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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 #2429

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2429. 'It is small' means from the small amount of it which he had. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, dealt with immediately above. The reference to its being 'small' means a small amount of truth, here acting from the small amount he had, as is clear from what comes before and after. As regards this matter, namely that those with the affection for truth possess little truth in comparison with those with the affection for good, this becomes clear from the consideration that they see truth from a poor and obscure good residing with them.

[2] The truth present with someone is altogether as is the good with him. Where there is little good there is little truth. They are present in the same ratio and are of the same degree, or as people say, they march in step with each other. This may indeed seem a paradox but it is nevertheless the truth. Good is the actual essence of truth, and truth without its essence is not truth. Although it looks as though it were, it is no more than something that merely resounds, and is like an empty vessel.

[3] For anyone to have the truth within him he must not only know it, but also acknowledge it and have faith in it. When he does he possesses truth for the first time, for in that case it has an influence on him and remains. It is different when he merely knows the truth but does not acknowledge it and have faith in it. In that case he does not have the truth within him, as applies to many who are governed by evil. They can know of truths, sometimes better than anybody else, but they nevertheless do not possess it. Indeed their possession of it is so much the less because at heart they deny it.

[4] It is provided by the Lord that no one should possess - that is, acknowledge and believe - a greater amount of truth than of the good which he receives. This is why here it is said of the city, which means truth, that 'it is small', and again in this same verse 'is it not small?' and also in verse 22 that 'he called the name of the city Zoar', which means small in the original language. The reason for this is that the subject here is people with the affection for truth, and not so much with the affection for good.

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