The Bible

 

創世記 29

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1 雅各起行,到了東方人之

2 見田間有一,有臥在旁;因為人飲羊群都是用那裡的上的石頭的。

3 常有羊群在那裡聚集,牧人把石頭轉離,隨後又把石頭放在的原處。

4 雅各對牧人弟兄們,你們是那裡來的?他們:我們是哈蘭來的。

5 他問他們:拿鶴的孫子拉班,你們認識麼?他們:我們認識。

6 雅各:他平安麼?他們:平安。看哪,他女兒拉結領著來了

7 雅各:日頭還,不是羊群聚集的時候,你們不如飲,再去放一放。

8 他們:我們不能,必等羊群聚齊,人把石頭轉離才可飲

9 雅各正和他們說話的時候,拉結領著他父親來了,因為那些是他牧放的。

10 雅各見母舅拉班的女兒拉結和母舅拉班的羊群,就上前把石頭轉離,飲他母舅拉班的羊群

11 雅各與拉結親嘴,就放聲而哭。

12 雅各告訴拉結,自己是他父親的外甥,是利百加的兒子,拉結就跑去告訴他父親

13 拉班見外甥雅各的信息,就跑去迎接,抱著他,與他親嘴,領他到自己的家。雅各將一切的情由告訴拉班

14 拉班對他:你實在是我的。雅各就和他同一個月

15 拉班雅各:你雖是我的骨肉(原文作弟兄),豈可白白地服事我?請告訴我,你要甚麼為工價?

16 拉班有兩個女兒,大的名叫利亞,小的名叫拉結。

17 利亞的眼睛沒有神氣,拉結卻生得美貌俊秀。

18 雅各拉結,就:我願為你小女兒拉結服事你年。

19 拉班:我把他你,勝似,你與我同罷!

20 雅各就為拉結服事了年;他因為深愛拉結,就看這年如同幾

21 雅各拉班:日期已經滿了,求你把我的妻子給我,我好與他同房。

22 拉班就擺設筵席,請齊了那地方的眾人。

23 晚上,拉班將女兒利亞送給雅各,雅各就與他同房。

24 拉班又將婢女悉帕女兒利亞作使女。

25 到了早晨,雅各一看是利亞,就對拉班:你向我做的是甚麼事呢?我服事你,不是為拉結麼?你為甚麼欺哄我呢?

26 拉班:大女兒還沒有人,先把小女兒人,在我們這地方沒有這規矩。

27 你為這個滿了日,我就把那個也你,你再為他服事我年。

28 雅各就如此行。滿了利亞的七日,拉班便將女兒拉結雅各為妻。

29 拉班又將婢女辟拉女兒拉結作使女。

30 雅各也與拉結同房,並且拉結勝似利亞,於是又服事了拉班年。

31 耶和華見利亞失寵(原文作被恨;下同),就使他生育,拉結卻不生育。

32 利亞懷孕生子,就給他起名流便(就是有兒子的意思),因而耶和華見我的苦情,如今我的丈夫我。

33 他又懷孕生子,就耶和華因為見我失寵,所以又賜我這個兒子,於是他起名西緬(就是見的意思)。

34 他又懷孕生子,起名利未(就是聯合的意思),:我給丈夫生了兒子,他必與我聯合。

35 他又懷孕生子,:這回我要讚美耶和華,因此給他起名猶大(就是讚美的意思)。這才停了生育。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3820

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3820. 'And Leah's eyes were weak' means that the affection for external truth is weak so far as the understanding of it is concerned. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in 3793, and immediately above in 3819; from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in 2701; and from the meaning of 'weak' as its being such in comparison with the affection for internal truth. The fact that affections for external truth are weak so far as the understanding of it is concerned, or what amounts to the same, so far as people governed by those affections are concerned, becomes clear from external - that is, general - ideas which have not yet been filled in with their particular details. They are feeble and shaky ideas, which so to speak allow themselves to be carried along by every puff of wind, that is, to be won over to every opinion. But when those same ideas have been filled in with their particular details they emerge as firm and steadfast ideas, for they then possess the essence and form meant by 'beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance' as Rachel was, who represents the affections for interior truth.

[2] Let the following example show what is meant by external truths and the affections for them, and what by internal truths and the affections for these, and the fact that the former are 'weak eyed' in comparison with the latter, which are 'beautiful in form and appearance': Those governed by external truths know no more than the general truth that good should be done to the poor. They do not know how to tell who are truly the poor, let alone know that in the Word the expression 'the poor' is used to mean those who are so spiritually. Consequently they do good to bad persons and to good ones alike, without realizing that doing good to bad people is doing bad to good, for the bad are then given the opportunity to do bad to those who are good. This is why people possessing this kind of simple zeal are infested so strongly by the crafty and deceitful. But those governed by internal truths know who the poor are, tell one poor person from another, and do good to each according to his individual character.

[3] Take another example. Those governed by external truths know no more than the general truth that the neighbour ought to be loved. They as a consequence believe that every individual is the neighbour in the same degree, and so every individual ought to be embraced with the same love. Believing this, they allow themselves to be misguided. Those however who are governed by internal truths know which degree of the neighbour each person belongs to and that any one person is the neighbour in a different degree from another. Consequently they are aware of countless things which those governed by external truths do not know. They do not therefore allow themselves to be led astray by the mere name of neighbour, or to do what is evil by performing that good which the name alone persuades them to do.

[4] Take yet another example. Those governed by external truths alone imagine that the learned will shine like stars in the next life, and that all who have worked in the Lord's vineyard will have a greater reward than others. But those governed by internal truths know the expressions 'learned', 'wise', and 'intelligent' are used to mean those in whom good is present, whether they possess any human wisdom and intelligence or not, and that it is these who will shine like stars. They also know that those who work in the vineyard receive a reward, each according to the affection for good and truth which motivated him in his work, and that those who work from selfish and worldly motives, that is, from self-aggrandizement and enrichment as motives, have their reward during their lifetime, but in the next life their lot is with the evil there, Matthew 7:22-23.

From these examples it is evident how weak in understanding those people are who are governed by external truths alone, and that internal truths are what give them essence and form, and also what determine the character of the good with them. Nevertheless people governed by external truths, and at the same time when in the world simple good was present in them, receive internal truths and resulting wisdom in the next life, for by virtue of that simple good they are in the right state and have the capacity to receive them.

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