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Genesis 18

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1 ωφθη δε αυτω ο θεος προς τη δρυι τη μαμβρη καθημενου αυτου επι της θυρας της σκηνης αυτου μεσημβριας

2 αναβλεψας δε τοις οφθαλμοις αυτου ειδεν και ιδου τρεις ανδρες ειστηκεισαν επανω αυτου και ιδων προσεδραμεν εις συναντησιν αυτοις απο της θυρας της σκηνης αυτου και προσεκυνησεν επι την γην

3 και ειπεν κυριε ει αρα ευρον χαριν εναντιον σου μη παρελθης τον παιδα σου

4 λημφθητω δη υδωρ και νιψατωσαν τους ποδας υμων και καταψυξατε υπο το δενδρον

5 και λημψομαι αρτον και φαγεσθε και μετα τουτο παρελευσεσθε εις την οδον υμων ου εινεκεν εξεκλινατε προς τον παιδα υμων και ειπαν ουτως ποιησον καθως ειρηκας

6 και εσπευσεν αβρααμ επι την σκηνην προς σαρραν και ειπεν αυτη σπευσον και φυρασον τρια μετρα σεμιδαλεως και ποιησον εγκρυφιας

7 και εις τας βοας εδραμεν αβρααμ και ελαβεν μοσχαριον απαλον και καλον και εδωκεν τω παιδι και εταχυνεν του ποιησαι αυτο

8 ελαβεν δε βουτυρον και γαλα και το μοσχαριον ο εποιησεν και παρεθηκεν αυτοις και εφαγοσαν αυτος δε παρειστηκει αυτοις υπο το δενδρον

9 ειπεν δε προς αυτον που σαρρα η γυνη σου ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν ιδου εν τη σκηνη

10 ειπεν δε επαναστρεφων ηξω προς σε κατα τον καιρον τουτον εις ωρας και εξει υιον σαρρα η γυνη σου σαρρα δε ηκουσεν προς τη θυρα της σκηνης ουσα οπισθεν αυτου

11 αβρααμ δε και σαρρα πρεσβυτεροι προβεβηκοτες ημερων εξελιπεν δε σαρρα γινεσθαι τα γυναικεια

12 εγελασεν δε σαρρα εν εαυτη λεγουσα ουπω μεν μοι γεγονεν εως του νυν ο δε κυριος μου πρεσβυτερος

13 και ειπεν κυριος προς αβρααμ τι οτι εγελασεν σαρρα εν εαυτη λεγουσα αρα γε αληθως τεξομαι εγω δε γεγηρακα

14 μη αδυνατει παρα τω θεω ρημα εις τον καιρον τουτον αναστρεψω προς σε εις ωρας και εσται τη σαρρα υιος

15 ηρνησατο δε σαρρα λεγουσα ουκ εγελασα εφοβηθη γαρ και ειπεν ουχι αλλα εγελασας

16 εξανασταντες δε εκειθεν οι ανδρες κατεβλεψαν επι προσωπον σοδομων και γομορρας αβρααμ δε συνεπορευετο μετ' αυτων συμπροπεμπων αυτους

17 ο δε κυριος ειπεν μη κρυψω εγω απο αβρααμ του παιδος μου α εγω ποιω

18 αβρααμ δε γινομενος εσται εις εθνος μεγα και πολυ και ενευλογηθησονται εν αυτω παντα τα εθνη της γης

19 ηδειν γαρ οτι συνταξει τοις υιοις αυτου και τω οικω αυτου μετ' αυτον και φυλαξουσιν τας οδους κυριου ποιειν δικαιοσυνην και κρισιν οπως αν επαγαγη κυριος επι αβρααμ παντα οσα ελαλησεν προς αυτον

20 ειπεν δε κυριος κραυγη σοδομων και γομορρας πεπληθυνται και αι αμαρτιαι αυτων μεγαλαι σφοδρα

21 καταβας ουν οψομαι ει κατα την κραυγην αυτων την ερχομενην προς με συντελουνται ει δε μη ινα γνω

22 και αποστρεψαντες εκειθεν οι ανδρες ηλθον εις σοδομα αβρααμ δε ην εστηκως εναντιον κυριου

23 και εγγισας αβρααμ ειπεν μη συναπολεσης δικαιον μετα ασεβους και εσται ο δικαιος ως ο ασεβης

24 εαν ωσιν πεντηκοντα δικαιοι εν τη πολει απολεις αυτους ουκ ανησεις παντα τον τοπον ενεκεν των πεντηκοντα δικαιων εαν ωσιν εν αυτη

25 μηδαμως συ ποιησεις ως το ρημα τουτο του αποκτειναι δικαιον μετα ασεβους και εσται ο δικαιος ως ο ασεβης μηδαμως ο κρινων πασαν την γην ου ποιησεις κρισιν

26 ειπεν δε κυριος εαν ευρω εν σοδομοις πεντηκοντα δικαιους εν τη πολει αφησω παντα τον τοπον δι' αυτους

27 και αποκριθεις αβρααμ ειπεν νυν ηρξαμην λαλησαι προς τον κυριον εγω δε ειμι γη και σποδος

28 εαν δε ελαττονωθωσιν οι πεντηκοντα δικαιοι πεντε απολεις ενεκεν των πεντε πασαν την πολιν και ειπεν ου μη απολεσω εαν ευρω εκει τεσσαρακοντα πεντε

29 και προσεθηκεν ετι λαλησαι προς αυτον και ειπεν εαν δε ευρεθωσιν εκει τεσσαρακοντα και ειπεν ου μη απολεσω ενεκεν των τεσσαρακοντα

30 και ειπεν μη τι κυριε εαν λαλησω εαν δε ευρεθωσιν εκει τριακοντα και ειπεν ου μη απολεσω εαν ευρω εκει τριακοντα

31 και ειπεν επειδη εχω λαλησαι προς τον κυριον εαν δε ευρεθωσιν εκει εικοσι και ειπεν ου μη απολεσω ενεκεν των εικοσι

32 και ειπεν μη τι κυριε εαν λαλησω ετι απαξ εαν δε ευρεθωσιν εκει δεκα και ειπεν ου μη απολεσω ενεκεν των δεκα

33 απηλθεν δε κυριος ως επαυσατο λαλων τω αβρααμ και αβρααμ απεστρεψεν εις τον τοπον αυτου

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2284

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2284. Peradventure ten shall be found there. That this signifies if there should still be remains, is evident from the signification of the number “ten,” as being remains (explained in Part First,n. 576, 1738). What remains are has been stated and shown before in various places (as in n. 468, 530, 560, 561, 660, 661, 1050, 1738, 1906), namely, that they are all the good and all the truth with man which lie stored up in his memories and in his life.

[2] It is well known that there is nothing good and nothing true, except from the Lord; and also that what is good and true is continually inflowing from the Lord into man, but that it is received in various ways, and in fact in accordance with the life of evil, and in accordance with the principles of falsity in which the man has confirmed himself. These are what either quench, or stifle, or pervert the goods and truths that are continually flowing in from the Lord. Lest therefore goods should be commingled with evils, and truths with falsities (for if they were commingled the man would perish eternally), the Lord separates them, and stores up in his interior man the goods and truths which the man receives; whence He will never permit them to come forth so long as the man is in evil and falsity, but only at such a time as he is in a holy state, or in some anxiety, sickness, or other trouble. These things which the Lord has thus stored up with man are what are called “remains,” of which very much mention is made in the Word; but it has not yet been known to anyone that this is what they signify.

[3] According to the quality and quantity of the remains-that is, of the good and truth with a man-does he enjoy bliss and happiness in the other life; for, as has been said, these remains are stored up in his interior man, and they are opened at the time when the man has left corporeal and worldly things behind. The Lord alone knows the quality and extent of the remains in a man; the man himself cannot possibly know this, for at the present day man is of such a character that he is able to counterfeit what is good, while within there is nothing but evil; and a man may also appear to be evil and yet have good within. On this account no man is ever allowed to judge concerning the quality of the spiritual life of another, for the Lord alone, as before said, knows this; but everyone may judge of another in regard to the quality of his moral and civil life, for this concerns society.

[4] It is very common for those who have taken up an opinion respecting any truth of faith, to judge of others that they cannot be saved, unless they believe as they do-a judgment which the Lord has forbidden (Matthew 7:1-2). On the other hand, I have learned from much experience that men of every religion are saved, provided that by a life of charity they have received remains of good and of apparent truth. This is what is meant by its being said that if ten were found, they should not be destroyed for the ten’s sake; by which is signified that they would be saved if there were remains.

[5] The life of charity consists in thinking kindly of another, and in wishing him well; and in perceiving joy in oneself from the fact that others also are saved. But those have not the life of charity who desire that none should be saved except those who believe as they do; and especially is this the case with those who are indignant that it is otherwise. This may be seen from the mere fact that more from the Gentiles are saved than from Christians; for those Gentiles who have thought kindly of their neighbor and have wished well to him, receive the truths of faith in the other life better than those who are called Christians, and acknowledge the Lord more than Christians do. For nothing is more delightful and blessed to the angels than to instruct those who come from the earth into the other life.

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

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