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Postanak 14

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1 Kad Amrafel bijaše kralj Šineara, Ariok kralj Elasara, Kedor-Laomer kralj Elama, Tidal kralj Gojima,

2 povedoše oni rat protiv Bere, kralja Sodome, Birše, kralja Gomore, Šinaba, kralja Adme, Šemebera, kralja Sebojima, i protiv kralja u Beli, to jest Soaru.

3 I vojske se sliju u dolinu Sidim, gdje je danas Slano more.

4 Dvanaest su godina služili Kedor-Laomera, ali trinaeste godine dignu se na ustanak.

5 U četrnaestoj godini digne se Kedor-Laomer i kraljevi koji su bili s njim te potuku Refaimce u Ašterot Karnajimu, Zuzijce u Hamu, Emijce na ravnici Kirjatajimu,

6 Horijce u brdskom kraju Seiru, blizu El Parana, koji je uz pustinju.

7 Onda se povuku natrag i stignu u En Mišpat, to jest Kadeš, i pokore sve krajeve Amalečana i Amorejaca, koji su nastavali Haseson Tamar.

8 Zatim istupi kralj Sodome, kralj Gomore, kralj Adme, kralj Sebojima i kralj Bele, odnosno Soara, te zapodjenu borbu protiv onih u dolini Sidimu:

9 Kedor-Laomera, kralja Elama, Tidala, kralja Gojima, Amrafela, kralja Šineara, Arioka, kralja Elasara - četiri kralja protiv pet.

10 Dolina Sidim bila je puna provalija s paklinom, pa kraljevi Sodome i Gomore, na bijegu, u njih poskaču, a ostali izmaknu u planine.

11 Pobjednici pokupe sve blago po Sodomi i Gomori i svu hranu pa odu.

12 Pograbe i Lota, Abramova bratića - i on je živio u Sodomi - i njegovo blago pa otiđu.

13 A bjegunac neki - rođak Eškola i Anera, Abramovih saveznika - donese vijest Abramu Hebrejcu dok je boravio kod hrasta Amorejske Mamre.

14 Kad je Abram čuo da mu je bratić zarobljen, skupi svoju momčad - rođenu u njegovu domu - njih trista osamnaest, pa pođe u potjeru do Dana.

15 Podijeli svoje momke u dvije čete, napadne noću te one potuče. Progonio ih je do Hobe, sjeverno od Damaska.

16 Povrati sve blago, svoga bratića Lota i njegovo blago, žene i ostali svijet.

17 Pošto se vratio, porazivši Kedor-Laomera i kraljeve koji su bili s njim, u susret mu, u dolinu Šave, to jest u Kraljev dol, iziđe kralj Sodome.

18 A Melkisedek, kralj Šalema, iznese kruha i vina. On je bio svećenik Boga Svevišnjega.

19 Blagoslovi ga govoreći: "Od Boga Svevišnjega, Stvoritelja neba i zemlje, neka je Abramu blagoslov!

20 I Svevišnji Bog, što ti u ruke preda neprijatelje, hvaljen bio!" Abram mu dade desetinu od svega.

21 Tada kralj Sodome reče Abramu: "Meni daj ljude, a dobra uzmi sebi!"

22 Abram odgovori kralju Sodome: "Ruku uzdižem pred Jahvom, Svevišnjim Stvoriteljem neba i zemlje,

23 da neću uzeti ni končića, ni remena od obuće, niti išta što je tvoje da ne kažeš: na meni se Abram obogatio.

24 Ne, meni ništa, osim što su moji momci upotrijebili; i dio za momčad što je sa mnom išla: Aner, Eškol i Mamre, oni neka uzmu svoj dio."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1663

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1663. 'That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar' means just so many kinds of evil desires and false persuasions against which the Lord fought. This too becomes clear from the meaning of these kings and these nations that are mentioned, and from what follows as well. Which particular evil desires and which particular false persuasions are meant by each individual one would also take too long to explain. The meaning of Sodom and Gomorrah, also of Admah and Zeboiim, as well as Zoar, has been dealt with briefly already. They are the most general or most universal kinds of evils and falsities; and these, which are meant in the internal sense, here follow in their own sequence.

[2] The fact that the Lord underwent and suffered the severest of temptations, more severe than anybody else has ever done, is not so well known from the Word, where all that is mentioned is His being in the wilderness forty days and being tempted by the devil. But although the temptations He experienced at that time have been described only briefly, those brief statements nevertheless embody all, as in Mark 1:12-13, which records that He was there with wild animals, which mean the worst of the hellish crew. And the events afterwards recorded about the devil taking Him up on to the pinnacles of the temple and on to a high mountain are nothing else than representatives of very severe temptations He experienced in the wilderness, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on.

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