The Bible

 

Génesis 9

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1 Y bendijo Dios a Noé y a sus hijos, y les dijo: Fructificad, y multiplicaos, y llenad la tierra;

2 y vuestro temor y vuestro pavor será sobre todo animal de la tierra, y sobre toda ave de los cielos, en todo lo que se moverá en la tierra, y en todos los peces del mar; en vuestra mano son entregados.

3 Todo lo que se mueve, que es vivo, os será para mantenimiento; así como la verdura de hierba, os lo he dado todo.

4 Pero la carne con su alma (o vida ), que es su sangre, no comeréis.

5 Porque ciertamente vuestra sangre que es vuestra alma, yo la demandaré; de mano de todo animal la demandaré, y de mano del hombre; de mano del varón su hermano demandaré el alma del hombre.

6 El que derramare sangre de hombre en el hombre, su sangre será derramada; porque a imagen de Dios es hecho el hombre.

7 Mas vosotros fructificad, y multiplicaos; y andad en la tierra, y multiplicaos en ella.

8 Y habló Dios a Noé y a sus hijos con él, diciendo:

9 He aquí, que yo establezco mi pacto con vosotros, y con vuestra simiente después de vosotros;

10 y con toda alma viviente que está con vosotros, en aves, en animales, y en toda bestia de la tierra que está con vosotros; desde todos los que salieron del arca hasta todo animal de la tierra.

11 Que yo estableceré mi pacto con vosotros, que no será talada más toda carne con aguas de diluvio; y que no habrá más diluvio para destruir la tierra.

12 Y dijo Dios: Esta será la señal del pacto que yo pongo entre mí y vosotros y toda alma viviente que está con vosotros, por siglos perpetuos:

13 Mi arco pondré en las nubes, el cual será por señal de pacto entre mí y la tierra.

14 Y será, que cuando anublare sobre la tierra, entonces mi arco aparecerá en las nubes.

15 Y me acordaré de mi pacto que está entre mí y vosotros y toda alma viviente en toda carne; y no serán más las aguas por diluvio para destruir a toda carne.

16 Y estará el arco en las nubes, y lo veré para acordarme del pacto perpetuo entre Dios y toda alma viviente, con toda carne que está sobre la tierra.

17 Dijo más Dios a Noé: Esta será la señal del pacto que he establecido entre mí y toda carne, que está sobre la tierra.

18 Y los hijos de Noé que salieron del arca fueron Sem, Cam y Jafet; y Cam es el padre de Canaán.

19 Estos tres son los hijos de Noé; y de ellos fue llena toda la tierra.

20 Y comenzó Noé a labrar la tierra, y plantó una viña;

21 y bebió del vino, y se embriagó, y se descubrió en medio de su tienda.

22 Y Cam, padre de Canaán, vio la desnudez de su padre, y lo dijo a sus dos hermanos que estaban fuera.

23 Entonces Sem y Jafet tomaron la ropa, y la pusieron sobre los hombros de ambos, y andando hacia atrás, cubrieron la desnudez de su padre teniendo vueltos los rostros, que no vieron la desnudez de su padre.

24 Y despertó Noé de su vino, y supo lo que había hecho con él su hijo el más joven;

25 y dijo: Maldito sea Canaán; siervo de siervos será a sus hermanos.

26 Dijo más: Bendito el SEÑOR, el Dios de Sem, y sea Canaán su siervo.

27 Ensanche Dios a Jafet, y habite en las tiendas de Sem, y sea Canaán su siervo.

28 Y vivió Noé después del diluvio trescientos cincuenta años.

29 Y fueron todos los días de Noé novecientos cincuenta años; y murió.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #213

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213. "'That the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.'" This symbolically means, so as not to profane and adulterate the goodness of heavenly love.

No one can know the symbolic meaning of the shame of nakedness unless he knows that the reproductive organs in both sexes, called also the genitalia, correspond to celestial love.

To be shown that the human body and all its constituents have a correspondence with the heavens, see the book Heaven and Hell, published in London in , nos. 87-102. And to be shown that the reproductive organs correspond to celestial love, see Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), also published in London, nos. 5050-5062.

Now because these organs correspond to celestial love, which is the love found in the third or inmost heaven, and because a person is born of his parents into loves contrary to that love, it is apparent that if he does not acquire for himself the goodness of love and the truth of wisdom from the Lord, which are symbolically meant by gold refined in fire and white garments, he will be seen to be impelled by a contrary love, which in itself is profane.

[2] This latter circumstance is symbolically meant by uncovering nakedness and manifesting the shame of it, in the following places:

Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and his private parts be seen. (Revelation 16:15)

...daughter of Babylon (and of the Chaldeans), sit on the ground... Uncover your hair..., uncover the thigh, pass through the rivers. Let your nakedness be uncovered; yes, let your shame be seen. (Isaiah 47:1-3)

Woe to the bloody city! ...Because of the multitude of (her) harlotries... I will uncover your skirts in front of you, and I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your disgrace. (Nahum 3:1, 4-5)

Contend with your mother... lest I strip her naked... (Hosea 2:2-4)

When I passed by you... I covered your nakedness... Then I washed you... and... I clothed you... But you... played the harlot... not remembering your youth, when you were naked and bare... (Therefore) your nakedness was uncovered... (Ezekiel 16:6ff.)

Jerusalem has sinned gravely; therefore... all... despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. (Lamentations 1:8)

Jerusalem, of which these things were said, means the church; and to play the harlot means, symbolically, to adulterate and falsify the Word (no. 134).

Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink..., making him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness! ...Drink, you too, that your uncircumcised foreskin may be exposed! (Habakkuk 2:15-16)

[3] Someone who knows what nakedness symbolizes can understand what is symbolically meant by the statement that when Noah was drunk from drinking wine he lay uncovered inside his tent, and Ham saw and laughed at his nakedness, but Shem and Japheth covered his nakedness, turning their faces away so as not to see it (Genesis 9:21-23). He can understand also why it was decreed that Aaron and his sons should not go up by steps to the altar, that their nakedness might not be exposed (Exodus 20:26). And so, too, why it was decreed that they should make for them linen trousers to cover their naked flesh, that they should have these on when they came near the altar, and that otherwise they would bear their iniquity and die (Exodus 28:42-43).

Nakedness in these places symbolizes the evils into which a person is born, which, because they are contrary to the goodness of celestial love, are in themselves profane and are removed only by truths and by living in accordance with those truths. Linen also symbolizes truth (no. 671[1-2]).

[4] Nakedness in addition symbolizes innocence, and also ignorance of goodness and truth. Innocence is symbolized by the statement, "they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they had no cause for shame" (Genesis 2:25). Ignorance of goodness and truth is symbolized by the following:

...this... fast that I choose: ...to break bread with the hungry..., and... when you see the naked man, to cover him. (Isaiah 58:6-7)

He gives his bread to the hungry man, and covers the naked one with clothing. (Ezekiel 18:7)

...I was hungry and you gave Me food...; I was naked and you clothed Me. (Matthew 25:35-36)

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Matthew 25

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1 "Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

3 Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6 But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!'

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

9 But the wise answered, saying, 'What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'

10 While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

11 Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'

12 But he answered, 'Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you.'

13 Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

14 "For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.

15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

16 Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

17 In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.

18 But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

19 "Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.

20 He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.'

21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

22 "He also who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.'

23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

24 "He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.

25 I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.'

26 "But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter.

27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

28 Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.

29 For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away.

30 Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

31 "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

35 for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.

36 I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?

38 When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?

39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'

40 "The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

42 for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

43 I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

44 "Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't help you?'

45 "Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.'

46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."