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Amos 4

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1 Hør dette ord, I Basan-kyrSamarias fjell, I som undertrykker de ringe, som knuser de fattige, som sier til eders menn: Kom med vin, så vi får drikke!

2 Herren, Israels Gud, har svoret ved sin hellighet: Se, dager kommer over eder da I skal slepes bort med haker, og den siste levning av eder med fiskekroker,

3 og I skal gå ut gjennem murbruddene, hver rett frem for sig, og I skal bli slengt bort i palasset*, sier Herren. / {* seierherrens palass.}

4 Gå til Betel og synd, til Gilgal og synd til gagns, og bær hver morgen frem eders slaktoffer, hver tredje dag eders tiender,

5 og la røk av syret brød stige op som takkoffer og tillys frivillige offer og kunngjør det! For så vil I jo gjerne ha det, I Israels barn, sier Herren, Israels Gud.

6 Og jeg har da latt eder gå med tom munn i alle eders byer og latt eder mangle brød i alle eders hjem; men I har ikke omvendt eder til mig, sier Herren.

7 Jeg har forholdt eder regnet da det ennu var tre måneder igjen til høsten, og har latt det regne over en by, men ikke over en annen; et stykke land fikk regn, og et annet stykke blev fortørket, fordi det ikke kom regn på det,

8 og to, tre byer ravet avsted til en og samme by for å drikke vann, men fikk ikke nok; men I har ikke omvendt eder til mig, sier Herren.

9 Jeg har slått eder med kornbrand og rust; gresshoppene åt op eders mange haver og vingårder og fikentrær og oljetrær; men I har ikke omvendt eder til mig, sier Herren.

10 Jeg har sendt pest blandt eder likesom dengang i Egypten, jeg har drept eders unge menn med sverdet og latt eders hester bli hærfang, og jeg lot stanken fra eders hær stige op i eders nese; men I har ikke omvendt eder til mig, sier Herren.

11 Jeg har omstyrtet byer iblandt eder, således som Gud omstyrtet Sodoma og Gomorra, og I blev som en brand som er revet ut av ilden; men I har ikke omvendt eder til mig, sier Herren.

12 Derfor vil jeg gjøre med dig, Israel, så som jeg har sagt*. Og fordi jeg vil gjøre således med dig, så gjør dig rede til å møte din Gud, Israel! / {* AMO 2, 13 fg. 3, 11 fg. 4, 2 fg.}

13 For se, han som danner fjellene og skaper vinden og åpenbarer menneskene deres tanker, han som gjør morgenrøden til mørke og farer frem over jordens høider - Herren, hærskarenes Gud, er hans navn.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #5198

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5198. 'Seven cows were coming up' means the truths belonging to the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, dealt with below. The reason there were seven is that 'seven' means that which is holy, 395, 433, 716, and therefore this number contributes to any matter under consideration the idea of holiness, dealt with in 881. The matter under consideration here is likewise of a holy nature since it concerns a further rebirth of the natural through the joining of this to the celestial of the spiritual. As regards 'cows' or 'young cows' meaning the truths belonging to the natural, this becomes clear from the fact that 'bulls' and 'young bulls' mean forms of good belonging to the natural, 2180, 2566, 2781, 2830. For in the Word, when a male means good, its female means truth, and conversely when the male means truth its female means good, so that 'a cow' means some truth belonging to the natural, because 'a bull' means some form of good belonging to it.

[2] All beasts without exception that are mentioned in the Word mean affections, evil and useless beasts meaning evil affections, gentle and useful ones meaning good affections, see 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 719, 776, 1823, 2179, 2180, 3218, 3519. The reason why they have such a meaning lies in the representations that occur in the world of spirits, for whenever a discussion about affections is taking place in heaven, beasts corresponding to affections of the kind under discussion are represented in the world of spirits, as I have also been allowed quite often to see. On several occasions I have wondered about the origin of that phenomenon, but have been led to perceive that the lives led by beasts are nothing else than affections; for they respond instinctively, devoid of reason, to their innate affections and are led by these to fulfill their specific functions. No other physical forms are suited to these affections devoid of reason than the kinds in which they are seen on earth. This explains why, when the discussion in heaven is about affections alone, the ultimate forms that those affections take in the world of spirits are the same in appearance as the physical forms of such beasts; for those affections cannot be clothed with any other forms than ones such as correspond to them. I have also seen beasts, the like of which do not appear anywhere at all in the natural world. They were the forms taken by affections that are not known and by affections that are mingled together.

[3] Here then is the reason why in the Word affections are meant by 'beasts', though which particular affections are meant cannot be seen from anywhere else than the internal sense. 'Bulls' means the good belonging to the natural, as may be seen in the paragraphs listed above; and as for the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, this becomes clear from other places where they are referred to, such as Isaiah 11:7; Hosea 4:16; Amos 4:1, as well as from the reference in Numbers 19:2-10 to the water of separation by which they were to be made clean and which was prepared from the red cow burned to ashes outside the camp, with which cedar wood was mixed, hyssop, and twice-dyed scarlet. When the meaning of this procedure is disclosed with the help of the internal sense, it shows that 'the red cow', meaning unclean truth within the natural, is made clean by 'burning', and also by the kinds of things meant by 'cedar wood, hyssop, and twice-dyed scarlet'. The water prepared by that process represented the means of purification.

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

The Bible

 

Jeremiah 49:3-4

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3 Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

4 Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?