1874、在与善灵交谈时，我说，圣言中的许多事物，甚至比任何人所能相信的还要多的事物，是照着表象和感官错觉来说的，如：耶和华向恶人发怒，发震怒、烈怒；以摧毁和灭绝他们为乐，甚至杀害他们。但圣言之所以说这些话，是为了避免打碎人们的自我错觉和恶欲，从而把它们转向新的方向。因为不说让别人明白的话，也就是不根据表象、错觉和谬论说话，就像把种子撒在水里，并且就是在说会立刻被拒绝的话。尽管如此，照着表象和错觉所说的这些话仍可以充当包含属灵和属天事物的总体器皿，因为一些真理可以被引入它们。首先是这一真理：一切事物皆来自主；接着是这一真理：主虽允许事情发生，但一切邪恶皆来自魔鬼灵；然后是这一真理：主规定并安排，邪恶应当转变为良善；最后是这一真理：从主而来的，只有良善。因此，字义随着上升而逐渐消失，并变得属灵，然后变得属天，最后变成神性。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1874. In conversation with some good spirits I said that many statements in the Word (more than anyone could believe) are phrased to suit appearances and the illusions of the senses. For instance, the Word says that Jehovah feels anger, wrath, and fury against the ungodly, that he enjoys destroying and annihilating them, and even that he kills them. But these things are said in order to avoid shattering people's self-delusions and cravings, so as to bend them instead. To fail to speak in terms people grasp — in terms of appearances, fallacies, delusions — would be to sow seed on the water; it would be to say something that would immediately be rejected.
Still, those statements can serve as general containers for spiritual and heavenly ideas, because it is possible to inject certain notions into them. The first is that everything comes from the Lord; the next, that he allows things to happen but all evil comes from devilish spirits; then that the Lord provides and arranges for evil to be turned into good; and finally that nothing but good comes from the Lord. So the literal meaning disappears as it rises and turns spiritual and then heavenly and at last divine.
Potts(1905-1910) 1874
1874. In conversation with good spirits, I said that in the Word many things, even more than one can believe, are said according to appearances and according to the fallacies of the senses, as that Jehovah is in anger, wrath, and fury against the wicked; that He takes pleasure in bringing them to ruin and destruction, and even that He kills them. But these things have been said in order that persuasions and cupidities might not be broken, but that they might be bent; for to speak otherwise than as man apprehends (that is, from appearances, fallacies, and persuasions) would have been to sow seed in the waters, and to say that which would be at once rejected. Nevertheless such forms of speech are able to serve as general vessels in which spiritual and celestial things may be contained, for into them it may be insinuated that all things are from the Lord; then that the Lord permits, but that evil is wholly from diabolical spirits; afterwards that the Lord provides and disposes that evils should be turned into goods; and at last that nothing but good is from the Lord. Thus the sense of the letter perishes as it ascends and becomes spiritual, then celestial, and at last Divine.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1874
1874. In conversations with good spirits I have said that many things in the Word, more than anyone may believe, have been stated according to appearances and according to the illusions of the senses - such as that Jehovah expresses anger, wrath, and rage against the wicked; that He takes delight in bringing them to destruction and annihilation; and even that He slays them. But the reason such things have been stated in the Word is so that people's persuasions and evil desires might not be destroyed but might be turned in a new direction. For to have spoken of things in a way other than man is able to grasp, that is, other than from appearances' illusions, and persuasions, would have been like sowing seed on the waters and would have been expressing that which would be instantly rejected. Nevertheless those things stated according to appearances and illusions are able to serve as general vessels in which spiritual and celestial things may be contained; for into them the truth may be introduced that all things derive from the Lord; then the truth that the Lord permits, but that all evil derives from devilish spirits; after that the truth that the Lord provides and arranges for evils to be converted into goods; and finally the truth that nothing but good comes from the Lord. Thus the sense of the letter perishes as it rises up, and becomes spiritual, then celestial, and finally Divine.
Latin(1748-1756) 1874
1874. Locutus cum spiritibus bonis, quod multa, et plura quam aliquis credere potest, in Verbo dicta sint secundum apparentias, et secundum fallacias sensuum, ut quod Jehovah in ira, excandescentia et furore sit contra impios, quod gaudeat ad perdendum et delendum eos, immo quod occidat; at dicta sunt ob causam ne frangerentur persuasiones et cupiditates sed ut flecterentur; nam loqui aliter ac homo capit, quod est ex apparentiis, fallaciis, et persuasionibus, fuisset serere semen in aquas, et dicere tale quod ilico rejiceretur: sed usque illa inservire possunt pro vasis communibus in quibus spiritualia et caelestia, nam illis insinuari potest quod omnia a Domino; dein quod permittat Dominus, sed quod omne malum a spiritibus diabolicis; postea quod Dominus provideat et disponat ut mala vertantur in bona; demum quod nihil nisi bonum a Domino; ita perit sensus litterae sicut ascendit, et fit spiritualis, dein caelestis, demum Divinus.