The Bible

 

Postanak 8

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1 A Bog se opomenu Noja i svih zveri i sve stoke što behu s njim u kovčegu; i posla Bog vetar na zemlju da uzbije vodu.

2 I zatvoriše se izvori bezdanu i ustave nebeske, i dažd s neba prestade.

3 I stade voda opadati na zemlji, i jednako opadaše posle sto pedeset dana;

4 Te se ustavi kovčeg sedmog meseca dana sedamnaestog na planini Araratu.

5 I voda opadaše sve većma do desetog meseca; i prvog dana desetog meseca pokazaše se vrhovi od brda.

6 A posle četrdeset dana otvori Noje prozor na kovčegu, koji beše načinio;

7 I ispusti gavrana, koji jednako odletaše i doletaše dokle ne presahnu voda na zemlji.

8 Pa pusti i golubicu da bi video je li opala voda sa zemlje.

9 A golubica ne našavši gde bi stala nogom svojom vrati se k njemu u kovčeg, jer još beše voda po svoj zemlji; i Noje pruživši ruku uhvati je i uze k sebi u kovčeg.

10 I počeka još sedam dana, pa opet ispusti golubicu iz kovčega.

11 I pred veče vrati se k njemu golubica, i gle, u kljunu joj list maslinov, koji beše otkinula; tako pozna Noje da je opala voda sa zemlje.

12 Ali počeka još sedam dana, pa opet ispusti golubicu, a ona mu se više ne vrati.

13 Šest stotina prve godine veka Nojevog prvi dan prvog meseca usahnu voda na zemlji; i Noje otkri krov na kovčegu, i ugleda zemlju suvu.

14 A drugog meseca dvadeset sedmog dana beše sva zemlja suva.

15 Tada reče Bog Noju govoreći:

16 Izađi iz kovčega ti i žena tvoja i sinovi tvoji i žene sinova tvojih s tobom;

17 Sve zveri što su sa tobom od svakog tela, ptice i stoku i šta god gamiže po zemlji, izvedi sa sobom, neka se raziđu po zemlji, i neka se plode i množe na zemlji.

18 I iziđe Noje i sinovi njegovi i žena njegova i žene sinova njegovih s njim.

19 Sve zveri, sve sitne životinje, sve ptice i sve što se miče po zemlji po svojim vrstama iziđoše iz kovčega.

20 I načini Noje žrtvenik Gospodu, i uze od svake čiste stoke i od svih ptica čistih, i prinese na žrtveniku žrtve paljenice.

21 I Gospod omirisa miris ugodni, i reče u srcu svom: Neću više kleti zemlje s ljudi, što je misao srca čovečijeg zla od malena; niti ću više ubijati sve što živi, kao što učinih.

22 Od sada dokle bude zemlje, neće nestajati setve ni žetve, studeni ni vrućine, leta ni zime, dana ni noći.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #865

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865. That 'he sent out a raven, and it went out going back and forth' means that falsities were still giving trouble is clear from the meaning of 'a raven' and from the meaning of 'going back and forth', dealt with in the paragraphs following this. Here the description is of the second state following temptation of the person who is to be regenerated, when the truths of faith start to appear as a first glimmer of light. This is the kind of state in which falsities are continually giving trouble. It is a state resembling the morning twilight when the obscurity of the night is still lingering on. That state is therefore meant here by 'the raven'. The falsities residing with a spiritual man, especially before he has been regenerated, are as thick patches of cloud, the reason being that he is incapable of knowing any truth of faith except from things that have been revealed in the Word where all things are stated in a general way. General statements there are nothing else than patches of cloud, for any one general statement embraces thousands of details, and each detail thousands of finer points. Those finer points constituting details are what light up the general statements. These have never been so revealed to mankind because they are both indescribable and also in-comprehensible, and so can neither be acknowledged nor believed. In fact they are contrary to the illusions of the senses which govern man, and to whose destruction he does not readily consent.

[2] The case is altogether different with the celestial man, who has perception from the Lord. In him details and their finer points can be implanted. Take, for example, the consideration that true marriage is a marriage of one man and one wife; and that such a marriage is representative of the heavenly marriage, and as a consequence can contain heavenly happiness, something that is not possible when one man has several wives. The spiritual man, who knows of this from the Word of the Lord, gives his assent to it and so acquires a conscience which dictates that being married to several wives is a sin. Beyond this his knowledge does not go. The celestial man however perceives thousands of details which so confirm the point that the thought of marriage to several makes him shudder. When the spiritual man's knowledge amounts to simply a general view of things, and his conscience is formed from that general view, and when the general statements of the Word are adapted to the illusions of the senses, it is clear that countless falsities which cannot be dispersed will attach themselves and worm their way in. These falsities are meant here by 'the raven that went out going back and forth'.

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