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Genesis 10

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1 These are the generations of the sons of Noe: Sem, Cham, and Japheth: and unto them sons were born after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Thubal, and Mosoch, and Thiras.

3 And the sons of Gomer: Ascenez and Riphath and Thogorma.

4 And the sons of Javan: Elisa and Tharsis, Cetthim, and Dodanim.

5 By these were divided the islands of the Gentiles in their lands, every one according to his tongue and their families in their nations.

6 And the sons of Cham: Chus, and Mesram, and Phuth, and Chanaan.

7 And the sons of Chus: Saba and Hevila, and Sabatha, and Regma, and Sabatacha. The sons of Regma: Saba and Dadan.

8 Now Chus begot Nemrod: he began to be mighty on earth.

9 And he was a stout hunter before the Lord. Hence came a proverb: Even as Nemrod the stout hunter before the Lord.

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Arach, and Achad, and Chalanne in the land of Sennaar.

11 Out of that land came forth Assur, and built Ninive, and the streets of the city, and Chale.

12 Resen also between Ninive and Chale: this is the great city.

13 And Mesraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Laabim, Nepthuim,

14 And Phetrusim, and Chasluim; of whom came forth the Philistines, and the Capthorim.

15 And Chanaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, the Hethite,

16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorrhite, and the Gergesite,

17 The Hevite and the Aracite: the Sinite,

18 And the Aradian, the Samarite, and the Hamathite: and afterwards the families of the Chanaanites were spread abroad.

19 And the limits of Chanaan were from Sidon as one comes to Gerara even to Gaza, until thou enter Sodom and Gomorrha, and Adama, and Seboim even to Lesa.

20 These are the children of Cham in their kindreds, and tongues, and generations, and lands, and nations.

21 Of Sem also, the father of all children of Heber, the elder brother of Japheth, sons were born.

22 The sons of Sem: Elam and Assur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

23 The sons of Aram: Us and Hull, and Gether: and Mess.

24 But Arphaxad begot Sale, of whom was born Heber.

25 And to Heber were born two sons: the name of the one was Phaleg, because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother's name Jectan.

26 Which Jectan begot Elmodad, and Saleph, and Asarmoth, Jare,

27 And Anduram, and Uzal, and Decla,

28 And Ebal, and Abimael, Saba,

29 And Ophir, and Hevila, and Jobab.

30 And their dwelling was from Messa as we go on as far as Sephar, a mountain in the east.

31 These are the children of Sem according to their kindreds and tongues, and countries in their nations.

32 These are the families of Noe, according to their peoples and nations. By these were the nations divided on the earth after the flood.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 1032

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1032. That 'and I will establish My covenant with you' means the Lord's presence with all people who have charity, and refers to 'those going out of the ark' and to 'every wild animal of the earth', that is, to people inside the Church and to those outside of it, is clear from what has been stated just above. With regard to the Lord also entering into a covenant with, that is, joining Himself by means of charity to people outside of the Church who are called gentiles, the position is this: The member of the Church imagines that all outside of the Church who are called gentiles cannot be saved because they do not possess any cognitions of faith and do not therefore know the Lord at all. Churchmen say that without faith and without knowledge of the Lord there is no salvation, and so all who are outside of the Church stand condemned. Indeed many such persons possessing some doctrine, even those embracing heresy, imagine that all outside of the Church, that is, all who do not feel as they do, are not saved. But the reality is altogether different. The Lord has mercy towards the whole human race, and wishes to save and draw to Himself all people throughout the universe.

[2] The Lord's mercy is infinite and will not let itself be limited to the few who are inside the Church. Instead it reaches out to all in the whole wide world. No one can be blamed because he has been born outside of the Church and so has no knowledge of matters of faith. Nor is anybody in any way condemned for having no faith in the Lord because he does not know Him. What right-thinking person is ever going to say that the greater part of the human race will perish in eternal death just because they have not been born in Europe whose inhabitants are relatively few? And what right-thinking person is going to say that the Lord would allow such a large number of people to be born so as to perish in eternal death? That would be contrary to the Divine and contrary to mercy. And in any case people outside of the Church, called gentiles, lead a far more upright life than those inside the Church do, and they embrace far more readily that which true faith teaches. This matter becomes clearer still from souls in the next life.

[3] From the so-called Christian world come the worst people of all, those in whom deadly hatred of the neighbour and deadly hatred of the Lord prevail. More than anybody else in the whole world they are adulterers. But this is not true of all other parts of the world; for a large number of those who have worshipped idols have an attitude of mind that finds hatred and adultery abhorrent, and they fear Christians for being such and for wishing to subject everybody else to torture. Indeed gentiles are such that when taught by angels about truths of faith and that the Lord rules over all, they have no difficulty in listening and have no difficulty in being endued with faith, and so casting aside their idols. Consequently those gentiles who have led an upright life, and have done so in mutual charity and in innocence, are regenerated in the next life. While they are living in the world the Lord is present with them in their charity and innocence, for no charity or innocence exists at all except that which comes from the Lord. The Lord also confers on them, according to the religion they have, a conscience for what is right and good, and instills innocence and charity into that conscience. And when innocence and charity exist in conscience they allow themselves without difficulty to be endued with the truth of faith deriving from good. The Lord Himself has said all this in Luke,

Someone said to Jesus, Lord, are those who are saved few? He said to them, You will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrust out. On the other hand men will come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. And, behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. Luke 13:23, 28-30.

'Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' here are used to mean all who dwell in love, as shown already.

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