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 #1577

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1577. Let there be no contention, I pray, between me and thee. That this signifies that there ought to be no disagreement between the two, is evident from what has already been said. The arcana relating to the agreement or union of the internal man with the external are more than can ever be told. With no man have the internal man and the external ever been united; nor could they be united, nor can they be, but with the Lord only, for which cause also He came into the world. With men who have been regenerated, it appears as if they were united; but these belong to the Lord; for the things which agree are the Lord’s, but those which disagree are man’s.

[2] There are two things in the internal man, namely, the celestial and the spiritual, which two constitute a one when the spiritual is from the celestial; or what is the same, there are two things in the internal man, good and truth; these two constitute a one when the truth is from good; or what is also the same, there are two things in the internal man, love and faith; these two constitute a one when the faith is from love; or what is again the same, there are in the internal man two things, the will and the understanding; and these two constitute a one when the understanding is from the will. This may be apprehended still more clearly by considering the sun, from which is light. If in the light from the sun there are both heat and illuminating power, as in the springtime, all things are thereby made to vegetate and to live; but if there is not heat from the sun in the light, as in the time of winter, then all things become torpid and die.

[3] From all this it is evident what constitutes the internal man; and what constitutes the external thence appears. In the external man all is natural; for the external man itself is the same as the natural man. The internal man is said to be united to the external when the celestial spiritual of the internal man flows into the natural of the external, and makes them act as a one. As a consequence of this the natural also becomes celestial and spiritual, but a lower celestial and spiritual; or what is the same, the external man becomes celestial and spiritual, but a more external celestial and spiritual.

[4] The internal man and the external are altogether distinct, because celestial and spiritual things are what affect the internal man, but natural things are what affect the external. But though distinct, they are still united, namely, when the celestial spiritual of the internal man flows into the natural of the external, and disposes it as its own. In the Lord alone the internal man was united to the external; this is not the case in any other man, except so far as the Lord has united and does unite them. Love and charity only, or good, is what unites; and there is never any love and charity, that is, any good, except from the Lord. Such is the union that is intended in these words of Abram: “Let there be no contention between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen.”

[5] It is said, “Between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen,” for the case is thus: as there are two things in the internal man, namely, the celestial and the spiritual, which as before said make a one, so also are there in the external man, its celestial being called natural good, and its spiritual natural truth. “Let there be no contention between me and thee,” has reference to good, meaning that the good of the internal man should not disagree with the good of the external man; and “Let there be no contention between my herdmen and thy herdmen,” has reference to truth, meaning that the truth of the internal man should not disagree with the truth of the external man.

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