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Genesis 29

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1 Ja Jaakob läks teele ning jõudis hommikumaa poegade maale.

2 Ta vaatas, ja ennäe, väljal oli kaev. Ja vaata, sealsamas, selle kõrval, lebas kolm lamba- ja kitsekarja, sest sellest kaevust joodeti karju; kaevu suul aga oli suur kivi.

3 Kui kõik karjad olid kogunenud sinna, siis veeretati kivi kaevu suult, joodeti lambaid ja kitsi ning seati kivi tagasi oma paika kaevu suul.

4 Ja Jaakob küsis neilt: 'Vennad, kust te olete?' Ja nad vastasid: 'Me oleme Haaranist.'

5 Siis ta küsis neilt: 'Kas tunnete Laabanit, Naahori poega?' Ja nad vastasid: 'Tunneme küll!'

6 Ta küsis neilt: 'Kuidas ta käsi käib?' Ja nad vastasid: 'Hästi! Ja näe, sealt tuleb tema tütar Raahel karjaga.'

7 Ta ütles: 'Vaata, päike on alles kõrgel, pole veel aeg karja kokku ajada. Jootke loomi ja minge söötke neid!'

8 Aga nad vastasid: 'Me ei saa, enne kui kõik karjad on koos. Siis veeretatakse kivi kaevu suult ja me saame joota lambaid.'

9 Kui ta alles nendega rääkis, tuli Raahel oma isa karjaga, sest ta oli neid hoidmas.

10 Ja kui Jaakob nägi Raahelit, oma ema venna Laabani tütart, ja oma ema venna Laabani karja, siis Jaakob astus ligi ja veeretas kivi kaevu suult ning jootis oma ema venna Laabani lambaid.

11 Siis Jaakob suudles Raahelit, tõstis häält ja nuttis.

12 Ja Jaakob andis Raahelile teada, et ta on tema isa sugulane ja Rebeka poeg; ja Raahel jooksis ning teatas oma isale.

13 Ja kui Laaban kuulis sõnumit oma õepojast Jaakobist, siis ta jooksis temale vastu, kaelustas ja suudles teda ning viis ta oma kotta; ja ta jutustas Laabanile kõik, mis oli sündinud.

14 Siis ütles Laaban temale: 'Sa oled tõesti minu luu ja liha!' Ja ta jäi tema juurde kuuks ajaks.

15 Ja Laaban ütles Jaakobile: 'Kas sa sellepärast, et oled mu sugulane, peaksid mind teenima ilma palgata? Nimeta mulle oma palk!'

16 Laabanil aga oli kaks tütart; vanema nimi oli Lea ja noorema nimi oli Raahel.

17 Leal olid läiketa silmad, aga Raahel oli jumekas ja ilusa välimusega.

18 Jaakob armastas Raahelit, seepärast ta ütles: 'Ma teenin sind seitse aastat su noorema tütre Raaheli pärast!'

19 Laaban vastas: 'Ma annan ta parem sinule kui mõnele teisele mehele. Jää minu juurde!'

20 Ja Jaakob teenis Raaheli pärast seitse aastat, ja need olid tema silmis nagu üksikud päevad, sellepärast et ta teda armastas.

21 Siis Jaakob ütles Laabanile: 'Anna mu naine mulle kätte, sest aeg on täis, et ma võin minna tema juurde!'

22 Laaban koguski kokku kõik selle paiga mehed ja tegi peo.

23 Aga õhtul ta võttis oma tütre Lea ja viis selle tema juurde; ja Jaakob heitis ta juurde.

24 Ja Laaban andis oma teenija Silpa oma tütrele Leale teenijaks.

25 Jõudis hommik, ja vaata, see oli Lea! Siis ütles Jaakob Laabanile: 'Mis sa mulle oled teinud! Eks ma ole Raaheli pärast sind teeninud? Mispärast sa mind petsid?'

26 Aga Laaban vastas: 'Ei ole meie pool kombeks anda noorem enne vanemat.

27 Pea sellega pulmanädal ära, siis me anname ka teise sulle teenistuse eest, kui sa mind veel teist seitse aastat teenid!'

28 Ja Jaakob tegi nõnda ning pidas sellega pulmanädala ära, siis ta andis oma tütre Raaheli temale naiseks.

29 Ja Laaban andis oma teenija Billa oma tütrele Raahelile teenijaks.

30 Siis Jaakob heitis ka Raaheli juurde, ta armastas ju Raahelit ikkagi rohkem kui Lead; ja ta teenis Laabanit veel teist seitse aastat.

31 Ent kui Issand nägi, et Lea hüljati, siis ta avas tema üsa; Raahel aga oli viljatu.

32 Ja Lea jäi lapseootele ja tõi poja ilmale ning pani temale nimeks Ruuben, sest ta ütles: 'Issand on mu alandust näinud. Küllap mu mees hakkab nüüd mind armastama!'

33 Ja ta jäi taas lapseootele ja tõi poja ilmale ning ütles: 'Issand on kuulnud, et mind hüljati. Seepärast on ta mulle ka selle andnud.' Ja ta pani temale nimeks Siimeon.

34 Ja tema jäi taas lapseootele ja tõi poja ilmale ning ütles: 'Nüüd viimaks mu mees kiindub minusse, sest ma olen temale kolm poega ilmale toonud!' Seepärast pandi sellele nimeks Leevi.

35 Ja tema jäi taas lapseootele ja tõi poja ilmale ning ütles: 'Nüüd ma kiidan Issandat!' Seepärast ta pani temale nimeks Juuda. Siis ta lakkas sünnitamast.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3796

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3796. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother. That this signifies the acknowledgment of the affection of that truth in regard to its origin, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as here being to acknowledge, as is evident from the series or connection; and from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (see n. 3793). “The daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother” implies its origin, namely, that it was from collateral good, which was joined in brotherhood with the rational truth represented by Rebekah, the mother of Jacob.

[2] As regards the affections of truth and of good the case is this: The genuine affections of truth and of good which are perceived by man are all from a Divine origin, because from the Lord; but on the way, as they descend, they diverge into various and diverse streams, and there form for themselves new origins; for as they flow into affections not genuine but spurious, and into the affections of evil and falsity in the man, so are they varied. In the external form these affections often present themselves like the genuine ones; but in the internal form they are of this spurious character. The sole characteristic from which they are known is their end; if as regards their end they are for the sake of self or the world, then these affections are not genuine; but if as regards their end they are for the sake of the good of the neighbor, the good of societies, the good of our country, and especially if for the good of the church and the good of the Lord’s kingdom, then they are genuine, because in this case they are for the sake of the Lord, inasmuch as the Lord is in these goods.

[3] It is therefore the part of a wise man to know the ends that are in him. Sometimes it appears as if his ends were for self when yet they are not so; for it is the nature of man to reflect upon himself in everything, and this from custom and habit. But if anyone desires to know the ends that are within him, let him merely pay attention to the delight he perceives in himself from the praise and glory of self, and to the delight he perceives from use separate from self; if he perceives this latter delight, he is in genuine affection. He must also pay attention to the various states in which he is, for the states themselves very much vary the perception. A man can explore these things in himself, but not in others; for the ends of each man’s affection are known to the Lord alone. This is the reason why the Lord said:

Judge not, that ye be not judged; condemn not, that ye be not condemned (Luke 6:37);

for a thousand persons may appear to be in a like affection in respect to truth and good, and yet every one of them be in an affection unlike in respect to origin, that is, in respect to end.

[4] That the end determines the quality of the affection, that is to say, whether it is genuine, spurious, or false, is because a man’s end is his very life; for a man has that for his end which is of his life, or what is the same, of his love. When the good of his neighbor, the general good, the good of the church and of the Lord’s kingdom, is the end, then as to his soul the man is in the Lord’s kingdom, thus in the Lord; for the Lord’s kingdom is nothing else than a kingdom of ends and uses for the good of the human race (see n. 3645). The angels themselves who are with man are solely in his ends. Insofar as a man is in such an end as that in which is the Lord’s kingdom, so far the angels are delighted with him, and conjoin themselves with him as with a brother; but insofar as a man is in the end of self, so far the angels retire, and evil spirits from hell draw near, for there reigns in hell no other end than this; from all of which we can see how important it is to explore and know from what origin the affections are, and this can be known solely from the end.

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