The Bible

 

Deuteronomio 18

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1 LOS sacerdotes Levitas, toda la tribu de Leví, no tendrán parte ni heredad con Israel; de las ofrendas encendidas á Jehová, y de la heredad de él comerán.

2 No tendrán, pues, heredad entre sus hermanos: Jehová es su heredad, como él les ha dicho.

3 Y este será el derecho de los sacerdotes de parte del pueblo, de los que ofrecieren en sacrificio buey ó cordero: darán al sacerdote la espalda, y las quijadas, y el cuajar.

4 Las primicias de tu grano, de tu vino, y de tu aceite, y las primicias de la lana de tus ovejas le darás:

5 Porque le ha escogido Jehová tu Dios de todas tus tribus, para que esté para ministrar al nombre de Jehová, él y sus hijos para siempre.

6 Y cuando el Levita saliere de alguna de tus ciudades de todo Israel, donde hubiere peregrinado, y viniere con todo deseo de su alma al lugar que Jehová escogiere,

7 Ministrará al nombre de Jehová su Dios, como todos sus hermanos los Levitas que estuvieren allí delante de Jehová.

8 Porción como la porción de los otros comerán, además de sus patrimonios.

9 Cuando hubieres entrado en la tierra que Jehová tu Dios te da, no aprenderás á hacer según las abominaciones de aquellas gentes.

10 No sea hallado en ti quien haga pasar su hijo ó su hija por el fuego, ni practicante de adivinaciones, ni agorero, ni sortílego, ni hechicero,

11 Ni fraguador de encantamentos, ni quien pregunte á pitón, ni mágico, ni quien pregunte á los muertos.

12 Porque es abominación á Jehová cualquiera que hace estas cosas, y por estas abominaciones Jehová tu Dios las echó de delante de ti.

13 Perfecto serás con Jehová tu Dios.

14 Porque estas gentes que has de heredar, á agoreros y hechiceros oían: mas tú, no así te ha dado Jehová tu Dios.

15 Profeta de en medio de ti, de tus hermanos, como yo, te levantará Jehová tu Dios: á él oiréis:

16 Conforme á todo lo que pediste á Jehová tu Dios en Horeb el día de la asamblea, diciendo: No vuelva yo á oir la voz de Jehová mi Dios, ni vea yo más este gran fuego, porque no muera.

17 Y Jehová me dijo: Bien han dicho.

18 Profeta les suscitaré de en medio de sus hermanos, como tú; y pondré mis palabras en su boca, y él les hablará todo lo que yo le mandare.

19 Mas será, que cualquiera que no oyere mis palabras que él hablare en mi nombre, yo le residenciaré.

20 Empero el profeta que presumiere hablar palabra en mi nombre, que yo no le haya mandado hablar, ó que hablare en nombre de dioses ajenos, el tal profeta morirá.

21 Y si dijeres en tu corazón: ¿Cómo conoceremos la palabra que Jehová no hubiere hablado?

22 Cuando el profeta hablare en nombre de Jehová, y no fuere la tal cosa, ni viniere, es palabra que Jehová no ha hablado: con soberbia la habló aquel profeta: no tengas temor de él.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9223

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9223. '[And] you shall not be slow [to offer] the firstfruits of your grain and the firstfruits of your wine' means that since all the good and the truth of faith come from the Lord they are to be ascribed to Him, not to self. This is clear from the meaning of 'the firstfruits' as those things which must occupy first place, thus which are the chief of them all, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'grain' as the good of the truth of faith, dealt with in 5295, 5410, 5959, and from the meaning of 'wine' as the truth of good, thus the truth of the good of faith, dealt with in 1798, 6377; and from the meaning of 'not being slow', when it has reference to the good and truth of faith, as ascribing from affection, since that which is done not slowly but swiftly is done from love and affection, 7695, 7866. The reason why ascribing to the Lord is meant is that the firstfruits, like the firstborn also, were given to Jehovah, and by Jehovah to Aaron and his seed, 'Jehovah' being used in the Word to mean the Lord, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6303, 6945, 6956, 8274, 8864. Consequently since the firstfruits of grain and wine are forms of the good and the truths of faith, the meaning is that they are to be ascribed to the Lord since they come from Him. For the truth that everything composing a person's thought and will flows in, and the truth that all goodness and truth come from the Lord, see 2886-2888, 3142, 3147, 4151, 4249, 5119, 5147, 5150, 5259, 5482, 5649, 5779, 5854, 5893, 6027, 6982, 6985, 6996, 7004, 7055, 7056, 7058, 7270, 7343, 8321, 8685, 8701, 8717, 8728, 8823, 8864, 9110, 9111; and the same truths from experience, 6053-6058, 6189-6215, 6307-6327, 6466-6495, 6598-6626.

[2] The firstfruits that were to be offered to the Lord were the firstfruits of the harvest and the firstfruits of vintage, 1 also the firstfruits of shearing, and the firstfruits of fruit too. The firstfruits of the harvest were parched and fresh ears of grain, also a sheaf that was to be waved, and afterwards products of the threshing-floor, which were cakes, while the firstfruits of vintage were the firstfruits of wine, must, and oil. In addition to these there were the firstfruits of shearing the flock, and also the firstfruits of fruit, which were offered in a basket. In addition also all the firstborn were offered to the Lord, though the firstborn of human beings were redeemed, as also were the firstborn of animals that were not offered in sacrifices, such as those of asses, mules, horses, and the like. Firstfruits and firstborn were offered to Jehovah and were given by Jehovah to Aaron and his seed because Aaron and his sons, who served in the office of high priest, represented the Lord. In the present verse 'the firstfruits of grain and of wine' is used to mean all the firstfruits of harvest and vintage that have been referred to immediately above. For the words used in the original language are 'the fullness of grain' and 'the tear of wine', 'fullness' being the harvest when it has ripened and also been gathered in, and 'tears' drops of fluid that trickle down.

[3] What was represented specifically by firstfruits - for all the religious laws and practices which the Lord commanded the children of Israel represented internal aspects of the Church - becomes clear when the particular products whose firstfruits were offered are considered in the internal sense. 'Grain' means the good of faith and 'wine' the truth of faith, as may be seen in the places referred to above. Giving firstfruits to Jehovah was a sign that the ascription of every good and truth of faith to the Lord and not to self was the first thing of the Church. Ascribing them to the Lord consists in knowing, acknowledging, and believing that they spring from the Lord and in no way at all from self; for as shown above, faith comes entirely from the Lord. The reason why 'the firstfruits' have this meaning is that firstfruits were offerings and gifts which were thanksgivings for the fruits of the earth. They were the acknowledgement of blessings from Jehovah, that is, from the Lord, and therefore the acknowledgement that all things came from Him. In the internal sense they are the acknowledgement [that He is the Source] of every good and truth of faith, which are meant by harvest, grain, oil, must, wine, wool, and fruit, whose firstfruits were given. Regarding these 'firstfruits', see Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Leviticus 23:10-11, 20; Numbers 15:19-21; 18:12-13; Deuteronomy 18:4; 26:1-11; and 'firstfruits' have a similar meaning in Ezekiel 20:40 and Micah 7:1-2.

Footnotes:

1. i.e. the time or season when grapes and other fruits such as olives are harvested

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 40

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1 It happened after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.

2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.

3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.

5 They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

6 Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad.

7 He asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"

8 They said to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me."

9 The chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,

10 and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.

11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

12 Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.

13 Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cupbearer.

14 But remember me when it will be well with you, and please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

15 For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, "I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.

17 In the uppermost basket there was all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head."

18 Joseph answered, "This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days.

19 Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you."

20 It happened the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand;

22 but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

23 Yet the chief cupbearer didn't remember Joseph, but forgot him.