I have a bag full of Swedish items from my cousin, a fellow teacher, who died years ago leaving a husband with a room dedicated to her Swedish collection. Last fall, the husband generously, lovingly, let me go through the collection, and tucked away in a peek-a-boo book box I found a Swedish New Testament with an inscription (in Swedish) to my great-grandparents on their wedding date:
“In the Memory of
D—5. Sjolin
on 25 March 1905
Ceclia Anderson
John 1:1-9v
Ps 103:12-18″
John 1:1-9: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
Ps 103:12-18:
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His salvation extends to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His salvation extends to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.