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Genesis 39

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1 And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar an eunuch of Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ismaelites, by whom he was brought.

2 And the Lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things: and he dwelt in his master's house,

3 Who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

4 And Joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him:

5 And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, and multiplied all his substance, both at home, and in the fields.

6 Neither knew he any other thing, but the bread which he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold.

7 h And after many days his mistress 'cast her eyes on Joseph, and said: Lie with me.

8 But he, in no wise consenting to that wicked act, said to her: Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house:

9 Neither is there any thing which is hot in my power, or that he hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife : how then can I do this wicked thing, and I sin against my God?

10 With such words as these day by day, both the woman was importunate with the young man, and he refused the adultery.

11 Now it happened on it certain day, that Joseph went into the house, and was doing some business without any, man with him:

12 And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out.

13 And when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself disregarded,

14 She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: See, he hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me : and when I cried out,

15 And he heard my voice, he left the garment that I held, and got him out.

16 For a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and shewed it to her husband when he returned home:

17 And said: The Hebrew servant, whom thou best brought, came to me to abuse me.

18 And when he heard me cry, he left the garment which I held, and fled out.

19 His master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to his wife's words, was very angry.

20 And cast Joseph into the prison, where the king's prisoners were kept, and he was there shut up.

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and having mercy upon him gave him favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison:

22 Who delivered into his hand all the prisoners that were kept in custody: and whatsoever was done was under him.

23 Neither did he himself know any thing, having committed all things to him: for the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 5032

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5032. 'As his lord heard his wife's words which she spoke to him' means the communication of falsity which looked like the truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing the words' as communication, for 'hearing' means discerning, 5017, and so being communicated; from the meaning of 'wife' as unspiritual natural truth, dealt with already, though in this case falsity is meant. Actual false-speaking is meant by the things she told him, as above in 5024, and the one to which the falsity is communicated is unspiritual natural good, meant here by 'his lord', as above in 5023. The idea that to that good this falsity looked like the truth is clear from what follows below.

[2] Dealt with here is the fact that unspiritual natural good is easily convinced, so easily that to it falsity looks altogether like truth. For what unspiritual natural good is and what it is like - that is, who those people are with whom that good resides, and what they are like - see above in 4988, 4992, 5008, 5013, 5028. In these places it is shown that they are those who by heredity and consequently adventitiously are disposed to be meek and upright, and so who do what is good from some natural inclination and not from any religious motive. Doing good from some natural inclination is entirely different from doing it from a religious motive. In the world a person cannot distinguish one from the other because he is not immediately aware of inward things; but in the next life he can clearly tell the difference because in that world inward things are laid bare. There thoughts, intentions, and ends in view reveal themselves, being laid bare as if in broad daylight.

[3] This being so I have been allowed to know what those people are like with whom unspiritual good resides and what those are like with whom spiritual good resides. Those with whom unspiritual natural good resides allow themselves to be persuaded by no matter whom, easily so by the evil, for evil spirits and genii are in their element or their life's delight when they can get into another's desires; and once they have entered them they allure that person into every kind of evil. For at such times they convince him that what is false is true. This they can easily do to those with whom unspiritual natural good resides. They cannot do the same to those with whom spiritual good resides because these know from within themselves what evil and falsity are. The reason for this is that when those with whom spiritual good resides lived in the world they welcomed whatever doctrine prescribed, and disciplined their internal man in the same, thereby enabling heaven to act upon their internal man. But when those with whom unspiritual natural good resides lived in the world they did not welcome anything prescribed by doctrine or discipline their internal man in the same. Consequently they have nothing laid down in them into which heaven can operate, but whatever enters them from heaven passes straight through; and when this enters the natural man it is not welcomed there because evil ones, that is, the devil's crew, instantly remove it by smothering it, or repelling it, or perverting it.

[4] Therefore those whose good is wholly natural suffer severely in the next life. Sometimes they complain profusely about being among those in hell even though, they believe, they have done good, just as has everyone else. But they have been told that in their doing of good they were no different from harmless living creatures that are not endowed with reason. They had shown no concern, they are told, for anything good and true that is known to the Church; and since, as a consequence of this, nothing existed in their internal man to receive what was good and true, they now have nothing enabling angels to protect them. Furthermore, under a cloak of goodness, they had performed very many evil deeds.

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

Bible

 

Genesis 39

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1 Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there.

2 Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand.

4 Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5 It happened from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Yahweh blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of Yahweh was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.

6 He left all that he had in Joseph's hand. He didn't concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.

7 It happened after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph; and she said, "Lie with me."

8 But he refused, and said to his master's wife, "Behold, my master doesn't know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.

9 He isn't greater in this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

10 As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn't listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

11 About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.

12 She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.

13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside,

14 she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, "Behold, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.

15 It happened, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside."

16 She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.

17 She spoke to him according to these words, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me,

18 and it happened, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside."

19 It happened, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your servant did to me," that his wrath was kindled.

20 Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.

21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

22 The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it.

23 The keeper of the prison didn't look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.