The Bible

 

Genesis 11

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1 At ang buong lupa ay iisa ang wika at iisa ang salita.

2 At nangyari, na, sa kanilang paglalakbay sa silanganan, ay nakasumpong sila ng isang kapatagan sa lupain ng Sinar; at sila'y nanahan doon.

3 At nagsangusapang, Halikayo! tayo'y gumawa ng mga laryo, at ating lutuing mabuti. At inari nilang bato ang laryo at ang betun ay inaring argamasa.

4 At nagsipagsabi, Halikayo! Magtayo tayo ng isang bayan natin at ng isang moog, na ang taluktok niyaon ay aabot hanggang sa langit, at magtaglay tayo ng isang ngalan; baka tayo'y mangalat sa ibabaw ng buong lupa.

5 At bumaba ang Panginoon upang tingnan ang bayan at ang moog, na itinayo ng mga anak ng mga tao.

6 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Narito, sila'y iisang bayan at silang lahat ay may isang wika; at ito ang kanilang pinasimulang gawin: at, ngayon nga'y walang makasasawata sa anomang kanilang balaking gawin.

7 Halikayo! tayo'y bumaba at diyan din ay ating guluhin ang kanilang wika, na anopa't sila'y huwag magkatalastasan sa kanilang salita.

8 Ganito pinanabog sila ng Panginoon mula riyan, sa ibabaw ng buong lupa; at kanilang iniwan ang pagtatayo ng bayan.

9 Kaya ang pangalang itinawag ay Babel; sapagka't doon ginulo ng Panginoon ang wika ng buong lupa: at mula roon ay pinanabog sila ng Panginoon sa ibabaw ng buong lupa.

10 Ito ang sali't saling lahi ni Sem. May isang daan taon si Sem at naging anak si Arphaxad, dalawang taon pagkatapos ng bahang gumunaw,

11 At nabuhay si Sem, pagkatapos na maipanganak si Arphaxad, ng limang daang taon, at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

12 At nabuhay si Arphaxad, ng tatlong pu't limang taon, at naging anak si Sala.

13 At nabuhay si Arphaxad pagkatapos na maipanganak si Sala, ng apat na raan at tatlong taon, at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

14 At nabuhay si Sala ng tatlong pung taon, at naging anak si Heber:

15 At nabuhay si Sala pagkatapos na maipanganak si Heber, ng apat na raan at tatlong taon, at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

16 At nabuhay si Heber ng tatlong pu't apat na taon, at naging anak si Peleg:

17 At nabuhay si Heber pagkatapos na maipanganak si Peleg, ng apat na raan at tatlong pung taon, at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

18 At nabuhay si Peleg ng tatlong pung taon, at naging anak si Reu:

19 At nabuhay si Peleg pagkatapos na maipanganak si Reu, ng dalawang daan at siyam na taon; at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

20 At nabuhay si Reu ng tatlong pu't dalawang taon, at naging anak si Serug:

21 At nabuhay si Reu pagkatapos na maipanganak si Serug, ng dalawang daan at pitong taon, at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

22 At nabuhay si Serug ng tatlong pung taon, at naging anak si Nachor:

23 At nabuhay si Serug pagkatapos maipanganak si Nachor, ng dalawang daang taon, at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

24 At nabuhay si Nachor ng dalawang pu't siyam na taon, at naging anak si Thare:

25 At nabuhay si Nachor pagkatapos na maipanganak si Thare, ng isang daan at labing siyam na taon, at nagkaanak ng mga lalake at mga babae.

26 At nabuhay si Thare ng pitong pung taon, at naging anak si Abram, si Nachor at si Haran.

27 Ito nga ang mga lahi ni Thare. Naging anak ni Thare si Abram, si Nachor, at si Haran; at naging anak ni Haran si Lot.

28 At namatay si Haran bago namatay ang kaniyang amang si Thare sa lupaing kaniyang tinubuan, sa Ur ng mga Caldeo.

29 At nagsipagasawa si Abram at si Nachor: ang pangalan ng asawa ni Abram ay Sarai; at ang pangalan ng asawa ni Nachor, ay Milca, anak ni Haran, ama ni Milca at ama ni Iscah.

30 At si Sarai ay baog; siya'y walang anak.

31 At ipinagsama ni Thare si Abram na kaniyang anak, at si Lot na anak ni Haran, na anak ng kaniyang anak, at si Sarai na kaniyang manugang, asawa ni Abram na kaniyang anak; at samasamang nagsialis sa Ur ng mga Caldeo upang magsipasok sa lupain ng Canaan, at nagsidating sila sa Haran, at nagsitahan doon.

32 At ang mga naging araw ni Thare ay dalawang daan at limang taon: at namatay si Thare sa Haran.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1292

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1292. That 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means that worship became more unclean and unholy is clear from the meaning of 'a valley' and from the meaning of 'the land of Shinar'. As regards the meaning of 'a valley', in the Word 'mountains' means love or charity because these are the highest points, or what amounts to the same, inmost features of worship, as shown already in 795. Consequently 'a valley' means that which is below the mountains, that is, the lower, or what amounts to the same, exterior aspect of worship. 'The land of Shinar' however means external worship which has unholiness within it, as shown already in 1183. Thus in this verse the statement that 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means that worship became more unclean and unholy.

[2] Verse one dealt with the Church having one lip and its words being one that is, one doctrine in general and in particular. This verse however deals with the decline of the Church - 'they travelled from the east' that is, they began to depart from charity. For to the extent that the Church, or a member of the Church, departs from charity, its worship departs from what is holy, or its worship approaches what is unclean and unholy. The reason 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means the decline of the Church, that is, of worship, into unholiness is that a valley is a low-lying area between mountains, which, as has been stated, mean the holy things of love or of charity within worship. This also becomes clear from the meaning of 'a valley' in the Word where in the original language several expressions for valley occur which mean, when used in that sense, things present in worship that are less or more unholy.

[3] That 'valleys' means such things is clear in Isaiah,

The burden of the valley of vision; for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth has a day of tumult and of trampling and of confusion in the valley of vision. Isaiah 22:1, 5.

'The valley of vision' stands for delusions and for reasonings by which worship is rendered false and at length profaned. In Jeremiah,

How do you say, I have not been defiled, I have not walked after the baals? Look at your way in the valley. Jeremiah 2:23.

'The valley' stands for unclean worship. In the same prophet, They have built the high places of Topheth, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom. Therefore, behold, the days are coming when it will no more be called Topheth or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter. Jeremiah 7:31, 34; 19:6.

'The valley of Hinnom' stands for hell, also for the profanation of truth and good.

[4] In Ezekiel,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys Behold, I, even I, am bringing a sword places. Ezekiel 6:3.

In the same prophet,

I will give to Gog a place there for burial in Israel, the valley of those that pass over towards the east of the sea. And they will call it the valley of the multitude of Gog. Ezekiel 39:11, 15.

This refers to worship in external things, 'the valley' standing for such worship. But when worship has not yet become unholy to that extent, it is described by the word for a valley used here in Genesis 11:2, as in Isaiah,

I will open rivers on the sloping heights, and I will place springs in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into streams of water. Isaiah 41:18.

This refers to people who are in ignorance, that is, without cognitions of faith and charity, and who yet have charity. 'valley' here stands for those people, as does 'valley' in Ezekiel 37:1.

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