699、为了见证地狱里的人所受的痛苦和低地上的人所经历的荒废，我好几次被送到那里。被送到地狱不是从一个地方被带到另一个地方，而是被送到某个地狱社群，但人仍留在原处。我在此只描述这个经历：我曾清楚发觉一种柱子围住了我，这根柱子明显变粗了；我逐渐意识到，这就是圣言中提到的“铜墙”，它是由天使灵形成的，好叫我能安全地降到不幸的人那里。我在那里听到了凄惨的哀号，尤其是这样的哀号：“神啊！神啊！可怜可怜我们吧！”这哀号持续了很长时间。我还被允许与这些可怜的人交谈，并且谈论了很长时间。他们尤其抱怨恶灵只渴望并急于折磨他们，绝望地说，他们觉得这种折磨将永远持续下去。不过，我被允许安慰了他们。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]699. I have been sent down to hell several times in order to see the torture that those in hell go through and the devastation of those in the underground realm. (Being sent to hell is not a matter of moving from one place to another but of gaining entrance to one of hell's communities while staying in the same place.) Let me report on just one experience.
I had the clear sensation of a kind of pillar drawing around me and growing perceptibly larger. The idea came to me that this was the bronze wall mentioned in the Word, formed out of angelic spirits to keep me safe in my mission to the unfortunates below.{*1} While there, I heard plaintive wails like these: "Oh God, oh God! Have mercy on us! Have mercy on us!" These laments continued for a long time. I was allowed to talk with those unhappy people as much as I wanted. Their main complaint concerned the evil spirits, whose sole and burning desire was to cause them pain. They had lost hope, saying that they believed the agony would go on to eternity. But I was able to comfort them.
Footnotes:
{*1} Swedenborg is referring here to the bronze wall mentioned in Jeremiah 1:18 and 15:20. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 699
699. That I might witness the torment of those who are in hell, and the vastation of those who are in the lower earth, I have at different times been let down thither. To be let down into hell is not to be carried from one place to another, but to be let into some infernal society, the man remaining in the same place. But I may here relate only this experience: I plainly perceived that a kind of column surrounded me, and this column was sensibly increased, and it was intimated to me that this was the "wall of brass" spoken of in the Word.* The column was formed of angelic spirits in order that I might safely descend to the unhappy. When I was there I heard piteous lamentations, such as, O God! O God! take pity on us! take pity on us! and this for a long time. I was permitted to speak to those wretched ones, and this for a considerable time. They complained especially of evil spirits in that they desired and burned for nothing else than to torment them. They were in despair, saying that they believed their torment would be eternal; but I was permitted to comfort them. * Jer. 1:18; 15:20.
Elliott(1983-1999) 699
699. To witness the torment of those who are in hell, and also the vastation of those who are on the lower earth, I have several times been sent down there. (Being sent down into hell does not involve being taken from one place to another; it involves being admitted into some community of hell and yet remaining just where you are.) Let this one experience be described here: I once perceived clearly that a sort of column was surrounding me. This column grew noticeably thicker. Then it was instilled into me that this was 'the wall of bronze' mentioned in the Word,a and that it consisted of angelic spirits, so that I could be sent down to the unfortunate and yet remain unharmed. While I was there I heard miserable wailings, in particular these, 'O God, O God, have mercy on us, have mercy on us and this went on for a long time. I was also allowed to talk to those wretches, and to do so quite a lot. Most of all they moaned about evil spirits longing and burning to do nothing else but torment them. In their despair they said they were convinced that the torment would last for ever. But I was allowed to comfort them.
Latin(1748-1756) 699
699. Ut viderem cruciatum eorum qui in inferno, tum vastationem eorum qui in terra inferiore, aliquoties illuc demissus (demitti in infernum non est transferri e loco in locum, sed est immissio in aliquam infernalem societatem, manente homine in eodem loco); sed hanc solum experientiam hic licet referre: percipiebam manifeste quod quasi columna quaedam me circumdaret; columna illa sensibiliter augebatur; et insinuabatur quod haec esset 'murus{1} aheneus,' de quo in Verbo, ex spiritibus angelicis formatus, ut tutus demitti possem ad infelices; cum ibi eram, audiebam lamentationes miserabiles, et quidem has, 'Ah Deus, ah Deus, misereatur nostri, misereatur nostri,' et hoc diu; concedebatur etiam cum miseris illis loqui, et satis multum; imprimis conquesti sunt de malis spiritibus, quod non aliud cuperent et flagrarent quam eos cruciare; in desperatione erant, dicentes quod crederent aeternum fore cruciatum; sed eos consolari datum. @1 e.g. Jer. xv 20. Dabo te populo huic in murum aeris munitum.$