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Genesis 31

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1 Aga ta kuulis Laabani poegade kõnelusi, kes ütlesid: 'Jaakob on ära võtnud kõik, mis oli meie isa päralt. Sellest, mis oli meie isa päralt, on ta enesele soetanud kõik selle rikkuse.'

2 Ja Jaakob nägi Laabani palet, ja vaata, see ei olnud enam ta vastu nagu enne.

3 Siis Issand ütles Jaakobile: 'Mine tagasi oma isade maale ja oma sugulaste seltsi. Mina olen sinuga!'

4 Ja Jaakob läkitas sõna ning käskis kutsuda oma karja juurde väljale Raaheli ja Lea

5 ning ütles neile: 'Ma näen teie isa palgest, et ta ei ole enam mu vastu nagu enne. Aga mu isa Jumal oli mu juures.

6 Te ju teate, et ma olen teeninud teie isa kõigest väest.

7 Kuid teie isa narritas mind ja muutis mu palka kümme korda. Jumal aga ei ole lubanud teda mulle kurja teha.

8 Kui ta ütles nõnda: Tähnilised saagu sinule palgaks, siis kõik lambad ja kitsed poegisid tähnilisi. Ja kui ta ütles nõnda: Vöödilised saagu sinule palgaks, siis kõik loomad poegisid vöödilisi.

9 Nõnda võttis Jumal teie isa karja ja andis mulle.

10 Lammaste ja kitsede innaajal tõstsin ma oma silmad üles ja nägin unes, vaata, et isased, kes kargasid emaseid, olid vöödilised, tähnilised ja laigulised.

11 Ja Jumala ingel ütles mulle unes: Jaakob! Ja ma vastasin: Siin ma olen!

12 Siis ta ütles: Tõsta ometi oma silmad üles ja vaata: kõik isased, kes kargavad emaseid, on vöödilised, tähnilised ja laigulised, sest ma olen näinud kõike, mis Laaban sulle teeb!

13 Mina olen Peeteli Jumal, kus sa võidsid samba, kus sa andsid mulle tõotuse. Võta nüüd kätte, lahku siit maalt ja mine tagasi oma sünnimaale!'

14 Siis Raahel ja Lea vastasid ning ütlesid temale: 'Kas meil ongi enam osa või omandit meie isakojas?

15 Eks ta ole pidanud meid võõraks, kuna ta meid müüs ja ise muidugi ka meie hinna ära sõi!

16 Jah, kõik see rikkus, mille Jumal meie isalt ära võttis, on meie ja meie laste oma. Ja nüüd tee kõik, mis Jumal sulle on öelnud!'

17 Ja Jaakob võttis kätte, tõstis oma lapsed ja naised kaamelite selga

18 ja saatis teele kogu oma karja ja kõik oma varanduse, mis ta oli kogunud, oma karjavaranduse, mis ta Mesopotaamias oli soetanud, et minna oma isa Iisaki juurde Kaananimaale.

19 Aga Laaban oli läinud lambaid niitma. Ja Raahel varastas oma isa teeravikujud.

20 Jaakob kasutas süürlase Laabani teadmatust ega andnud temale märku, et ta põgeneb.

21 Nõnda ta siis põgenes koos kõigega, mis tal oli, võttis kätte ja läks üle jõe ning siirdus Gileadi mäestiku poole.

22 Aga kolmandal päeval anti Laabanile teada, et Jaakob oli põgenenud.

23 Tema võttis siis enesega kaasa oma suguvennad ja ajas teda taga seitse päevateekonda ning jõudis Gileadi mäestikus temale järele.

24 Kuid Jumal tuli süürlase Laabani juurde öösel unes ja ütles temale: 'Hoia, et sa Jaakobile ei ütle head ega halba!'

25 Kui Laaban Jaakobile järele jõudis, oli Jaakob mäestikus telgi üles löönud, ja Laabangi suguvendadega lõi telgi üles Gileadi mäestikku.

26 Ja Laaban ütles Jaakobile: 'Mis sa oled teinud? Sa kasutasid mu teadmatust ja viisid ära mu tütred, nagu oleksid nad olnud mõõga abil vangistatud.

27 Miks sa põgenesid salaja ja vargsel viisil ega teatanud mulle, et oleksin saanud sind rõõmsasti ära saata laulude, trummi ja kandlega?

28 Sa ei lasknud mind suudelda oma poegi ja tütreid! Sa oled nüüd talitanud mõistmatult.

29 Mul oleks meelevald teha teile kurja. Aga teie isa Jumal rääkis minuga eile öösel, öeldes: Hoia, et sa Jaakobile ei ütle head ega halba!

30 Nüüd oled sa küll läinud oma teed, sellepärast et sa igatsesid nii väga oma isakoja järele. Aga mispärast sa varastasid mu jumalad?'

31 Ja Jaakob vastas ning ütles Laabanile: 'Sellepärast et ma kartsin. Sest ma mõtlesin, et sa röövid minult oma tütred.

32 See, kelle juurest sa leiad oma jumalad, ärgu jäägu elama! Meie suguvendade ees otsi läbi, mis mul kaasas on, ja võta ära, mis on sinu!' Aga Jaakob ei teadnud, et Raahel oli need varastanud.

33 Ja Laaban läks Jaakobi telki ja Lea telki ja mõlema teenija telki, aga ei leidnud midagi; ja Lea telgist välja tulnud, läks ta Raaheli telki.

34 Kuid Raahel oli võtnud teeravid ja oli pannud need kaameli sadula tasku ning istus ise nende peal. Ja Laaban kompas läbi kogu telgi, aga ei leidnud midagi.

35 Ja Raahel ütles oma isale: 'Ärgu süttigu viha mu isanda silmis, et ma ei saa su ees üles tõusta, sest mul on naiste asjad!' Nõnda ta otsis läbi, aga teeraveid ta ei leidnud.

36 Siis Jaakob vihastus ja riidles Laabaniga. Ja Jaakob kostis ning ütles Laabanile: 'Milles seisneb mu üleastumine? Mis on mu patt, et oled mind nii tulisi jalu taga ajanud?

37 Kuna sa oled läbi otsinud kogu mu kraami, siis missuguse oma koja riista oled sa leidnud? Pane siia minu suguvendade ja oma suguvendade ette, et nad võiksid õigust mõista meie mõlema vahel!

38 Ma olin sinu juures kakskümmend aastat. Su lambad ja kitsed ei heitnud loodet ja jäärasid su karjast ma ei söönud.

39 Murtut ma sulle ei toonud, ma pidin selle hüvitama. Sa nõudsid minult niihästi päeval kui öösel varastatut.

40 Päeval piinas mind palavus ja öösel külm, ja uni põgenes mu silmist.

41 Nüüd ma olen olnud su kojas kakskümmend aastat. Neliteist aastat ma teenisin sind su kahe tütre pärast ja kuus aastat lammaste ja kitsede pärast, ja sa muutsid mu palka kümme korda.

42 Kui minuga ei oleks olnud mu isa Jumal, Aabrahami Jumal, Iisaki Kartus, siis oleksid sa mind nüüd tühje käsi ära saatnud. Jumal on näinud mu häda ja mu kätevaeva ja on eile öösel teinud otsuse.'

43 Siis Laaban kostis ja ütles Jaakobile: 'Tütred on minu Tütred ja pojad on minu pojad ja kari on minu kari, ja kõik, mis sa näed, on minu! Aga mida ma saaksin praegu teha oma tütarde heaks või nende poegade heaks, keda nad on ilmale toonud?

44 Aga tule nüüd, tehkem leping, mina ja sina, ja see olgu tunnistajaks minu ja sinu vahel!'

45 Siis Jaakob võttis ühe kivi ja pani sambaks püsti.

46 Ja Jaakob ütles oma suguvendadele: 'Korjake kive!' Ja need võtsid kive ning kuhjasid kivikangru; ja nad sõid seal kivikangru peal.

47 Ja Laaban pani sellele nimeks Jegar-Sahaduuta; Jaakob aga nimetas selle Galeediks.

48 Ja Laaban ütles: 'See kivikangur olgu täna tunnistajaks minu ja sinu vahel!' Seepärast ta pani sellele nimeks Galeed

49 ja Mispa, sest ta ütles: 'Issand valvab minu ja sinu vahel, kui me teineteist enam ei näe.

50 Kui sa kohtled mu tütreid halvasti või võtad mu tütarde kõrvale teisi naisi, ilma et ükski inimene oleks meie juures, vaata, siis on Jumal ometi tunnistajaks minu ja sinu vahel.'

51 Siis ütles Laaban Jaakobile: 'Vaata, see kivikangur, ja vaata, see sammas, mille ma püstitasin enese ja sinu vahele, -

52 see kivikangur olgu tunnistajaks, samuti olgu see sammas tunnistajaks, et mina ei tohi tulla sellest kivikangrust mööda sinu juurde ja et sina ei tohi tulla sellest kivikangrust ja sambast mööda minu juurde kurja tegema!

53 Aabrahami Jumal ja Naahori Jumal, nende vanemate Jumal, see mõistku kohut meie vahel!' Ja Jaakob vandus oma isa Iisaki Kartuse juures.

54 Ja Jaakob ohverdas mäe peal tapaohvri ning kutsus oma suguvennad leiba võtma. Ja nad võtsid leiba ning jäid ööseks mäele.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4151

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4151. 'And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them' means that they belonged to the affection for interior truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819, and from the meaning of 'stealing' as taking away that which is cherished and holy, dealt with in 4112, 4113, 4133. It was stated above that Rachel's stealing the teraphim or Laban's gods meant a change as regards truth of the state represented by 'Laban', see 4111. That change of state is described further still in this verse and in those immediately following; for the change came about when the good represented by 'Laban' had been separated from the good meant by 'Jacob' and so through that separation passed into a different state. For the truths that had appeared to him to be his own when the two kinds of good were joined together were regarded in such a way that it seemed as though they had been taken away. This is the reason why Laban complained bitterly about the teraphim, and why he searched the tents for them, though he did not find them. For the truths which in the good sense are meant by 'the teraphim', 4111, were not his but belonged to the affection for truth meant by 'Rachel'.

[2] These matters cannot be made plain except from things that take place in the next life. For things taking place in the next life near a person in this life seem to him to occur within him. And virtually the same is so with spirits in the next life. When communities of spirits which are governed by intermediate good are in association with angels it seems to them, altogether so, as though they possessed as their own the truths and goods which are the angels'; indeed those spirits are not aware of them being anything other than their own. But when they are separated they then realize that this is not true. They too therefore complain bitterly, believing that those goods and truths have been taken away from them by the angels with whom they have been in association. These are the considerations that are meant in the internal sense by 'teraphim' in this verse and those immediately following.

[3] In general the situation is that no one ever possesses good or truth that is his own but that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, doing so both immediately and through angelic communities serving as intermediaries. Nevertheless it seems as though that good or truth is his own, and the reason for this is that these may be made over to him as his own until the time when he enters that state in which he may know, then acknowledge, and at length believe that they are not his but the Lord's. It is also well known from the Word and thereby in the Christian world that all good and all truth are derived from the Lord and nothing good at all from man. Indeed the teachings of the Church which are drawn from the Word declare that of himself man cannot even strive after good and so cannot will it, and as a consequence cannot do it, since the doing of good springs from the willing of it. They also declare that the whole of faith is received from the Lord, so that man cannot have the smallest measure of belief unless it flows in from the Lord.

[4] These ideas are declared in the teachings of the Church and are taught in sermons. But few, indeed very few people, really believe them, as is proven by their presumption that life in its entirety exists inherently within themselves, and by the fact that scarcely any believe that life is something inflowing. Man's life in its entirety consists in being able to think and being able to will, for if that ability to think and to will is taken away no life remains at all. And the very essence of life consists in his thinking what is good and willing what is good, and also in his thinking what is true and willing that which he thinks is true. Since these abilities, according to teachings from the Word, are not man's but the Lord's and they flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, people who have any power of judgement and who are capable of reflecting could from this fact deduce that life in its entirety is something which inflows.

[5] The same applies to evil and falsity. According to teachings drawn from the Word the devil is constantly trying to lead man astray and constantly breathing evil into him. This also is why, when anyone has committed a serious crime, it is said that he has allowed the devil to lead him astray. This again is the truth and yet few if any believe it. For just as all good and truth come from the Lord, so all evil and falsity come from hell, that is, from the devil - hell being the devil. This also shows that just as all good and truth are things that flow in, so too are all evil and falsity, and as a consequence every thought of evil or willing of it flows in too. Since these too are things that flow in, those who have any power of judgement and reflection may deduce that life is something which flows in, though it seems to exist inherently in man.

[6] The truth of this has been demonstrated on many occasions to spirits who had recently arrived in the next life from the world. But some of them have said, If all evil or falsity too is something that flows in, then no evil or falsity at all can be attributed to them and they are free from blame since such evil or falsity comes from somewhere else. But they were told in reply that they had made that evil and falsity their own through their belief that when they had thought or willed anything they had acted independently, by themselves. Yet if that which is truly so had been believed by them they would not then have made that evil and falsity their own. For in that case they would have believed also that all good and truth come from the Lord; and if they had believed this, they would have allowed themselves to be led by the Lord and so their state would have been different. In that case also the evil which had entered their thought and will would have had no effect on them; that is to say, evil would not have come out of them but good, since, according to the Lord's words in Mark 7:15, it is not the things going in which affect a person but those coming out of him.

[7] Many are able to know this but few believe it. Even those who are evil can do so, but they still do not believe it since they prefer their own ideas, which they love to such an extent that when it is demonstrated to them that everything is such that it flows in they become worried and demand fiercely that they be allowed to live according to their own ideas, saying that if these are taken away from them they could not go on living. Such is the belief even of people who do know. These matters have been stated so that people might know what it is like with those communities of spirits which are governed by intermediate good, both when they are joined to others and when they are separated from them. That is to say, when joined to others they are not aware of the goods and truths being anything other than their own, when in fact they are not theirs.

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