8118.天使告诉我说，我们地球上的上古之人也是这样生活的，也就是说，他们分成各个民族、家族和家庭。所有人都满足于自己的财物；在他们的时代，人们完全不知道利用别人的财物致富，也不知道掌控别人。因此，古时候，尤其上古时代，比后来的时代更蒙主悦纳。由于这种状态的存在，那时掌权的，也是纯真，以及与纯真同在的智慧。人人都出于良善行良善，出于公义行公义。他们不知道什么叫为了自己的地位或利益而行良善和公义。除了真理外，他们也不谈论任何东西，并且与其说是出于真理谈论，不如说是出于良善谈论；也就是说，他们不是出于脱离意愿的理解力，而出于与理解力结合的意愿来谈论。古时候就是这样，因此，那时天使能与他们交往，能在一种几乎与肉体事物分离的状态下将他们的心智带到天堂，还能带他们四处走，向他们展示那里壮丽、快乐的景象，和他们分享自己的幸福和快乐。古代作家们也知道这些时代，称其为黄金时代和土星时代。
那些时代之所以具有这种性质，是因为如前所述，人们分成各个民族，民族又分为各个家族，家族又分为各个家庭，每家每户都单独居住。侵占别人的遗产，从而为自己获取财富和统治权不会进入任何人的脑海。那时自我之爱和尘世之爱离他们很远，人人都因自己的幸福，同样因别人的幸福而从心里欢喜快乐。
但随着时间推移，当统治他人，占有他人财物的欲望入侵人们的思想时，这种场景就变了，并转向反面。于是，为了自保，人类便聚集形成王国和帝国。由于曾写在人们心上的仁爱和良知的律法不再起作用，所以有必要立法制止暴行，甚至立法通过给予人们地位和利益奖赏他们，通过夺去这些东西而予以惩罚。当人类的境况如此发生改变时，天堂就远离了人类；它退得越来越远，直到当今时代，这时，人们不再知道天堂和地狱是否真的存在，甚至否认它们的存在。提及这些细节，是为了通过极为相似的情况来说明住在木星上的那些人的状态是何性质，以及他们的正直和智慧从何而来。详情容后再述。
Potts(1905-1910) 8118
8118. I have been told by the angels that the most ancient people on this earth dwelt in like manner, that is, distinguished into nations, families and houses; that they were all content with their own goods; and that to grow rich from the goods of others, and to exercise dominion, were then quite unknown. On this account, the ancient times, and especially the most ancient, were more acceptable to the Lord than the succeeding ones; and such being the state, innocence also then reigned, and with innocence, wisdom. Everyone then did what is good from good, and what is just from justice. They did not know what it is to do what is good and just with a view to self-honor, or for the sake of profit. They did not then speak anything but the truth; and this not so much from truth, as from good; that is, not from the understanding separate, but from the will conjoined. Such were the ancient times, and therefore angels could then have interaction with men, and lead their minds home to heaven in a state almost separated from bodily things, and could take them round, and show them the magnificent and happy things there, and likewise communicate to them their own happinesses and delights. Moreover those times were known to ancient writers, and were called by them the Golden and also the Saturnian Age. [2] Those times were of this nature, because, as before said, they lived distinguished into nations, and the nations into families, and the families into houses, and each house dwelt by itself; and because it never then came into anyone's mind to attack the inheritance of another, and thereby get for himself wealth and dominion. Far removed then were the love of self and the love of the world, and everyone rejoiced at heart by reason of his own good, and not less by reason of another's. [3] But in the succeeding time this scene was changed and turned into the opposite, when the lust of dominion and of possessing the goods of others invaded the mind. Then for the sake of self-defense, the human race gathered into kingdoms and empires. And as the laws of charity and conscience, which had been written on hearts, ceased to operate, it became necessary to enact laws to restrain acts of violence; in which laws, honors, and riches were the rewards, and the deprivation of these were the penalties. When the state was thus changed, heaven removed itself from man, and this more and more, even to the present age, when it is no longer known whether there is a heaven, and consequently whether there is a hell, and when it is even denied that these exist. These things have been stated, in order that by the parallelism there may be illustrated the quality of the state of those who are on the earth Jupiter, and whence comes their good disposition, and also their wisdom, of which more will be said in what follows.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8118
8118. Angels have told me that the most ancients on our planet lived in similar groupings, divided up into nations, families, and households. All were content with their goods; and it was totally unknown in their day for people to grow rich on others' goods and also to exercise control over others. Ancient times therefore, and especially the most ancient times, were more acceptable to the Lord than those which followed. And since that kind of state existed innocence also reigned at that time, and wisdom with it. Everyone did good out of a desire for good, and behaved righteously out of a desire for righteousness. Doing anything good and righteous for the sake of one's own position or for the sake of gain was unknown to them. Nor did they speak anything other than the truth which they were led to do not by a desire for truth but for good, that is, not by an understanding separated from the will but by a will linked to the understanding. This is what the ancient times were like, and therefore angels were able to mix with men. They were able to carry a person's mind, virtually separated from bodily connections, up into heaven with them to lead him around and show him the magnificent and happy sights there, as well as to share their own happiness and delight with them. These times were also well known to ancient authors, who called them the Golden Age as well as the Saturnian.
[2] The reason why those times were such was, as has been stated, that people lived divided up into nations, nations into families, and families into households; and each household lived by itself. It did not enter anyone's head to encroach on another's inheritance and thereby to acquire wealth and control. Self-love and love of the world were far from them then. Each person rejoiced in his heart in his own well-being, and no less in that of another.
[3] But this scene was changed. In course of time it turned into the opposite, when people's minds were taken over by the desire to control others and possess their goods. For its own protection the human race was then gathered into kingdoms and empires. And because the laws of charity and conscience which had been inscribed on people's hearts ceased to exist, it was necessary to produce laws that would curb acts of violence, laws that rewarded people by giving them position and gain or punished them by withdrawing the same things. When the human condition changed in this way heaven moved away from mankind; it has retreated further and further, until the present centuries, when no one knows any longer whether heaven really exists, and therefore whether hell does. Indeed there is a denial of their existence. These details have been mentioned in order that a parallel situation may serve to cast some light on the state of those on the planet Jupiter, on the source of their uprightness, and also their wisdom, about which much more will be said further on.
Latin(1748-1756) 8118
8118. Quod antiquissimi in hac tellure similiter habitaverint, mihi ab angelis dictum est, nempe quod distincti in gentes, familias, et domos, et quod omnes contenti suis bonis fuerint; et quod ex bonis aliorum ditescere, ut et dominari, prorsus tunc ignotum {1}fuerit; idcirco antiqua tempora, ac imprimis antiquissima, Domino prae sequentibus accepta fuerunt; et quia talis status fuit, etiam tunc regnabat innocentia, et cum illa sapientia; quisque tunc bonum egit ex bono, (c)et justum fecit ex justo; quid facere bonum et justum propter {2}honorem sui, aut propter lucrum, non sciebant; nec tunc loquebantur nisi verum, et hoc non ita ex vero quam ex bono, hoc est, non ex intellectuali separato sed ex voluntario conjuncto; talia erant tempora antiqua, quapropter tunc potuerunt angeli conversari cum hominibus, ac illorum mentes paene separatas a corporeis secum in caelum ducere, ac circumducere, et magnifica ibi et felicia monstrare, ut et felicia {3}sua ac jucunda cum illis communicare; haec tempora etiam scriptoribus antiquis fuerunt nota, et ab illis appellata aurea, et quoque Saturnina. 2 Causa quod illa tempora talia essent, erat, ut dictum, quod {4}vixerint distincti in gentes, ac gentes in familias, et familiae in domos, ac unaquaeque domus per se habitaret; quodque (t)tunc non alicui in mentem {5}venerit hereditatem alterius invadere, ac inde opulentiam sibi et dominium acquirere; longe aberat tunc amor sui et amor mundi; quisque ex corde laetus erat ex suo, et non minus ex bono alterius. 3 Sed haec scena mutata est, et in contrarium versa, succedente tempore, cum animum invasit cupiditas dominandi (c)et possidendi aliorum bona; tunc genus humanum se tutandi causa {6} congregavit in regna et imperia; et quia cessaverunt leges charitatis et conscientiae quae inscriptae cordibus fuerunt, leges {7} ad compescendas violentias ferre necessum fuit, in quibus honores et lucra erant praemia, ac privationes illorum, poenae; cum ita status mutatus est, ipsum caelum se removit ab homine, et hoc magis et magis usque ad haec saecula, dum non amplius scitur num caelum, proinde num infernum sit, immo negatur quod sint. Haec dicta sunt ut per (x)parallelismum {8}illustretur qualis status illorum est qui in tellure Jovis, ac unde illorum probitas, et quoque sapientia, de qua plura in sequentibus. @1 fuit$ @2 se et propter aliquid lucri$ @3 After jucunda$ @4 viverent$ @5 veniret$ @6 i se$ @7 i novas$ @8 Before per$