The Bible

 

Ezekiel 16:13

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13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

The Bible

 

2 Chronicles 28:5

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5 Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Teachings #65

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65. Love for Ourselves and Love for the World

Love for ourselves is intending benefit only to ourselves and not to others unless it is in our own interests-having no goodwill toward the church or our country or toward any group of people or any fellow citizen. It is also being good to the church, our country, and other people only for the sake of our own reputation, advancement, or praise, so that unless we see some such reward in the good we may do for them we say at heart, "What's the use? Why should I? What's in it for me?" and forget about it. This shows that when we live a life of self-love we are not loving the church, our country, our community, our fellow citizens, or anything worthwhile-only ourselves.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.