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Lamentations 4

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1 πως αμαυρωθησεται χρυσιον αλλοιωθησεται το αργυριον το αγαθον εξεχυθησαν λιθοι αγιοι επ' αρχης πασων εξοδων

2 υιοι σιων οι τιμιοι οι επηρμενοι εν χρυσιω πως ελογισθησαν εις αγγεια οστρακινα εργα χειρων κεραμεως

3 και γε δρακοντες εξεδυσαν μαστους εθηλασαν σκυμνοι αυτων θυγατερες λαου μου εις ανιατον ως στρουθιον εν ερημω

4 εκολληθη η γλωσσα θηλαζοντος προς τον φαρυγγα αυτου εν διψει νηπια ητησαν αρτον ο διακλων ουκ εστιν αυτοις

5 οι εσθοντες τας τρυφας ηφανισθησαν εν ταις εξοδοις οι τιθηνουμενοι επι κοκκων περιεβαλοντο κοπριας

6 και εμεγαλυνθη ανομια θυγατρος λαου μου υπερ ανομιας σοδομων της κατεστραμμενης ωσπερ σπουδη και ουκ επονεσαν εν αυτη χειρας

7 εκαθαριωθησαν ναζιραιοι αυτης υπερ χιονα ελαμψαν υπερ γαλα επυρρωθησαν υπερ λιθους σαπφειρου το αποσπασμα αυτων

8 εσκοτασεν υπερ ασβολην το ειδος αυτων ουκ επεγνωσθησαν εν ταις εξοδοις επαγη δερμα αυτων επι τα οστεα αυτων εξηρανθησαν εγενηθησαν ωσπερ ξυλον

9 καλοι ησαν οι τραυματιαι ρομφαιας η οι τραυματιαι λιμου επορευθησαν εκκεκεντημενοι απο γενηματων αγρων

10 χειρες γυναικων οικτιρμονων ηψησαν τα παιδια αυτων εγενηθησαν εις βρωσιν αυταις εν τω συντριμματι της θυγατρος λαου μου

11 συνετελεσεν κυριος θυμον αυτου εξεχεεν θυμον οργης αυτου και ανηψεν πυρ εν σιων και κατεφαγεν τα θεμελια αυτης

12 ουκ επιστευσαν βασιλεις γης παντες οι κατοικουντες την οικουμενην οτι εισελευσεται εχθρος και εκθλιβων δια των πυλων ιερουσαλημ

13 εξ αμαρτιων προφητων αυτης αδικιων ιερεων αυτης των εκχεοντων αιμα δικαιον εν μεσω αυτης

14 εσαλευθησαν εγρηγοροι αυτης εν ταις εξοδοις εμολυνθησαν εν αιματι εν τω μη δυνασθαι αυτους ηψαντο ενδυματων αυτων

15 αποστητε ακαθαρτων καλεσατε αυτους αποστητε αποστητε μη απτεσθε οτι ανηφθησαν και γε εσαλευθησαν ειπατε εν τοις εθνεσιν ου μη προσθωσιν του παροικειν

16 προσωπον κυριου μερις αυτων ου προσθησει επιβλεψαι αυτοις προσωπον ιερεων ουκ ελαβον πρεσβυτας ουκ ηλεησαν

17 ετι οντων ημων εξελιπον οι οφθαλμοι ημων εις την βοηθειαν ημων ματαια αποσκοπευοντων ημων απεσκοπευσαμεν εις εθνος ου σωζον

18 εθηρευσαμεν μικρους ημων του μη πορευεσθαι εν ταις πλατειαις ημων ηγγικεν ο καιρος ημων επληρωθησαν αι ημεραι ημων παρεστιν ο καιρος ημων

19 κουφοι εγενοντο οι διωκοντες ημας υπερ αετους ουρανου επι των ορεων εξηφθησαν εν ερημω ενηδρευσαν ημας

20 πνευμα προσωπου ημων χριστος κυριου συνελημφθη εν ταις διαφθοραις αυτων ου ειπαμεν εν τη σκια αυτου ζησομεθα εν τοις εθνεσιν

21 χαιρε και ευφραινου θυγατερ ιδουμαιας η κατοικουσα επι γης και γε επι σε διελευσεται το ποτηριον κυριου και μεθυσθηση και αποχεεις

22 εξελιπεν η ανομια σου θυγατερ σιων ου προσθησει ετι αποικισαι σε επεσκεψατο ανομιας σου θυγατερ εδωμ απεκαλυψεν επι τα ασεβηματα σου

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #382

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382. 'Being a wanderer and a fugitive in the land' means not knowing what truth and good are. This is clear from the meaning in the Word of 'wandering' and of 'fleeing', as in Jeremiah,

Prophets and priests wander blind in the streets; they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. Lamentations 4:13-14.

Here 'prophets' stands for those who teach, 'priests' for those who live according to what is taught. 'Wandering blind in the streets' means not knowing what good and truth are.

[2] In Amos,

Part of one field had rain, and part of the field on which it did not rain dried up. So two or three cities will wander to one city to drink water, and they will not be satisfied. Amos 4:7-8.

Here 'the part of the field on which rain fell' is the doctrine of faith that derives from charity, while 'the part or section of the field on which it did not rain' is the doctrine of faith devoid of charity. 'Wandering to drink water' similarly means searching for truth.

[3] In Hosea,

Ephraim has been stricken, their root has dried up, they will bear no fruit. My God will cast them away because they have not hearkened to Him, and they will be wanderers among the nations. Hosea 9:16-17.

'Ephraim' stands for an understanding of truth, that is, for faith, since he was Joseph' s firstborn. 'A root which had dried up' stands for charity that is incapable of bearing fruit. 'Wanderers among the nations' means that they have no knowledge of truth and good.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Go up against Arabia and lay waste the sons of the east. Flee, wander far away; the inhabitants of Hazer have plunged into the depths to dwell there. Jeremiah 49:28, 30.

'Arabia' and 'the sons of the east' stand for the possession of celestial riches, or things of love, which when laid waste are also spoken of as 'fleeing and wandering', or fugitives and wanderers, when they achieve nothing good at all. And 'the inhabitants of Hazer', or those who possess spiritual riches, which are things of faith, are spoken of as 'plunging into the depths', which means perishing.

In Isaiah,

All your chief men are wandering about together, on account of the bow they have been put in chains. They have fled from far away. Isaiah 12:3.

This refers to 'the valley of vision', which is the delusion that faith can exist without charity. This explains why verse 14 below speaks of 'a wanderer and a fugitive', that is, a person who, confessing faith in isolation from charity, has no knowledge at all of truth and good.

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

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