The Bible

 

1 Mosebok 1

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1 I begynnelsen skapte Gud himmelen og jorden.

2 Og jorden var øde og tom, og det var mørke over det store dyp, og Guds Ånd svevde over vannene.

3 Da sa Gud: Det bli lys! Og det blev lys.

4 Og Gud så at lyset var godt, og Gud skilte lyset fra mørket.

5 Og Gud kalte lyset dag, og mørket kalte han natt. Og det blev aften, og det blev morgen, første dag.

6 Og Gud sa: Det bli en hvelving midt i vannene, og den skal skille vann fra vann.

7 Og Gud gjorde hvelvingen og skilte vannet som er under hvelvingen, fra vannet som er over hvelvingen. Og det blev så.

8 Og Gud kalte hvelvingen himmel. Og det blev aften, og det blev morgen, annen dag.

9 Og Gud sa: Vannet under himmelen samle sig til ett sted, og det blev så.

10 Og Gud kalte det tørre land jord, og vannet som hadde samlet sig, kalte han hav. Og Gud så at det var godt.

11 Og Gud sa: Jorden bære frem gress, urter som sår sig, frukttrær som bærer frukt med deres frø i, på jorden, hvert efter sitt slag. Og det blev så.

12 Og jorden bar frem gress, urter som sår sig, hver efter sitt slag, og trær som bærer frukt med deres frø i, hvert efter sitt slag. Og Gud så at det var godt.

13 Og det blev aften, og det blev morgen, tredje dag.

14 Og Gud sa: Det bli lys på himmelhvelvingen til å skille dagen fra natten! Og de skal være til tegn og fastsatte tider og dager og år.

15 Og de skal være til lys på himmelhvelvingen, til å lyse over jorden. Og det blev så.

16 Og Gud gjorde de to store lys, det største til å råde om dagen og det mindre til å råde om natten, og stjernene.

17 Og Gud satte dem på himmelhvelvingen til å lyse over jorden

18 og til å råde om dagen og om natten og til å skille lyset fra mørket. Og Gud så at det var godt.

19 Og det blev aften, og det blev morgen, fjerde dag.

20 Og Gud sa: Det vrimle av liv i vannet, og fugler flyve over jorden under himmelhvelvingen!

21 Og Gud skapte de store sjødyr og alt levende som rører sig, som det vrimler av i vannet, hvert efter sitt slag, og alle vingede fugler, hver efter sitt slag. Og Gud så at det var godt.

22 Og Gud velsignet dem og sa: Vær fruktbare og bli mange og opfyll vannet i havet, og fuglene skal bli tallrike på jorden!

23 Og det blev aften, og det blev morgen, femte dag.

24 Og Gud sa: Jorden la fremgå levende vesener, hvert efter sitt slag, fe, kryp og ville dyr, hvert efter sitt slag! Og det blev så.

25 Og Gud gjorde de ville dyr, hvert efter sitt slag, og feet efter sitt slag og alt jordens kryp, hvert efter sitt slag. Og Gud så at det var godt.

26 Og Gud sa: La oss gjøre mennesker i vårt billede, efter vår lignelse, og de skal råde over fiskene i havet og over fuglene under himmelen og over feet og over all jorden og over alt kryp som rører sig på jorden.

27 Og Gud skapte mennesket i sitt billede, i Guds billede skapte han det; til mann og kvinne skapte han dem.

28 Og Gud velsignet dem og sa til dem: Vær fruktbare og bli mange og opfyll jorden og legg den under eder, og råd over fiskene i havet og over fuglene under himmelen og over hvert dyr som rører sig på jorden!

29 Og Gud sa: Se, jeg gir eder alle urter som sår sig, alle som finnes på jorden, og alle trær med frukt som sår sig; de skal være til føde for eder.

30 Og alle dyr på jorden og alle fugler under himmelen og alt som rører sig på jorden, alt som det er livsånde i, gir jeg alle grønne urter å ete. Og det blev så.

31 Og Gud så på alt det han hadde gjort, og se, det var såre godt. Og det blev aften, og det blev morgen, sjette dag.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8935

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8935. 'An altar of soil you shall make for Me' means something which in a general way represents worship that springs from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative of the Lord and consequently of the worship of Him, dealt with in 921, 2777, 2811, 4489, 4541; and from the meaning of 'soil' or 'the ground' as good. The reason why 'the ground' stands for good is that a Church which abides in good is meant by 'the ground', 566. This is why Adam was said to be formed from the ground, at Genesis 2:7; 3:19; for one who belonged to the celestial Church, that is, the Church itself abiding in good, was meant by him, 478, 479. Since there are two entities that inspire worship of the Lord - goodness and truth - worship springing from good was represented by an altar of soil, while worship springing from truth was represented by an altar of stones. Both kinds of altars are the subject here; and those two entities that inspire worship are called faith and charity. Worship springing from truth has connection with faith, and worship springing from good has connection with charity.

[2] As regards worship inspired by faith and worship inspired by charity, or that which springs from truth and that which springs from good, the situation is that before a person has been regenerated his worship consists of truth, but after he has been regenerated it consists of good. Before a person has been regenerated he is led by means of truth to good, that is, by means of faith to charity; but when he has been regenerated he abides in good and consequently in truth, that is, in charity and consequently in faith, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658. These two kinds of worship are what the altars of soil and of stone represent. The reason why the altar is the chief representative of worship of the Lord is that burnt offerings and sacrifices were offered on it; and it was in these that the worship of God by the Hebrew nation, and subsequently by the Israelite and Jewish nation, chiefly consisted, 923, 1343, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519, 6405.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #940

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940. The majority in this hell are Jews who have been disgustingly avaricious, and when they come among other spirits their presence is detected as the stench of mice. While on the subject of Jews let some account of their cities and of the robbers in the desert be given to show how wretched their condition is after death, that is to say, the condition of those who have been disgustingly avaricious and who, because of the arrogance bred into them, have looked down on others and imagined that they alone were the elect.

[2] As a result of their having conceived and confirmed for themselves during their lifetime the false notion that they would enter into Jerusalem and would possess the Holy Land - not wishing to know that by the New Jerusalem is meant the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth - a city appears to them when they enter the next life on the left side of Gehenna and a little to the front. Into the city they stream in solid masses. That city however is muddy and stinking, and is therefore called the filthy Jerusalem. There they rush in all directions through its streets, ankle-deep in sludge and mud, wailing and lamenting as they do so. This city, including its streets, they see with their eyes; it is a representation to them, as in clear daylight, of the kind of people they are. I have indeed seen that city frequently.

[3] A swarthy person coming out of this filthy Jerusalem once appeared before me, the gate seeming to be opened. Roving around him, chiefly on his left side, there were stars - in the world of spirits stars roving around a spirit mean falsities; the meaning is different when the stars are not roving around. He came up to me and pressed himself to the upper part of my left ear which he seemingly touched with his mouth so as to speak to me. No sound came from him as from others when he spoke; instead he spoke within himself, yet his speech was such that I heard and understood. He said that he was a Jewish rabbi and had been in that muddy city for a long time. He also said that the streets of the city were nothing but sludge and mud wherever you went, and that there was nothing else but muck to eat.

[4] I asked why it was so that he, being a spirit, should desire to eat at all. He said that he did eat, and when he desired to eat, he was offered nothing other than muck, which he moaned about exceedingly. Saying that he had not found Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he asked what he ought therefore to do. I told him certain facts concerning these three, and added that he was seeking them in vain. Even when he found them, I said, they could be no possible help whatever. In addition to mentioning other deeper matters I said that nobody at all ought to be sought except the Lord alone, who is the Messiah whom during their lifetime these Jews had rejected with contempt. I went on to say that He rules the whole heaven and the whole earth, and that help comes from none other. He asked eagerly and repeatedly, 'Where is He?' I said that He is found everywhere, and that He hears and knows us all. But at that point some other Jewish spirits dragged him away.

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