The Bible

 

Genesis 14

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1 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῇ αμαρφαλ βασιλέως σεννααρ αριωχ βασιλεὺς ελλασαρ καὶ χοδολλογομορ βασιλεὺς αιλαμ καὶ θαργαλ βασιλεὺς ἐθνῶν

2 ἐποίησαν πόλεμον μετὰ βαλλα βασιλέως σοδομων καὶ μετὰ βαρσα βασιλέως γομορρας καὶ σεννααρ βασιλέως αδαμα καὶ συμοβορ βασιλέως σεβωιμ καὶ βασιλέως βαλακ αὕτη ἐστὶν σηγωρ

3 πάντες οὗτοι συνεφώνησαν ἐπὶ τὴν φάραγγα τὴν ἁλυκήν αὕτη ἡ θάλασσα τῶν ἁλῶν

4 δώδεκα ἔτη ἐδούλευον τῷ χοδολλογομορ τῷ δὲ τρισκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει ἀπέστησαν

5 ἐν δὲ τῷ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει ἦλθεν χοδολλογομορ καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέκοψαν τοὺς γίγαντας τοὺς ἐν ασταρωθ καρναιν καὶ ἔθνη ἰσχυρὰ ἅμα αὐτοῖς καὶ τοὺς ομμαίους τοὺς ἐν σαυη τῇ πόλει

6 καὶ τοὺς χορραίους τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν σηιρ ἕως τῆς τερεμίνθου τῆς φαραν ἥ ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

7 καὶ ἀναστρέψαντες ἤλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν τῆς κρίσεως αὕτη ἐστὶν καδης καὶ κατέκοψαν πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας αμαληκ καὶ τοὺς αμορραίους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν ασασανθαμαρ

8 ἐξῆλθεν δὲ βασιλεὺς σοδομων καὶ βασιλεὺς γομορρας καὶ βασιλεὺς αδαμα καὶ βασιλεὺς σεβωιμ καὶ βασιλεὺς βαλακ αὕτη ἐστὶν σηγωρ καὶ παρετάξαντο αὐτοῖς εἰς πόλεμον ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι τῇ ἁλυκῇ

9 πρὸς χοδολλογομορ βασιλέα αιλαμ καὶ θαργαλ βασιλέα ἐθνῶν καὶ αμαρφαλ βασιλέα σεννααρ καὶ αριωχ βασιλέα ελλασαρ οἱ τέσσαρες βασιλεῖς πρὸς τοὺς πέντε

10 ἡ δὲ κοιλὰς ἡ ἁλυκὴ φρέατα φρέατα ἀσφάλτου ἔφυγεν δὲ βασιλεὺς σοδομων καὶ βασιλεὺς γομορρας καὶ ἐνέπεσαν ἐκεῖ οἱ δὲ καταλειφθέντες εἰς τὴν ὀρεινὴν ἔφυγον

11 ἔλαβον δὲ τὴν ἵππον πᾶσαν τὴν σοδομων καὶ γομορρας καὶ πάντα τὰ βρώματα αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπῆλθον

12 ἔλαβον δὲ καὶ τὸν λωτ υἱὸν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αβραμ καὶ τὴν ἀποσκευὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπῴχοντο ἦν γὰρ κατοικῶν ἐν σοδομοις

13 παραγενόμενος δὲ τῶν ἀνασωθέντων τις ἀπήγγειλεν αβραμ τῷ περάτῃ αὐτὸς δὲ κατῴκει πρὸς τῇ δρυὶ τῇ μαμβρη ὁ αμορις τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ εσχωλ καὶ ἀδελφοῦ αυναν οἳ ἦσαν συνωμόται τοῦ αβραμ

14 ἀκούσας δὲ αβραμ ὅτι ᾐχμαλώτευται λωτ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἠρίθμησεν τοὺς ἰδίους οἰκογενεῖς αὐτοῦ τριακοσίους δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ καὶ κατεδίωξεν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἕως δαν

15 καὶ ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τὴν νύκτα αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐδίωξεν αὐτοὺς ἕως χωβα ἥ ἐστιν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δαμασκοῦ

16 καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν πᾶσαν τὴν ἵππον σοδομων καὶ λωτ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπέστρεψεν καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὸν λαόν

17 ἐξῆλθεν δὲ βασιλεὺς σοδομων εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ μετὰ τὸ ἀναστρέψαι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τοῦ χοδολλογομορ καὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν κοιλάδα τὴν σαυη τοῦτο ἦν τὸ πεδίον βασιλέως

18 καὶ μελχισεδεκ βασιλεὺς σαλημ ἐξήνεγκεν ἄρτους καὶ οἶνον ἦν δὲ ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου

19 καὶ ηὐλόγησεν τὸν αβραμ καὶ εἶπεν εὐλογημένος αβραμ τῷ θεῷ τῷ ὑψίστῳ ὃς ἔκτισεν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν

20 καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὕψιστος ὃς παρέδωκεν τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποχειρίους σοι καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων

21 εἶπεν δὲ βασιλεὺς σοδομων πρὸς αβραμ δός μοι τοὺς ἄνδρας τὴν δὲ ἵππον λαβὲ σεαυτῷ

22 εἶπεν δὲ αβραμ πρὸς βασιλέα σοδομων ἐκτενῶ τὴν χεῖρά μου πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν ὕψιστον ὃς ἔκτισεν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν

23 εἰ ἀπὸ σπαρτίου ἕως σφαιρωτῆρος ὑποδήματος λήμψομαι ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν σῶν ἵνα μὴ εἴπῃς ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐπλούτισα τὸν αβραμ

24 πλὴν ὧν ἔφαγον οἱ νεανίσκοι καὶ τῆς μερίδος τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν συμπορευθέντων μετ' ἐμοῦ εσχωλ αυναν μαμβρη οὗτοι λήμψονται μερίδα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1683

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1683. That 'they drew up for battle with them' means that they made an attack is clear from the meaning of 'drawing up for battle' as making an assault, for in verses 3-4 above it is said that they rebelled. The same is also evident from the consideration that evil spirits are the ones who attack. For the truth of the matter is that the Lord never began the conflict with any hell, but that the hells attacked Him, as is also the case with everyone who undergoes temptation, that is, is engaged in conflict with evil spirits. Never in man's case do the angels make the attack, but it is always and constantly the evil or hellish spirits who do so. The angels merely ward off and defend. This disposition comes from the Lord, who never wishes to afflict anyone with evil or thrust him down into hell, not even if he were the worst and bitterest enemy of all. It is the person who afflicts himself with evil and so rushes into hell. This also follows from the very nature of evil and the very nature of good. The inherent nature of evil is to wish to injure everyone, but the inherent nature of good is to injure none. The evil are acting in conformity with their own life when they are attacking, for their constant desire is to destroy. The good are acting in conformity with their own life when they attack nobody, and when they can be of use in defending others from evils.

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