The Bible

 

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 #9330

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9330. 'And I will make all your enemies turn their necks towards you' means the flight of falsities and their damnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'enemies' as falsities arising from evil, dealt with in 9313, 9314; and from the meaning of 'turning the neck' as flight. The reason why damnation is also meant is that when those steeped in falsities arising from evil flee on account of truths springing from good they throw themselves into hell, that is, into damnation.

[2] The implications of all this are that initially in the next life those steeped in falsities arising from evil fight against those guided by truths springing from good. They are allowed to fight for the reason that good can come out of it. The good that comes out of it is that by that experience those guided by truths springing from good are made stronger in truths against falsities, whereas those steeped in falsities arising from evil are made stronger in falsities and so bring about their own ruin. For in the next life falsities are taken away from those guided by truths springing from good, and truths are taken away from those steeped in falsities arising from evil. Accordingly, those guided by truths springing from good are raised to heaven, and those steeped in falsities arising from evil sink down into hell. And when they are in hell they are terrified and filled with dismay on account of the truths springing from good which angels possess from the Lord.

[3] The fact that such a state awaits those steeped in falsities arising from evil, and those guided by truths springing from good, is taught by the Lord in Matthew,

To him who has, it will be given, so that he may have more abundantly; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 13:12.

And in Luke,

Take the mina from him, and give to him who has ten minas. They said, Sir, he has ten minas. I say to you, that to everyone who has, it will be given; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Luke 19:24-26.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7693

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7693. 'In the whole land of Egypt' means on every side in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, and so the natural, dealt with in 7674. Since 'the locust', which has been the subject here, means falsity in the outermost parts, that is, in the sensory level of the human mind, let me say what the sensory level is in order that people may thereby know what falsity in the outermost parts of the mind is. A sensory-minded person, or a person whose thought and actions are reduced to the sensory level, is one who does not believe anything unless it is palpable to his outward senses, and who is led solely by bodily appetites, pleasure-seeking desires, and covetous passions, and not by rational ways of thinking. Ideas that lend support to urges such as these are what he believes to be rational ways of thinking. Being like this a sensory-minded person denies the existence of everything of an internal nature, until at length he will not even allow it to be mentioned. Consequently he refuses in his heart to believe in anything whatever of heaven. He does not have any belief in life after death, because he considers life to reside solely in the body. He therefore also supposes that when he dies it will be the same for him as for an animal. That person thinks so to speak on the surface, that is, on the lowest or outermost levels, and he is totally unaware of the existence of interior thought that is dependent on the perception of what is true and good. The reason why he is not aware of this, nor even of the existence of an internal man, is that the inner parts of his mind look down towards things of the world, the body, and the earth, and make one with them. They have therefore been diverted from looking upwards or towards heaven, for they are turned in the opposite direction. Looking upwards or towards heaven does not consist in thinking about the things of heaven but in having them as one's end in view, that is, loving them above all else. For in whatever direction love turns, the inner parts of a person's mind turn, and so too his thought. All this goes to show the nature of the sensory level of a person's mind, or the natural in its outermost parts, for a person who thinks on the sensory level is called sensory-minded.

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