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Lamentations 3

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1 εγω ανηρ ο βλεπων πτωχειαν εν ραβδω θυμου αυτου επ' εμε

2 παρελαβεν με και απηγαγεν εις σκοτος και ου φως

3 πλην εν εμοι επεστρεψεν χειρα αυτου ολην την ημεραν

4 επαλαιωσεν σαρκας μου και δερμα μου οστεα μου συνετριψεν

5 ανωκοδομησεν κατ' εμου και εκυκλωσεν κεφαλην μου και εμοχθησεν

6 εν σκοτεινοις εκαθισεν με ως νεκρους αιωνος

7 ανωκοδομησεν κατ' εμου και ουκ εξελευσομαι εβαρυνεν χαλκον μου

8 και γε κεκραξομαι και βοησω απεφραξεν προσευχην μου

9 ανωκοδομησεν οδους μου ενεφραξεν τριβους μου εταραξεν

10 αρκος ενεδρευουσα αυτος μοι λεων εν κρυφαιοις

11 κατεδιωξεν αφεστηκοτα και κατεπαυσεν με εθετο με ηφανισμενην

12 ενετεινεν τοξον αυτου και εστηλωσεν με ως σκοπον εις βελος

13 εισηγαγεν τοις νεφροις μου ιους φαρετρας αυτου

14 εγενηθην γελως παντι λαω μου ψαλμος αυτων ολην την ημεραν

15 εχορτασεν με πικριας εμεθυσεν με χολης

16 και εξεβαλεν ψηφω οδοντας μου εψωμισεν με σποδον

17 και απωσατο εξ ειρηνης ψυχην μου επελαθομην αγαθα

18 και ειπα απωλετο νεικος μου και η ελπις μου απο κυριου

19 εμνησθην απο πτωχειας μου και εκ διωγμου μου πικριας και χολης μου

20 μνησθησεται και καταδολεσχησει επ' εμε η ψυχη μου

21 ταυτην ταξω εις την καρδιαν μου δια τουτο υπομενω

25 αγαθος κυριος τοις υπομενουσιν αυτον ψυχη η ζητησει αυτον αγαθον

26 και υπομενει και ησυχασει εις το σωτηριον κυριου

27 αγαθον ανδρι οταν αρη ζυγον εν νεοτητι αυτου

28 καθησεται κατα μονας και σιωπησεται οτι ηρεν εφ' εαυτω

30 δωσει τω παιοντι αυτον σιαγονα χορτασθησεται ονειδισμων

31 οτι ουκ εις τον αιωνα απωσεται κυριος

32 οτι ο ταπεινωσας οικτιρησει κατα το πληθος του ελεους αυτου

33 οτι ουκ απεκριθη απο καρδιας αυτου και εταπεινωσεν υιους ανδρος

34 του ταπεινωσαι υπο τους ποδας αυτου παντας δεσμιους γης

35 του εκκλιναι κρισιν ανδρος κατεναντι προσωπου υψιστου

36 καταδικασαι ανθρωπον εν τω κρινεσθαι αυτον κυριος ουκ ειπεν

37 τις ουτως ειπεν και εγενηθη κυριος ουκ ενετειλατο

38 εκ στοματος υψιστου ουκ εξελευσεται τα κακα και το αγαθον

39 τι γογγυσει ανθρωπος ζων ανηρ περι της αμαρτιας αυτου

40 εξηρευνηθη η οδος ημων και ητασθη και επιστρεψωμεν εως κυριου

41 αναλαβωμεν καρδιας ημων επι χειρων προς υψηλον εν ουρανω

42 ημαρτησαμεν ησεβησαμεν και ουχ ιλασθης

43 επεσκεπασας εν θυμω και απεδιωξας ημας απεκτεινας ουκ εφεισω

44 επεσκεπασας νεφελην σεαυτω εινεκεν προσευχης

45 καμμυσαι με και απωσθηναι εθηκας ημας εν μεσω των λαων

46 διηνοιξαν εφ' ημας το στομα αυτων παντες οι εχθροι ημων

47 φοβος και θυμος εγενηθη ημιν επαρσις και συντριβη

48 αφεσεις υδατων καταξει ο οφθαλμος μου επι το συντριμμα της θυγατρος του λαου μου

49 ο οφθαλμος μου κατεποθη και ου σιγησομαι του μη ειναι εκνηψιν

50 εως ου διακυψη και ιδη κυριος εξ ουρανου

51 ο οφθαλμος μου επιφυλλιει επι την ψυχην μου παρα πασας θυγατερας πολεως

52 θηρευοντες εθηρευσαν με ως στρουθιον οι εχθροι μου δωρεαν

53 εθανατωσαν εν λακκω ζωην μου και επεθηκαν λιθον επ' εμοι

54 υπερεχυθη υδωρ επι κεφαλην μου ειπα απωσμαι

55 επεκαλεσαμην το ονομα σου κυριε εκ λακκου κατωτατου

56 φωνην μου ηκουσας μη κρυψης τα ωτα σου εις την δεησιν μου

57 εις την βοηθειαν μου ηγγισας εν η σε ημερα επεκαλεσαμην ειπας μοι μη φοβου

58 εδικασας κυριε τας δικας της ψυχης μου ελυτρωσω την ζωην μου

59 ειδες κυριε τας ταραχας μου εκρινας την κρισιν μου

60 ειδες πασαν την εκδικησιν αυτων εις παντας διαλογισμους αυτων εν εμοι

61 ηκουσας τον ονειδισμον αυτων παντας τους διαλογισμους αυτων κατ' εμου

62 χειλη επανιστανομενων μοι και μελετας αυτων κατ' εμου ολην την ημεραν

63 καθεδραν αυτων και αναστασιν αυτων επιβλεψον επι τους οφθαλμους αυτων

64 αποδωσεις αυτοις ανταποδομα κυριε κατα τα εργα των χειρων αυτων

65 αποδωσεις αυτοις υπερασπισμον καρδιας μοχθον σου αυτοις

66 καταδιωξεις εν οργη και εξαναλωσεις αυτους υποκατω του ουρανου κυριε

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #325

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325. I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. This symbolizes people who were hated by the evil, treated with scorn and expelled because of their life in accordance with the Word's truths and their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine humanity, and who were protected by the Lord to keep them from being led astray.

"Under the altar" symbolizes a lower earth where the inhabitants were protected by the Lord. An altar symbolizes worship of the Lord out of the goodness of love.

The souls of those who had been slain mean here, symbolically, not martyrs, but people who were hated, treated with scorn, and expelled by the evil in the world of spirits, and who could be led astray by followers of the dragon and by heretics.

"For the word of God and for the testimony which they held" means, symbolically, "because of their life in accordance with the Word's truths and their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine humanity." Testimony in heaven is given only to people who acknowledge the Lord's Divine humanity, for it is the Lord who testifies, and who enables angels to testify (no. 16); "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10).

[2] Since the souls were under the altar, it is apparent that they were being protected by the Lord. For the Lord protects all people who have lived some life of charity, to keep them from being harmed by the evil; and after the Last Judgment, when the evil have been removed, they are released from their asylums and elevated into heaven. I have often seen them after the Last Judgment being let out of the lower earth and conveyed into heaven.

[3] The fact that those who are slain mean people who are expelled, treated with scorn, and hated by the evil in the world of spirits, and who can been led astray, as also people who wish to know truths, but cannot because of the falsities in the church - this can be seen from the following passages:

Thus said the Lord... God, "Feed the sheep for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them... So I fed the sheep for slaughter because of you, you poor of the flock." (Zechariah 11:4-5, 7)

...we are slain all day long; we are accounted as a flock for the slaughter... Do not forsake us, O Jehovah! (Psalms 44:22-23)

Those who are coming, Jacob will cause to take root... Has He been slain according to the slaughter of his slain? (Isaiah 27:6-7)

...I have heard... the voice of the daughter of Zion..., saying, 'Woe is me..., my soul is weary because of the murderers!" (Jeremiah 4:31)

...they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated... for My name's sake. (Matthew 24:9, cf. John 16:2-3)

The Lord said this last to His disciples, but by disciples He meant all who worship the Lord and live according to His Word's truths.

[4] The evil in the world of spirits continually wish to kill these people. But because they cannot do so physically there, they continually try to do so as regards the soul. And when they cannot do this, they burn with such hatred against these people that they feel nothing more delightful than to do them harm. The reason [they cannot kill them] is that the Lord protects them, and when the evil are cast out into hell, which happens after the Last Judgment, they are brought out of their asylums. But see the explanations to chapter 20, and no. 846 there regarding these people.

That killing or slaying in the Word symbolizes the destruction of souls, which is to kill spiritually, is apparent from many passages there, including also the following: Isaiah 14:19-21; 26:21; Jeremiah 25:33; Lamentations 2:21; Ezekiel 9:1, 6; Revelation 18:24.

  
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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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #16

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16. The faithful witness. This symbolically means, which is Divine truth itself.

It may be seen in no. 6 above that witnessing is said of truth, and that truth bears witness to itself, as does the Lord, who is Divine truth itself and the Word.

  
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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.

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