The Bible

 

Амос 4

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1 Čujte ovu reč, krave vasanske, koje ste u gori samarijskoj, koje krivo činite ubogima i satirete siromahe, koje govorite gospodarima svojim: Donesite da pijemo.

2 Zakle se Gospod Gospod svetošću svojom da će vam evo doći dani, te će vas izvlačiti kukama, i ostatak vaš udicama ribarskim.

3 I kroz prolome ćete izaći, svaka na prema se, i pobacaćete šta bude u dvorovima, govori Gospod.

4 Idite u Vetilj, i činite bezakonje, u Galgalu množite bezakonje svoje, i prinosite svako jutro žrtve svoje, treće godine desetke svoje;

5 I palite žrtvu zahvalnu od hleba kiselog, i oglasite žrtve dragovoljne i razglasite, jer vam je tako milo, sinovi Izrailjevi, govori Gospod Gospod.

6 I zato vam ja dadoh da su vam čisti zubi po svim gradovima vašim i da nema hleba nigde po svim mestima vašim; ali se ne obratiste k meni, govori Gospod.

7 A ja vam ustegoh dažd, kad još tri meseca behu do žetve, i pustih dažd na jedan grad, a na drugi grad ne pustih dažda, jedan se kraj nakvasi, a drugi kraj, na koji ne dažde, posuši se.

8 Tako dva i tri grada iđahu u jedan grad da piju vode, i ne mogahu se napiti; ipak se ne obratiste k meni, govori Gospod.

9 Bih vas sušom i medljikom; gusenice izjedoše obilje u vrtovima vašim i u vinogradima vašim i na smokvama vašim i na maslinama vašim; ipak se ne obratiste k meni, govori Gospod.

10 Poslah u vas pomor kao u Misir, pobih mačem mladiće vaše i odvedoh konje vaše, i učinih te se podizaše smrad iz logora vašeg i u nozdrve vaše; ipak se ne obratiste k meni, govori Gospod.

11 Zatirah vas kao što Gospod zatre Sodom i Gomor, i bejaste kao glavnja istrgnuta iz ognja; ipak se ne obratiste k meni, govori Gospod.

12 Zato ću ti tako učiniti, Izrailju; i što ću ti tako učiniti, pripravi se, Izrailju, da sretneš Boga svog.

13 Jer eto Onog koji je sazidao gore i koji je stvorio vetar i javlja čoveku šta misli, čini od zore tamu, i hodi po visinama zemaljskim; ime Mu je Gospod Bog nad vojskama.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7505

Study this Passage

  
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7505. 'An extremely severe pestilence' means an overall annihilation. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pestilence' as a laying waste of truth, and since it says 'an extremely severe pestilence' the annihilation of truth is meant. The fact that 'a pestilence' means a laying waste of truth is evident from the following places in the Word: In Ezekiel,

... when I shall send My four severe 1 judgements - sword, and famine, and evil wild animal, and pestilence - onto Jerusalem, to cut off man and beast from it. Ezekiel 14:21.

'Cutting off man and beast' stands for the laying waste of good, interior and exterior. In the same prophet,

The sword is without, and pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field will die by the sword, but him that is in the city famine and pestilence will devour. Ezekiel 7:15.

'Pestilence' stands for a laying waste of good. In the same prophet,

Therefore because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your abominations, a third part of you will die from pestilence, and be annihilated [by famine] in your midst. Ezekiel 5:11-12.

'Pestilence' stands for an annihilation of good. In Amos,

I have sent the pestilence upon you in the way of Egypt, I have killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. 2 Amos 4:10.

'The pestilence in the way of Egypt' stands for a laying waste of good and truth by means of falsities, which are 'the way of Egypt'. 'I have killed young men with the sword, along with captured horses' stands for a laying waste of truth, truths being meant by 'young men' and intellectual concepts by 'horses' as above in 7503. In David,

You will not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the arrow that flies by day, of the pestilence that creeps in thick darkness, of death that lays waste at noon-day. Psalms 91:5-6.

'The pestilence that creeps in thick darkness' stands for evil that lays waste in concealment; 'death that lays waste at noonday' stands for evil which does so out in the open. 'Pestilence' occurs in other places besides these.

Footnotes:

1. literally, evil

2. literally, the captivity of your horses

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