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 #911

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911. 1 As regards 'creeping thing that creeps' meaning corresponding things of a like nature residing with his external man, with a regenerate person external things correspond to internal, that is, they are conformable and subservient to them. External things are rendered subservient when a person is being regenerated, at which point he becomes an image of heaven. But before he has been regenerated external things have dominion over internal; and during that time he is an image of hell. Order entails celestial things governing spiritual things first, then natural things by means of spiritual, and lastly bodily things by means of natural. But when bodily and natural things have dominion over spiritual and celestial, order is destroyed. Once order is destroyed, man is an image of hell, and therefore through regeneration the Lord brings about the restoration of order; and once this has been restored a man becomes an image of heaven. In this way the Lord draws a person out of hell and bears him up to heaven.

[2] To make known the way in which the external man corresponds to the internal, let a brief explanation be given. Every regenerate person is a miniature heaven, that is, a replica or image of the whole of heaven, which also is why in the Word his internal man is called heaven. In heaven order is such that the Lord governs spiritual things by means of celestial, and natural things by means of spiritual. In this manner He governs the whole of heaven as one human being, and therefore heaven is called the Grand Man. Furthermore this same order exists with every individual in heaven. And when the same applies to man too, he likewise is a miniature heaven, or what amounts to the same, is the Lord's kingdom, for the Lord's kingdom is within him. In his case external things correspond to internal, that is to say, they are obedient to them, just as they are in heaven. For there are three heavens which are interrelated as one man - spirits constitute the external man, angelic spirits the interior, and angels the inmost, 459.

[3] It is quite the reverse with people who make life consist solely in bodily things, that is, in the desires, pleasures, appetites, and sensations of the body; with people, that is, who take no delight in anything other than that which accompanies self-love and love of the world, that is, which goes with hatred towards everyone who shows them no favour and does not serve them. Because with these people bodily and natural things have dominion over spiritual and celestial, not only is there no correspondence or obedience on the part of external things, but the total reverse exists, so that order is completely destroyed. And because order is thus destroyed they cannot be anything other than images of hell.

Footnotes:

1. There is no paragraph 910 in the Latin. Possibly a section which refers to beasts meaning things of the will has been accidentally omitted.

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