The Bible

 

1 Mosebok 16

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1 Sarai, Abrams hustru, fødte ham ikke barn; men hun hadde en egyptisk trælkvinne, som hette Hagar.

2 Og Sarai sa til Abram: Se, Herren har nektet mig barn; gå derfor inn til min trælkvinne! Kanskje jeg kunde få et barn ved henne. Og Abram lød Sarais råd.

3 Så tok Sarai, Abrams hustru, og lot Abram, sin mann, få egypterkvinnen Hagar, som var hennes trælkvinne, til hustru; da var det ti år siden Abram hadde bosatt sig i Kana'ans land.

4 Og han gikk inn til Hagar, og hun blev fruktsommelig; men da hun så at hun var blitt fruktsommelig, ringeaktet hun sin frue.

5 Da sa Sarai til Abram: Den urett jeg lider, er du skyld i; jeg har selv gitt min trælkvinne i din favn; men nu, da hun ser at hun er fruktsommelig, ringeakter hun mig; Herren skal dømme mellem mig og dig.

6 Da sa Abram til Sarai: Se, din trælkvinne råder du selv over; gjør med henne som du synes. Og Sarai var hård mot henne, og hun rømte fra henne.

7 Men Herrens engel fant henne ved vannkilden i ørkenen, ved kilden på veien til Sur.

8 Og han sa: Hagar, Sarais trælkvinne, hvor kommer du fra, og hvor akter du dig hen? Hun svarte: Jeg har flyktet fra min frue Sarai.

9 Da sa Herrens engel til henne: Gå tilbake til din frue, og bøi dig under henne!

10 Og Herrens engel sa til henne: Jeg vil gjøre din ætt så tallrik at den ikke skal kunne telles for mengde.

11 Og Herrens engel sa videre til henne: Se, du er fruktsommelig og skal føde en sønn, og du skal kalle ham Ismael*; for Herren har hørt din nød. / {* Gud hører.}

12 Og han skal bli et vill-asen av et menneske; hans hånd skal være mot alle, og alles hånd mot ham; og han skal bo østenfor alle sine brødre.

13 Og hun gav Herren, som hadde talt med henne, navnet "Du er Gud, den som ser". For hun sa: Har jeg virkelig fått se ham som ser mig?

14 Derfor kaller de brønnen Lakai o'is brønn*; den ligger mellem Kades og Bered. / {* d.e. den levendes brønn som ser mig.}

15 Og Hagar fødte Abram en sønn; og Abram kalte den sønn som Hagar hadde født ham, Ismael.

16 Abram var seks og åtti år gammel da Hagar fødte ham Ismael.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1964

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1964. When Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. That this signifies when the life of the affection of memory-knowledges brought forth the rational, is evident from the signification of “Hagar” as being the life of the affection of memory-knowledges; and from the signification of “Ishmael,” as being the rational first conceived, treated of above. As in this chapter the subject treated of is man’s rational, and as there is described the quality of the rational when constituted solely of truths, and also when of goods and of truths derived from goods, be it known that the rational cannot possibly be conceived and born, that is, formed, apart from knowledges [scientifica et cognitiones] but these knowledges must have use as their end, and when they have use, they have life as their end, for all life belongs to uses, because it belongs to ends, and therefore unless knowledges are learned for the sake of a life of uses, they are of no moment, because of no use.

[2] From these knowledges alone, without a life of use, the rational becomes as here described, resembling a wild-ass, morose, pugnacious, and characterized by a parched and dry life, from a kind of love of truth that is defiled with the love of self. But when these knowledges have use as their end, they receive life from uses, yet life of such a quality as is that of the uses. They who learn knowledges in order that they may be perfected in the faith of love-for true and real faith is love to the Lord and toward the neighbor-are in the use of all uses, and receive spiritual and celestial life from the Lord; and when they are in this life, they have a capacity to perceive all things of the Lord’s kingdom. In this life are all angels; and because they are in this life they are in intelligence itself and wisdom itself.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 16

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1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 Sarai said to Abram, "See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

3 Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.

4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you."

6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

7 The angel of Yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai."

9 The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands."

10 The angel of Yahweh said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude."

11 The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction.

12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers."

13 She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?"

14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.