The Bible

 

創世記 19

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1 那兩個天使晚上到了所多瑪;羅得正所多瑪門口見他們,就起來迎接,臉伏於下拜,

2 :我阿,請你們到僕人家裡,住一夜,清起來再走。他們:不!我們要在街上過夜。

3 羅得切切的請他們,他們這才進去,到他裡。羅得為他們預備筵席,無酵餅,他們就吃了

4 他們還沒有躺下,所多瑪城裡各處的人,連老帶少,都來圍住那房子,

5 呼叫羅得:今日晚上到你這裡的人在那裡呢?把他們,任我們所為。

6 羅得出來,把上,到眾人那裡,

7 :眾弟兄,請你們不要作這惡事。

8 我有兩個女兒,還是處女,容我領出,任憑你們的心願而行;只是這兩個既然到我舍,不要向他們作甚麼。

9 :退去罷!又:這個寄居,還想要作官哪!現在我們要害你比害他們更甚。眾就向前擁擠羅得,要攻

10 只是那二人伸出來,將羅得拉進去,把上,

11 並且使外的人,無論老少,眼都昏迷;他們摸來摸去,總尋不著房

12 二人對羅得:你這裡還有甚麼人麼?無論是女婿是兒女,和這城中一切屬你的人,你都要將他們從這地方帶出去。

13 我們要毀滅這地方;因為城內罪惡的聲音在耶和華面前甚大,耶和華我們來,要毀滅這地方

14 羅得就出去,告訴娶了(或作將要娶)他女兒的女婿們:你們起來離開這地方,因為耶和華要毀滅這城。他女婿們卻以為他的是戲言。

15 天明了,天使催逼羅得說:起來!帶著你的妻子和你在這裡的兩個女兒出去,免得你因這城裡的罪惡同被剿滅。

16 但羅得遲延不走。人因為耶和華憐恤羅得,就拉著他的和他妻子的,並他兩個女兒,把他們領出來,安置在城外;

17 領他們出來以,就:逃命罷!不可回頭,也不可在平原站住。要往上逃跑,免得你被剿滅。

18 羅得對他們:我阿,不要如此!

19 僕人已經在你眼前蒙恩;你又向我顯出莫大的慈愛,我的性命。我不能逃到上去,恐怕這災禍臨到我,我便死了

20 看哪,這座城又小又近,容易逃到,這不是一個小的麼?求你容我逃到那裡,我的性命就得存活。

21 天使對他:這事我也應允你;我不傾覆你所的這城。

22 你要速速地逃到那城;因為你還沒有到那裡,我不能作甚麼。因此那城名瑣珥(就是小的意思)。

23 羅得到了瑣珥,日頭已經出來了

24 當時,耶和華硫磺耶和華那裡降與所多瑪和蛾摩拉,

25 把那些城和全平原,並城裡所有的居民,連地上生長的,都毀滅了。

26 羅得的妻子邊回頭一看,就變成了一根柱。

27 亞伯拉罕起來,到了他從前站在耶和華面前的地方

28 所多瑪和蛾摩拉與平原的全,不料,那方煙氣上騰,如同燒窯一般。

29 毀滅平原諸城的時候,他記念亞伯拉罕,正在傾覆羅得所之城的時候,就打發羅得從傾覆之中出來。

30 羅得因為在瑣珥,就同他兩個女兒從瑣珥上去,裡;他和兩個女兒在一個洞裡。

31 大女兒對小女兒我們父親老了,上又無按著世上的常規進到我們這裡。

32 來!我們可以叫父親喝酒,與他同寢。這樣,我們好從他存留後裔。

33 於是,那夜他們叫父親喝酒,大女兒就進去和他父親同寢;他幾時躺下,幾時起來父親都不知道

34 第二天,大女兒對小女兒:我昨夜與父親同寢。今夜我們再叫他喝酒,你可以進去與他同寢。這樣,我們好從父親存留後裔。

35 於是,那夜他們又叫父親喝酒,小女兒起來與他父親同寢;他幾時躺下,幾時起來父親都不知道

36 這樣,羅得的兩個女兒從他父親懷了孕。

37 大女兒生了兒子,給他起名摩押,就是現今摩押人的始祖。

38 小女兒也生了兒子,給他起名便亞米,就是現今亞捫人的始祖。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2349

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2349. 'All the people from furthest away' means every single one of them. This is clear from what is said immediately above, that there 'boys and old men' means falsities and evils, recent as well as confirmed, so that at this point 'people from furthest away' means every single one of them. Also, the word 'people' in general means falsities, see 1259, 1260.

[2] The description at this point then is of the initial state of those inside the Church who are opposed to the good of charity and who are as a consequence opposed to the Lord, for one entails the other. Indeed nobody can be joined to the Lord except by means of love and charity. Love is spiritual conjunction itself, as may become clear from the essence of love, and anybody who is unable to be joined to Him is unable to acknowledge Him either. That those with whom good does not exist cannot acknowledge the Lord, that is, cannot have faith in Him, is clear in John,

Light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. He who performs evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. He however who does the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be clearly seen, because they have been wrought in God. John 3:19-21.

From these words it is evident that people who are opposed to the good of charity are opposed to the Lord, or what amounts to the same, people immersed in evil hate the light and do not come to the light. That 'the light' is faith in the Lord, and is the Lord Himself, is evident in John 1:9-10; 12:35-36, 46.

[3] The same point is made in another part of the same gospel,

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. John 7:7.

And it is said more plainly still in Matthew,

He will say to those On His left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me. Matthew 25:41-43, 45.

[4] This shows in what way they are opposed to the Lord who are opposed to the good of charity. It also shows that everyone is judged according to good that flows from charity, not according to the truth of faith when the latter has been separated from good, as is also shown elsewhere in Matthew,

The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his deeds. Matthew 16:27.

'Deeds' stands for the good actions which flow from charity. The deeds of charity are also called the fruits of faith.

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