The Bible

 

Postanak 1

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1 U početku stvori Bog nebo i zemlju.

2 Zemlja bijaše pusta i prazna; tama se prostirala nad bezdanom i Duh Božji lebdio je nad vodama.

3 I reče Bog: "Neka bude svjetlost!" I bi svjetlost.

4 I vidje Bog da je svjetlost dobra; i rastavi Bog svjetlost od tame.

5 Svjetlost prozva Bog dan, a tamu prozva noć. Tako bude večer, pa jutro - dan prvi.

6 I reče Bog: "Neka bude svod posred voda da dijeli vode od voda!" I bi tako.

7 Bog načini svod i vode pod svodom odijeli od voda nad svodom.

8 A svod prozva Bog nebo. Tako bude večer, pa jutro - dan drugi.

9 I reče Bog: "Vode pod nebom neka se skupe na jedno mjesto i neka se pokaže kopno!" I bi tako.

10 Kopno prozva Bog zemlja, a skupljene vode mora. I vidje Bog da je dobro.

11 I reče Bog: "Neka proklija zemlja zelenilom - travom sjemenitom, stablima plodonosnim, koja, svako prema svojoj vrsti, na zemlji donose plod što u sebi nosi svoje sjeme. I bi tako.

12 I nikne iz zemlje zelena trava što se sjemeni, svaka prema svojoj vrsti, i stabla koja rode plodovima što u sebi nose svoje sjeme, svako prema svojoj vrsti. I vidje Bog da je dobro.

13 Tako bude večer, pa jutro - dan treći.

14 I reče Bog: "Neka budu svjetlila na svodu nebeskom da luče dan od noći, da budu znaci blagdanima, danima i godinama,

15 i neka svijetle na svodu nebeskom i rasvjetljuju zemlju!" I bi tako.

16 I načini Bog dva velika svjetlila - veće da vlada danom, manje da vlada noću - i zvijezde.

17 I Bog ih postavi na svod nebeski da rasvjetljuju zemlju,

18 da vladaju danom i noću i da rastavljaju svjetlost od tame. I vidje Bog da je dobro.

19 Tako bude večer, pa jutro - dan četvrti.

20 I reče Bog: "Nek' povrvi vodom vreva živih stvorova, i ptice nek' polete nad zemljom, svodom nebeskim!" I bi tako.

21 Stvori Bog morske grdosije i svakovrsne žive stvorove što mile i vrve vodom i ptice krilate svake vrste. I vidje Bog da je dobro.

22 I blagoslovi ih govoreći: "Plodite se i množite i napunite vode morske! I ptice neka se namnože na zemlji!"

23 Tako bude večer, pa jutro - dan peti.

24 I reče Bog: "Neka zemlja izvede živa bića, svako prema svojoj vrsti: stoku, gmizavce i zvjerad svake vrste!" I bi tako.

25 I stvori Bog svakovrsnu zvjerad, stoku i gmizavce svake vrste. I vidje Bog da je dobro.

26 I reče Bog: "Načinimo čovjeka na svoju sliku, sebi slična, da bude gospodar ribama morskim, pticama nebeskim i stoci - svoj zemlji - i svim gmizavcima što puze po zemlji!"

27 Na svoju sliku stvori Bog čovjeka, na sliku Božju on ga stvori, muško i žensko stvori ih.

28 I blagoslovi ih Bog i reče im: "Plodite se, i množite, i napunite zemlju, i sebi je podložite! Vladajte ribama u moru i pticama u zraku i svim živim stvorovima što puze po zemlji!"

29 I doda Bog: "Evo, dajem vam sve bilje što se sjemeni, po svoj zemlji, i sva stabla plodonosna što u sebi nose svoje sjeme: neka vam budu za hranu!

30 A zvijerima na zemlji i pticama u zraku i gmizavcima što puze po zemlji u kojima je dah života - neka je za hranu sve zeleno bilje!" I bi tako.

31 I vidje Bog sve što je učinio, i bijaše veoma dobro. Tako bude večer, pa jutro - dan šesti.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #59

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59. The reason only edible and green plants are mentioned here as food for the natural man is this: While a person is being regenerated and becoming spiritual he is involved constantly in conflict, which is why the Lord's Church is called militant. For before regeneration started, evil desires were in control, since the whole person consisted entirely of evil desires and resulting falsities. During the process of regeneration his desires and falsities cannot be done away with instantly, since that would amount to destroying the whole person; indeed he has not acquired any other life for himself. So for a long time evil spirits are left with him to activate his desires, and so release them in countless ways. Indeed the spirits are left there to do this in order that those desires may be turned by the Lord towards something good, and in this way the person may be reformed. In the hour of conflict evil spirits are present who absolutely hate everything that is good and true, that is, every element of love and faith in the Lord - elements that alone are good and true because they contain eternal life. These evil spirits leave a person with no other food than that which is compared to edible and green plants. But the Lord gives him a food as well that is compared to the plant yielding seed and to the tree in which there is fruit. These are periods of peace and calm attended by their forms of delight and happiness. This cycle occurs repeatedly.

[2] If the Lord did not protect man moment by moment, and in every shortest instant, he would immediately perish, for there is such murderous hatred reigning in the world of spirits against all forms of love and faith in the Lord as to defy description. I can positively declare that this is so, because for several years now, although still in the [physical] body, I have also been in the next life in the company of spirits. I have been surrounded by evil spirits, even the worst of them, sometimes by thousands, who have been allowed to pour out their venom and molest me in every possible way, but who nevertheless could do no harm to the tiniest hair on my head, so well did the Lord protect me. From all these years of experience I have become thoroughly informed about the character of the world of spirits and also about the conflict which people who are being regenerated must inevitably undergo if they are to attain the happiness of eternal life. But because nobody from just a general description can be so well informed as to have a faith free from doubt, these matters in the Lord's Divine mercy will therefore be noted in greater detail later on.

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