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The Bible

 

Genesis 24

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1 καὶ αβρααμ ἦν πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμερῶν καὶ κύριος εὐλόγησεν τὸν αβρααμ κατὰ πάντα

2 καὶ εἶπεν αβρααμ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ τῷ ἄρχοντι πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ θὲς τὴν χεῖρά σου ὑπὸ τὸν μηρόν μου

3 καὶ ἐξορκιῶ σε κύριον τὸν θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὸν θεὸν τῆς γῆς ἵνα μὴ λάβῃς γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν χαναναίων μεθ' ὧν ἐγὼ οἰκῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς

4 ἀλλὰ εἰς τὴν γῆν μου οὗ ἐγενόμην πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν

5 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ παῖς μήποτε οὐ βούλεται ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετ' ἐμοῦ ὀπίσω εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀποστρέψω τὸν υἱόν σου εἰς τὴν γῆν ὅθεν ἐξῆλθες ἐκεῖθεν

6 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν αβρααμ πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸν υἱόν μου ἐκεῖ

7 κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῆς γῆς ὃς ἔλαβέν με ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἧς ἐγενήθην ὃς ἐλάλησέν μοι καὶ ὤμοσέν μοι λέγων σοὶ δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθέν σου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν

8 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλῃ ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετὰ σοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην καθαρὸς ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅρκου τούτου μόνον τὸν υἱόν μου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ἐκεῖ

9 καὶ ἔθηκεν ὁ παῖς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν μηρὸν αβρααμ τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου

10 καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ παῖς δέκα καμήλους ἀπὸ τῶν καμήλων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὴν μεσοποταμίαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ναχωρ

11 καὶ ἐκοίμισεν τὰς καμήλους ἔξω τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὕδατος τὸ πρὸς ὀψέ ἡνίκα ἐκπορεύονται αἱ ὑδρευόμεναι

12 καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ εὐόδωσον ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ σήμερον καὶ ποίησον ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ

13 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος αἱ δὲ θυγατέρες τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν πόλιν ἐκπορεύονται ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ

14 καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω ἐπίκλινον τὴν ὑδρίαν σου ἵνα πίω καὶ εἴπῃ μοι πίε καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πίνουσαι ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου ισαακ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου αβρααμ

15 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι αὐτὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ἰδοὺ ρεβεκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἡ τεχθεῖσα βαθουηλ υἱῷ μελχας τῆς γυναικὸς ναχωρ ἀδελφοῦ δὲ αβρααμ ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων αὐτῆς

16 ἡ δὲ παρθένος ἦν καλὴ τῇ ὄψει σφόδρα παρθένος ἦν ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν καταβᾶσα δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν ἔπλησεν τὴν ὑδρίαν καὶ ἀνέβη

17 ἐπέδραμεν δὲ ὁ παῖς εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν πότισόν με μικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου

18 ἡ δὲ εἶπεν πίε κύριε καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ καθεῖλεν τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τὸν βραχίονα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτόν

19 ἕως ἐπαύσατο πίνων καὶ εἶπεν καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι ἕως ἂν πᾶσαι πίωσιν

20 καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ ἐξεκένωσεν τὴν ὑδρίαν εἰς τὸ ποτιστήριον καὶ ἔδραμεν ἔτι ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἀντλῆσαι καὶ ὑδρεύσατο πάσαις ταῖς καμήλοις

21 ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος κατεμάνθανεν αὐτὴν καὶ παρεσιώπα τοῦ γνῶναι εἰ εὐόδωκεν κύριος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ

22 ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἐπαύσαντο πᾶσαι αἱ κάμηλοι πίνουσαι ἔλαβεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐνώτια χρυσᾶ ἀνὰ δραχμὴν ὁλκῆς καὶ δύο ψέλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς δέκα χρυσῶν ὁλκὴ αὐτῶν

23 καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπεν θυγάτηρ τίνος εἶ ἀνάγγειλόν μοι εἰ ἔστιν παρὰ τῷ πατρί σου τόπος ἡμῖν καταλῦσαι

24 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ θυγάτηρ βαθουηλ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ τοῦ μελχας ὃν ἔτεκεν τῷ ναχωρ

25 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα πολλὰ παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ τόπος τοῦ καταλῦσαι

26 καὶ εὐδοκήσας ὁ ἄνθρωπος προσεκύνησεν κυρίῳ

27 καὶ εἶπεν εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ ὃς οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου ἐμὲ εὐόδωκεν κύριος εἰς οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου

28 καὶ δραμοῦσα ἡ παῖς ἀπήγγειλεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα

29 τῇ δὲ ρεβεκκα ἀδελφὸς ἦν ᾧ ὄνομα λαβαν καὶ ἔδραμεν λαβαν πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔξω ἐπὶ τὴν πηγήν

30 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα εἶδεν τὰ ἐνώτια καὶ τὰ ψέλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅτε ἤκουσεν τὰ ῥήματα ρεβεκκας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ λεγούσης οὕτως λελάληκέν μοι ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἑστηκότος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν καμήλων ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς

31 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ δεῦρο εἴσελθε εὐλογητὸς κύριος ἵνα τί ἕστηκας ἔξω ἐγὼ δὲ ἡτοίμακα τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τόπον ταῖς καμήλοις

32 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἀπέσαξεν τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα ταῖς καμήλοις καὶ ὕδωρ νίψασθαι τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ

33 καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ἄρτους φαγεῖν καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ φάγω ἕως τοῦ λαλῆσαί με τὰ ῥήματά μου καὶ εἶπαν λάλησον

34 καὶ εἶπεν παῖς αβρααμ ἐγώ εἰμι

35 κύριος δὲ εὐλόγησεν τὸν κύριόν μου σφόδρα καὶ ὑψώθη καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχους ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας καμήλους καὶ ὄνους

36 καὶ ἔτεκεν σαρρα ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ κυρίου μου υἱὸν ἕνα τῷ κυρίῳ μου μετὰ τὸ γηρᾶσαι αὐτόν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἦν αὐτῷ

37 καὶ ὥρκισέν με ὁ κύριός μου λέγων οὐ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν χαναναίων ἐν οἷς ἐγὼ παροικῶ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν

38 ἀλλ' ἢ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκεῖθεν

39 εἶπα δὲ τῷ κυρίῳ μου μήποτε οὐ πορεύσεται ἡ γυνὴ μετ' ἐμοῦ

40 καὶ εἶπέν μοι κύριος ᾧ εὐηρέστησα ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εὐοδώσει τὴν ὁδόν σου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς μου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου

41 τότε ἀθῷος ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρᾶς μου ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐὰν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν φυλὴν καὶ μή σοι δῶσιν καὶ ἔσῃ ἀθῷος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁρκισμοῦ μου

42 καὶ ἐλθὼν σήμερον ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν εἶπα κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ εἰ σὺ εὐοδοῖς τὴν ὁδόν μου ἣν νῦν ἐγὼ πορεύομαι ἐπ' αὐτήν

43 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐφέστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῆς πόλεως ἐξελεύσονται ὑδρεύσασθαι ὕδωρ καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πότισόν με μικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου

44 καὶ εἴπῃ μοι καὶ σὺ πίε καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι αὕτη ἡ γυνή ἣν ἡτοίμασεν κύριος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ θεράποντι ισαακ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι πεποίηκας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου αβρααμ

45 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι με λαλοῦντα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ εὐθὺς ρεβεκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων καὶ κατέβη ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν καὶ ὑδρεύσατο εἶπα δὲ αὐτῇ πότισόν με

46 καὶ σπεύσασα καθεῖλεν τὴν ὑδρίαν αὐτῆς ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς καὶ εἶπεν πίε σύ καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ καὶ ἔπιον καὶ τὰς καμήλους μου ἐπότισεν

47 καὶ ἠρώτησα αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπα τίνος εἶ θυγάτηρ ἡ δὲ ἔφη θυγάτηρ βαθουηλ εἰμὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ναχωρ ὃν ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ μελχα καὶ περιέθηκα αὐτῇ τὰ ἐνώτια καὶ τὰ ψέλια περὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς

48 καὶ εὐδοκήσας προσεκύνησα κυρίῳ καὶ εὐλόγησα κύριον τὸν θεὸν τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ ὃς εὐόδωσέν μοι ἐν ὁδῷ ἀληθείας λαβεῖν τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ

49 εἰ οὖν ποιεῖτε ὑμεῖς ἔλεος καὶ δικαιοσύνην πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι εἰ δὲ μή ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι ἵνα ἐπιστρέψω εἰς δεξιὰν ἢ εἰς ἀριστεράν

50 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ λαβαν καὶ βαθουηλ εἶπαν παρὰ κυρίου ἐξῆλθεν τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦτο οὐ δυνησόμεθα οὖν σοι ἀντειπεῖν κακὸν καλῷ

51 ἰδοὺ ρεβεκκα ἐνώπιόν σου λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε καὶ ἔστω γυνὴ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ κυρίου σου καθὰ ἐλάλησεν κύριος

52 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν παῖδα τὸν αβρααμ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κυρίῳ

53 καὶ ἐξενέγκας ὁ παῖς σκεύη ἀργυρᾶ καὶ χρυσᾶ καὶ ἱματισμὸν ἔδωκεν ρεβεκκα καὶ δῶρα ἔδωκεν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτῆς καὶ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς

54 καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὄντες καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν καὶ ἀναστὰς πρωὶ εἶπεν ἐκπέμψατέ με ἵνα ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου

55 εἶπαν δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μεινάτω ἡ παρθένος μεθ' ἡμῶν ἡμέρας ὡσεὶ δέκα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπελεύσεται

56 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς μὴ κατέχετέ με καὶ κύριος εὐόδωσεν τὴν ὁδόν μου ἐκπέμψατέ με ἵνα ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου

57 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν καλέσωμεν τὴν παῖδα καὶ ἐρωτήσωμεν τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς

58 καὶ ἐκάλεσαν ρεβεκκαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ πορεύσῃ μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου ἡ δὲ εἶπεν πορεύσομαι

59 καὶ ἐξέπεμψαν ρεβεκκαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν παῖδα τὸν αβρααμ καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ

60 καὶ εὐλόγησαν ρεβεκκαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ ἀδελφὴ ἡμῶν εἶ γίνου εἰς χιλιάδας μυριάδων καὶ κληρονομησάτω τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰς πόλεις τῶν ὑπεναντίων

61 ἀναστᾶσα δὲ ρεβεκκα καὶ αἱ ἅβραι αὐτῆς ἐπέβησαν ἐπὶ τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἀναλαβὼν ὁ παῖς τὴν ρεβεκκαν ἀπῆλθεν

62 ισαακ δὲ ἐπορεύετο διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου κατὰ τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως αὐτὸς δὲ κατῴκει ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ πρὸς λίβα

63 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ισαακ ἀδολεσχῆσαι εἰς τὸ πεδίον τὸ πρὸς δείλης καὶ ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδεν καμήλους ἐρχομένας

64 καὶ ἀναβλέψασα ρεβεκκα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδεν τὸν ισαακ καὶ κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς καμήλου

65 καὶ εἶπεν τῷ παιδί τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ εἰς συνάντησιν ἡμῖν εἶπεν δὲ ὁ παῖς οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κύριός μου ἡ δὲ λαβοῦσα τὸ θέριστρον περιεβάλετο

66 καὶ διηγήσατο ὁ παῖς τῷ ισαακ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐποίησεν

67 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ ισαακ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν ρεβεκκαν καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ γυνή καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὐτήν καὶ παρεκλήθη ισαακ περὶ σαρρας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3203

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3203. 'And dropped down from upon the camel' means the separation of this affection from facts within the natural man, at the point when rational good was seen. This is clear from the meaning of 'dropped down' as being separated, and from the meaning of 'camels' as facts within the natural man, dealt with in 3048, 3071. That the separation took place when rational good, represented by Isaac, was seen is self-evident. What is meant by being separated from the natural man has been stated and shown above in 3161, 3175, 3182, 3188, 3190. There one may see that the affection for truth is separated from the natural man at the point when truth ceases to be merely something known and becomes a matter of life. For when it becomes a matter of life, then - through the person's habitual reliance on it - that truth permeates his whole being in the way that his innate disposition or character does. And when it permeates him in this way it flows so to speak spontaneously into action - without his thinking about any fact he has learned regarding that truth. Indeed when it becomes a matter of life, that truth can command those facts, drawing on innumerable ones as confirmations. The situation with all truth is that at its earliest stage it is merely something known, but as it develops with a person it becomes a matter of life. It is as it is with young children when they learn to walk, to talk, to think, and to use their intelligence and make sensible judgements. Once these activities - through habitual engagement in them - have become unpremeditated and so spontaneous, they disappear from among the facts they possess about how to do those things, because they are now instinctive.

[2] A similar situation also exists with the things that constitute the cognitions of spiritual good and truth among people whom the Lord is regenerating or causing to be born again. At first they are exactly like young children, in that at that time the spiritual truths which they possess exist as facts, for when matters of doctrine are learned and introduced into the memory they are nothing other than facts. But then the Lord summons those facts from the memory one after another and implants them in the person's life, that is, in good; for good is his life. Once this has happened a conversion so to speak takes place, that is to say, the person starts to act from good, that is, from life, and no longer from knowledge as he had done previously. Accordingly, anyone who is being born anew is like a young child in this respect; but they are matters to do with spiritual life that he absorbs, so that he does not act from doctrine, or truth, but from charity, or good. When this happens a state of blessedness begins with him and wisdom begins to exist with him. These considerations show what separation from facts within the natural man is, meant by Rebekah's dropping down from upon the camel, which she did before she knew that it was Isaac. These details, as anyone may see, embody arcana within them.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3175

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3175. 'Let the girl stay with us' means being kept back by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying' as being kept back, as is also evident from the train of thought in the internal sense. For the fact of the matter is that nobody is ever born into any truth at all, not even into any natural truth, such as the commandments not to steal, nor to kill, nor to commit adultery, and so on. Still less is he born into any spiritual truth, such as the truth that there is a God, that he has an inner being which will live after death; and so of himself such a person does not know anything whatever of that which has to do with eternal life. Every commandment and truth has to be learned by him, and if he did not learn them he would be far worse than any animal; for because of his heredity he is inclined to love himself above everybody else and to crave possession of everything that exists in the world. Consequently unless the laws of society, and the fear of losing position, gain, reputation, and life restrained him he would without any sense of conscience steal, kill, or commit adultery. The truth of this is absolutely plain, for even a person who has been taught nevertheless acts in such ways without conscience. Indeed he defends his actions and finds many arguments to support the lawfulness of them. What would he be like if he were not given any teaching at all? It is similar in spiritual things, in that among those who have been born within the Church, who possess the Word, and who are constantly receiving teaching, there are nevertheless very many who ascribe little, or scarcely anything, to God but every single thing to natural causes. They are accordingly people who in their hearts do not believe in the existence of any God, nor thus that they will live after death. Consequently they are people who do not wish to know anything at all about things to do with eternal life.

[2] From these considerations it is evident that no one is born into any truth but that everything has to be learned - learned by an external way, namely that of hearing and sight. By this way truth has to be introduced into and implanted in a person's memory; but so long as truth is confined to the memory it is merely knowledge. So that truth may suffuse a person it has to be summoned from the memory and taken more towards the interior parts of his mind; for he is a human being by virtue of what is interiorly in him, which is the rational part of his mind. For without the faculty of reason no one is a human being. The character of a person's rationality, and the amount he has, therefore determine what kind of a human being and how much of a human being he is. No one can possibly be rational unless good exists in him. The good which sets the human being above other living beings consists in loving God and loving the neighbour. All human good comes from that source, to which good truth has to be introduced and joined, within the rational. Truth is introduced and joined to good when a person loves God and loves the neighbour, for in that case truth enters into good, since good and truth mutually acknowledge each other. Indeed good is the source of all truth, and truth regards good as its own end in view and as its own soul - thus the source of its life.

[3] But it is not easy for truth to be separated from the natural man and to be raised up from there into the rational, for present in the natural man there are delusions, there are evil desires, and there are false persuasions. During the time these are present there and are linking themselves to truth the natural man holds on to such truth and does not allow it to be raised up into the rational. This is what is meant in the internal sense by these words, 'Let the girl stay with us for a week or ten days; after that you will go'. The reason for this is that it doubts the truth and it reasons whether it really is the truth. But as soon as the evil desires and false persuasions, with their resulting delusions, are separated by the Lord, and that person - from good - begins to reject his reasonings against truth, and to treat his doubts with disdain, truth is in a condition to depart from the natural, to be raised up into the rational and to assume a state of good. For in this case truth comes to be truth rooted in good, and possesses life.

[4] To make these matters more intelligible let some examples be taken: It is a spiritual truth that all good comes from the Lord and all evil from hell. This truth has to be firmly established and elucidated in many ways before it can be raised up from the natural man into the rational. Nor can it possibly be raised up in that direction until the love of God abides in a person. For previously that truth is not acknowledged and so not believed. It is similar with other truths, such as with the truth that Divine providence exists in the most individual aspects of everything, and if it did not exist in these it would not exist in the whole. Or with the truth that a person first starts to live when that which in the world he believes to constitute the whole of life perishes and that the life which he now receives is in comparison with the life he had previously beyond words and boundless, and that no one has any knowledge at all of this life as long as he is under the influence of evil. These truths and others like them cannot be believed unless the person is governed by good. Good is what comprehends them, for the Lord flows in with wisdom by way of good.

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

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