The Bible

 

1 Mose 3

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1 Und die Schlange war listiger denn alle Tiere auf dem Felde, die Gott der HERR gemacht hatte, und sprach zu dem Weibe: Ja, sollte Gott gesagt haben: Ihr sollt nicht essen von allerlei Bäumen im Garten.

2 Da sprach das Weib zu der Schlange: Wir essen von den Früchten der Bäume im Garten;

3 aber von den Früchten des Baumes mitten im Garten hat Gott gesagt: Esset nicht davon, rühret es auch nicht an, daß ihr nicht sterbet!

4 Da sprach die Schlange zum Weibe: Ihr werdet mitnichten des Todes sterben;

5 sondern Gott weiß, daß, welches Tages ihr davon esset, so werden eure Augen aufgetan, und werdet sein wie Gott und wissen, was gut und böse ist.

6 Und das Weib schauete an, daß von dem Baum gut zu essen wäre und lieblich anzusehen, daß es ein lustiger Baum wäre, weil er klug machte, und nahm von der Frucht und und gab ihrem Mann auch davon, und er .

7 Da wurden ihrer beiden Augen aufgetan und wurden gewahr, daß sie nackend waren, und flochten Feigenblätter zusammen und machten ihnen Schürze.

8 Und sie höreten die Stimme Gottes des HERRN, der im Garten ging, da der Tag kühl worden war. Und Adam versteckte sich mit seinem Weibe vor dem Angesicht Gottes des HERRN unter die Bäume im Garten.

9 Und Gott der HERR rief Adam und sprach zu ihm: Wo bist du?

10 Und er sprach: Ich hörete deine Stimme im Garten und fürchtete mich, denn ich bin nackend; darum versteckte ich mich.

11 Und er sprach: Wer hat dir's gesagt, daß du nackend bist? Hast du nicht gegessen von dem Baum, davon ich dir gebot, du solltest nicht davon essen?

12 Da sprach Adam: Das Weib, das du mir zugesellet hast, gab mir von dem Baum, und ich .

13 Da sprach Gott der HERR zum Weibe: Warum hast du das getan? Das Weib sprach: Die Schlange betrog mich also, daß ich .

14 Da sprach Gott der HERR zu der Schlange: Weil du solches getan hast, seiest du verflucht vor allem Vieh und vor allen Tieren auf dem Felde. Auf deinem Bauch sollst du gehen und Erde essen dein Leben lang.

15 Und ich will Feindschaft setzen zwischen dir und dem Weibe und zwischen deinem Samen und ihrem Samen. Der selbe soll dir den Kopf zertreten, und du wirst ihn in die Ferse stechen.

16 Und zum Weibe sprach er: Ich will dir viel Schmerzen schaffen, wenn du schwanger wirst; du sollst mit Schmerzen Kinder gebären; und dein Wille soll deinem Mann unterworfen sein, und er soll dein HERR sein.

17 Und zu Adam sprach er: Dieweil du hast gehorchet der Stimme deines Weibes und gegessen von dem Bäume, davon ich dir gebot und sprach: Du sollst nicht davon essen; verflucht sei der Acker um deinetwillen; mit Kummer sollst du dich drauf nähren dein Leben lang.

18 Dornen und Disteln soll er dir tragen, und sollst das Kraut auf dem Felde essen.

19 Im Schweiß deines Angesichts sollst du dein Brot essen, bis daß du wieder zu Erde werdest, davon du genommen bist. Denn du bist Erde und sollst zu Erde werden.

20 Und Adam hieß sein Weib Heva, darum daß sie eine Mutter ist aller Lebendigen.

21 Und Gott der HERR machte Adam und seinem Weibe Röcke von Fellen und zog sie ihnen an,

22 Und Gott der HERR sprach: Siehe, Adam ist worden als unsereiner und weiß, was gut und böse ist. Nun aber, daß er nicht ausstrecke seine Hand und breche auch von dem Baum des Lebens und esse und lebe ewiglich:

23 da ließ ihn Gott der HERR aus dem Garten Eden, daß er das Feld bauete, davon er genommen ist,

24 und trieb Adam aus und lagerte vor den Garten Eden den Cherub mit einem bloßen hauenden Schwert, zu bewahren den Weg zu dem Baum des Lebens.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2219

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2219. 'They looked towards the face of Sodom' means the state of the human race. This is clear from the meaning of 'looking towards the face', here 'towards the face of Sodom'. In the Word 'the face' means all man's interiors - evil as well as good - for the reason that these shine out of the face, as shown in Volume One, in 358. Here therefore, because 'the face' is used in reference to Sodom, it is interior evils, which are those of self-love, that are meant; for interior evils in general are meant by 'Sodom', as will be evident from what follows in the next paragraph. The reason the worst evils of all originate in self-love is that self-love is destructive of human society, as shown above in 2045, and destructive of heavenly society, 2057. And since the perversity of the human race is recognized from that love, here 'the face of Sodom' means the state of the human race.

[2] In addition to this, it has been shown in various places in Volume One what the nature of self-love is, namely a love completely contrary to the order into which man was created. Unlike beasts man was endowed with rationality, to the end that every individual person may will what is good and do what is good to any other, thus to everyone in particular as to all in general. Such is the order into which man was created, and therefore it is love to God and love towards the neighbour which were intended to constitute man's life, which life was to mark him off from animals. Such also is the order of heaven which, it was intended, would exist in man while he was living in the world. He would thus be in the Lord's kingdom, into which he would also pass when he had cast off the body that had served him on earth, and in that kingdom would rise up into a state constantly increasing in heavenly perfection.

[3] But self-love is the chief, indeed the one and only, thing that destroys these loves. Love of the world is not so destructive; for although this is indeed contrary to the spiritual things of faith, self-love is diametrically opposed to the celestial things of love. For someone who loves himself does not love any others but tries to destroy everyone who fails to pay respect to him. Nor does he will what is good and do what is good to anybody except to one who is an extension of himself or can be made to become such, like something into which his evil desires and false notions have been so to speak engrafted. From this it is evident that self-love is the source from which all forms of hatred, all forms of revenge and cruelty well up, and also all forms of disgraceful presence and of deceit - thus every abominable thing that is contrary to the order that belongs to human society and contrary to the order of heavenly society.

[4] Indeed self-love is so abominable that when the restraints placed upon it are lifted, that is, when it is given the opportunity to do whatever it pleases, then even with those who belong to the lowest sort, it rushes with such urgency that it desires not only to exercise dominion over those nearest to it and over those close by, but also over the universe and even over the Supreme Divine Being Himself. Man is not indeed aware of this because he is held back by restraints he knows little about. But to the extent these restraints, as has been stated, are removed he very rapidly does the same. This I have been given to know from much experience in the next life. Because these things lie concealed within self-love, people governed by self-love and not endowed with the restraints of conscience, more than all others hate the Lord, and thus hate all the truths of faith, since these are the very laws of order in the Lord's kingdom. Such people dislike these laws so much as to loathe them, and this also shows itself openly in the next life. This love is also the head of the serpent which the seed of the woman, that is, the Lord, treads down, regarding which see Volume One, in 257.

[5] But self-love does not always present itself outwardly in arrogance and pride, for sometimes such people are able to regard the neighbour with charity. Some people are born with this outwardly charitable disposition, while others acquire it during childhood years, but after this it is subdued, though the outward disposition does still remain. But those governed by self-love are such as despise others and regard them as nothing in comparison with themselves. Nor do they have any concern whatever for the common good unless this exists for their benefit, they themselves being so to speak the common good. This applies especially to those who hate and persecute everyone who does not show them favour or serve them, and as far as possible they rob such persons of possessions, honour, reputation, and even life. Let those who behave intentionally in these ways realize that with them pre-eminently self-love is present.

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