1877、在灵人界的灵魂或灵人，尤其恶灵，一开始会保留他们活在肉身时所拥有的事物，也就是尘世、肉体和世俗事物，以及凡他们所采取的假设或原则。这些灵人就包括那些不愿听到关于圣言内义的任何话，只想听到关于字义的话之人。他们甚至以为十二使徒将坐在十二个宝座上审判以色列十二支派，还以为除了穷人、困苦人和那些受到迫害的人外，没有人能进入天堂；而事实上，富人和有权势的人只要过着仁爱和信主的生活，都在天堂有自己的一席之地。因这些灵人由于自己的功德而声称天堂是他们的，所以我看见他们四处奔走，无论到哪里，都取笑属于圣言内义的事物，因为这些事物反对他们的错觉或说服和欲望。他们渴望赚取天堂，并被置于其他所有人之上。但他们就像流入血液并遍及静脉和动脉，污染整个血液供应的疾病和毒素。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1877. At first, people who are souls or spirits in the world of spirits (especially the bad ones) hold on to what they had during their physical life: earthly, bodily, and worldly concerns, and along with them, any principles they had adopted. Such people include those who are unwilling to hear anything about the Word's inner sense but only about the literal meaning. They even believe that the twelve apostles will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Again, they believe that the only people who can go to heaven are those who are poor, unhappy, and persecuted.{*1} The truth is that both the rich and the powerful go there, if they have lived a life of charity and faith in the Lord.
Since people like this demand heaven as their just reward, they run around making fun of the message of the Word's inner meaning wherever they go, because it opposes their delusions and cravings. I saw them do so. What they want is to earn heaven and to be promoted above everybody else, but they resemble diseases and poisons that enter the bloodstream, spread through the veins and arteries, and pollute the whole supply of blood.
Footnotes:
{*1} On the judgment of the twelve tribes by the apostles, see Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30. The reference to the poor, unhappy, and persecuted is an allusion to the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted... . Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3, 4, 10; New Revised Standard Version). [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1877
1877. The souls or spirits who are in the world of spirits, especially the wicked, retain at first the things which they had in their life of the body, that is, things earthly, corporeal, and worldly, and with them the principles which they had taken up. Among these spirits are those who are not willing to hear anything concerning the internal sense of the Word, but only concerning the literal sense, which they carry so far as to believe that the twelve apostles are to sit upon twelve thrones and to judge the twelve tribes of Israel; and also that none but the poor, the miserable, and they that have suffered persecutions can enter into heaven; when yet both the rich and the powerful who have lived in charity and in faith in the Lord are there. As such persons claim heaven for themselves on account of their merits, I have seen them running hither and thither, and wherever they went they derided the things which are of the internal sense of the Word, for the reason that these are contrary to their persuasions and cupidities, in that they desire to merit heaven and to be preferred before all others. But they are like the corrupt and noxious things that flow into the blood, and pervade the veins and arteries, and pollute the mass of the blood.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1877
1877. Those souls or spirits - especially evil ones - who are in the world of spirits retain to begin with the things which they had during their lifetime, that is, things that are earthly, bodily, and worldly, and together with these whatever assumptions they have adopted. Among these spirits are those who do not wish to hear anything about the internal sense of the Word, but only about the literal sense. Indeed they go so far as to believe that the twelve apostles are to sit on twelve thrones and to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. They believe too that none but the poor, the wretched, and those who have suffered persecution can enter heaven, when in fact both the wealthy and the powerful who have led lives of charity and faith in the Lord have their place in heaven. Since such spirits claim that heaven is theirs because they deserve it by their merits, I have seen them running this way and that, and whichever way they go they laugh scornfully at the things which belong to the internal sense of the Word, because these things are contrary to their persuasions and desires, in that they wish to merit heaven and to be placed above all others. But they are like the corrupt and harmful things which enter into the bloodstream, pass through the veins and arteries, and contaminate most of the blood.
Latin(1748-1756) 1877
1877. Qui in mundo spirituum sunt animae seu spiritus, imprimis mali retinent primum illa quae habuerant in vita corporis eorum, nempe terrestria corporea, et mundana, et cum illis principia quae captarunt; inter quos sunt illi qui nihil de sensu interno Verbi audire volant, sed solum de sensu litterali immo usque adeo ut credant quod duodecim apostoli sessuri sint super duodecim thronis et judicaturi duodecim tribus Israelis; pariter quod nulli intrare possint in caelum nisi pauperes, miseri et persecutiones passi; cum tamen ibi sint tam divites quam potentes, qui in charitate et fide in Dominum vixerunt; tales quia vindicant sibi caelum ex meritis, vidi quod discurrant, et ubicumque veniunt, subsannent illa quae sunt sensus interni Verbi, quia contra eorum persuasiones et cupiditates, quod mereri velint caelum et praeferri omnibus aliis; sed comparantur illi vitiosis et noxiis quae influunt in sanguinem, et pervadunt venas et arterias, ac massam sanguinis inquinant.