The Bible

 

創世記 31

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1 雅各拉班的兒子們有說:雅各把我們父親所有的都奪了去,並藉著我們父親的,得了這一切的榮耀(或作財)。

2 雅各拉班的氣色向他不如從前了。

3 耶和華雅各:你要回你祖、你父之,到你親族那裡去,我必與你同在。

4 雅各就打發人,拉結和利亞到田野羊群那裡來,

5 對他們:我你們父親的氣色向我不如從前了;但我父親向來與我同在。

6 你們也知道,我盡了我的力量服事你們的父親

7 你們的父親欺哄我,次改了我的工價;然而不容他害我。

8 他若:有點的歸你作工價,羊群所生的都有點;他若:有紋的歸你作工價,羊群所生的都有紋。

9 這樣,把你們父親的牲畜奪來賜我了。

10 配合的時候,我夢中舉目一,見跳母的公都是有紋的、有點的、有花斑的。

11 的使者在那夢中呼叫我雅各。我:我在這裡。

12 :你舉目觀,跳母的公都是有紋的、有點的、有花斑的;凡拉班向你所做的,我都見了。

13 我是伯特利的神;你在那裡用油澆過柱子,向我許過願。現今你起來,離開這,回你本去罷!

14 拉結和利亞回答雅各:在我們父親的家裡還有我們可得的分麼?還有我們的產業麼?

15 我們不是被他當作外人麼?因為他我們,吞了我們的價值。

16 我們父親所奪出來的一切財物,那就是我們我們孩子們的。現今凡所吩咐你的,你只管去行罷!

17 雅各起來,使他的兒子妻子都騎上駱駝

18 又帶著他在巴旦亞蘭所得的一切牲畜和財物,往迦南、他父親以撒那裡去了。

19 當時拉班毛去了,拉結偷了父親家中的神像。

20 雅各背著亞蘭人拉班走了,並不告訴他,

21 就帶著所有的逃跑。他起身過大,面向基列山行去。

22 第三日,有人告訴拉班雅各逃跑了。

23 拉班帶領他的眾弟兄去追趕,追了日,在基列山就追上了。

24 夜間,到亞蘭人拉班那裡,在夢中對他:你要小心,不可與雅各歹。

25 拉班追上雅各雅各上支搭帳棚;拉班和他的眾弟兄也在基列山上支搭帳棚。

26 拉班雅各:你做的是甚麼事呢?你背著我走了,又把我的女兒們帶了去,如同用刀擄去的一般。

27 你為甚麼暗暗地逃跑著走,並不告訴我,叫我可以歡樂、唱歌、擊、彈琴的送你回去?

28 又不容我與外孫和女兒親嘴?你所行的真是愚昧!

29 中原有能力害你,只是你父親昨夜對我:你要小心,不可與雅各歹。

30 現在你雖然你父家,不得不去,為甚麼又偷了我的像呢?

31 雅各回答拉班:恐你把你的女兒從我奪去,所以我逃跑。

32 至於你的像,你在誰那裡搜出來,就不容誰存活。當著我們的眾弟兄,你認一認,在我這裡有甚麼東西是你的,就拿去。原來雅各知道拉結偷了那些像。

33 拉班進了雅各、利亞,並兩個使女的帳棚,沒有搜出,就從利亞的帳棚出,進了拉結的帳棚。

34 拉結已經把神像藏在駱駝的馱簍裡,便在上頭。拉班摸遍了那帳棚,並沒有摸著。

35 拉結對他父親:現在我身上不便,不能在你面前起來,求我不要生氣。這樣,拉班搜尋神像,竟沒有搜出來。

36 雅各就發怒斥責拉班:我有甚麼過犯,有甚麼惡,你竟這樣速的追我?

37 你摸遍了我一切的家具,你搜出甚麼來呢?可以放在你我弟兄面前,叫他們在你我中間辨別辨別。

38 我在你家這二十年,你的母綿、母山羊沒有掉過胎。你中的公,我沒有吃過

39 被野獸撕裂的,我沒有帶來給你,是我自己賠上。無論是白日,是黑夜,被去的,你都向我索要。

40 我白日受盡乾熱,黑夜受盡寒霜,不得合眼睡著,我常是這樣。

41 我這二十年在你家裡,為你的兩個女兒服事你十四年,為你的羊群服事你年,你又次改了我的工價。

42 若不是我父親以撒所敬畏的,就是亞伯拉罕的與我同在,你如今必定打發我空手而去。見我的苦情和我的勞碌,就在昨夜責備你。

43 拉班回答雅各:這女兒是我的女兒,這些孩子是我的孩子,這些羊群也是我的羊群;凡在你眼前的都是我的。我的女兒並他們所生的孩子,我今日能向他們做甚麼呢?

44 來罷!你我二人可以立約,作你我中間的證據。

45 雅各就拿一塊石頭立作柱子,

46 又對眾弟兄:你們石頭。他們就拿石頭成一,大家便在旁邊喝。

47 拉班稱那石堆為伊迦爾撒哈杜他,雅各卻稱那石堆為迦累得(都是以石堆為證的意思)。

48 拉班:今日這石堆作你我中間的證據。因此這地方名迦累得,

49 又叫米斯巴,意思我們彼此離別以後,願耶和華在你我中間鑒察。

50 你若苦待我的女兒,又在我的女兒以外另娶妻,雖沒有知道,卻有在你我中間作見證。

51 拉班:你看我在你我中間所立的這石堆和柱子。

52 石堆作證據,這柱子也作證據。我必不過這石堆去害你;你也不可過這石堆和柱子來害我。

53 但願亞伯拉罕的和拿鶴的,就是他們父親,在你我中間判斷雅各就指著他父親以撒所敬畏的起誓,

54 又在上獻祭,請眾弟兄來飯。他們吃了飯,便在上住宿。

55 拉班起來,與他外孫和女兒親嘴,給他們祝福,回往自己的地方去了。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4217

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4217. 'And Laban went and resumed to his place' means the end of the representation by means of Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'returning to his place' as going back to a previous state - for 'place' means state, see 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 3404 - and therefore the words used here mean the end of the representation by means of Laban. All that has been shown makes it clear that every single part of the Word has an interior content, which is of such a nature that it is suited to the perception of the angels present with man. For example, when the word 'bread' is used in the Word the angels do not call to mind material bread but spiritual bread, and so instead of bread perceive the Lord who, as He Himself teaches in John 6:33, 35, is the Bread of life. And because they perceive the Lord they perceive the things which derive from Him, and therefore His love towards the whole human race. In so doing they perceive at the same time man's reciprocal love to the Lord, for these two kinds of love are knit together within one idea occupying their thought and affection.

[2] Not unlike this are the thoughts of the person who has a holy mind, when he receives the bread in the Holy Supper; for at that time he does not think of the bread but of the Lord and His mercy, and of the things which constitute love to Him and charity towards the neighbour, because he is thinking about repentance and amendment of life. Yet the way people think about these things varies according to the degree of holiness present not only in their thought but also in their affection. From this it is evident that when 'bread' is mentioned in the Word no idea of bread presents itself to angels but the idea of love and of countless things connected with love. It is similar when wine is referred to in the Word and also received in the Holy Supper. In this case angels do not think at all of wine but of charity towards the neighbour. This being so, and since man in this way is linked to heaven and through heaven to the Lord, bread and wine have been made the symbols and unite a person who leads a holy life to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord.

[3] The same applies to every detail within the Word, and therefore the Word is the means by which man is united to the Lord. If that uniting means did not exist heaven would not be able to flow in with man - for without a means no uniting together would be possible - but would remove itself from him. And if heaven were removed it would no longer be possible for anyone to be led to that which is good, not even to physical and worldly good. Instead all restraints, including external ones, would be abolished. For the Lord governs the person in whom good dwells by means of internal restraints, which are those of conscience, whereas the person in whom evil dwells is governed solely by external restraints. If these were abolished everybody governed solely by external restraints would become insane in the way a person is insane who has no fear of the law, no fear for his life, nor any fear of losing position and gain, and so of reputation - for these are the external bonds - and so the human race would perish. This explains why the Word exists, and the true nature of the Word. The Lord's Church where the Word exists is like the heart and the lungs, and the Lord's Church where it does not exist is like all the other internal organs which get their life from the heart and lungs - see 637, 931, 2054, 2853.

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