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Lamentaciones 1

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1 COMO está sentada sola la ciudad populosa! La grande entre las naciones se ha vuelto como viuda, La señora de provincias es hecha tributaria.

2 Amargamente llora en la noche, y sus lágrimas en sus mejillas; No tiene quien la consuele de todos sus amadores: Todos sus amigos le faltaron, volviéronsele enemigos.

3 Fuése Judá, a causa de la aflicción y de la grandeza de servidumbre; Ella moró entre las gentes, y no halló descanso: Todos sus perseguidores la alcanzaron entre estrechuras.

4 Las calzadas de Sión tienen luto, porque no hay quien venga á las solemnidades; Todas sus puertas están asoladas, sus sacerdotes gimen, Sus vírgenes afligidas, y ella tiene amargura.

5 Sus enemigos han sido hechos cabeza, sus aborrecedores fueron prosperados; Porque Jehová la afligió por la multitud de sus rebeliones: Sus niños fueron en cautividad delante del enemigo.

6 Fuése de la hija de Sión toda su hermosura: Sus príncipes fueron como ciervos que no hallan pasto, Y anduvieron sin fortaleza delante del perseguidor.

7 Jerusalem, cuando cayó su pueblo en mano del enemigo y no hubo quien le ayudase, Se acordó de los días de su aflicción, y de sus rebeliones, Y de todas sus cosas deseables que tuvo desde los tiempos antiguos: Miráronla los enemigos, y escarnecieron de sus

8 Pecado cometió Jerusalem; por lo cual ella ha sido removida: Todos los que la honraban la han menospreciado, porque vieron su vergüenza; Y ella suspira, y se vuelve atrás.

9 Sus inmundicias en sus faldas; no se acordó de su postrimería: Por tanto ella ha descendido maravillosamente, no tiene consolador. Mira, oh Jehová, mi aflicción, porque el enemigo se ha engrandecido.

10 Extendió su mano el enemigo á todas sus cosas preciosas; Y ella ha visto entrar en su santuario las gentes, De las cuales mandaste que no entrasen en tu congregación.

11 Todo su pueblo buscó su pan suspirando; Dieron por la comida todas sus cosas preciosas, para entretener la vida. Mira, oh Jehová, y ve que estoy abatida.

12 ¿No os conmueve á cuantos pasáis por el camino? Mirad, y ved si hay dolor como mi dolor que me ha venido; Porque Jehová me ha angustiado en el día de la ira de su furor.

13 Desde lo alto envió fuego en mis huesos, el cual se enseñoreó: Ha extendido red a mis pies, tornóme atrás, Púsome asolada, y que siempre tenga dolor.

14 El yugo de mis rebeliones está ligado por su mano, Enlazadas han subido sobre mi cerviz: ha hecho caer mis fuerzas: Hame entregado el Señor en sus manos, contra quienes no podré levantarme.

15 El Señor ha hollado todos mis fuertes en medio de mí; Llamó contra mí compañía para quebrantar mis mancebos: Como lagar ha pisado el Señor á la virgen hija de Judá.

16 Por esta causa yo lloro; mis ojos, mis ojos fluyen aguas; Porque se alejó de mí consolador que dé reposo á mi alma: Mis hijos son destruídos, porque el enemigo prevaleció.

17 Sión extendió sus manos, no tiene quien la consuele; Jehová dió mandamiento contra Jacob, que sus enemigos lo cercasen: Jerusalem fué en abominación entre ellos.

18 Jehová es justo; que yo contra su boca me rebelé. Oid ahora, pueblos todos, y ved mi dolor: Mis vírgenes y mis mancebos fueron en cautiverio.

19 Dí voces á mis amadores, mas ellos me han engañado; Mis sacerdotes y mis ancianos en la ciudad perecieron, Buscando comida para sí con que entretener su vida.

20 Mira, oh Jehová, que estoy atribulada: mis entrañas rugen, Mi corazón está trastornado en medio de mí; porque me rebelé desaforadamente: De fuera deshijó el cuchillo, de dentro parece una muerte.

21 Oyeron que gemía, y no hay consolador para mí: Todos mis enemigos han oído mi mal, se han holgado de que tú lo hiciste. Harás venir el día que has anunciado, y serán como yo.

22 Entre delante de ti toda su maldad, Y haz con ellos como hiciste conmigo por todas mis rebeliones: Porque muchos son mis suspiros, y mi corazón está doloroso.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3542

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3542. 'And on the smooth of his neck' means so that truth which disjoined was not apparent. This is clear from 'smooth' or 'the smooth' having reference to truth, dealt with in 3527, and from the meaning of 'the neck' as that which joins together, dealt with below. Here therefore, since the appearance was 'on the smooth of his neck' it means so that truth which disjoins was not apparent. The implications of all this may be seen from what has been stated and shown above in 3539, to the effect that the good and the truths which flow from the understanding but not at the same time from the will are neither good nor truths, no matter how much they seem to be so to outward appearance. And if the will is bent on evil, good and truths are disjoined and do not join together. But if the will is in some measure desirous of good, they do not in that case disjoin but join together, even though the order in which they stand is the reverse of proper order; for it is by means of such good and truths that a person is regenerated. And because such good and truths standing thus serve first in the regeneration of man it is said that truth which disjoined would not be apparent. But more of this in what follows below.

[2] The reason why 'the neck' means that which joins together is that higher things with man which belong to the head communicate with lower that belong to the body by means of the neck between. Consequently both influx and communication, and therefore conjunction, are meant by that which lies between. This will be seen far more clearly from the correspondences of the Grand Man with the parts of the human body, to be dealt with at the ends of chapters. The same is consequently meant in the Word by 'the neck', as in Isaiah,

His spirit, like an overflowing stream, will divide even at the neck. Isaiah 30:28.

Here 'an overflowing stream' stands for falsity flowing over in this fashion. 'Dividing at the neck' stands for blocking and cutting off the communication and consequent joining together of higher things with lower ones, which are blocked and cut off when spiritual good and truth are not being received.

[3] In Habakkuk,

You crushed the head from the house of the wicked, laying bare the foundation even at the neck. Habakkuk 3:13.

'Crushing the head from the house of the wicked' stands for destroying false assumptions. 'Laying bare the foundation even at the neck' stands for preventing thereby any joining together. In Jeremiah,

Entangled transgressions have risen up above my neck. He has struck at my strength; the Lord has given me into [their] hands; I am unable to rise up again. Lamentations 1:14.

'Entangled transgressions have risen up above my neck' stands for falsities coming up towards interior or rational things.

[4] Because 'the neck' meant that communication and joining together, 'bands around the neck' therefore meant the cutting off and so the destruction of truth, which occurs when spiritual things that are flowing in constantly from the Lord are no longer allowed to pass into the rational part of a person's mind, nor as a consequence into the natural part. It is this cutting off or destruction that is represented by Jeremiah's being told to make bands and bars for himself and put them on his neck; to send them to different peoples and say that they would be serving Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel; and to say that those who did not place their necks under his yoke would be visited by sword, famine, and pestilence; but those who did bring their necks under it would be left in the land, Jeremiah 27:2-3, 8, 11. 'Placing the neck under the yoke of the king of Babel and serving him' stands for being made desolate as regards truth and vastated as regards good. For 'Babel' means one who lays waste, see 1327 (end); and people undergo vastation to prevent holy things from being profaned, 301-303, 1327, 1328, 2426, 3398, 3399, 3402. And since evil and falsity come to be served once the influx of good and truth has been cut off, 'placing the neck under the yoke' also means serving. In the same prophet,

Jehovah said, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel from over the neck of all nations within two years. Jeremiah 28:11.

This stands for their being delivered from vastation. In Isaiah,

Shake yourself from the dust, arise, sit, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. Isaiah 52:2.

'Loosing the bonds from the neck' stands for letting in and receiving good and truth In Micah,

Behold, against this family I am devising this evil from which you will not remove your necks nor go erect, for that will be a time of evil. Micah 2:3.

'Not removing necks from evil' stands for not letting truth in. 'Not going erect' stands for not looking up to higher things, that is, to those of heaven, 248.

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