The Bible

 

Ezekiel 37

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1 Tay của Ðức Giê-hô-va đặt trên ta; Ngài dắt ta ra trong Thần Ðức Giê-hô-va, và đặt ta giữa trũng; nó đầy những hài cốt.

2 Ðoạn Ngài khiến ta đi vòng quanh những hài cốt ấy; nầy, có nhiều lắm trên đồng trũng đó, và đều là khô lắm.

3 Ngài phán cùng ta rằng: Hỡi con người, những hài cốt nầy có thể sống chăng? Ta thưa rằng: Lạy Chúa Giê-hô-va, chính Chúa biết điều đó!

4 Ngài bèn phán cùng ta rằng: Hãy nói tiên tri về hài cốt ấy, và bảo chúng nó rằng: Hỡi hài cốt khô, khá nghe lời Ðức Giê-hô-va.

5 Chúa Giê-hô-va phán cùng những hài cốt ấy rằng: Nầy, ta sẽ phú hơi thở vào trong các ngươi, và các ngươi sẽ sống.

6 Ta sẽ đặt gân vào trong các ngươi, sẽ khiến thịt mọc lên trên các ngươi, và che các ngươi bằng da. Ta sẽ phú hơi thở trong các ngươi, và các ngươi sẽ sống; rồi các ngươi sẽ biết ta là Ðức Giê-hô-va.

7 Vậy ta nói tiên tri như Ngài đã phán dặn ta; ta đương nói tiên tri, thì có tiếng, và nầy, có động đất: những xương nhóm lại hiệp với nhau.

8 Ta nhìn xem, thấy những gân và thịt sanh ra trên những xương ấy; có da bọc lấy, nhưng không có hơi thở ở trong.

9 Bấy giờ Ngài phán cùng ta rằng: Hỡi con người, hãy nói tiên tri cùng gió; hãy nói tiên tri và bảo gió rằng: Chúa Giê-hô-va phán như vầy: Hỡi hơi thở, khá đến từ gió bốn phương, thở trên những người bị giết, hầu cho chúng nó sống.

10 Vậy ta nói tiên tri như Ngài đã phán dặn ta, và hơi thở vào trong chúng nó; chúng nó sống, và đứng dậy trên chơn mình, hiệp lại thành một đội quân rất lớn.

11 Ngài phán cùng ta rằng: Hỡi con người, những hài cốt nầy, ấy là cả nhà Y-sơ-ra-ên. Nầy, chúng nó nói rằng: Xương chúng ta đã khô, lòng trông cậy chúng ta đã mất, chúng ta đã tuyệt diệt cả!

12 Vậy, hãy nói tiên tri, và bảo chúng nó rằng: Chúa Giê-hô-va phán như vầy: Hỡi dân ta, nầy, ta sẽ mở mồ mả các ngươi, làm cho các ngươi lại lên khỏi mồ mả, và ta sẽ đem các ngươi về trong đất của Y-sơ-ra-ên.

13 Hỡi dân ta, các ngươi sẽ biết ta là Ðức Giê-hô-va, khi ta đã mở mồ mả các ngươi, và làm cho chúng nó lại lên khỏi mồ mả.

14 Ta sẽ đặt Thần ta trong các ngươi, và các ngươi sẽ sống. Ta sẽ lập các ngươi trong đất riêng của các ngươi; rồi các ngươi sẽ biết rằng ta, Ðức Giê-hô-va, sau khi hứa lời ấy thì đã làm thành, Ðức Giê-hô-va phán vậy.

15 Lại có lời Ðức Giê-hô-va phán cùng ta rằng:

16 Hỡi con người, hãy lấy một cây gậyviết ở trên rằng: Cho Giu-đa, và cho con cái Y-sơ-ra-ên là bạn người. Hãy lấy một cây gậy khác và viết ở trên rằng: Cho Giô-sép, ấy là cây gậy của Ép-ra-im, và của cả nhà Y-sơ-ra-ên là bạn người.

17 Hãy để gậy nầy với gậy kia hiệp làm một, đặng làm thành một cây trong tay ngươi.

18 Khi các con cái dân ngươi sẽ hỏi ngươi mà rằng: Vậy xin cắt nghĩa cho chúng tôi điều đó là gì:

19 thì ngươi khá trả lời rằng: Chúa Giê-hô-va phán như vầy: Nầy, ta sẽ lấy gậy của Giô-sép và của các chi phái Y-sơ-ra-ên là bạn người, là gậy ở trong tay Ép-ra-im. Ta sẽ hiệp lại với gậy của Giu-đa đặng làm nên chỉ một gậy mà thôi, và hai cái sẽ cùng hiệp làm một trong tay ta.

20 Ngươi khá cầm những gậy mà ngươi đã viết chữ ở trên, hiệp lại trong tay ngươi cho chúng nó thấy,

21 nói cùng chúng nó rằng: Chúa Giê-hô-va phán như vầy: Nầy, ta sẽ kéo con cái Y-sơ-ra-ên ra khỏi giữa các nước mà trong các nước ấy chúng nó đã đi. Ta sẽ nhóm chúng nó lại từ bốn phương, và đem chúng nó về trong đất riêng của chúng nó.

22 Ta sẽ hiệp chúng nó lại làm chỉ một dân tộc trong đất ấy, ở trên núi của Y-sơ-ra-ên. Chỉ một vua sẽ cai trị chúng nó hết thảy. Chúng nó sẽ không thành ra hai dân tộc, và không chia ra hai nước nữa.

23 Chúng nó sẽ không tự làm ô uế nữa bởi thần tượng chúng nó, hoặc bởi những vật đáng ghét, hoặc bởi mọi sự phạm tội của mình. Ta sẽ giải cứu chúng nó khỏi mọi nơi ở mà chúng nó đã phạm tội. Ta sẽ làm sạch chúng nó, vậy thì chúng nó sẽ làm dân ta, ta sẽ làm Ðức Chúa Trời chúng nó.

24 Tôi tớ ta là Ða-vít sẽ làm vua trên chúng nó. Hết thảy chúng nó sẽ có chỉ một kẻ chăn; chúng nó sẽ bước theo các mạng lịnh của ta; chúng nó sẽ gìn giữ các luật lệ của ta và làm theo.

25 Chúng nó sẽ ở đất mà ta đã ban cho tôi tớ ta là Gia-cốp, và là đất tổ phụ con người đã ở. Chúng nó, con cái chúng nó, và con cái của con cái chúng nó sẽ ở đó cho đến đời đời; tôi tớ ta là Ða-vít sẽ làm vua chúng nó mãi mãi.

26 Vả, ta sẽ lập với chúng nó một giao ước hòa bình; ấy sẽ là một giao ước đời đời giữa chúng nó với ta. Ta sẽ lập chúng nó và làm cho đông đúc. Ta sẽ đặt nơi thánh ta giữa chúng nó đời đời.

27 Ðền tạm ta sẽ ở giữa chúng nó; ta sẽ làm Ðức Chúa Trời chúng nó, chúng nó sẽ làm dân ta.

28 Bấy giờ các nước sẽ biết ta, là Ðức Giê-hô-va, biệt Y-sơ-ra-ên ra thánh, vì nơi thánh ta sẽ ở giữa chúng nó đời đời.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #664

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664. "For just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!" This symbolically means that everything that emanates from the Lord is just and true, because He is Divine goodness itself and Divine truth itself in heaven and in the church.

Ways symbolize truths that lead to good (no. 176). The title "king" in reference to the Lord symbolizes Divine truth, and "O King of saints" the Divine truth derived from Him in heaven and the church; for saints symbolize people who are governed by Divine truths from the Lord (nos. 173, 586). Consequently "just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!" means symbolically that everything emanating from the Lord is just and true, because He is Divine truth itself in heaven and in the church.

The Lord is called a king in reference to His Divine humanity, because this is the Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ, the Son of God. Messiah in Hebrew is Christ in Greek, and Messiah or Christ is the Son of God, as may be seen in no. 520 above. It is well known that Messiah in Hebrew means both king and anointed.

The Lord as king is the embodiment of Divine truth because that is the symbolic meaning of the title "king" (nos. 20, 483). Kings accordingly symbolize people who possess Divine truths from the Lord (Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

It is because of this that heaven and the church are called the Lord's kingdom, and that His advent into the world is called the gospel of the kingdom.

Heaven and the church are called the Lord's kingdom in Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 27; Luke 1:33; 4:43; 8:1, 10; 9:2, 11, 27; 10:11; 16:16; 19:11; 21:31; 22:18; 23:51. And His advent is called the gospel of the kingdom in Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14. 1

But more on this subject may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord.

[2] That the Lord is called a king is apparent from the following passages:

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 17:14)

(He who sat on the white horse) is called the Word... And... His... name (is) Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 19:13, 16, cf. Daniel 2:47)

Nathanael... said..., ."..You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49)

When the Son of Man comes in His glory..., ...He will sit on the throne of His glory... And the King will say to those on His right hand... (and) to those on the left hand... (Matthew 25:31, 34, 41)

...they cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' The King of Israel! " (John 12:13)

Pilate (asked the Lord:) "Are You a king...?" Jesus answered, ."..I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world...." (John 18:37)

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty... ...Jehovah our King, He will save us. (Isaiah 33:17 , 22)

I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. (Isaiah 43:15)

Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: "I am the First and I am the Last, and beside Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)

Jehovah shall become King over all the earth. (Zechariah 14:9, cf. Psalms 47:2, 6-8)

Lift up your heads, O you gates..., that the King of glory may come in... Jehovah of hosts, He is the King of glory. (Psalms 24:7-10)

I will raise to David a righteous Branch, (who as) a king shall reign... and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. (Jeremiah 23:5, cf. 33:15)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 6:5; 52:7; Jeremiah 10:7, 10; 46:18; Ezekiel 37:22, 24; Zephaniah 3:15; Psalms 20:9; 45:11, 13-14; 68:24; 74:12.

Footnotes:

1. See also Mark 1:14

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Luke 1

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1 Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,

2 even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,

3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

4 that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.

8 Now it happened, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his division,

9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10 The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said to him, "Don't be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

14 You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.

15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God.

17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord."

18 Zacharias said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

19 The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.

20 Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you didn't believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple.

22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute.

23 It happened, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.

24 After these days Elizabeth, his wife, conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,

25 "Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men."

26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

28 Having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!"

29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.

30 The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name 'Jesus.'

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom."

34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?"

35 The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

36 Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

37 For everything spoken by God is possible."

38 Mary said, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word." The angel departed from her.

39 Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

41 It happened, when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!"

46 Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord.

47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,

48 for he has looked at the humble state of his handmaid. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

49 For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

50 His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.

51 He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

52 He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.

54 He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,

55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever."

56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

57 Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she brought forth a son.

58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 It happened on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father.

60 His mother answered, "Not so; but he will be called John."

61 They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."

62 They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.

63 He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." They all marveled.

64 His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.

65 Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.

66 All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" The hand of the Lord was with him.

67 His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

68 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people;

69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David

70 (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),

71 salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;

72 to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,

73 the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father,

74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,

77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,

79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace."

80 The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.