9972.后来，我在他们下面的一个地方看见来自这个星球的灵人，还与这些灵人交谈。不过，他们都是偶像崇拜者，因为他们拜一个石像，这石像类似一个人、但并不美。要知道，所有进入来世的人一开始都有一个敬拜，类似他们在世上的敬拜；不过，他们会逐渐被引离它。这样做的原因是，一切敬拜都植根于人生命的内在部分，只能逐渐被移走并根除。看到这一切，我被允许告诉他们说，他们应该拜活物，而不是拜死物。对此，他们回答说，他们知道神是一位活神，不是石头；但当看到类似一个人的石头时，他们就会想到活神；否则，他们的思维观念无法专注于不可见的神，并对祂有一个明确的概念。在这一点上，我被允许告诉他们说，他们的思维观念若专注于主，就是可见的神，就能专注于不可见的神，并对祂有一个明确的概念；当一个人与主结合时，他就能以这种方式在思维和情感上，因而在信和爱上与不可见的神结合；但以其它任何方式则不能。
Potts(1905-1910) 9972
9972. Afterward I saw spirits from the same earth in a place beneath the former, and I spoke with these also. But these were idolaters, for they worshiped an idol of stone like a man, but not beautiful. Be it known that at first all who come into the other life have a worship like their worship in the world, but that they are gradually removed from it. The reason of this is that all worship remains implanted in the interior life of the man, from which it cannot be removed and rooted out except gradually. Upon seeing this, it was given me to tell them that they ought not to worship what is dead, but what is alive. To this they answered that they know that God is alive, and is not a stone; but they think of the living God when they look upon a stone that is like a man, and that otherwise the ideas of their thought could not be fixed and determined to the invisible God. It was then given me to tell them that the ideas of thought can be fixed and determined to the invisible God, by fixing and determining them to the Lord, who is the visible God; and that in this way a man can be conjoined with the invisible God in thought and affection, and consequently in faith and love, when he is conjoined with the Lord; but not otherwise.
Elliott(1983-1999) 9972
9972. Later I saw spirits from the same planet in a place below them, and I talked to these spirits as well. But they were idolaters, for they worshipped an idol of stone which resembled a human being, though not a beautiful one. (It should be remembered that all when they first enter the next life possess worship similar to their worship in the world, but that they are gradually drawn away from it. The reason why this should be so is that all worship remains embedded in the inward parts of a person's life, from which it cannot be taken away and rooted out except gradually.) On seeing all this I was allowed to tell them that they ought to adore the living, not the lifeless. To this they replied that they knew God was a living God and not stone, but that it was when they beheld the stone resembling a human being that they thought of the living God, and that there was no other way in which they could focus their minds on and have a definite idea of the invisible God. At this point I was allowed to tell them that they could focus their minds on and have a definite idea of the invisible God if they focused them on the Lord who is the visible God, and thus that a person can be joined to the invisible God in thought and affection, consequently in faith and love, when he is joined to the Lord, but not in any other way.
Latin(1748-1756) 9972
9972. Postmodum videbam spiritus ex eadem tellure in loco infra illos cum quibus etiam loquebar; sed illi erant idololatrae, colebant enim idolum ex saxo, simile homini sed non pulchro. Sciendum est quod omnes qui in alteram vitam veniunt, in principio cultum habeant similem cultui suo in mundo, sed quod successive ab illo removeantur; causa quod ita sit, est quia omnis cultus manet implantatus interiori vitae hominis, e qua non removeri et eradicari nisi successive potest. Cum id visum est, dicere illis dabatur quod non oporteat adorare mortuum sed vivum; ad quod respondebant quod sciant quod Deus vivat et non saxum, sed quod cogitent de Deo vivo cum intuentur saxum simile homini, et quod aliter ideae cogitationis suae non possint figi ac determinari ad Deum invisibilem; tunc illis dicere datum est quod ideae cogitationis possint figi et determinari ad Deum invisibilem cum ad Dominum, Qui est Deus visibilis; et sic quod homo possit conjungi Deo invisibili cogitatione et affectione, proinde fide et amore, cum conjungitur Domino; non autem aliter.