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Genesis 18

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1 Ja Issand ilmutas ennast temale Mamre tammikus, kui ta istus telgi ukse ees kõige palavamal päevaajal.

2 Ta tõstis oma silmad üles ja vaatas, ja ennäe, kolm meest seisid ta ees. Ja nähes neid, tõttas ta telgi ukse juurest neile vastu ja kummardas maani

3 ning ütles: 'Issand, kui ma sinu silmis armu leian, siis ära mine oma sulasest mööda!

4 Toodagu nüüd pisut vett, peske jalgu ja nõjatuge puu alla!

5 Ma toon palukese leiba, kinnitage südant, enne kui edasi lähete, kui juba kord olete oma sulase kaudu käimas!' Ja nemad vastasid: 'Tee nõnda, nagu sa oled rääkinud!'

6 Ja Aabraham tõttas telki Saara juurde ning ütles: 'Võta ruttu kolm mõõtu nisujahu, sõtku ja tee kooke!'

7 Ja Aabraham jooksis karja juurde, võttis ühe noore ja ilusa vasika, andis poisi kätte ja see tõttas seda valmistama.

8 Ja ta tõi võid, piima ja vasika, mis oli valmistatud, ja pani nende ette; ta ise seisis nende juures puu all, kui nad sõid.

9 Siis nad küsisid temalt: 'Kus su naine Saara on?' Ja ta vastas: 'Seal telgis.'

10 Siis üks neist ütles: 'Ma tulen sinu juurde kindlasti tagasi aasta pärast samal ajal, ja vaata, su naisel Saaral saab olema poeg!' Ja Saara kuulis seda tema selja taga oleva telgi ukse juures.

11 Aga Aabraham ja Saara olid vanad ja elatanud; Saaral oli lakanud olemast ka see, mis muidu naistele on omane.

12 Ja Saara naeris iseeneses ja mõtles: 'Nüüd, kui ma olen vanaks jäänud, peaks mul veel himu olema! Ja ka mu isand on vana.'

13 Aga Issand ütles Aabrahamile: 'Miks Saara naerab ja ütleb: Kas ma tõesti peaksin sünnitama, kuna ma ju olen vana?

14 Kas peaks Issandal midagi olema võimatu? Ma tulen su juurde tagasi aasta pärast samal ajal, ja Saaral saab olema poeg!'

15 Kuid Saara salgas, öeldes: 'Mina ei naernud.' Sest ta kartis. Tema aga ütles: 'Sa naersid küll!'

16 Siis mehed tõusid sealt üles ja vaatasid alla Soodoma poole; ja Aabraham läks koos nendega, neid saatma.

17 Ja Issand ütles: 'Kas peaksin varjama Aabrahami eest, mida tahan teha?

18 Aabraham saab ometi suureks ja vägevaks rahvaks ja tema kaudu õnnistatakse kõiki maailma rahvaid.

19 Sest ma tean temast, et ta käsib oma poegi ja järeltulevat sugu hoida Issanda teed ning teha, mis õige ja kohus, et Issand võiks anda Aabrahamile, mis ta temale on tõotanud.'

20 Siis ütles Issand: 'Hädakisa Soodoma ja Gomorra pärast on suur ja nende patud on väga rasked!

21 Seepärast ma lähen alla ja vaatan, kas minuni jõudnud kisa kohaselt on nad teinud kõike seda või mitte. Ma tahan seda teada!'

22 Ja mehed pöördusid sealt ära ja läksid Soodomasse, aga Aabraham jäi veel seisma Issanda ette.

23 Ja Aabraham astus ligi ning ütles: 'Kas tahad tõesti hävitada õige koos õelaga?

24 Vahest on linnas viiskümmend õiget? Kas tahad siis need hävitada ega taha paigale andeks anda nende viiekümne õige pärast, kes seal on?

25 Jäägu sinust kaugele see tegu, et tapad õige koos õelaga, et õigel käib käsi nagu õelalgi! Jäägu see sinu poolt tegemata! Kas kogu maailma kohtumõistja ei peaks tegema õigust?'

26 Ja Issand ütles: 'Kui ma Soodoma linnast leian viiskümmend õiget, siis annan nende pärast andeks kogu paigale.'

27 Aga Aabraham kostis ning ütles: 'Vaata, ma olen nõuks võtnud siiski Issandaga rääkida, kuigi olen põrm ja tuhk.

28 Vahest puudub viiekümnest õigest viis? Kas tahad siis nende viie pärast hävitada kogu linna?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei hävita, kui leian sealt nelikümmend viis.'

29 Ja ta jätkas veelgi kõnelust temaga ning ütles: 'Vahest leidub seal nelikümmend?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei tee seda neljakümne pärast.'

30 Aga ta ütles: 'Ärgu süttigu põlema Issanda viha, et ma veel räägin! Vahest leidub seal kolmkümmend?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei tee seda, kui leian sealt kolmkümmend.'

31 Siis ta ütles: 'Vaata, ma olen nõuks võtnud siiski Issandaga rääkida. Vahest leidub seal kakskümmend?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei hävita kahekümne pärast.'

32 Aga ta ütles: 'Ärgu süttigu põlema Issanda viha, et ma veel üksainus kord räägin! Vahest leidub seal kümme?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei hävita kümne pärast.'

33 Ja Issand läks ära, kui oli lõpetanud kõneluse Aabrahamiga; ja Aabraham läks koju.

   

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #4060

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4060. Therefore that by the words now before us there is signified the state of the church at that time in respect to good (that is, as to charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord), is evident from their internal sense, which is as follows:

But immediately after the affliction of those days;

signifies the state of the church in respect to the truth of faith (concerning which just above). In the Word the desolation of truth in various places is called “affliction.” (That “days” are states may be seen above, n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785.) From this it is manifest that by these words is signified that after there is no longer any faith, there will be no charity. For faith leads to charity, because it teaches what charity is, and charity receives its quality from the truths of faith; but the truths of faith receive their essence and their life from charity, as has been repeatedly shown in the preceding volumes.

[2] The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light; signifies love to the Lord, which is the “sun;” and charity toward the neighbor, which is the “moon.” “To be darkened and not to give their light” signifies that they will not appear, and thus will vanish away. (That the “sun” is the celestial of love, and the “moon” the spiritual of love; that is, that the “sun” is love to the Lord, and the “moon” charity toward the neighbor, which comes forth through faith, may be seen above, n. 1053, 1529-1530, 2120, 2441, 2495.) The reason why this is the signification of the “sun and moon,” is that in the other life the Lord appears as a sun to those in heaven who are in love to Him, and who are called the celestial; and as a moon to those who are in charity toward the neighbor, and who are called the spiritual (see n. 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643).

[3] The sun and moon in the heavens (that is, the Lord) is never darkened, nor does it lose its light, but it shines perpetually; and so neither is love to the Lord darkened with the celestial, nor does charity toward the neighbor lose its light with the spiritual, in the heavens; nor on earth with those with whom these angels are, that is, those who are in love and charity. Those however who are in no love and charity, but in the love of self and of the world, and consequently in hatred and revenge, bring that “darkening” upon themselves. The case herein is as it is with the sun of this world, which shines continuously; but when the clouds interpose, it does not appear (n. 2441).

[4] And the stars shall fall from heaven;

signifies that the knowledges of good and truth will perish. Nothing else is signified by “stars” when these are mentioned in the Word (n. 1808, 2849).

And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; signifies the foundations of the church, which are said to be “shaken” and “made to quake” when they perish. For the church on earth is the foundation of heaven, because the influx of good and truth from the Lord through the heavens finally terminates in the goods and truths that are with the man of the church. When therefore the man of the church is in such a perverted state as no longer to admit the influx of good and truth, the powers of the heavens are said to be “shaken.” For this reason it is always provided by the Lord that something of the church shall remain; and that when an old church perishes, a new one shall be set up again.

[5] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven;

signifies the appearing of Divine truth at that time; the “sign” signifies the appearing; the “Son of man,” the Lord as to Divine truth (see n. 2803, 2813, 3704). It was this appearing or this “sign,” concerning which the disciples asked when they said, “Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the consummation of the age” (verse 3). For they knew from the Word that when the age should be consummated, the Lord would come; and they learned from the Lord Himself that He would “come again,” by which they understood that the Lord would once more come into the world; not yet knowing that the Lord has come whenever the church has been vastated, not indeed in person, as when He assumed the human by birth and made it Divine; but by means of appearings-either manifest, as when He appeared to Abraham in Mamre, to Moses in the bush, to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai, and to Joshua when he entered the land of Canaan; or not so manifest, as by inspirations through which the Word was given, and afterwards through the Word; for the Lord is present in the Word, because all things in the Word are from Him and concerning Him, as may be seen from what has already been frequently shown. This latter is the appearing here signified by the “sign of the Son of man,” and which is described in this verse.

[6] And then shall all the tribes of the earth wail;

signifies that all who are in the good of love and the truth of faith shall be in grief. That “wailing” signifies this, may be seen in Zechariah 12:10-14; and that “tribes” signify all things of good and truth, or of love and faith, and consequently those who are in them, may be seen above (n. 3858, 3926). They are called the “tribes of the earth,” because those are meant who are within the church. (That the “earth” is the church may be seen above, n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2928, 3355)

[7] And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of the heavens with power and great glory;

signifies that the Word will then be revealed as to its internal sense, in which the Lord is; the “Son of man” is the Divine truth therein (n. 2803, 2813, 3704); the “cloud” is the literal sense; “power” is predicated of the good, and “glory” of the truth, therein. (That these things are signified by “seeing the Son of man coming in the clouds of the heavens,” see the preface to the eighteenth chapter.) This is the “coming of the Lord” here meant, and not that He will literally appear in the clouds. Now follows the subject of the setting up of a New Church, which takes place when the old one is vastated and rejected.

[8] He shall send forth His angels with a trumpet and a great voice;

signifies election, not by visible angels, still less by trumpets, and by great voices; but by the influx of holy good and holy truth from the Lord through angels; and therefore by “angels” in the Word there is signified something of the the Lord, (n. 1925, 2821, 3039); here, there are signified things that are from the Lord and concerning the Lord. By the “trumpet” and the “great voice” there is signified evangelization, as elsewhere in the Word.

[9] And they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the heavens even to the end thereof;

signifies the setting up of a New Church. The “elect” are those who are in the good of love and of faith (n. 3755-3900); the “four winds” from which they shall be gathered together, are all states of good and truth (n. 3708); “from the end of the heavens to the end of them” denotes the internals and the externals of the church. Such therefore are the things signified by these words of the Lord.

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

Die Bibel

 

Numbers 23

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1 Balaam said to Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams."

2 Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.

3 Balaam said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go: perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me; and whatever he shows me I will tell you." He went to a bare height.

4 God met Balaam: and he said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar."

5 Yahweh put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

6 He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 He took up his parable, and said, "From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!"

11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether."

12 He answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?"

13 Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you may see them; you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all: and curse me them from there."

14 He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

15 He said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet [Yahweh] yonder."

16 Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and say this."

17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What has Yahweh spoken?"

18 He took up his parable, and said, "Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can't reverse it.

21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Yahweh his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.

22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.

23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God done!

24 Behold, the people rises up as a lioness, As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain."

25 Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."

26 But Balaam answered Balak, "Didn't I tell you, saying, 'All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do?'"

27 Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse me them from there."

28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.

29 Balaam said to Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams."

30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.