The Bible

 

تكوين 11

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1 وكانت الارض كلها لسانا واحدا ولغة واحدة.

2 وحدث في ارتحالهم شرقا انهم وجدوا بقعة في ارض شنعار وسكنوا هناك.

3 وقال بعضهم لبعض هلم نصنع لبنا ونشويه شيا. فكان لهم اللبن مكان الحجر وكان لهم الحمر مكان الطين.

4 وقالوا هلم نبن لانفسنا مدينة وبرجا راسه بالسماء. ونصنع لانفسنا اسما لئلا نتبدد على وجه كل الارض.

5 فنزل الرب لينظر المدينة والبرج اللذين كان بنو آدم يبنونهما.

6 وقال الرب هوذا شعب واحد ولسان واحد لجميعهم وهذا ابتداؤهم بالعمل. والآن لا يمتنع عليهم كل ما ينوون ان يعملوه.

7 هلم ننزل ونبلبل هناك لسانهم حتى لا يسمع بعضهم لسان بعض.

8 فبددهم الرب من هناك على وجه كل الارض. فكفّوا عن بنيان المدينة.

9 لذلك دعي اسمها بابل. لان الرب هناك بلبل لسان كل الارض. ومن هناك بددهم الرب على وجه كل الارض

10 هذه مواليد سام. لما كان سام ابن مئة سنة ولد ارفكشاد بعد الطوفان بسنتين.

11 وعاش سام بعدما ولد ارفكشاد خمس مئة سنة وولد بنين وبنات.

12 وعاش ارفكشاد خمسا وثلاثين سنة وولد شالح.

13 وعاش ارفكشاد بعدما ولد شالح اربع مئة وثلث سنين وولد بنين وبنات.

14 وعاش شالح ثلاثين سنة وولد عابر.

15 وعاش شالح بعدما ولد عابر اربع مئة وثلث سنين وولد بنين وبنات.

16 وعاش عابر اربعا وثلاثين سنة وولد فالج.

17 وعاش عابر بعدما ولد فالج اربع مئة وثلاثين سنة وولد بنين وبنات.

18 وعاش فالج ثلاثين سنة وولد رعو.

19 وعاش فالج بعدما ولد رعو مئتين وتسع سنين وولد بنين وبنات.

20 وعاش رعو اثنتين وثلاثين سنة وولد سروج.

21 وعاش رعو بعدما ولد سروج مئتين وسبع سنين وولد بنين وبنات.

22 وعاش سروج ثلاثين سنة وولد ناحور.

23 وعاش سروج بعدما ولد ناحور مئتي سنة وولد بنين وبنات.

24 وعاش ناحور تسعا وعشرين سنة وولد تارح.

25 وعاش ناحور بعدما ولد تارح مئة وتسع عشرة سنة وولد بنين وبنات.

26 وعاش تارح سبعين سنة وولد ابرام وناحور وهاران

27 وهذه مواليد تارح. ولد تارح ابرام وناحور وهاران. وولد هاران لوطا.

28 ومات هاران قبل تارح ابيه في ارض ميلاده في اور الكلدانيين.

29 واتخذ ابرام وناحور لانفسهما امرأتين. اسم امرأة ابرام ساراي واسم امرأة ناحور ملكة بنت هاران ابي ملكة وابي يسكة.

30 وكانت ساراي عاقرا ليس لها ولد.

31 واخذ تارح ابرام ابنه ولوطا بن هاران ابن ابنه وساراي كنته امرأة ابرام ابنه. فخرجوا معا من اور الكلدانيين ليذهبوا الى ارض كنعان. فأتوا الى حاران واقاموا هناك.

32 وكانت ايام تارح مئتين وخمس سنين. ومات تارح في حاران

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #754

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754. There are various ways in which a church comes to an end. It happens principally through circumstances which cause falsity to look like truth; and when this happens, the good which is inherently good, what is called spiritual good, can no longer exist. What is then believed to be good is only natural good, the product of a moral life. The reason for truth coming to an end, and good with it, is principally the two natural loves which are diametrically opposed to the two spiritual loves; these are called self-love and love of the world. When self-love is dominant, it is the opposite of love to God; and when the love of the world is dominant, it is the opposite of love towards the neighbour. Self-love is wishing well to no one but oneself, except for selfish reasons; and likewise the love of the world. Once those loves have got a grip, they spread like mortification through the body, and stage by stage destroy every part of it. It is clear that such a love attacked past churches from the description of Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9; Isaiah 13, 14, 47; Jeremiah 50; and in Daniel 2:31-47; 3:1-7ff; and Daniel 5; 6:8-end; Daniel 7:1-14; and in Revelation 17, 18, both from beginning to end). In the end, Babylon vaunted itself so much that it not only transferred to itself the Lord's Divine power, but also did its best to attract to itself all the riches of the world.

[2] Omens and far from misleading appearances allow us to conclude that outside Babylon similar loves would have broken out from many of the leaders of churches, had not their power been checked and so limited. What else might be expected but that such a person would look upon himself as God, the world as heaven, and pervert all the church's truth? For real truth, which is inherently true, cannot be known and acknowledged by a purely natural person; nor can God impart it to him, because it turns upside down and becomes falsity. As well as those two loves there are many more causes for truth and good coming to an end, and so causing the end of churches; but these are secondary causes, subordinate to the two mentioned.

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

The Bible

 

Revelation 18

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1 After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory.

2 He cried with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird!

3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury."

4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don't receive of her plagues,

5 for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.

6 Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double.

7 However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, 'I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.'

8 Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.

9 The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,

10 standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.'

11 The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;

12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;

13 and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people's bodies and souls.

14 The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous have perished from you, and you will find them no more at all.

15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;

16 saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!

17 For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.' Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away,

18 and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like the great city?'

19 They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she made desolate.

20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her."

21 A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all.

22 The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No craftsman, of whatever craft, will be found any more at all in you. The sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you.

23 The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."