The Bible

 

Genesis 29

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1 καὶ ἐξάρας ιακωβ τοὺς πόδας ἐπορεύθη εἰς γῆν ἀνατολῶν πρὸς λαβαν τὸν υἱὸν βαθουηλ τοῦ σύρου ἀδελφὸν δὲ ρεβεκκας μητρὸς ιακωβ καὶ ησαυ

2 καὶ ὁρᾷ καὶ ἰδοὺ φρέαρ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἦσαν δὲ ἐκεῖ τρία ποίμνια προβάτων ἀναπαυόμενα ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ φρέατος ἐκείνου ἐπότιζον τὰ ποίμνια λίθος δὲ ἦν μέγας ἐπὶ τῷ στόματι τοῦ φρέατος

3 καὶ συνήγοντο ἐκεῖ πάντα τὰ ποίμνια καὶ ἀπεκύλιον τὸν λίθον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ φρέατος καὶ ἐπότιζον τὰ πρόβατα καὶ ἀπεκαθίστων τὸν λίθον ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα τοῦ φρέατος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ

4 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς ιακωβ ἀδελφοί πόθεν ἐστὲ ὑμεῖς οἱ δὲ εἶπαν ἐκ χαρραν ἐσμέν

5 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς γινώσκετε λαβαν τὸν υἱὸν ναχωρ οἱ δὲ εἶπαν γινώσκομεν

6 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς ὑγιαίνει οἱ δὲ εἶπαν ὑγιαίνει καὶ ἰδοὺ ραχηλ ἡ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ ἤρχετο μετὰ τῶν προβάτων

7 καὶ εἶπεν ιακωβ ἔτι ἐστὶν ἡμέρα πολλή οὔπω ὥρα συναχθῆναι τὰ κτήνη ποτίσαντες τὰ πρόβατα ἀπελθόντες βόσκετε

8 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν οὐ δυνησόμεθα ἕως τοῦ συναχθῆναι πάντας τοὺς ποιμένας καὶ ἀποκυλίσωσιν τὸν λίθον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ φρέατος καὶ ποτιοῦμεν τὰ πρόβατα

9 ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος αὐτοῖς καὶ ραχηλ ἡ θυγάτηρ λαβαν ἤρχετο μετὰ τῶν προβάτων τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς αὐτὴ γὰρ ἔβοσκεν τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς

10 ἐγένετο δὲ ὡς εἶδεν ιακωβ τὴν ραχηλ θυγατέρα λαβαν ἀδελφοῦ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ πρόβατα λαβαν ἀδελφοῦ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ προσελθὼν ιακωβ ἀπεκύλισεν τὸν λίθον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ φρέατος καὶ ἐπότισεν τὰ πρόβατα λαβαν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ

11 καὶ ἐφίλησεν ιακωβ τὴν ραχηλ καὶ βοήσας τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ ἔκλαυσεν

12 καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν τῇ ραχηλ ὅτι ἀδελφὸς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς ἐστιν καὶ ὅτι υἱὸς ρεβεκκας ἐστίν καὶ δραμοῦσα ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτῆς κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα

13 ἐγένετο δὲ ὡς ἤκουσεν λαβαν τὸ ὄνομα ιακωβ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ ἔδραμεν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ καὶ περιλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἐφίλησεν καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ διηγήσατο τῷ λαβαν πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους

14 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ λαβαν ἐκ τῶν ὀστῶν μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου εἶ σύ καὶ ἦν μετ' αὐτοῦ μῆνα ἡμερῶν

15 εἶπεν δὲ λαβαν τῷ ιακωβ ὅτι γὰρ ἀδελφός μου εἶ οὐ δουλεύσεις μοι δωρεάν ἀπάγγειλόν μοι τίς ὁ μισθός σού ἐστιν

16 τῷ δὲ λαβαν δύο θυγατέρες ὄνομα τῇ μείζονι λεια καὶ ὄνομα τῇ νεωτέρᾳ ραχηλ

17 οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ λειας ἀσθενεῖς ραχηλ δὲ καλὴ τῷ εἴδει καὶ ὡραία τῇ ὄψει

18 ἠγάπησεν δὲ ιακωβ τὴν ραχηλ καὶ εἶπεν δουλεύσω σοι ἑπτὰ ἔτη περὶ ραχηλ τῆς θυγατρός σου τῆς νεωτέρας

19 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ λαβαν βέλτιον δοῦναί με αὐτὴν σοὶ ἢ δοῦναί με αὐτὴν ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ οἴκησον μετ' ἐμοῦ

20 καὶ ἐδούλευσεν ιακωβ περὶ ραχηλ ἔτη ἑπτά καὶ ἦσαν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ὡς ἡμέραι ὀλίγαι παρὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν αὐτὸν αὐτήν

21 εἶπεν δὲ ιακωβ πρὸς λαβαν ἀπόδος τὴν γυναῖκά μου πεπλήρωνται γὰρ αἱ ἡμέραι μου ὅπως εἰσέλθω πρὸς αὐτήν

22 συνήγαγεν δὲ λαβαν πάντας τοὺς ἄνδρας τοῦ τόπου καὶ ἐποίησεν γάμον

23 καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ λαβὼν λαβαν λειαν τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὴν πρὸς ιακωβ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτὴν ιακωβ

24 ἔδωκεν δὲ λαβαν λεια τῇ θυγατρὶ αὐτοῦ ζελφαν τὴν παιδίσκην αὐτοῦ αὐτῇ παιδίσκην

25 ἐγένετο δὲ πρωί καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦν λεια εἶπεν δὲ ιακωβ τῷ λαβαν τί τοῦτο ἐποίησάς μοι οὐ περὶ ραχηλ ἐδούλευσα παρὰ σοί καὶ ἵνα τί παρελογίσω με

26 εἶπεν δὲ λαβαν οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ἡμῶν δοῦναι τὴν νεωτέραν πρὶν ἢ τὴν πρεσβυτέραν

27 συντέλεσον οὖν τὰ ἕβδομα ταύτης καὶ δώσω σοι καὶ ταύτην ἀντὶ τῆς ἐργασίας ἧς ἐργᾷ παρ' ἐμοὶ ἔτι ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἕτερα

28 ἐποίησεν δὲ ιακωβ οὕτως καὶ ἀνεπλήρωσεν τὰ ἕβδομα ταύτης καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ λαβαν ραχηλ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ αὐτῷ γυναῖκα

29 ἔδωκεν δὲ λαβαν ραχηλ τῇ θυγατρὶ αὐτοῦ βαλλαν τὴν παιδίσκην αὐτοῦ αὐτῇ παιδίσκην

30 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς ραχηλ ἠγάπησεν δὲ ραχηλ μᾶλλον ἢ λειαν καὶ ἐδούλευσεν αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἕτερα

31 ἰδὼν δὲ κύριος ὅτι μισεῖται λεια ἤνοιξεν τὴν μήτραν αὐτῆς ραχηλ δὲ ἦν στεῖρα

32 καὶ συνέλαβεν λεια καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱὸν τῷ ιακωβ ἐκάλεσεν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ρουβην λέγουσα διότι εἶδέν μου κύριος τὴν ταπείνωσιν νῦν με ἀγαπήσει ὁ ἀνήρ μου

33 καὶ συνέλαβεν πάλιν λεια καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱὸν δεύτερον τῷ ιακωβ καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι ἤκουσεν κύριος ὅτι μισοῦμαι καὶ προσέδωκέν μοι καὶ τοῦτον ἐκάλεσεν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ συμεων

34 καὶ συνέλαβεν ἔτι καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱὸν καὶ εἶπεν ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ πρὸς ἐμοῦ ἔσται ὁ ἀνήρ μου ἔτεκον γὰρ αὐτῷ τρεῖς υἱούς διὰ τοῦτο ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ λευι

35 καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτι ἔτεκεν υἱὸν καὶ εἶπεν νῦν ἔτι τοῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαι κυρίῳ διὰ τοῦτο ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ιουδα καὶ ἔστη τοῦ τίκτειν

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #727

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727. It is well known that invitations to meals and banquets serve as a means to establish links and associations in the world. For the person who gives the invitation has in mind something contributing to his end in view, which concerns agreement and friendship. Far more then is this true of invitations which are aimed at spiritual ends. Dinners in the ancient churches were charitable ones, and it was much the same in the earliest days of the Christian church, where people strengthened one another's resolve to maintain the Lord's worship in heartfelt sincerity. The feasts of the Children of Israel on sacrifices beside the Tabernacle had no other meaning than unanimity in the worship of Jehovah. The meat that they used to eat was therefore called holy (Jeremiah 11:15; Hagg Jeremiah 2:12; and many other places), because it came from a sacrifice. What then of the bread and wine, and the Passover meat at the Lord's Supper, who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world?

[2] In addition, the link established with the Lord through the Holy Supper can be illustrated by the link between families descended from one ancestor. From him are descended blood relations, and in series kinsfolk and relatives. They all derive something from the founder of the line, but it is not so much flesh and blood. It is rather the soul and similar inclinations which they derive from flesh and blood that forms the link. The link is also generally apparent in their faces and their behaviour, so that they are called one flesh (as in Genesis 29:14; 37:27; 2 Samuel 5:1; 19:12-13, and elsewhere).

[3] It is much the same with linking with the Lord, who is the Father of all the faithful and blessed. Linking with Him takes place by means of love and faith, which together are called one flesh. This is why He said that 'if someone eats my flesh and drinks my blood, he remains in me and I in him' (John 6:56). Anyone can see that it is not bread and wine that do this, but the good of love, which is meant by bread, and the truth of faith, which is meant by wine. These are peculiar to the Lord, proceed from and are conferred by Him alone. Every link is forged by love, and love is not love if there is no trust. Those who believe that bread is flesh and wine is blood, being unable to lift their thoughts above this level, may cling to that belief; but in such a way as to believe that it is something very holy which makes a link with the Lord, which is being assigned for a person to make as if his own, although it constantly remains the Lord's.

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