941、在欣嫩子谷或火坑右侧，或欣嫩子谷和湖之间还有一座城市，住在那里的犹太人似乎好一点。然而，对他们来说，这座城市会照着他们的幻想而发生变化，有时变成乡村，有时变成湖，有时又变回城市。其居民非常害怕强盗，但只要在这城里，他们就安全了。这两座城之间似乎有一片幽暗的三角区，那里有强盗。这些强盗也是犹太人，不过是最坏的那种；他们残忍折磨他们所遇见的任何人。出于恐惧，犹太人称这些强盗为“主人”，称他们所住的荒漠为“圣地”。为了自保，免遭强盗袭击，他们从右侧进入这座城市，那里有一个善灵驻扎在遥远的角落，他接待所有到这里来的人。他们到达后，就在他面前俯伏在地，从他的脚下进入；这是他们进入该城之前的仪式。有一个灵人突然靠近我，我问他从哪里来？他说，他正在逃避他所害怕的强盗，因为他们杀人，把人剁碎、焚烧、煮沸，他问他在哪里可以得到安全。我问他来自何处，哪个地区。他吓得不敢回答，只说那是主人的地，因为他们称荒漠为“圣地”，称强盗为“主人”。
后来，一些强盗出现了。他们非常黑，说话的声音像巨人一样深沉。说来奇怪，他们无论在哪里出现，都会造成极大的恐惧和惊恐感。我问他们是谁？他们说，他们在寻求掠夺。我问他们打算把赃物存放在哪里，难道不知道他们是灵人，因此无法带走或堆积脏物，这些东西都是邪恶的幻觉吗？他们回答说，他们正在荒漠中寻求战利品，并折磨凡他们所遇见的人。当与我同在时，他们最终承认他们是灵人，但仍无法被说服相信他们并非活在肉体。那些以这种方式四处游荡的人是犹太人，他们威胁要把凡他们所遇见的人都杀死、剁碎、焚烧、煮沸，即便受害者是犹太人或他们的朋友。这使得其他人认识到他们的本性，尽管在世时，他们不敢泄露。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]941. There is another city on the right of Gehenna too, or between Gehenna and the lake,{*1} where the better Jews seem to themselves to live. But the city changes for them as their fantasies change. At one point it turns into a collection of small towns, at another into a lake, and at another back into a city. The residents have a fear of robbers, but as long as they are in the city they are safe.
Between the two cities is a kind of triangular space dark with shadows. That is the home of the outlaws, who are Jews but of the worst kind. Anyone they come across they torture cruelly. The Jews are so terrified of these outlaws that they call them "Lord," and they call the wilderness the outlaws live in "the [Holy] Land."
To keep those who enter the city on the right-hand side safe from the bandits, a good spirit stands at one corner of the city limits and welcomes arrivals.{*2} When they reach the spirit, they bow down to the ground and enter at the spirit's feet. That is the ritual they go through to get into the city.
One spirit came up to me quite suddenly. "Where did you come from?" I asked.
"I ran in terror from the thieves, because they kill people, and chop, roast, and boil them," was the answer. "Where can I be safe?"
"What place, what land are you from?" I asked.
Out of fear, the spirit did not dare to answer more than, "The land is the Lord's." (As noted, they call the wilderness the [Holy] Land and the thieves Lord).
[2] Then some of these outlaws came up, and they were very dark. They had deep voices, like giants' voices, and wherever they make an appearance they inflict an amazingly palpable fear and horror. I asked who they were. They said they were looking for goods to loot. "Where do you expect to pile your loot?" I asked. "Don't you know that you're spirits and can't make off with loot or pile it up? Such are the delusions of the evil!"
"We live in the wilderness, looking for plunder," they answered, "and we torture the people we run into." While they were with me they finally admitted that they were spirits, but they still could not be persuaded to believe they were not living in their bodies.
There are Jews who wander around in this way, making talk about indiscriminately murdering, chopping, roasting, and boiling others, even if the victims are Jews or friends of theirs. This has allowed others to recognize their character, despite the fact that they dare not divulge it in the world.{*3}
Footnotes:
{*1} The "lake" referred to here may be the one described in 819. [LHC]
{*2} A parallel passage in Spiritual Experiences (Swedenborg 1998-2002) 728 says that it is the better spirits who enter the city on the right. [LHC]
{*3} On Swedenborg's attitude toward Jews, see notes 4 in 259:2, 2 in 303:2, and the reader's guide, pages 51-55. [JSR]
Potts(1905-1910) 941
941. There is also another city on the right of Gehenna, or between Gehenna and the Lake, where the better sort of the Jews seem to themselves to dwell. But this city is changed to them according to their phantasies, sometimes being turned into villages, at others into a lake, and again into a city; and its inhabitants are much afraid of robbers, but so long as they remain in the city they are secure. Between the two cities there is a kind of triangular space, dark, where are robbers, who are Jews, but of the worst sort, who cruelly torture whomsoever they meet. The Jews out of fear call these robbers the Lord, and the desert in which they reside they call the Land. As a security against the robbers, at the entrance into the city, on the right, there is a good spirit stationed, in the extreme corner, who receives all comers, and before whom, as they arrive, they bow themselves toward the earth. They are admitted under his feet, this being the ceremony of admittance into this city. A certain spirit approaching me suddenly; I demanded whence he came? He replied that he was making his escape from the robbers, whom he feared, because they kill, slaughter, burn, and boil men, inquiring where he might be safe. I asked whence and from what country he came? In his terror he dared not give me any other answer than that it was the Lord's Land, for they call that desert the Land, and the robbers the Lord. Afterwards the robbers presented themselves. They were very black, and spoke in a deep tone of voice like giants, and, strange to say, when they come they induce a sense of dread and horror. I asked them who they were? They said they were in quest of plunder. I inquired what they meant to do with their plunder, and whether they did not know that they were spirits, and therefore could neither seize upon nor amass plunder, and that such notions are the phantasies of the evil? They replied, that they were in the desert in quest of booty, and that they torture whomsoever they meet. At last they acknowledged, while they were with me, that they were spirits, but still could not be brought to believe that they were not still living in the body. Those who thus wander about are Jews, who threaten to kill, slaughter, burn, and boil whomsoever they meet, even though they are Jews, and friends. Their disposition was thus made known, although in the world they dare not divulge it.
Elliott(1983-1999) 941
941. To the right of Gehenna, that is, between Gehenna and the swamp, there is also another city, where better types of Jews seem to themselves to be living. For them however this city undergoes changes in accordance with the delusions they have. At one point it turns into country areas, at another into a swamp, and then back again into a city. Its inhabitants live in fear of robbers, but as long as they are inside that city they are safe. Between the two cities there is, it seems, a gloomy triangular-shaped section where there are robbers. They too are Jews, but are the most evil of them, who show no mercy to anyone at all whom they encounter. Out of fear the Jews call these robbers 'master', and the desert region where the robbers are they call 'the land'. To protect themselves from the robbers they enter this city from the right where a good spirit is stationed at the far corner who receives all who come there. On arrival they bow to the ground and are let in beneath his feet, the formality before being admitted into this city. A certain spirit suddenly came up to me and I asked where he had come from. He said he was fleeing in fear from the robbers who kill, murder, burn, and boil people. He asked where it would be safe for him. I demanded where he was from, and from which country. But he did not dare, from fear, to answer other than the master's land; for they call the desert 'the land', and the robbers 'master'.
[2] Then the robbers arrived, who were extremely black. They spoke with deep voices like giants; and what is remarkable, when they draw near they strike a sense of great fear and horror. I asked them who they were. They said they were looking for plunder. I asked where they intended to store up their plunder. Did they not know that they were spirits and that they were unable to carry off or store up plunder, and that such things were the delusions of the evil? They replied that they were in the desert searching for loot and that they showed no mercy to those they encountered. They did at length acknowledge while with me that they were spirits, yet they still could not be brought to believe that they were living anywhere else than in the [physical] body. Those roving around in this fashion are Jews who declare that they kill, murder, burn, and boil, doing so to anybody they meet, Jews or friends regardless. This demonstrated their intentions, though in the world they did not dare to let these be made public.
Latin(1748-1756) 941
941. Est quoque alia urbs a dextro Gehennae, seu inter Gehennam et stagnum, ubi meliores ex Judaeis sibi videntur habitare; sed haec urbs iis mutatur secundum phantasias; nunc vertitur in pagos, nunc in stagnum, nunc iterum in urbem; timor illis ibi est pro latronibus; et quamdiu in urbe ista sunt, tuti sunt. Inter binas urbes est quasi triangulare spatium tenebrosum; ibi latrones, qui sunt Judaei sed eorum pessimi, qui quoscumque offendunt, miserabiliter cruciant; hos latrones e timore Judaei vocant 'dominum,' et desertum ubi sunt, vocant 'terram': ut tuti pro latronibus in urbem hanc a dextro veniant, est in termino angulari spiritus bonus, qui excipit venientes; ad quem cum veniunt, incurvant se versus terram et sub pedes ejus admittantur, qui ritus est admissionis in hanc urbem. Quidam spiritus ad me subito venit; quaerebam unde venit; dixit quod fugeret et timeret latrones, qui occidunt, mactant, cremant, coquunt homines, quaerens ubi tutus esse posset. Interrogabam undenam esset et ex qua terra; nihil aliud ausus est respondere ex timore quam quod terra sit domini, desertum enim vocant 'terram,' et latrones 'dominum.' [2] Venerunt dein latrones, qui nigerrimi; locuti sono basso sicut gigantes, et mirum, cum adventant, terrorem et horrorem sensibilem incutiunt; quaesivi quinam essent; dicebant quod quaerant spolia; dixi, ubi congerere vellent sua spolia; anne sciant quod spiritus sint, et quod nec spolia auferre nec congerere possint, et quod talia sint phantasiae malorum? Respondebant se esse in deserto quaerentes rapinas, et quod crucient quos offendunt. Agnoverunt tandem cum penes me, quod spiritus essent, sed usque non adduci potuerunt aliter credere quam quod viverent in corpore. Sunt Judaei qui ita vagantur, ore ferentes occidere, mactare, cremare, coquere, et hoc contra quoscumque, si vel Judaei vel amici sint. Inde quoque innotuit quali animo sunt tametsi in mundo non tale evulgare audent.