The Bible

 

Postanak 4

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1 Iza toga Adam pozna Jevu ženu svoju, a ona zatrudne i rodi Kajina, i reče: Dobih čoveka od Gospoda.

2 I rodi opet brata njegovog Avelja. I Avelj posta pastir a Kajin ratar.

3 A posle nekog vremena dogodi se, te Kajin prinese Gospodu prinos od roda zemaljskog;

4 A i Avelj prinese od prvina stada svog i od njihove pretiline. I Gospod pogleda na Avelja i na njegov prinos,

5 A na Kajina i na njegov prinos ne pogleda. Zato se Kajin rasrdi veoma, i lice mu se promeni.

6 Tada reče Gospod Kajinu: Što se srdiš? Što li ti se lice promeni?

7 Nećeš li biti mio, kad dobro činiš? A kad ne činiš dobro, greh je na vratima. A volja je njegova pod tvojom vlašću, i ti si mu stariji.

8 Posle govoraše Kajin s Aveljem bratom svojim. Ali kad behu u polju, skoči Kajin na Avelja brata svog, i ubi ga.

9 Tada reče Gospod Kajinu: Gde ti je brat Avelj? A on odgovori: Ne znam; zar sam ja čuvar brata svog?

10 A Bog reče: Šta učini! Glas krvi brata tvog viče sa zemlje k meni.

11 I sada, da si proklet na zemlji, koja je otvorila usta svoja da primi krv brata tvog iz ruke tvoje.

12 Kad zemlju uzradiš, neće ti više davati blaga svog. Bićeš potukač i begunac na zemlji.

13 A Kajin reče Gospodu: Krivica je moja velika da mi se ne može oprostiti.

14 Evo me teraš danas iz ove zemlje da se krijem ispred Tebe, i da se skitam i potucam po zemlji, pa će me ubiti ko me udesi.

15 A Gospod mu reče: Zato ko ubije Kajina, sedam će se puta to pokajati. I načini Gospod znak na Kajinu da ga ne ubije ko ga udesi.

16 I otide Kajin ispred Gospoda, i naseli se u zemlji naidskoj na istoku prema Edemu.

17 I pozna Kajin ženu svoju, a ona zatrudne i rodi Enoha. I sazida grad i prozva ga po imenu sina svog Enoh.

18 A Enohu rodi se Gaidad; a Gaidad rodi Maleleila: a Maleleilo rodi Matusala; a Matusal rodi Lameha.

19 I uze Lameh dve žene: jednoj beše ime Ada a drugoj Sela.

20 I Ada rodi Jovila; od njega se narodiše koji žive pod šatorima i stoku pasu.

21 A bratu njegovom beše ime Juval; od njega se narodiše gudači i svirači.

22 A i Sela rodi Tovela, koji beše vešt kovati svašta od bronze i od gvožđa; a sestra Tovelu beše Noema.

23 I reče Lameh svojim ženama, Adi i Seli: Čujte glas moj, žene Lamehove, poslušajte reči moje: ubiću čoveka za ranu svoju i mladića za masnicu svoju.

24 Kad će se Kajin osvetiti sedam puta, Lameh će sedamdeset i sedam puta.

25 A Adam opet pozna ženu svoju, i ona rodi sina, i nade mu ime Sit, jer mi, reče, Bog dade drugog sina za Avelja, kog ubi Kajin.

26 I Situ se rodi sin, kome nadede ime Enos. Tada se poče prizivati ime Gospodnje.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #409

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409. The same applied to the heresy called Cain, which was vastated with the passage of time, for it did, it is true, acknowledge love, yet it made faith the chief thing and set it above love. The heresies descending from Cain however gradually strayed even from this, and Lamech, who was the sixth in the line, went so far as to reject faith altogether. At this point new light or the morning began to dawn, and a new Church came into being which is here called 'Adah and Zillah', the names of the wives of Lamech. They are called the wives of Lamech, who was devoid of any faith, just as the internal and external Church among the Jews, who were also devoid of any faith, are in the Word called wives. The same was also represented by Leah and Rachel, Jacob's two wives, Leah representing the external Church and Rachel the internal. These Churches, seemingly two, are nevertheless one, for a Church that is purely external or representative and lacks the internal is something completely idolatrous or dead, but the internal Church and the external together constitute one and the same Church, as Adah and Zillah do here. But because, like Lamech, Jacob, that is, the descendants of Jacob, were totally devoid of faith, the Church could not continue with them. Instead it was transferred to gentiles whose lives were not contrary to faith but were without knowledge. Rarely, if ever, does a Church remain with people who, once vastated, are in possession of truths. Instead it is transferred to those who know absolutely nothing about such truths, for such people embrace faith far more easily than the former do.

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