7172.我曾看见我们地球灵与水星灵在一起，并听见他们彼此交谈。除其它事外，我们地球灵还问他们信的是谁。他们回答说，他们信神；但当进一步询问他们所信的神时，他们就不愿说了，因为他们的习惯是不直接回答问题。然而这时，水星灵又反过来问我们地球灵信的是谁。我们地球灵说，他们信主神。这时，水星灵说，他们发觉我们地球灵不信任何神，并且习惯嘴上说信，其实并不信。水星灵之所以具有敏锐的觉知，是因为他们不断通过他们的觉知去探究别人所知道的。我们地球灵属那些在世时照教会的教义宣称自己的信仰，然而却没有过信仰生活的人之列。一听到这话，我们地球灵都沉默了，因为他们凭那时所赋予他们的觉知承认这话是对的。
Potts(1905-1910) 7172
7172. I once saw that spirits of our earth were with spirits of the earth Mercury, and I heard them talking together; and then among other things the spirits of our earth asked them in whom they believed. They answered that they believed in God; but when further questioned about the God in whom they believed, they were unwilling to say, because it is their custom not to answer questions directly. But then in their turn the spirits from the earth Mercury asked the spirits from our earth in whom they believed. They said that they believed in the Lord God. The spirits of Mercury then said that they perceived that they believed in no God, and that they have the custom of saying with the mouth that they believe, and yet they do not believe. (The spirits of Mercury have an exquisite perception from the fact that by means of perception they are continually exploring what others know.) The spirits of our earth were among those who, in the world, had made a confession of faith from the doctrine of the church, but yet had not lived the life of faith. When the spirits from our earth heard these things, they were silent, because from a perception then given them they acknowledged that it was so.
Elliott(1983-1999) 7172
7172. I once saw spirits belonging to our planet with spirits belonging to the planet Mercury, and I heard them talking to one another. Among other things the spirits belonging to our planet asked them whom they believed in, to which they replied that they believed in God. But when they questioned them further about the God they believed in they were unwilling to say anything more, because it is not their custom to answer questions directly. Yet at that point the spirits from the planet Mercury in turn asked the spirits from our planet whom they believed in. They said, In the Lord God. But the spirits belonging to Mercury then said they perceived that they believed in no God at all and that they were accustomed to say with their lips that they believed, when in fact they did not (the reason why spirits belonging to Mercury possess keen perception is that they are constantly seeking by means of their perception to get hold of what others know). The spirits belonging to our planet were some of those who in the world were moved by what the Church taught to declare their faith, yet did not lead the life of faith. When they heard these things said about themselves they fell silent, for at that point they were given the ability to see that such things were true.
Latin(1748-1756) 7172
7172. Quondam vidi quod nostrae telluris spiritus essent apud spiritus telluris Mercurii, et audivi illos inter se colloquentes; et tunc inter alia nostrae telluris spiritus interrogabant illos in quem crederent, respondebant quod crederent in Deum; sed cum quaererent ulterius de Deo in quem crederent, nolebant dicere quoniam ex more illorum est ut non directe ad quaestiones respondeant. At tunc spiritus ex tellure Mercurii vicissim interrogabant spiritus ex nostra tellure in quem illi crederent, dicebant hi quod in Dominum Deum; spiritus Mercurii tunc dicebant quod perciperent illos in nullum Deum credere, et pro more habere ore dicere quod credant et tamen usque non credere (habent {1}spiritus Mercurii exquisitam perceptionem, ex eo quia continue media perceptione explorant quid alii sciunt); spiritus nostrae telluris erant inter illos qui in mundo confessi sunt fidem ex doctrina Ecclesiae, sed usque non vixerunt vitam fidei; cum haec audiverunt, obmutescebant quia ex apperceptione illis tune data agnoscebant quod ita esset.