The Bible

 

Postanak 30

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1 Vidjevši Rahela da Jakovu ne rađa djece, postade zavidna svojoj sestri pa reče Jakovu: "Daj mi djecu! Inače ću svisnuti!"

2 Jakov se razljuti na Rahelu te reče. "Zar sam ja namjesto Boga koji ti je uskratio plod utrobe?"

3 A ona odgovori: "Evo moje sluškinje Bilhe: uđi k njoj, pa neka rodi na mojim koljenima, da tako i ja steknem djecu po njoj."

4 Dade mu dakle svoju sluškinju Bilhu za ženu, i Jakov priđe k njoj.

5 Bilha zače te Jakovu rodi sina.

6 Tada Rahela reče: "Jahve mi je dosudio pravo. Uslišao je moj glas i dao mi sina." Stoga mu nadjenu ime Dan.

7 Rahelina sluškinja Bilha opet zače i rodi Jakovu drugoga sina.

8 Tada Rahela reče: "Žestoko sam se borila sa sestrom, ali sam pobijedila." Tako mu nadjenu ime Naftali.

9 A vidjevši Lea da je prestala rađati, uzme svoju sluškinju Zilpu pa je dade Jakovu za ženu.

10 I kad je Leina sluškinja Zilpa rodila Jakovu sina,

11 Lea uskliknu: "Koje sreće!" Tako mu nadjenu ime Gad.

12 Leina sluškinja Zilpa rodi Jakovu i drugog sina,

13 i Lea opet uskliknu: "Blago meni! Žene će me zvati blaženom!" Tako mu nadjenu ime Ašer.

14 Jednoga dana, u vrijeme pšenične žetve, namjeri se Ruben u polju na ljubavčice te ih donese svojoj majci Lei. I Rahela reče Lei: "Daj mi od ljubavčica svoga sina!"

15 A Lea odgovori: "Zar ti nije dosta što si mi oduzela muža pa još hoćeš da od mene uzmeš i ljubavčice moga sina?" Rahela odgovori: "Pa dobro, neka s tobom noćas leži u zamjenu za ljubavčice tvog sina."

16 Kad je Jakov navečer stigao iz polja, Lea mu iziđe u susret pa reče: "Treba da dođeš k meni, jer sam te unajmila za ljubavčice moga sina." One je noći on s njom ležao.

17 Bog usliša Leu; ona zače te Jakovu rodi petog sina.

18 Onda Lea reče: "Bog mi je uzvratio nagradom što sam ustupila svoju sluškinju svome mužu." Stoga sinu nadjenu ime Jisakar.

19 Lea opet zače i rodi Jakovu šestoga sina.

20 Onda Lea reče: "Bog me obdari dragocjenim darom; sada će mi moj muž dati darove: tÓa rodila sam mu šest sinova." Tako mu nadjenu ime Zebulun.

21 Zatim rodi kćer te joj nadjenu ime Dina.

22 Uto se Bog sjeti Rahele: Bog je usliša i otvori njezinu utrobu.

23 Ona zače i rodi sina te reče: "Ukloni Bog moju sramotu!"

24 Nadjene mu ime Josip, rekavši: "Neka mi Jahve pridoda drugog sina!"

25 Pošto je Rahela rodila Josipa, Jakov reče Labanu: "Pusti me da idem u svoj zavičaj!

26 Daj mi moje žene za koje sam te služio i moju djecu da mogu otići: tÓa dobro znaš kako sam te služio."

27 A Laban mu odgovori: "Ne idi, ako si mi prijatelj. Znam da me Jahve blagoslivljao zbog tebe."

28 I nadoda: "Odredi plaću koju želiš od mene, i dat ću ti."

29 On mu odgovori: "Ti dobro znaš što je moja služba značila za te i kako je tvome blagu bilo sa mnom.

30 Malenkost što si je imao prije nego sam ja došao povećala se vrlo mnogo, jer kuda god sam prolazio Jahve te blagoslivljao na mojim koracima. A sad je vrijeme da poradim i za svoj dom."

31 On upita: "Koliko da ti platim?" Jakov odgovori: "Nemoj mi platiti ništa! Ako mi učiniš ovo, opet ću na pašu goniti i čuvati tvoje stado.

32 Daj da prođem danas kroz tvoje stado i od njega izlučim svaku garavu ovcu i svaku šarenu ili napruganu kozu! Neka to bude moja plaća!

33 A ubuduće kad budeš svojim očima provjeravao moju naplatu, moje će poštenje biti svjedok za mene: nađe li se među mojim kozama ijedna koja ne bude šarena ili naprugana, ili među ovcama koja ne bi bila garava, neka se smatra ukradenom!"

34 Laban reče: "Dobro, neka bude kako si kazao."

35 Ali toga dana Laban izluči naprugane i šarene jarce i sve riđaste i šarene koze - svaku koja je na sebi imala bijelo - i sve garave ovce pa ih preda svojim sinovima.

36 I odande gdje je Jakov pasao ostatak Labanova stada udalji se za koja tri dana hoda.

37 A Jakov uzme zelenih mladica od topola, badema i platana; na njima izreza bijele pruge, otkrivši bjeliku na mladicama.

38 Pruće tako isprugano postavi u korita, u pojila iz kojih se stoka napajala. A kako se stoka parila kad je na vodu dolazila,

39 to su se jarci parili uz pruće, pa su koze kozile prugaste, riđaste i šarene kozliće.

40 Tako je i ovce Jakov bio izlučio i glave im okrenuo prema prugastima ili posve garavima što su bile u Labanovu stadu. Tako je za se namicao posebna stada koja nije miješao s Labanovim stadima.

41 Osim toga, kad bi se god dobro uzrasla stoka parila, Jakov bi stavio pruće u korita, baš pred oči živine, tako da se pari pred prućem.

42 Ali ga pred kržljavu marvu nije stavljao. Tako je kržljava zapadala Labana, a dobro razvijena Jakova.

43 Čovjek se tako silno obogatio, stekao mnogu stoku, sluge i sluškinje, deve i magarad.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2089

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2089. 'Twelve princes will he beget' means the first and foremost commandments [of faith] inhering in charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'twelve' as all things belonging to faith, and from the meaning of 'princes' as first and foremost features. King and princes are mentioned in various places in the Word, but in the internal sense they nowhere mean king or princes but the first and foremost features of the subject under discussion. That 'kings' means truths taken as a whole has been shown already in 2015, and that 'princes' means the first and foremost aspects of truth, which are commandments, in 1482. For this reason angels, especially spiritual angels, are called principalities, because they are governed by truths. Princes have reference to truths which go with charity because, as stated above in 2088, spiritual people receive charity from the Lord through truths which to them look like truths, and through charity they receive conscience.

[2] Up to now the world has not known that 'twelve' means all things of faith. Yet every time the number twelve occurs in the Word, in historical or in prophetical sections, it has no other meaning. The twelve sons of Jacob, and therefore the twelve tribes named after them, have no other meaning. And the same applies to the Lord's twelve disciples. Each one of Jacob's sons and each of the disciples represented some essential and primary aspect of faith. What each son of Jacob represented, and therefore what each tribe of Israel represented, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on at Genesis 29, 30, where the sons of Jacob are the subject.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 17

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1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.

2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,

4 "As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

5 Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.

8 I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."

9 God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.

12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed.

13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."

15 God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.

16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"

18 Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"

19 God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."

22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.

24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.

27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.