The Bible

 

Genesis 23

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1 Ja Saara elas sada kakskümmend seitse aastat; nii palju oli Saaral eluaastaid.

2 Saara suri Kirjat-Arbas, see on Hebronis, Kaananimaal; ja Aabraham tuli Saarat leinama ja taga nutma.

3 Siis Aabraham tõusis üles oma surnu juurest ja rääkis hettidega, öeldes:

4 'Mina olen teie juures võõras ja majaline. Andke mulle eneste juurde pärandhaud, et saaksin matta surnu oma silma eest.'

5 Ja hetid vastasid Aabrahamile, öeldes temale:

6 'Kuule meid, isand! Sina oled Jumala vürst meie keskel. Mata oma surnu meie kõige paremasse hauda! Ükski meist ei keela sulle oma hauda su surnu matmiseks.'

7 Aga Aabraham tõusis ning kummardas maa rahva, hettide ees

8 ja rääkis nendega, öeldes: 'Kui see on teile meeltmööda, et ma oma surnu oma silma eest ära matan, siis kuulge mind ja mõjustage minu kasuks Efronit, Sohari poega,

9 et ta mulle annaks temale kuuluva Makpela koopa, mis on ta välja servas. Ta andku see mulle täie hinna eest pärushauaks teie keskel!'

10 Aga Efron istus hettide hulgas; ja hett Efron vastas Aabrahamile hettide kuuldes, kõigi juuresolekul, kes ta linna väravast läbi käisid, ja ütles:

11 'Ei, mu isand! Kuule mind! Ma annan sulle välja, samuti ma annan sulle koopa, mis sellel asub; ma annan selle sulle oma rahvuskaaslaste silma all. Mata oma surnu!'

12 Kuid Aabraham kummardas maa rahva ees,

13 rääkis Efroniga maa rahva kuuldes ja ütles: 'Kui sa ometi ise mind kuulda võtaksid! Mina maksan välja eest raha, võta see minult, et saaksin oma surnu sinna matta!'

14 Siis Efron vastas Aabrahamile, öeldes temale:

15 'Mu isand, kuule mind! Maa väärtus on nelisada hõbeseeklit - mis tähtsus sellel ongi minu ja sinu vahekorra juures. Mata aga oma surnu!'

16 Ja Aabraham kuulas Efronit; Aabraham vaagis Efronile raha, mida see hettide kuuldes oli nimetanud, nelisada hõbeseeklit, kaubanduses käibel olevaid.

17 Nõnda said Efroni väli Makpelas Mamre kohal, väli ja selles olev koobas ja kõik väljal olevad puud, mis olid ümber kogu selle maa-ala,

18 Aabrahami omandiks hettide nähes, kõigi juuresolekul, kes linna väravast läbi käisid.

19 Ja seejärel Aabraham mattis oma naise Saara Makpela välja koopasse Mamre kohal, see on Hebronis Kaananimaal.

20 Nõnda said väli ja selles olev koobas hettidelt Aabrahamile pärushauaks.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2946

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2946. 'The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you' means preparation from themselves as regards the things that belong to the Church and to faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a field' as the Church, dealt with in 368, 2936; from the meaning of 'the cave that is in it', that is to say, in the field, as the obscurity of faith, dealt with in 2935; and from the meaning of 'giving the field and giving the cave' - or what amounts to the same, not taking any payment from Abraham - as not wishing to be redeemed by the Lord, but to achieve it by themselves and so to prepare themselves in these matters. Such is the first state of all who are being reformed and becoming spiritual; that is to say, they do not believe that they are reformed by the Lord but by themselves, that is, that all will of good and all thought of truth originate in themselves. What is more, the Lord maintains them in that state, for if He does not they are not able to be reformed. Indeed if they were told before regeneration has taken place that they are incapable by themselves of doing anything good, or by themselves of thinking anything true, they would either lapse into the mistake of supposing that they must wait for an influx into the will and an influx into thought, and not attempt a thing, if that influx does not take place; or into the mistake of supposing that if good and truth have any other origin but themselves, nothing would ever be attributed to them as righteousness; or into the mistake that in this case they would be like machines without a mind or any control of their own; or into further mistakes. Therefore they are allowed to think that good and truth originate in themselves.

[2] But after they have been regenerated, the recognition that the situation is different is gradually instilled into them - that everything true comes wholly from the Lord. And as they grow more perfect it is also instilled into them that whatever does not come from the Lord is evil and false. Those who have been regenerated are led, if not during their lifetime then in the next life, not only to know this but also to see it with perception, for all angels enjoy the perception that this is so. Please see what has been stated already about these matters in the following places:

Everything good and true comes from the Lord, 1614, 2016.

All intelligence and wisdom come from the Lord, 109, 112, 121, 124.

Of himself man cannot achieve anything good or think anything true, 874-876.

Nevertheless everyone ought to do good as if from his proprium or own self, and not stay his hands, 1712.

If man compels himself to withstand evil and to do good as if from himself he receives a heavenly proprium from the Lord, 1937, 1947.

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