The Bible

 

創世記 12

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1 耶和華亞伯蘭:你要離開本、本族、父家,往我所要指示你的去。

2 我必叫你成為國。我必賜福給你,叫你的名為;你也要叫別人得福。

3 為你祝福的,我必賜福與他;那咒詛你的,我必咒詛他。地上的萬族都要因你得福。

4 亞伯蘭就照著耶和華的吩咐去了;羅得也和他同去。亞伯蘭哈蘭的時候年七十五歲。

5 亞伯蘭將他妻子撒萊和姪兒羅得,連他們在哈蘭所積蓄的財物、所得的人口,都帶往迦南去。他們就到了迦南

6 亞伯蘭經過那,到了示劍地方、摩利橡樹那裡。那時迦南人住在那

7 耶和華亞伯蘭顯現,:我要把這你的後裔。亞伯蘭就在那裡為向他顯現的耶和華築了一座

8 從那裡他又遷到伯特利東邊的,支搭帳棚;西邊是伯特利,東邊是艾。他在那裡又為耶和華築了一座,求告耶和華的名。

9 後來亞伯蘭又漸漸遷往地去。

10 遭遇饑荒。因饑荒甚大,亞伯蘭埃及去,要在那裡暫居。

11 將近埃及,就對他妻子撒萊:我知道你是容貌俊美的婦人。

12 埃及人見你必:這是他的妻子,他們就要殺我,卻叫你存活。

13 求你,你是我的妹子,使我因你得平安,我的命也因你存活。

14 及至亞伯蘭到了埃及埃及人見那婦人極其美貌。

15 法老的臣宰見了他,就在法老面前誇獎他。那婦人就被帶進法老的宮去。

16 法老因這婦人就厚待亞伯蘭亞伯蘭得了許多牛、駱駝、公、母、僕婢。

17 耶和華亞伯蘭妻子撒萊的緣故,降災與法老和他的全家。

18 法老就召了亞伯蘭來,:你這向我作的是甚麼事呢?為甚麼沒有告訴我他是你的妻子

19 為甚麼他是你的妹子,以致我把他取來要作我的妻子?現在你的妻子在這裡,可以帶他走罷。

20 於是法老吩咐人將亞伯蘭和他妻子,並他所有的都送走了。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1419

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1419. And I will make thy name great. That this signifies glory, is evident without explication. In the external sense, by “making a name,” and by “glory,” there is signified something worldly; but in the internal sense, something celestial. This celestial is not to strive to be the greatest, but to be the least, by serving all; as the Lord Himself said in Matthew:

It shall not be so among you; but whosoever would be great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:44-45).

It is the celestial of love not to desire to be one’s own, but to belong to all; so that we desire to give others all that is our own; in this consists the essence of celestial love. The Lord, being love itself, or the essence and life of the love of all in the heavens, wills to give to the human race all things that are His; which is signified by His saying that the Son of man came to give His life a ransom for many. From this it is evident that in the internal sense “name” and “glory” are altogether different from what they are in the external sense. In heaven therefore all are rejected who desire to become great and the greatest; because this is contrary to the essence and life of heavenly love, which are from the Lord. Hence also it is that nothing is more contrary to heavenly love than the love of self. Concerning these things see what is related from experience above n. 450, 452, 952).

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