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Amos 3

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1 Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

3 Can two walk together, except they are agreed?

4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he hath taken nothing?

5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

6 Shalt a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets.

8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst of it, and the oppressed in the midst of it.

10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.

11 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even around the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be plundered.

12 Thus saith the LORD: As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the GOD of hosts,

14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Beth-el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

15 And I will smite the winter-house with the summer-house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Spiritual Experiences #4762

  
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4762. He was told that the Word is holy even as to its letter but is so because it contains within it holy things that are perceived in heaven and that treat of the Lord and His Kingdom and that no one should stay blindly in the Word's literal meaning, but with open eyes. That is to say, one ought to form true doctrine for oneself from the Word, and make use of the Word in this way. Otherwise, one falls into errors, as many as one wants to fabricate for oneself, and also in every case makes use of it to favor oneself, thus in a warped and wrong way, which is to profane the Word. Those who form true Doctrine from it can see why the Word speaks as it does in the letter, namely, so that it may enter into [people's] minds as something general and give them opportunity to think rightly about them. Take for example, a person who has formed the doctrinal principal for himself that the Lord is pure love, thus pure Mercy, and that evil can never be intended by, still less be brought forth from, pure love and pure mercy. Such a person immediately knows why it is said in the literal meaning of the Word that there is no evil in the city except from God [Amos 3:6], that the fury of God reaches even to the lowest hell [Deut. 28:63], and that He will find pleasure in their perishing [Deut. 28:63]: namely, that it is the person whose fury so burns against God, and that it then appears as if it is coming from God, and consequently that it is so said according to the way things appear.

  
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Thanks to the Academy of the New Church, and Bryn Athyn College, for the permission to use this translation.

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