The Bible

 

Genesis 1

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1 I Begyndelsen skabte Gud Himmelen og Jorden.

2 Og Jorden var øde og tom, og der var Mørke over Verdensdybet. Men Guds Ånd svævede over Vandene.

3 Og Gud sagde: "Der blive Lys!" Og der blev Lys.

4 Og Gud så, at Lyset var godt, og Gud satte Skel mellem Lyset og Mørket,

5 og Gud kaldte Lyset Dag, og Mørket kaldte han Nat. Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, første Dag.

6 Derpå sagde Gud: "Der blive en Hvælving midt i Vandene til at skille Vandene ad!"

7 Og således skete det: Gud gjorde Hvælvingen og skilte Vandet under Hvælvingen fra Vandet over Hvælvingen;

8 og Gud kaldte Hvælvingen Himmel. Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, anden Dag.

9 Derpå sagde Gud: "Vandet under Himmelen samle sig på eet Sted, så det faste Land kommer til Syne!" Og således skete det;

10 og Gud kaldte det faste Land Jord, og Stedet, hvor Vandet samlede sig, kaldte han Hav. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

11 Derpå sagde Gud: "Jorden lade fremspire grønne Urter, der bærer Frø, og Frugttræer, der bærer Frugt med Kærne, på Jorden!" Og således skete det:

12 Jorden frembragte grønne Urter, der bar Frø, efter deres Arter, og Træer, der bar Frugt med Kærne, efter deres Arter. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

13 Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, tredje Dag.

14 Derpå sagde Gud: "Der komme Lys på Himmelhvælvingen til at skille Dag fra Nat, og de skal være til Tegn og til Fastsættelse af Højtider, Dage og År

15 og tjene som Lys på Himmelhvælvingen til at lyse på Jorden! Og således sket det:

16 Gud gjorde de to store Lys, det største til at herske om Dagen, det mindste til at herske om Natten, og Stjernerne;

17 og Gud satte dem på Himmelhvælvingen til at lyse på Jorden

18 og til at herske over Dagen og Natten og til at skille Lyset fra Mørket. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

19 Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, fjerde Dag.

20 Derpå sagde Gud: "Vandet vrimle med en Vrimmel af levende Væsener, og Fugle flyve over Jorden oppe under Himmelhvælvingen!" Og således skete det:

21 Gud skabte de store Havdyr og den hele Vrimmel af levende Væsener, som Vandet vrimler med, efter deres Arter, og alle vingede Væsener efter deres Arter. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

22 Og Gud velsignede dem og sagde: "Bliv frugtbare og mangfoldige og opfyld Vandet i Havene, og Fuglene blive mangfoldige på Jorden!"

23 Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, femte Dag.

24 Derpå sagde Gud: "Jorden frembringe levende Væsener efter deres Arter: Kvæg, Kryb og vildtlevende Dyr efter deres Arter! Og således skete det:

25 Gud gjorde de vildtlevende Dyr efter deres Arter, Kvæget efter dets Arter og alt Jordens Kryb efter dets Arter. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

26 Derpå sagde Gud: "Lad os gøre Mennesker i vort Billede, så de ligner os, til at herske over Havets Fisk og Himmelens Fugle, Kvæget og alle vildtlevende DyrJorden og alt Kryb,der kryber på Jorden!"

27 Og Gud skabte Mennesket i sit Billede; i Guds Billede skabte han det, som Mand og Kvinde skabte han dem;

28 og Gud velsignede dem, og Gud sagde til dem: "Bliv frugtbare og mangfoldige og opfyld Jorden, gør eder til Herre over den og hersk over Havets Fisk og Himmelens Fugle, Kvæget og alle vildtlevende Dyr, der rører sig på Jorden!"

29 Gud sagde fremdeles: "Jeg giver eder alle Urter på hele Jorden, som bærer Frø, og alle Træer, som bærer Frugt med Kærne; de skal være eder til Føde;

30 men alle Jordens dyr og alle Himmelens Fugle og alt, hvad der kryber på Jorden, og som har Livsånde, giver jeg alle grønne Urter til Føde." Og således skete det.

31 Og Gud så alt, hvad han havde gjort, og se, det var såre godt. Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, sjette Dag.


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

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Arcana Coelestia #9336

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9336. By little and little I will drive him out from before thee. That this signifies a removal by degrees according to order, is evident from the signification of “by little and little,” as being by degrees, thus slowly; from the signification of “driving out,” when said of the falsities and evils which are signified by the nations of the land of Canaan, as being removal (of which just above, n. 9333). It is said “by degrees according to order,” because with the man who is being regenerated all things are disposed according to the order of heaven; for the regenerate man is a heaven in the least form, and therefore there is in him an order like that which is in heaven.

[2] When a man is born, in respect to hereditary evils he is a hell in the least form; and he also becomes a hell insofar as he takes the hereditary evils to himself, and adds to them things which are his own. Hence it is that both from birth and from actual life the order of his life is opposite to the order of heaven; for from his own a man loves himself more than the Lord, and the world more than heaven; when yet the life of heaven consists in loving the Lord above all things and the neighbor as oneself. From this it is evident that the former life, which is of hell, must be utterly destroyed (that is to say, the evils and falsities must be removed), in order that the new life, which is the life of heaven, may be implanted (see n. 4551, 4552, 4839, 6068). This cannot possibly be done hastily; for every evil that is rooted in with its falsities has a connection with all evils and their falsities; and such evils and falsities are innumerable, and their connection is so complex that it cannot be comprehended, not even by the angels, but only by the Lord. From this it is evident that the life of hell with a man cannot be destroyed suddenly; for if it were, he would straightway expire; and neither can the life of heaven be implanted suddenly, for if it were, he would also expire.

[3] There are thousands and thousands of arcana, of which scarcely a single one is known to man, whereby a man is led by the Lord out of the life of hell into the life of heaven. That this is so, has been given me to know from heaven, and it has likewise been confirmed by many things which have come to my notice. As man knows scarcely anything of these matters, many have fallen into errors about the liberation of man from evils and falsities (that is, the forgiveness of sins), believing that through mercy the life of hell in a man can be instantly turned into the life of heaven in him; when yet the whole act of regeneration is mercy, and none are regenerated except those who receive the mercy of the Lord in faith and life while in the world; according to the Lord’s words in John:

As many as received, to them gave He the power to be sons of God, even to them that believe in His name; who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13);

what is meant by “bloods,” by “the will of the flesh,” and “the will of man,” also by being “born of God,” may be seen above (n. 5826).

[4] What is properly meant by removal from evils and falsities by degrees according to order, shall also be briefly stated. The Divine truth which proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord disposes all things into order in heaven; and therefore this Divine truth, in which there is good from the Lord, is order itself (n. 1728, 1919, 2258, 2447, 5703, 6338, 8700, 8988). According to this order all things in heaven come forth, and according to the same order they subsist; for to subsist is perpetually to come forth. In order therefore that heaven may come forth in a man it is necessary that he receive Divine truth in the good proceeding from the Lord. This can only be done by degrees according to an order similar to that by which the Lord sets heaven in order; for the case with a thing of the same nature is the same in what is small as in what is great. This successive setting in order is what is here meant by “order according to degrees.” From all this it is also evident that the case with the new creation of man-which is his regeneration-is the same as with the creation of heaven and earth. Wherefore also in the Word by “a new heaven and a new earth” is meant a new church (n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535); and also by the creation of heaven and earth in the first chapter of Genesis is meant the new creation of the celestial church, which is called “Man” (of which see in the explications there).

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