The Bible

 

Genesis 15

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1 Nogen Tid efter kom HE ENS Ord til Abram i et Syn således: "Frygt ikke, Abram, jeg er dit Skjold; din Løn skal blive såre stor!"

2 Men Abram svarede: "Herre", HE E, hvad kan du give mig, når jeg dog går barnløs bort, og en Mand fra Damaskus, Eliezer, skal arve mit Hus."

3 Og Abram sagde: "Du har jo intet Afkom givet mig, og se, min Hustræl kommer til at arve mig!"

4 Og se, HE ENs Ord kom til ham således: "Han kommer ikke til at arve dig, men den, der udgår af dit Liv, han skal arve dig."

5 Derpå førte han ham ud i det fri og sagde: "Se op mod Himmelen og prøv, om du kan tælle Stjernerne!" Og han sagde til ham: "Således skal dit Afkom blive!"

6 Da troede Abram HE EN, og han regnede ham det til etfærdighed.

7 Derpå sagde han til ham: "Jeg er HE EN, som førte dig bort fra Ur Kasdim for at give dig dette Land i Eje!"

8 Men han svarede: "Herre, HE E, hvorpå kan jeg kende, at jeg skal få det i Eje?"

9 Da sagde han til ham: "Tag mig en treårs Kvie, en treårs Ged og en treårs Væder, en Turteldue og en Småfugl!"

10 Så tog han alle disse Dyr skar dem midt over og lagde Halvdelene over for hinanden; dog skar han ikke Fuglene over.

11 Da slog der ovfugle ned på de døde Kroppe, men Abram skræmmede dem bort.

12 Da Solen så var ved at gå ned, faldt der Dvale over Abram, og se, ædsel faldt over ham, et stort Mørke.

13 Og han sagde til Abram: "Vide skal du, at dit Afkom skal bo som fremmede i et Land, der ikke er deres eget; de skal trælle for dem og mishandles af dem i 400 År.

14 Dog vil jeg også dømme det Folk, de kommer til at trælle for, og siden skal de vandre ud med meget Gods.

15 Men du skal fare til dine Fædre i Fred og blive jordet i en god Alderdom.

16 I fjerde Slægtled skal de vende tilbage hertil; thi endnu er Amoriternes Syndeskyld ikke fuldmoden."

17 Da Solen var gået ned og Mørket faldet på, viste der sig en rygende Ovn med en flammende Ildslue, der skred frem mellem de sønderskårne Kroppe.

18 På den Dag sluttede HE EN Pagt med Abram, idet han sagde: "Dit Afkom giver jeg dette Land fra Ægyptens Bæk til den store Flod, Eufratfloden,

19 det er Keniterne, Henizziterne, Kadmoniterne,

20 Hetiterne, Perizziterne, efaiterne,

21 Amoriterne, Kana'anæerne, Girgasjiterne, Hivviterne og Jebusiterne."

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1835

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1835. That 'Abram drove them away' means that the Lord put them to flight is clear from what has been stated. The position is the same with regard to the Church. When it starts to depart from charity, evils and derivative falsities are quite easily put to flight, for it is still in a state not far removed from charity, and so people's minds are quite pliable. In the course of time however evils and derivative falsities increase, and so are confirmed and consolidated. This matter will be dealt with later on.

[2] As far as it is possible the Lord is constantly putting evils and falsities to flight, but He does so by means of conscience. When the bonds of conscience are loosed no channel exists by which the Lord may flow in, for the Lord's influx with man is an influx by way of charity into his conscience. But when this comes about a new channel, an external one, is formed and takes the place of charity, that is to say, influx now comes through a fear of the law, fear of loss of life, honour, wealth, and consequent reputation. But these bonds are not those of conscience; they are merely external bonds which enable a person to live in society with others and to appear friendly, whatever he may be like within.

[3] This channel, or these bonds, are of no value whatever in the next life, for in that life things that are external are taken away, and such as the person is within remains. There are very many who have led good lives, private and public, have harmed no one, and have performed acts of friendship and kindness; indeed they have done good to very many. Yet they acted solely for themselves, for the sake of honour, gain, and similar considerations. In the next life these are among those in hell since they have nothing good and true within them at all, only evil and falsity. Indeed they have nothing but hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery within them, which do not show themselves before anyone - not showing themselves, that is, insofar as those fears which constitute external restraints prevail.

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