The Bible

 

1 Mosebok 28

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1 Da kalte Isak Jakob til sig og velsignet ham og bød ham og sa til ham: Du skal ikke ta nogen av Kana'ans døtre til hustru.

2 Gjør dig rede og dra til Mesopotamia, til din morfar Betuels hus, og hent dig en hustru derfra, en av din morbror Labans døtre!

3 Og Gud den allmektige velsigne dig og gjøre dig fruktbar og gi dig en tallrik ætt, så du blir til en hel skare av folkeslag,

4 han gi dig Abrahams velsignelse, både dig og din ætt, så du kommer til å eie det land hvor du nu bor som fremmed, det som Gud gav Abraham!

5 Så lot Isak Jakob reise; og han drog til Mesopotamia, til arameeren Laban, Betuels sønn, som var bror til ebekka, Jakobs og Esaus mor.

6 Da Esau så at Isak hadde velsignet Jakob og sendt ham til Mesopotamia for å hente sig en hustru derfra - at han hadde velsignet ham og gitt ham den befaling: Du skal ikke ta nogen av Kana'ans døtre til hustru -

7 og at Jakob hadde adlydt sin far og sin mor og var reist til Mesopotamia,

8 og da Esau så at Kana'ans døtre mishaget Isak, hans far,

9 så gikk han til Ismael og tok Mahalat, datter til Abrahams sønn Ismael, Nebajots søster, til hustru foruten sine andre hustruer.

10 Jakob tok ut fra Be'erseba og gav sig på veien til Karan.

11 Og han kom til et sted hvor han blev natten over, for solen var gått ned; og han tok en av stenene som lå der, og la den under sitt hode, og så la han sig til å sove der.

12 Da drømte han og så en stige som var stilt op på jorden, og hvis topp nådde til himmelen, og se, Guds engler steg op og steg ned på den.

13 Og se, Herren stod øverst på den og sa: Jeg er Herren, din far Abrahams Gud og Isaks Gud; det land som du nu ligger i, det vil jeg gi dig og din ætt.

14 Og din ætt skal bli som støvet på jorden, og du skal utbrede dig mot vest og mot øst og mot nord og mot syd, og i dig og i din ætt skal alle jordens slekter velsignes

15 Og se, jeg er med dig og vil bevare dig hvor du så går, og jeg vil føre dig tilbake til dette land; jeg vil ikke forlate dig før jeg har gjort det jeg har lovt dig.

16 Da Jakob våknet av sin søvn, sa han: Sannelig, Herren er på dette sted, og jeg visste det ikke.

17 Og det kom en frykt over ham, og han sa: Hvor forferdelig er ikke dette sted ! Her er visselig Guds hus, her er himmelens port.

18 Morgenen efter stod Jakob tidlig op og tok den sten han hadde lagt under sitt hode, og reiste den op som en minnesten, og han helte olje over den.

19 Og han kalte dette sted Betel*; før hette byen Luz. / {* Guds hus.}

20 Og Jakob gjorde et løfte og sa: Dersom Gud vil være med mig og bevare mig på denne min ferd og gi mig brød å ete og klær å klæ mig med,

21 og jeg kommer vel hjem igjen til min fars hus, så skal Herren være min Gud,

22 og denne sten som jeg har reist op som en minnesten, skal være et Guds hus, og av alt det du gir mig, vil jeg gi dig tiende.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3691

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3691. And went toward Haran. That this signifies to the good and truth of that degree, is evident from the signification of “Haran,” as being external good and truth, for by “Haran” is signified what is external, and by “Laban” who dwelt there, good and truth; thus by “Haran” is here meant external good and truth. (That this is the signification of “Haran” may be seen above, n. 1430, 3612.) It follows that by “Jacob went forth from Beersheba and went to Haran,” in the internal sense is signified that he betook himself further from Divine doctrinal things; thus to external good and truth.

[2] It is said “to good and truth of that degree,” because goods and truths are perfectly distinguished from each other according to degrees; interior goods and truths being in a higher degree, and exterior ones in a lower degree. In a higher degree are the goods and truths of the rational; in a lower degree are the goods and truths of the natural; and in the lowest are the sensuous goods and truths of the body. Interior goods and truths, or those of a higher degree, flow into exterior goods and truths, or those of a lower degree, and exhibit therein an image of themselves, almost as man’s interior affections exhibit themselves in the countenance and its changes. From this it is manifest that interior goods and truths are completely separate from exterior goods and truths, or what is the same, those in a higher degree from those in a lower one; so separate that it is possible for the interior ones, or those in a higher degree, to exist quite apart from the exterior ones, or those in a lower degree. He who has not a distinct notion of degrees cannot have a distinct notion of interior and exterior goods, nor how the case is with man’s soul, or with his spirit and body, nor how it is with the heavens in the other life.

[3] That there are three heavens is known, and that one heaven is more interior than another, and that the third heaven is inmost. These heavens are most distinct from each other according to degrees. They who are in the inmost or third heaven are nearest the Lord; they who are in the interior or second heaven are more remote; and they who are in the exterior or first heaven are still more remote. No other communication between these heavens is possible than such as is that of man’s inmosts with his exteriors; for the man who is in love to the Lord and in charity toward his neighbor is a little heaven that in an image corresponds to the three heavens, and he receives the influx of good and truth out of the three heavens from the Lord according to the same degrees. The relative nature of these degrees to one another may be seen from the two cases adduced above (n. 3688, 3690).

[4] They who are in real love to the Lord, so as to have a perception of it, are in a higher degree of good and truth, and are in the inmost or third heaven; thus are nearer to the Lord, and are called celestial angels. They who are in charity toward the neighbor so as to have a perception of charity, and not so much a perception of love to the Lord, are in a lower degree of good and truth, and are in the interior or second heaven; thus are more remote from the Lord, and are called spiritual angels. But they who are in charity toward the neighbor merely from the affection of truth, so as not to have a perception of charity itself toward the neighbor, except from the truth with which they are affected, are in a still lower degree of good and truth, and are in the exterior or first heaven; thus are still more remote from the Lord, and are called good spirits.

[5] From this it may in some measure be evident how the case is in respect to degrees; namely, that those things which are in a higher degree exhibit themselves in an image in those which are in the degree next lower. In love to the Lord there is a proximate image of the Lord, which is called a “likeness,” wherefore they who are in love itself to the Lord are called His “likenesses.” In charity there is also an image of the Lord (only more remote), for in true charity the Lord is present; and therefore they who are therein are called His “images” (n. 50, 51, 1013); while they who are in the affection of truth, and thence in a certain species of charity toward the neighbor, are also images of the Lord, but still more remotely. The three heavens are distinguished into these degrees, and according to these degrees the Lord flows in with Divine good and truth, thus with wisdom and intelligence, and with heavenly joy and happiness.

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