Bibliorum

 

Exodo 18

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1 Si Jethro nga, saserdote sa Madian, biyanan ni Moises, ay nakabalita ng lahat na ginawa ng Dios kay Moises, at sa Israel na kaniyang bayan, kung paanong inilabas ng Panginoon ang Israel sa Egipto.

2 At ipinagsama ni Jethro, na biyanan ni Moises, si Sephora na asawa ni Moises, pagkatapos na kaniyang maipadala sa kanilang ama,

3 At ang dalawa niyang anak na lalake: na ang pangalan ng isa'y Gersom; sapagka't sinabi ni Moises, Ako'y nakipamayan sa ibang bayan.

4 At ang pangalan ng isa'y Elieser; sapagka't kaniyang sinabi, Ang Dios ng aking ama'y naging aking saklolo, at ako'y iniligtas sa tabak ni Faraon;

5 At si Jethro, na biyanan ni Moises, ay dumating, na kasama ang kaniyang mga anak at ang kaniyang asawa, kay Moises sa ilang na kaniyang hinantungan sa tabi ng bundok ng Dios:

6 At kaniyang ipinasabi kay Moises, Akong iyong biyanang si Jethro ay naparito sa iyo, at ang iyong asawa, at ang kaniyang dalawang anak na kasama niya.

7 At si Moises ay lumabas na sinalubong ang kaniyang biyanan, at kaniyang niyukuran at hinalikan. At sila'y nagtanungang isa't isa ng kanilang kalagayan; at sila'y pumasok sa tolda.

8 At isinaysay ni Moises sa kaniyang biyanan ang lahat ng ginawa ng Panginoon kay Faraon at sa mga Egipcio dahil sa Israel, ang buong hirap na kanilang naranasan sa daan, at kung paanong iniligtas ng Panginoon sila.

9 At ikinagalak ni Jethro ang buong kabutihang ginawa ng Panginoon sa Israel, na iniligtas sila sa kamay ng mga Egipcio.

10 At sinabi ni Jethro, Purihin ang Panginoon, na nagligtas sa inyo, sa kamay ng mga Egipcio, at sa kamay ni Faraon; na siyang nagligtas sa bayan sa kamay ng mga Egipcio.

11 Ngayo'y aking natatalastas na ang Panginoon ay lalong dakila kay sa lahat ng mga dios: oo, sa bagay na ipinagpalalo ng mga Egipcio laban sa mga Hebreo.

12 At si Jethro, na biyanan ni Moises, ay kumuha ng handog na susunugin at mga hain para sa Dios: at si Aaron ay naparoon, at ang lahat ng mga matanda sa Israel, upang kumain ng tinapay na kasalo ng biyanan ni Moises sa harap ng Dios.

13 At nangyari kinabukasan, na lumuklok si Moises upang hatulan ang bayan: at ang bayan ay tumayo sa palibot ni Moises mula sa umaga hanggang sa hapon.

14 At nang makita ng biyanan ni Moises ang lahat ng kaniyang ginagawa sa bayan, ay nagsabi, Anong bagay itong ginagawa mo sa bayan? bakit nauupo kang magisa, at ang buong bayan ay nakatayo sa palibot mo mula sa umaga hanggang sa hapon?

15 At sinabi ni Moises sa kaniyang biyanan, Sapagka't ang bayan ay lumalapit sa akin, upang sumangguni sa Dios.

16 Pagka sila'y may usap ay lumapit sa akin; at aking hinahatulang isa't isa, at aking ipinakikilala sa kanila ang mga palatuntunan ng Dios, at ang kaniyang mga kautusan.

17 At sinabi ng biyanan ni Moises sa kaniya, Ang bagay na iyong ginagawa ay hindi mabuti.

18 Tunay na ikaw ay manghihina, ikaw at ang bayang ito, na nasa iyo: sapagka't ang bagay ay totoong mabigat sa iyo; hindi mo makakayang magisa.

19 Dinggin mo ngayon ang aking tinig; papayuhan kita, at sumaiyo nawa ang Dios: ikaw ang maging tagapagakay sa bayan sa harap ng Dios, at dalhin mo ang mga usap sa Dios:

20 At ituturo mo sa kanila ang mga palatuntunan, at ang mga kautusan, at ipakikilala mo sa kanila ang daang nararapat lakaran, at ang gawang kanilang nararapat gawin.

21 Bukod dito'y hahanap ka sa buong bayan ng mga taong bihasa, gaya ng matatakutin sa Dios, na mga taong mapagpatotoo, na mga napopoot sa kasakiman; at siyang mga ilagay mo sa kanila, na magpuno sa mga lilibuhin, magpuno sa mga dadaanin, magpuno sa mga lilimangpuin, at magpuno sa mga sasangpuin:

22 At pahatulan mo sa kanila ang bayan sa buong panahon: at mangyayari, na bawa't malaking usap ay dadalhin nila sa iyo, datapuwa't bawa't munting usap, ay silasila ang maghahatulan: sa ganyan ay magiging magaan sa iyo, at magpapasan silang katulong mo.

23 Kung gagawin mo ang bagay na ito, at iuutos sa iyong ganyan ng Dios ay iyo ngang mababata, at ang buong bayan namang ito ay uuwing payapa.

24 Sa gayon, ay dininig ni Moises ang kaniyang biyanan, at ginawang lahat yaong sinabi.

25 At pumili si Moises ng mga lalaking bihasa sa buong Israel, at ginawa niyang pangulo sa bayan, na mga puno ng lilibuhin, mga puno ng dadaanin, mga puno ng lilimangpuin, at mga puno ng sasangpuin.

26 At kanilang hinatulan ang bayan sa buong panahon: ang mabibigat na usap ay kanilang dinadala kay Moises, datapuwa't bawa't munting usap ay silasila ang naghahatulan.

27 At tinulutan ni Moises ang kaniyang biyanan na magpaalam at siya'y umuwi sa sariling lupain.

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #8678

Studere hoc loco

  
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8678. For the reason that they dealt proudly over them. That this signifies by reason of the endeavor and the force used to rule over those who are of the church, is evident from the signification of “dealing proudly,” as being the endeavor and the force used to rule (of which below); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, who are they over whom they dealt proudly, as being those who are of the spiritual church (see above, n. 8645). That “to deal proudly” denotes the endeavor and the force used to rule, is because this endeavor and the consequent force are in all pride, for pride is to love self more than others, and to set self above them, and to wish to exercise command over others; and they who wish this also despise others in comparison with self, and also persecute from hatred and revenge those who set themselves above them, or do not pay them respect. The love of self, which is pride, is of such a quality that so far as the rein is given it, it rushes on, growing step by step to the utmost of the ability that is granted to it, until at last it lifts itself to the very throne of God with the desire to be in His stead. Such are all who are in hell. That they are such is perceived from their endeavor from there, and also from their dangerous hatreds and direful revenges one against another for the sake of rule. This endeavor is what is restrained by the Lord, and is meant by “the head of the serpent which the seed of the woman shall trample on” (n. 257). Such are also meant by “Lucifer” in Isaiah:

How hast thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the dawn! thou hast been cut off to the earth, thou hath been weakened beneath the nations; yet thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the cloud; I will become like the Most High. Yet verily thou hast been let down to hell, to the sides of the pit, thou hast been cast forth out of thy sepulcher like an abominable shoot, the raiment of the slain, thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit, like a carcass that is trampled on (Isaiah 14:12-19).

[2] That pride of heart, which is the love of self, repels from itself the Divine, and removes heaven from itself, can be plainly seen from the state of reception of the Divine and of heaven, which is a state of love toward the neighbor, and a state of humiliation toward God. So far as a man can humble himself before the Lord, and so far as he can love his neighbor as himself, and, as in heaven, above himself, so far he receives the Divine, and consequently is so far in heaven. From all this it is evident in what state are those who love themselves more than the neighbor, and who “deal proudly over him,” that is, who are in the love of self; namely, that they are in a state opposite to heaven and to the Divine, consequently in the state in which the infernals are. (See what has been already said and shown about the love of self, n. 2041, 2045, 2051, 2057, 2219, 2363, 2364, 2444, 3413, 3610, 4225, 4750, 4776, 4947, 5721, 6667, 7178, 7255, 7364, 7366-7377, 7488-7492, 7494, 7643, 7819, 7820, 8318, 8487)

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

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #2045

Studere hoc loco

  
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2045. Shall be circumcised unto you. That this signifies purification, is evident from the representation and signification of “circumcision,” as being purification from filthy loves (explained above, n. 2039). They who are in the loves of self and of the world cannot possibly believe that they are in things so filthy and unclean as they actually are in, for there is a certain pleasure and delight that soothes, favors, and allures, and causes them to love that life, to prefer it to all other life, and thereby to suppose that there is nothing of evil in it; for whatever favors anyone’s love and the life thence derived is believed to be good. Hence also the rational consents, and suggests falsities which confirm and cause such blindness that they see nothing of the nature of heavenly love; and if they were to see it they would say in their hearts that it is a wretched affair, or a thing of naught, or something of the nature of a phantasy that takes hold of the mind, as in sickness.

[2] But that the life of the love of self and of the world, together with its pleasures and delights, is filthy and unclean, may be seen by everyone who is willing to think from the rational faculty with which he is gifted. The love of self is the source of all the evils that destroy civic society. From it as from an unclean pit spring all hatreds, all revenges, all cruelties, nay, all adulteries; for he who loves himself, despises, vituperates, or hates, all others who do not serve him, or do him honor, or favor him; and when he hates, he breathes nothing but revenges and cruelties, and this in proportion to the degree in which he loves himself, so that this love is destructive of society and of the human race. (That such is its nature may be seen also from what is said of it in Part First, n. 693, 694, 760, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1506, 1594, 1691, 1862.) That in the other life the love of self is most filthy, and that it is diametrically opposite to the mutual love in which heaven consists, shall of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows.

[3] And as the love of self is the source of hatreds, revenges, cruelties, and adulteries, it is the source of all things that are called sins, wickednesses, abominations, and profanations, and therefore when this love is in the rational part of man, and is in the cupidities and phantasies of his external man, the influx of heavenly love from the Lord is continually repelled, perverted, and contaminated. It is like foul excrement, which dissipates, nay, defiles, all sweet odor; it is like an object that turns the continually inflowing rays of light into dark and repulsive colors; and it is like a tiger, or a serpent, which repels all fondling, and kills with bite and poison those who offer it food; or like a vicious man who turns even the best intentions of others, and their very kindnesses, into what is blameworthy and malicious. Hence it is evident that these loves-of self and of the world-are what are represented and signified by the foreskins that were to be cut off.

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