The Bible

 

Postanak 15

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1 Posle ovih stvari dođe Avramu reč Gospodnja u utvari govoreći: Ne boj se, Avrame, ja sam ti štit, i plata je tvoja vrlo velika.

2 A Avram reče Gospode, Gospode, šta ćeš mi dati kad živim bez dece, a pa kome će ostati moja kuća to je Elijezer ovaj Damaštanin?

3 Još reče Avram: Eto meni nisi dao poroda, pa će sluga rođen u kući mojoj biti moj naslednik.

4 A gle, Gospod mu progovori: Neće taj biti naslednik tvoj, nego koji će izaći od tebe taj će ti biti naslednik.

5 Pa ga izvede napolje i reče mu: Pogledaj na nebo i prebroj zvezde, ako ih možeš prebrojati. I reče mu: Tako će ti biti seme tvoje.

6 I poverova Avram Bogu, a On mu primi to u pravdu.

7 I reče mu: Ja sam Gospod, koji te izvedoh iz Ura haldejskog da ti dam zemlju ovu da bude tvoja.

8 A on reče: Gospode, Gospode, po čemu ću poznati da će biti moja?

9 I reče mu: Prinesi mi junicu od tri godine i kozu od tri godine i ovna od tri godine i grlicu i golupče.

10 I on uze sve to, i raseče na pole, i metnu sve pole jednu prema drugoj; ali ne raseče ptice.

11 A ptice sletahu na te mrtve životinje; a Avram ih odgoniše.

12 A kad sunce beše na zalasku, uhvati Avrama tvrd san, i gle, strah i mrak velik obuze ga.

13 I Gospod reče Avramu: Znaj zacelo da će seme tvoje biti došljaci u zemlji tuđoj, pa će joj služiti, i ona će ih mučiti četiri stotine godina.

14 Ali ću suditi i narodu kome će služiti; a posle će oni izaći s velikim blagom.

15 A ti ćeš otići k ocima svojim u miru, i bićeš pogreben u dobroj starosti.

16 A oni će se u četvrtom kolenu vratiti ovamo; jer gresima amorejskim još nije kraj.

17 A kad se sunce smiri i kad se smrče, gle, pećse dimljaše, i plamen ognjeni prolažaše između onih delova.

18 Taj dan učini Gospod zavet s Avramom govoreći: Semenu tvom dadoh zemlju ovu od vode misirske do velike vode, vode Efrata,

19 Kenejsku, kenezejsku i kedmonejsku,

20 I hetejsku i ferezejsku i rafajsku,

21 I amorejsku i hananejsku i gergesejsku i jevusejsku.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1835

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1835. And Abram drove them away. That this signifies that the Lord put them to flight, is evident from what has been said. And such also is the case with a church when it is beginning to recede from charity. Evils and the falsities thence derived are then more easily put to flight, for as yet the church is in a state that is not so far removed from charity, and thus men’s minds are more easily bent. But in process of time evils and the falsities derived from them increase, and so are confirmed and strengthened; and this is treated of in what follows.

[2] So far as possible the Lord is continually putting evils and falsities to flight, but through conscience. When conscience is relaxed, there is no medium through which the Lord can flow in, for the Lord’s influx with man is by means of charity into his conscience. But in place of this charity a new medium succeeds and is formed, which is external, namely, the fear of the law, fear for life, for honors and wealth, and the reputation from these. But these are not of conscience; they are only external bonds which enable a man to live in society with others, and to appear as a friend, whatsoever he may be inwardly.

[3] But this medium, or these bonds, are of no account in the other life, for there externals are removed, and everyone remains as he is internally. There are very many who have lived a moral and a civic life, have injured no one, have performed acts of friendship and civility, nay, have done good to many, but only for the sake of self, with a view to honors, gain, and the like. In the other life these are among the infernals, because they have nothing of good and truth within, but only evil and falsity, nay, hatred, revenge, cruelty, adulteries, which do not appear before man, that is to say insofar as the fears just referred to, which are external bonds, prevail.

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