The Bible

 

Postanak 14

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1 A kad beše Amarfal car senarski, Arion car elasarski, Hodologomor car elamski i Targal car gojimski,

2 Zavojevaše na Valu cara sodomskog, i na Varsu cara gomorskog, i na Senara cara adamskog, i na Simovora cara sevojimskog i na cara od Valake, koja je sada Sigor.

3 Svi se ovi skupiše u dolini sidimskoj koja je sada slano more.

4 Dvanaest godina behu služili Hodologomoru, pa trinaeste godine odmetnuše se.

5 A četrnaeste godine dođe Hodologomor i carevi koji behu s njim, i pobiše Rafaje u Astarotu karnajimskom i Zuzeje u Amu i Omeje u polju kirijatajskom,

6 I Horeje u planini njihovoj Siru do ravnice Faranske pokraj pustinje.

7 Od tuda vrativši se dođoše u En-Mispat, koji je sada Kadis, i isekoše sve koji živehu u zemlji amaličkoj, i Amoreje koji živehu u Asason-Tamaru.

8 Tada iziđe car sodomski i car gomorski i car adamski i car sevojimski i car od Valake, koje je sada Sigor, izađoše na njih u dolinu sidimsku,

9 Na Hodologomora cara elamskog, i na Targala cara gojimskog, i na Amarfala cara senarskog, i na Arioha cara elasarskog, četiri cara na pet.

10 A u dolini sidimskoj beše mnogo rupa iz kojih se vadila smola; i pobeže car sodomski i car gomorski, i onde padoše, a šta osta pobeže u planinu.

11 I uzeše sve blago u Sodomu i Gomoru i svu hranu njihovu, i otidoše.

12 Uzeše i Lota, sinovca Avramovog, i blago njegovo, i otidoše, jer živeše u Sodomu.

13 A dođe jedan koji beše utekao, te javi Avramu Jevrejinu, koji živeše u ravni Mamrija Amorejina, brata Esholu i brata Avnanu, koji behu u veri s Avramom.

14 A kad Avram ču da mu se zarobio sinovac, naoruža sluge svoje, trista osamnaest, koji se rodiše u njegovoj kući, i pođe u poteru do Dana.

15 Onde razdelivši svoje udari na njih noću sa slugama svojim, i razbi ih, i otera ih do Hovala, koji je na levo od Damaska,

16 I povrati sve blago; povrati i Lota sinovca svog s blagom njegovim, i žene i ljude.

17 A car sodomski iziđe mu na susret kad se vrati razbivši Hodologomora i careve što behu s njim, u dolinu Savinu, koje je sada dolina careva.

18 A Melhisedek car salimski iznese hleb i vino; a on beše sveštenik Boga Višnjeg.

19 I blagoslovi ga govoreći: Blagosloven da je Avram Bogu Višnjem, čije je nebo i zemlja!

20 I blagosloven da je Bog Višnji, koji predade neprijatelje tvoje u ruke tvoje! I dade mu Avram desetak od svega.

21 A car sodomski reče Avramu: Daj meni ljude, a blago uzmi sebi.

22 A Avram reče caru sodomskom: Dižem ruku svoju ka Gospodu Bogu Višnjem, čije je nebo i zemlja, zaklinjući se:

23 Ni konca ni remena od obuće neću uzeti od svega što je tvoje, da ne kažeš: Ja sam obogatio Avrama;

24 Osim što su pojeli momci, i osim dela ljudima koji su išli sa mnom, Esholu, Avnanu i Mamriju, oni neka uzmu svoj deo.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1742

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1742. 'Give me the people and take the acquisitions for yourself' 1 means that He was to give them life and they would not care about anything else. This is clear from the meaning of 'soul' as life, dealt with already in 1000, 1005, 1040, and from the meaning of 'acquisitions' as all the other things that do not belong properly to life, dealt with immediately below.

[2] The life that evil spirits have and love desperately is the life belonging to the desires that derive from self-love and love of the world - consequently the life that goes with hatred, revenge, and cruelty; and they imagine that no delight can exist in any other kind of life. They are like men, for they have been men and retain this conviction from their life when they were men. They centre all life in the delight that accompanies such desires; indeed they know no other than that this life is the only life, and that when they lose it they will die completely. The nature of the life they love is clear from those like them in the next life. There it is converted into a life that stinks most disgustingly, yet what is remarkable, they perceive that stench as something most delightful, as becomes clear from what has been told from experience in 820, 954.

[3] The same applies to the devils who, having been cast out of the demoniac by the Lord, begged for fear of their lives to be sent into the pigs, Mark 5:7-13. That these were people who during their lifetime had surrendered themselves to foul avarice becomes clear from the fact that such people seem to themselves in the next life to spend their time among pigs. They do so because the life of pigs corresponds to avarice, and therefore they find it delightful, as is clear in what has been told from experience in 939.

Footnotes:

1. literally, Give me the soul[s], and keep the acquisition[s] for yourself

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