The Bible

 

Genesis 12

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1 Ja Issand ütles Aabramile: 'Mine omalt maalt, omast sugukonnast ja isakojast maale, mille ma sulle näitan!

2 Ma teen sind suureks rahvaks ja õnnistan sind, ma teen su nime suureks, et sa oleksid õnnistuseks!

3 Siis ma õnnistan neid, kes sind õnnistavad, panen vande alla selle, kes sind neab, ja sinu nimel õnnistavad endid kõik suguvõsad maa peal!'

4 Ja Aabram läks, nagu Issand teda käskis, ja Lott läks koos temaga; Aabram oli seitsekümmend viis aastat vana, kui ta Haaranist lahkus.

5 Ja Aabram võttis oma naise Saarai ja oma vennapoja Loti ja kogu nende varanduse, mis nad olid soetanud, ja Haaranis hangitud hingelised, ja nad läksid teele Kaananimaa poole. Ja nad jõudsid Kaananimaale.

6 Ja Aabram käis maa läbi Sekemi püha paigani, Moore tammeni; kaananlased olid siis veel sellel maal.

7 Ja Issand ilmutas ennast Aabramile ning ütles: 'Sinu soole ma annan selle maa!' Siis ta ehitas sinna altari Issandale, kes oli ennast temale ilmutanud.

8 Sealt ta liikus edasi mäestikku Peetelist hommiku poole ja lõi oma telgi üles, nõnda et Peetel jäi õhtu ja Ai hommiku poole; ja ta ehitas sinna altari Issandale ning hüüdis appi Issanda nime.

9 Ja Aabram läks teele, rändas üha ja siirdus Lõunamaale.

10 Aga maal oli nälg. Siis Aabram läks alla Egiptusesse, et seal võõrana elada, sest maal oli suur nälg.

11 Ja kui ta minnes Egiptusele ligines, ütles ta oma naisele Saaraile: 'Vaata, ma tean, et sa oled ilusa välimusega naine.

12 Aga kui egiptlased sind näevad, ütlevad nad: 'See on tema naine!' Siis nad tapavad minu, aga sinu jätavad elama.

13 Ütle siis, et oled minu õde, et mu käsi sinu tõttu võiks hästi käia ja mu hing sinu pärast ellu jääks!'

14 Kui Aabram jõudis Egiptusesse, siis nägid egiptlased, et naine oli väga ilus.

15 Ja kui vaarao vürstid teda nägid, siis nad ülistasid teda vaaraole ja naine võeti vaarao kotta.

16 Vaarao tegi Aabramile tema pärast head: ta sai lambaid ja kitsi, veiseid ja eesleid, sulaseid ja teenijaid, emaeesleid ja kaameleid.

17 Aga Issand nuhtles vaaraod ja tema koda suurte nuhtlustega Saarai, Aabrami naise pärast.

18 Siis vaarao kutsus Aabrami ning ütles: 'Miks sa mulle seda tegid? Miks sa ei teatanud mulle, et ta on sinu naine?

19 Miks sa ütlesid: Ta on mu õde, nõnda et ma tema enesele naiseks võtsin? Aga nüüd, vaata, seal on su naine, võta tema ja mine!'

20 Ja vaarao andis tema pärast meestele käsu, et nad saadaksid minema tema ja ta naise ja kõik, mis tal oli.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #754

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754. There are various ways in which a church comes to an end. It happens principally through circumstances which cause falsity to look like truth; and when this happens, the good which is inherently good, what is called spiritual good, can no longer exist. What is then believed to be good is only natural good, the product of a moral life. The reason for truth coming to an end, and good with it, is principally the two natural loves which are diametrically opposed to the two spiritual loves; these are called self-love and love of the world. When self-love is dominant, it is the opposite of love to God; and when the love of the world is dominant, it is the opposite of love towards the neighbour. Self-love is wishing well to no one but oneself, except for selfish reasons; and likewise the love of the world. Once those loves have got a grip, they spread like mortification through the body, and stage by stage destroy every part of it. It is clear that such a love attacked past churches from the description of Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9; Isaiah 13, 14, 47; Jeremiah 50; and in Daniel 2:31-47; 3:1-7ff; and Daniel 5; 6:8-end; Daniel 7:1-14; and in Revelation 17, 18, both from beginning to end). In the end, Babylon vaunted itself so much that it not only transferred to itself the Lord's Divine power, but also did its best to attract to itself all the riches of the world.

[2] Omens and far from misleading appearances allow us to conclude that outside Babylon similar loves would have broken out from many of the leaders of churches, had not their power been checked and so limited. What else might be expected but that such a person would look upon himself as God, the world as heaven, and pervert all the church's truth? For real truth, which is inherently true, cannot be known and acknowledged by a purely natural person; nor can God impart it to him, because it turns upside down and becomes falsity. As well as those two loves there are many more causes for truth and good coming to an end, and so causing the end of churches; but these are secondary causes, subordinate to the two mentioned.

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

The Bible

 

Revelation 18

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1 After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory.

2 He cried with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird!

3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury."

4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don't receive of her plagues,

5 for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.

6 Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double.

7 However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, 'I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.'

8 Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.

9 The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,

10 standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.'

11 The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;

12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;

13 and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people's bodies and souls.

14 The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous have perished from you, and you will find them no more at all.

15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;

16 saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!

17 For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.' Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away,

18 and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like the great city?'

19 They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she made desolate.

20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her."

21 A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all.

22 The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No craftsman, of whatever craft, will be found any more at all in you. The sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you.

23 The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."