The Bible

 

Postanak 13

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1 Iz Egipta Abram ode gore u Negeb sa svojom ženom i sa svime što je imao. I Lot bješe s njim.

2 Abram je bio veoma bogat stokom, srebrom i zlatom.

3 Od postaje do postaje iz Negeba išao je do Betela,

4 do mjesta na kojem je bio postavio šator, između Betela i Aja, gdje je prije podigao žrtvenik. Tu je Abram zazivao ime Jahvino.

5 I Lot, koji iđaše s Abramom, imaše ovaca, goveda i šatora,

6 tako da ih kraj ne bi izdržavao kad bi zajedno ostali. Njihovo je blago bilo veliko, te zajedno nisu mogli boraviti.

7 Svađa je nastajala između pastira stoke Abramove i pastira stoke Lotove. Tada su zemlju nastavali Kanaanci i Perižani.

8 Zato Abram reče Lotu: "Neka ne bude svađe između mene i tebe, između pastira mojih i tvojih - tÓa mi smo braća!

9 Nije li sva zemlja pred tobom? Odvoji se od mene! Kreneš li ti nalijevo, ja ću nadesno; ako ćeš ti nadesno, ja ću nalijevo."

10 Lot podiže oči i vidje kako je dobro posvuda natapana sva Jordanska dolina, kao kakav vrt Jahvin, kao zemlja egipatska prema Soaru. - Bilo je to prije nego što je Jahve uništio Sodomu i Gomoru. -

11 Lot izabere za se svu Jordansku dolinu i ode na istok. Tako se odijele jedan od drugoga.

12 Abram ostade u kanaanskoj zemlji, dok je Lot živio po mjestima u dolini i razapeo svoje šatore do Sodome.

13 A žitelji Sodome bijahu veoma opaki, sami grešnici protiv Jahve.

14 Jahve reče Abramu, pošto se Lot od njega rastao: "Oči svoje podigni i s mjesta na kojem si pogledaj prema sjeveru, jugu, istoku i zapadu;

15 jer svu zemlju što je možeš vidjeti dat ću tebi i tvome potomstvu zauvijek.

16 Potomstvo ću tvoje učiniti kao prah na zemlji. Ako tko mogne prebrojiti prah zemlje, i tvoje će potomstvo moći prebrojiti.

17 Na noge! Prođi zemljom uzduž i poprijeko jer ću je tebi predati."

18 Abram digne šatore i dođe pa se naseli kod hrasta Mamre, što je u Hebronu. Ondje podigne žrtvenik Jahvi.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1598

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1598. 'And moved his tent as far as Sodom' means a reaching out towards evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil desires, dealt with above at verse 10. These words are analogous to what was stated previously in verse 10 about 'all the plain of Jordan being well-watered, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar', which was a reference to the External Man when united to the Internal - 'the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar' meaning facts obtained from affections for good. Here however 'Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom' means the external man when not united to the internal, and by these words are meant facts obtained from affections or desires for evil. Indeed that verse described the beauty of the External Man when united to the Internal, whereas this verse describes its ugliness when not united, and further still the next verse where it is said, 'And the men of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah'. How ugly the external man is when separated from the internal may become clear to anyone from what has been stated about self-love and its desires which are the principal cause of the severance. As is the beauty of the External Man when united to the internal, so is the ugliness of it when not united. For regarded in itself the external man is nothing other than the servant of the internal. It is something instrumental whereby ends in view pass into uses, and uses manifest themselves in an effect, and thus all things may be accomplished. The reverse happens when the external man separates itself from the internal and wishes to serve only itself, even more when it wishes to have dominion over the internal, which, as has been shown, happens principally because of self-love and its desires.

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