καταβαρυνομενοι εν τοις οπλοις αυτων πορευσονται και εν τοις βελεσιν αυτων πεσουνται και ου μη συντελεσθωσιν

9 της πολεως επιλημψονται και επι των τειχεων δραμουνται και επι τας οικιας αναβησονται και δια θυριδων εισελευσονται ως κλεπται

10 προ προσωπου αυτων συγχυθησεται η γη και σεισθησεται ο ουρανος ο ηλιος και η σεληνη συσκοτασουσιν και τα αστρα δυσουσιν το φεγγος αυτων

11 και κυριος δωσει φωνην αυτου προ προσωπου δυναμεως αυτου οτι πολλη εστιν σφοδρα η παρεμβολη αυτου οτι ισχυρα εργα λογων αυτου διοτι μεγαλη η ημερα του κυριου μεγαλη και επιφανης σφοδρα και τις εσται ικανος αυτη

12 και νυν λεγει κυριος ο θεος υμων επιστραφητε προς με εξ ολης της καρδιας υμων και εν νηστεια και εν κλαυθμω και εν κοπετω

13 και διαρρηξατε τας καρδιας υμων και μη τα ιματια υμων και επιστραφητε προς κυριον τον θεον υμων οτι ελεημων και οικτιρμων εστιν μακροθυμος και πολυελεος και μετανοων επι ταις κακιαις

14 τις οιδεν ει επιστρεψει και μετανοησει και υπολειψεται οπισω αυτου ευλογιαν θυσιαν και σπονδην κυριω τω θεω ημων

15 σαλπισατε σαλπιγγι εν σιων αγιασατε νηστειαν κηρυξατε θεραπειαν

16 συναγαγετε λαον αγιασατε εκκλησιαν εκλεξασθε πρεσβυτερους συναγαγετε νηπια θηλαζοντα μαστους εξελθατω νυμφιος εκ του κοιτωνος αυτου και νυμφη εκ του παστου αυτης

17 ανα μεσον της κρηπιδος του θυσιαστηριου κλαυσονται οι ιερεις οι λειτουργουντες κυριω και ερουσιν φεισαι κυριε του λαου σου και μη δως την κληρονομιαν σου εις ονειδος του καταρξαι αυτων εθνη οπως μη ειπωσιν εν τοις εθνεσιν που εστιν ο θεος αυτων

18 και εζηλωσεν κυριος την γην αυτου και εφεισατο του λαου αυτου

19 και απεκριθη κυριος και ειπεν τω λαω αυτου ιδου εγω εξαποστελλω υμιν τον σιτον και τον οινον και το ελαιον και εμπλησθησεσθε αυτων και ου δωσω υμας ουκετι εις ονειδισμον εν τοις εθνεσι

20 και τον απο βορρα εκδιωξω αφ' υμων και εξωσω αυτον εις γην ανυδρον και αφανιω το προσωπον αυτου εις την θαλασσαν την πρωτην και τα οπισω αυτου εις την θαλασσαν την εσχατην και αναβησεται η σαπρια αυτου και αναβησεται ο βρομος αυτου οτι εμεγαλυνεν τα εργα αυτου

21 θαρσει γη χαιρε και ευφραινου οτι εμεγαλυνεν κυριος του ποιησαι

22 θαρσειτε κτηνη του πεδιου οτι βεβλαστηκεν πεδια της ερημου οτι ξυλον ηνεγκεν τον καρπον αυτου αμπελος και συκη εδωκαν την ισχυν αυτων

23 και τα τεκνα σιων χαιρετε και ευφραινεσθε επι τω κυριω θεω υμων διοτι εδωκεν υμιν τα βρωματα εις δικαιοσυνην και βρεξει υμιν υετον προιμον και οψιμον καθως εμπροσθεν

24 και πλησθησονται αι αλωνες σιτου και υπερεκχυθησονται αι ληνοι οινου και ελαιου

25 και ανταποδωσω υμιν αντι των ετων ων κατεφαγεν η ακρις και ο βρουχος και η ερυσιβη και η καμπη η δυναμις μου η μεγαλη ην εξαπεστειλα εις υμας

26 και φαγεσθε εσθιοντες και εμπλησθησεσθε και αινεσετε το ονομα κυριου του θεου υμων α εποιησεν μεθ' υμων εις θαυμασια και ου μη καταισχυνθη ο λαος μου εις τον αιωνα

27 και επιγνωσεσθε οτι εν μεσω του ισραηλ εγω ειμι και εγω κυριος ο θεος υμων και ουκ εστιν ετι πλην εμου και ου μη καταισχυνθωσιν ουκετι πας ο λαος μου εις τον αιωνα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10441

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10441. 'And repent [of the evil] against Your people' means having mercy on them. This is clear from the meaning of 'repenting', when it has reference to Jehovah, as having mercy. The reason why 'repenting' means having mercy is that Jehovah does not ever repent, since He foresees and makes provision for all things from eternity. Repentance is a reaction that can take place only in someone who has no knowledge of the future and who sees, as events unfold, that he has made a mistake. Nevertheless the Word speaks of Jehovah's reacting in that kind of way because the sense of the letter consists of ideas of things as man sees them. For it is intended for very simple people and for young children, who at first go no further than that sense. Also young children and very simple people's interests lie in the most external things, from which they start out and in which after this their inner thoughts and feelings terminate. For this reason the Word in the letter must be understood differently by those who have become wiser.

[2] The situation with the Word is similar to that with the human being. Everything within him terminates in flesh and bones; these are the container of everything there. Unless they existed in place of a foundation or support a person could not remain in being; for he would have no final level in which all things within him could terminate and on which they could rest. The situation is similar with the Word. This must have a final level in which everything within it terminates; that final level is the sense of the letter, and the inner things are the heavenly matters belonging to the internal sense. From all this it is now evident that the way things appear to man is the reason why Jehovah is said to repent, when in fact He does not repent.

[3] The fact that Jehovah is said to repent is clear from a large number of places in the Word, such as the following: In Jeremiah,

If [a nation] does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, I will repent of the good with which I said I would benefit it. Jeremiah 18:10.

In the same prophet,

It may be that they will listen and every man turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil which I am thinking to do to them on account of the wickedness of their doings. Jeremiah 26:3.

In Ezekiel,

When My anger is accomplished and I make My wrath rest on them, I will repent. Ezekiel 5:13.

In Amos,

Jehovah repented. It shall not happen, He said. Amos 7:3, 6.

In Moses,

Jehovah will judge His people, and repent over 1 His servants. Deuteronomy 32:36.

In Jonah,

The king of Nineveh said, Who knows, God may turn and be moved to repentance 2 , and turn from the heat of His anger, and we may not perish! And they turned from their evil way; therefore God repented of the evil which He had said He would do to them, so that He did not do it. Jonah 3:9-10.

In the Book of Genesis,

Jehovah repented that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Genesis 6:6.

In the first Book of Samuel,

I have repented that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me. 1 Samuel 15:11, 35.

[4] From these places which speak of Jehovah's having repented, when in fact He cannot repent since He knows all things before He does them, it is evident that 'repenting' means having mercy. The fact that Jehovah never repents is also clear from the Word, as in Moses,

Jehovah 3 is not a man (vir), that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will not act? Or has He spoken, and will not carry it out? Numbers 23:19.

And in the first Book of Samuel,

The Invincible One of Israel does not lie, nor does He repent, for He is not a man (homo), that He should repent. 1 Samuel 15:29.

The fact that when Jehovah is said to repent His mercy is meant is clear in Joel,

Jehovah is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and great in compassion, and One who is accustomed to repent of evil. Joel 2:13.

And in Jonah,

God is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and great in kindness, and One who repents of evil. Jonah 4:2.

Footnotes:

1. i.e. has compassion on

2. literally, be led by repentance

3. The Hebrew at this point uses the word meaning God.

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

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