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創世記 44

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1 約瑟吩咐家宰說:『把糧食裝滿這些袋,儘著他們的驢所能馱的,又把各子放在各袋裡,

2 並將我的杯和那少年人糴糧的子一同裝在他的袋裡。』家宰就照約瑟所行了;

3 天一亮就打發那些人帶著走了。

4 他們出城走了不遠,約瑟對家宰:『起來,追那些人去,追上了就對他們:「你們為甚麼以惡報善呢?

5 這不是我人飲酒的杯嗎?豈不是他占卜用的嗎?你們這樣行是作惡了。」』

6 家宰追上他們,將這些對他們了。

7 他們回答:『我為甚麼這樣的呢?你僕人斷不能作這樣的事。

8 你看,我們從前在袋裡所見的子,尚且從迦南帶來還你,我們怎能從你人家裡呢?

9 僕人中無論在誰那裡搜出來,就叫他,我們也作我的奴僕。』

10 家宰:『現在就照你們的行吧!在誰那裡搜出來,誰就作我的奴僕;其餘的都沒有罪。』

11 於是他們各急忙把口袋卸在,各打開口袋。

12 家宰就搜查,從年長的起到年幼的為止,那杯竟在便雅憫的口袋裡搜出來。

13 他們就撕裂衣服,各把馱子抬在上,回城去了。

14 猶大和他弟兄們到約瑟的中,約瑟還在那裡,他們就在他面前俯伏於

15 約瑟對他們:『你們作的是甚麼事呢?你們豈不知像我這樣的必能占卜嗎?』

16 猶大:『我們甚麼呢?還有甚麼話可呢?我們怎能自己表白出來呢?已經查出僕人的罪孽了。我們與那在他中搜出杯來的都是我的奴僕。

17 約瑟:『我斷不能這樣行!在誰的中搜出杯來,誰就作我的奴僕;至於你們,可以平平安安地上你們父親那裡去。』

18 猶大他,:『我啊,求你容僕人一句給我聽,不要向僕人發烈怒,因為你如同法老一樣。

19 曾問僕人:「你們有父親兄弟沒有?」

20 我們對我:「我們有父親,已經年老,還有他老年所生的一個小孩子。他哥哥死了,他母親只撇下他一人,他父親他。」

21 你對僕人:「把他帶到我這裡來,叫我親眼看看他。」

22 我們對我:童子不能離開他父親,若是離開,他父親

23 你對僕人:你們的小兄弟若不與你們一同來,你們就不得再見我的面。

24 我們上到你僕人─我們父親那裡,就把我告訴了他。

25 我們父親:你們再去給我糴些糧來。

26 我們我們不能去。我們的小兄弟若和我們同往,我們就可以去。因為,小兄弟若不與我們同往,我們必不得見那的面。

27 僕人─我父親我們:你們知道我的妻子給我生了兩個兒子。

28 個離開我出去了;我他必是被撕碎了,直到如今我也沒有見他。

29 現在你們又要把這個帶去離開我,倘若他遭害,那便是你們使我白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘地陰間去了。

30 父親的命與這童子的命相連。如今我回到你僕人─我父親那裡,若沒有童子與我們同在,

31 我們父親見沒有童子,他就必。這便是我們使你僕人我們父親白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘地陰間去了。

32 因為僕人曾向我父親為這童子作保,說:我若不他回來交給父親,我便在父親面前永遠擔罪。

33 現在求你容僕人住下,替這童子作我的奴僕,叫童子和他哥哥們一同上去。

34 若童子不和我同去,我怎能上去見我父親呢?恐怕我見災禍臨到我父親身上。

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 5816

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5816. 'You will not see my face again' means that in this case no mercy will be at hand and there is no joining to truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'face', when it has reference to the Lord, as mercy, dealt with in 222, 223, 5585, which being so 'not seeing his face' means that no mercy is at hand, 5585, 5592. And when no mercy is at hand, neither is there any joining together, since no love, which is a spiritual joining together, is present. Divine love is called mercy (misericordia) as it relates to the human race in so much misery (miseriae). The reason why there is no joining to truths in the natural is that Jacob's sons, to whom the words used here were addressed, represent the truths in the natural, 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512.

[2] With regard to no mercy being at hand and to there being no joining to truths in the natural Unless the truth represented by 'Benjamin' was made subject to the internal good represented by 'Joseph', the situation is this: The truth which enables a person to be a Church is that truth which springs from good; for when a person is governed by good, it is from good that he sees truths, perceives them, and so believes that they are indeed truths, which no one can possibly do unless he is governed by good. That good is like a little flame which sheds light and provides illumination, and so enables a person to see, perceive, and believe truths. For an affection for truth springing from good directs the internal sight towards those truths and away from matters of a worldly and bodily nature which envelop them in darkness. This is the kind of truth that 'Benjamin' represents here - the one and only truth the Church possesses, see 5806, which is to say the one and only truth that enables a person to be a Church. But this truth must be entirely subject to the internal good represented by 'Joseph'; for the Lord flows in by way of internal good and imparts life to the truths below, thus also to this truth that springs from spiritual good from the natural, represented by 'Israel', 4286, 4598.

[3] From all this it is also evident that it is by means of this truth that the joining together with the truths below it is effected. For if this truth did not exist subject to internal good, enabling it to receive an influx of good into itself, mercy which flows in constantly from the Lord by way of internal good would not be received since no intermediary would be present. And if that mercy were not received, neither would there be any joining together. These are the considerations meant by 'if your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again'.

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