The Bible

 

Postanak 8

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1 Onda se Bog sjeti Noe, svih zvijeri i sve stoke što bijaše s njim u korablji, pa pokrenu vjetar nad zemljom da uzbije vodu.

2 Zatvoriše se izvori bezdanu i ustave nebeske, i dažd s neba prestade.

3 Polako se povlačile vode sa zemlje. Nakon stotinu pedeset dana vode su jenjale,

4 a sedmoga mjeseca, sedamnaestog dana u mjesecu korablja se zaustavi na brdima Ararata.

5 Vode su neprestano opadale do desetog mjeseca, a prvoga dana desetog mjeseca pokažu se brdski vrhunci.

6 Kad je izminulo četrdeset dana, Noa otvori prozor što ga je načinio na korablji;

7 ispusti gavrana, a gavran svejednako odlijetaše i dolijetaše dok se vode sa zemlje nisu isušile.

8 Zatim ispusti golubicu da vidi je li voda nestala sa zemlje.

9 Ali golubica ne nađe uporišta nogama te se vrati k njemu u korablju, jer voda još pokrivaše svu površinu; on pruži ruku, uhvati golubicu te je unese k sebi u korablju.

10 Počeka još sedam dana pa opet pusti golubicu iz korablje.

11 Prema večeri golubica se vrati k njemu, i gle! u kljunu joj svjež maslinov list; tako je Noa doznao da su opale vode sa zemlje.

12 Još počeka sedam dana pa opet pusti golubicu: više mu se nije vratila.

13 Šest stotina prve godine Noina života, prvoga mjeseca, prvog dana u mjesecu uzmakoše vode sa zemlje. Noa skine pokrov s korablje i pogleda: površina okopnjela.

14 A drugoga mjeseca, sedamnaestog dana u mjesecu, zemlja bijaše suha.

15 Tada Bog reče Noi:

16 "Iziđi iz korablje, ti, tvoja žena, tvoji sinovi i žene tvojih sinova s tobom.

17 Sa sobom izvedi sva živa bića, sva stvorenja što su s tobom: ptice, stoku i sve gmizavce što zemljom puze; neka zemljom vrve, plode se i na zemlji množe!"

18 I Noa iziđe, a s njime sinovi njegovi, žena njegova i žene sinova njegovih.

19 Sve životinje, svi gmizavci, sve ptice - svi stvorovi što se zemljom miču - iziđu iz korablje, vrsta za vrstom.

20 I podiže Noa žrtvenik Jahvi; uze od svih čistih životinja i od svih čistih ptica i prinese na žrtveniku žrtve paljenice.

21 Jahve omirisa miris ugodni pa reče u sebi: "Nikad više neću zemlju u propast strovaliti zbog čovjeka, tÓa čovječje su misli opake od njegova početka; niti ću ikad više uništiti sva živa stvorenja, kako sam učinio.

22 Sve dok zemlje bude, sjetve, žetve, studeni, vrućine, ljeta, zime, dani, noći nikada prestati neće."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #857

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857. That 'the waters were going down and abating' means that falsities started to be dispersed is clear from the actual words themselves and from what has been stated just above, at verse 3, where it is said that 'the waters receded, going back and forth', whereas in this verse it is said that 'the waters were going down and abating'. The latter as well as the former means fluctuations between truth and falsity, though the present statement means that those fluctuations were becoming less pronounced. As has been stated, during the fluctuations that follow temptation a person does not know what truth is, but as the movements gradually come to an end so the light of truth appears. The reason for this is that as long as a person's state is such, the internal man cannot function, that is, the Lord cannot function by way of the internal into the external. The internal contains remnants, which are affections for good and for truth deriving from it, which have been dealt with already. The external contains evil desires, and falsities deriving from these. As long as these external things have not been subdued and done away with, no road is open for goods and truths to pass from the internal, that is, from the Lord by way of the internal.

[2] A further purpose of temptations therefore is that the external side of a person may be subdued and so made subservient to the internal. This may become clear to anyone from the fact that as soon as a person's loves are assaulted and crushed, as they are in times of misfortune, sickness, and mental illness, his evil desires start to subside. And as they subside he begins to talk of more devout things. But as soon as he goes back to his previous state, his external man takes control again and he gives scarcely any thought to such matters. It is similar in the final hour of death when bodily things start to fade. From these considerations anyone may see what the internal man is and what the external man, also what remnants are, and how too the desires and pleasures that belong to the external man hinder the Lord's functioning by way of the internal man. From this also anyone may discern what temptations, that is, the inward pains termed the pricks of conscience, accomplish; they take place so that the external man may become subservient to the internal. The external man is made subservient solely to ensure that affections for good and truth are not hindered, halted, and stifled by evil desires and by falsities deriving from them. The subsidence of evil desires and falsities is here described by 'the waters going down and abating'.

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