1695、“并一切食物”表示（他们被剥夺）思考虚假的能力，这从“食物”的含义清楚可知。前面已说明（56-58，680，681节），在来世，人们所享用的属天、属灵和属世的食物是什么。这些也对应于肉体的食物，故在圣言中由食物来代表，并被称为食物。然而，邪恶的地狱灵的食物是智慧、聪明和真知识的反面，即一切虚假；令人惊讶的是，恶灵便靠这种食物来支撑。他们之所以靠它来支撑，是因为这是他们的生命。若不给他们机会诋毁真理，甚至亵渎它，他们就无法存活。即便如此，他们也只有思考和讲述来自他们自己邪恶的虚假的自由，却没有自由去思考或讲述违背他们自己邪恶的东西，因为这是欺骗。只要他们所讲的虚假是从他们的邪恶中产生的，那么这虚假就是从他们自己的生命中产生的。在这种情况下，他们会被原谅，因为他们的性质就是这样，否则他们无法存活。
至于他们被剥夺作恶和思考虚假的能力，情况是这样：在试探的争战中，恶灵被允许引出人里面的一切邪恶和虚假，并利用这人的邪恶和虚假作战。不过，一旦被战胜，他们就不再允许这样做，因为他们立刻在那人里面感知到，良善和真理已被确认。灵人比世人更有这种感知的天赋，或说他们所拥有的感知比世人的更敏锐。他们从一个已确认真理和良善之人的真正气场中立刻就知道情况如何，他们会得到什么样的回应，等等。这一点在属灵的重生之人身上是非常明显的：恶灵虽与他们同在，如同与未重生之人同在一样，但对重生之人来说，他们已经被征服并顺从了。这就是他们被剥夺作恶和思考虚假的能力的意思。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1695. All their food means that they were stripped of the power to think falsely, as the symbolism of food shows. Previous sections (56, 57, 58, 680, 681) have explained what kind of heavenly, spiritual, and earthly-level food{*1} people enjoy in the other life. These types of food correspond to food for the body, so they are represented by food in the Word and are called food there.{*2} The food of evil and hellish spirits, however, is anything opposed to wisdom, understanding, and accurate knowledge; in other words, it is any falsehood. This food, surprisingly, sustains evil spirits. It sustains them because it is their life. Without the opportunity to slander or even blaspheme truth, they cannot survive. Even so, they are not free to think or speak any other falsehoods than those that rise out of what is bad in them; they are not free to tell lies that go against their own particular type of evil. That would be a misrepresentation. So far as their distortion of the truth grows out of their evil, it grows out of their life. Under these circumstances they are forgiven, because their nature is such that they would be incapable of surviving otherwise.
[2] In regard to the idea that they are stripped of the power to do evil or think falsely, the case is this: When we are fighting our spiritual battles, evil spirits are permitted to dredge up every vice and falsehood we possess and to use them as weapons. When these spirits have been overcome, though, they are no longer allowed to do so, because they instantly sense in us a strength of commitment to what is good and true. They have a keener perception of this strength than we do. When we commit ourselves to truth and goodness, the very air we project tells them right away how things stand, what type of response they are likely to receive, and so on. It is especially obvious with spiritually-oriented people who have been reborn; they have just as many evil spirits with them as the unregenerate, but the spirits are under their control and serve them.
This is what I mean by saying that they were stripped of the power to do evil or think falsely.
Footnotes:
{*1} In this context "earthly-level food" does not refer to the kind of food that exists in the material world, but to food that exists on the lowest, "earthly" level of the spiritual world. As explained in 56-58 (referred to in the text), earthly food consists mainly of facts, as compared to heavenly and spiritual food, which consists of deeper religious good and truth. [LSW]
{*2} References to food in the Bible are of course too numerous to list. For Swedenborg's discussions of spiritual food, see Secrets of Heaven 56-58, 681, 1480, 3114, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 9003; and Heaven and Hell 274, 340. On the food of those who are evil (mentioned in the next sentence of the translation), see in particular Secrets of Heaven 680. [SS, RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1695
1695. And all their food. That this signifies that they were deprived of the power of thinking falsity, is evident from the signification of "food." What the celestial, spiritual, and natural food are that are enjoyed in the other life, has been shown before (n. 56-58, 680, 681). These also correspond to the food of the body; and therefore are represented in the Word by food, and are called "food." But the food of evil and infernal spirits is that which is contrary to wisdom, intelligence, and true knowledge, which is all falsity; and wonderful to say, evil spirits are sustained by this food. The reason that it sustains them is that it is their life. Unless there is given them the means of vilifying the truth, and indeed of blaspheming it, they cannot live. But still license is given them to think and speak only that falsity which is from their evil, and not that which is contrary to their evil, for this would be deceit for insofar as they speak falsity from their evil, it is from their life; and then it is forgiven them, because their nature is such that otherwise they could not live. [2] As to their being deprived of the power of doing evil and of thinking falsity, the case is this: In the combats of temptations the evil spirits are permitted to draw forth all the evil and falsity that are in the man, and to battle from the evil and falsity of the man; but when they have been overcome, they are no longer permitted to do so, for they instantly perceive in the man that good and truth have been confirmed. Spirits, more than men, are gifted with such perception; from the very sphere of a man who has been confirmed in truth and good, they know at once how the case is, what answer they will get, and more besides. This is plainly evident with the spiritual regenerate man, with whom there are evil spirits equally as well as with the non-regenerate, but they are subjugated and serve. This is what is meant by their being deprived of the power of doing evil and of thinking falsity.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1695
1695. That 'all their food' means the power to think what was false is clear from the meaning of 'food'. What the celestial, spiritual, and natural food are which people enjoy in the next life has been shown already in 56 58, 680, 681. These also correspond to food for the body, and therefore they are also represented in the Word by food and are actually called food. The food of evil and hellish spirits however is that which is the reverse of wisdom, intelligence, and true knowledge, namely all falsity; and what is remarkable, evil spirits are also sustained by this food. The reason they are sustained by it is that it is their life. Unless they are given the opportunity to revile the truth, and indeed to blaspheme it, they cannot live. Yet they are not given the freedom to think and speak anything false except that which subsists from their own evil; they are not free to think or speak that which is contrary to their own evil, for this is deception. Insofar as their own evil is the origin of the falsity they express, their own life is the source of it; and in this case it is also forgiven them, since their nature is such that they could not otherwise live at all.
[2] With regard to their being stripped of the power to do evil and to think falsity, the situation is that in the conflicts brought about by temptations evil spirits are permitted to draw forth all the evil and falsity residing in a person, and to fight from that person's evil and falsity. But once they have been overcome they are no longer allowed to do so, for, being within that person, they instantly perceive that good and truth have been confirmed. Such perception exists more completely with spirits than with men. From the very sphere of a person confirmed in truth and good they recognize in an instant what the situation is, what response they will get, and much else. This is quite clear in the case of a spiritual and regenerate person, with whom evil spirits are present just as much as they are with one who is not regenerate; but with the regenerate person they have been subdued and are subservient. These are the things meant by their being stripped of the power to do evil and to think falsity.
Latin(1748-1756) 1695
1695. Quod 'omnem cibum eorum' significet quod potent falsum cogitandi, constat a significatione 'cibi'; quid cibus caelesti spiritualis et naturalis, quo fruuntur in altera vita, ostensum est prius n. 56-58, 680, 681; haec quoque correspondent cibo corporis, id quoque repraesentantur in Verbo per cibum et appellantur cibus; cibus autem spirituum malorum et infernalium est quod contrarium est sapientiae, intelligentiae, et verae scientiae, quod est omne falsum; hoc cibo etiam sustentantur, quod mirum, spiritus mali; quod sustententur, causa est quia vita eorum est; nisi detur iis copia vituperandi verum, immo blasphemandi, non possunt vivere; at usque non datur iis licentia cogitandi et loquendi falsum nisi quod ex malo eorum, non autem quod contra eorum malum proprium, nam hoc est dolus; quantum enim ex malo suo loquuntur falsum, tantum ex vita sua, et quoque tunc ignoscitur iis, quia tales sunt ut aliter vivere nequeant. [2] Quod deprivati sint potentia malum agendi et falsum cogitandi, ita se res habet: in pugnis tentationum permittitur malis spiritibus depromere omne malum et falsum quod est apud hominem, et ex malo et falso hominis pugnare; cum autem victi sunt, tunc non amplius licet eis id facere, nam percipiunt ilico apud hominem quod bonum et verum confirmatum est; talis perceptio datur spirituum prae homine; ex ipsa sphaera hominis confirmati in vero et bono, noscunt ilico quomodo, se habet, quid responsum habituri, et plura; hoc constat manifeste apud hominem regeneratum spiritualem, apud quem aeque sunt spiritus mali ac apud non regeneratum, sed subjugati sunt et serviunt: haec significantur per quod potentia malum agendi et falsum cogitandi deprivati sint.