The Bible

 

Postanak 6

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1 A kad se ljudi počeše množiti na zemlji, i kćeri im se narodiše.

2 Videći sinovi Božji kćeri čovečije kako su lepe uzimaše ih za žene koje hteše.

3 A Gospod reče: Neće se duh moj do veka preti s ljudima, jer su telo; neka im još sto dvadeset godina.

4 A beše tada divova na zemlji; a i posle, kad se sinovi Božji sastajahu sa kćerima čovečijim, pa im one rađahu sinove; to behu silni ljudi, od starine na glasu.

5 I Gospod videći da je nevaljalstvo ljudsko veliko na zemlji, i da su sve misli srca njihovog svagda samo zle,

6 Pokaja se Gospod što je stvorio čoveka na zemlji, i bi mu žao u srcu.

7 I reče Gospod: Hoću da istrebim sa zemlje ljude, koje sam stvorio, od čoveka do stoke i do sitne životinje i do ptica nebeskih; jer se kajem što sam ih stvorio.

8 Ali Noje nađe milost pred Gospodom.

9 Ovo su događaji Nojevi: Noje beše čovek pravedan i bezazlen svog veka; po volji Božjoj svagda življaše Noje.

10 I rodi Noje tri sina: Sima, Hama i Jafeta.

11 A zemlja se pokvari pred Bogom, i napuni se zemlja bezakonja.

12 I pogleda Bog na zemlju, a ona beše pokvarena; jer svako telo pokvari put svoj na zemlji.

13 I reče Bog Noju: Kraj svakom telu dođe preda me, jer napuniše zemlju bezakonja; i evo hoću da ih zatrem sa zemljom.

14 Načini sebi kovčeg od drveta gofera, i načini pregratke u kovčegu; i zatopi ga smolom iznutra i spolja.

15 I načini ga ovako; u dužinu neka bude trista lakata, u širinu pedeset lakata, i u visinu trideset lakata;

16 Pusti dosta svetlosti u kovčeg; i krov mu svedi ozgo od lakta; i udari vrata kovčegu sa strane; i načini ga na tri boja: donji, drugi i treći.

17 Jer evo pustiću potop na zemlju da istrebim svako telo u kome ima živa duša pod nebom; šta je god na zemlji sve će izginuti.

18 Ali ću s tobom učiniti zavet svoj: i ući ćeš u kovčeg ti i sinovi tvoji i žena tvoja i žene sinova tvojih s tobom.

19 I od svega živog, od svakog tela, uzećeš u kovčeg po dvoje, da sačuvaš u životu sa sobom, a muško i žensko neka bude.

20 Od ptica po vrstama njihovim, od stoke po vrstama njenim, i od svega što se miče na zemlji po vrstama njegovim, od svega po dvoje neka uđe s tobom, da ih sačuvaš u životu.

21 I uzmi sa sobom svega što se jede, i čuvaj kod sebe, da bude hrane tebi i njima.

22 I Noje učini, kako mu zapovedi Bog, sve onako učini.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #665

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665. That establishing a covenant' means that he would be regenerated becomes quite clear from the fact that the only kind of covenant that can exist between the Lord and man is conjunction by virtue of love and faith. And so a covenant means conjunction; indeed it is the heavenly marriage that is the supreme covenant of all. The heavenly marriage or conjunction does not show itself however except with people who are being regenerated. Regeneration itself therefore in the broadest sense is meant by a covenant. The Lord enters into a covenant with man when He regenerates him, and consequently among men of old a covenant had no other representation. From the sense of the letter no other impression is gained than that the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so often with their descendants, concerned just those personages. But those people were by nature such as to be incapable of being regenerated, for they focused worship exclusively on things that were external, and imagined external things to be sacred without things that are internal allied to them. Consequently the covenants made with them were no more than representations of regeneration, as were all their religious ceremonies, and as were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob themselves who represented the things of love and faith. In a similar way priests or high priests, whatever their character, including infamous ones, could represent the heavenly and most holy priesthood. In representations no attention is paid to the person who represents but to that which is represented by him. Thus all the kings of Israel and Judah, including the worst of them, represented the Lord's kingship, and so indeed did the Pharaoh who promoted Joseph over the land of Egypt. These and many other considerations which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on show that the covenants made so often with the sons of Jacob were nothing more than religious ceremonies which were representative.

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