108、然而，我没有和对面那一侧的灵人，就是凶残，几乎如同野兽的灵人交谈过。不过，天使告诉了我他们的秉性，以及他们如此残忍的性质从何而来。原因乃是这样：他们非常喜欢偷窃，尤其喜欢吃自己偷来的东西。当他们思想吃自己偷来的东西时，由此产生的快感被传给我，我感觉它强烈得令人难以承受。我们地球上也曾有过具有类似凶残性质的人，这一点从各个民族的历史，以及迦南地的居民（撒母耳记上30:16）明显看出来，同样从大卫时代的犹太和以色列民族看出来；那时，他们年年都突袭并掳掠外邦人，欢欢喜喜地享用掠夺物。我还被告知，这些居民大部分是巨人，我们地球人只及他们的肚脐。此外，他们很蠢笨，不问天堂或永生的事，只关心他们的土地和牲畜。
108. I have not talked with the spirits from the side of Venus that faces our planet [in the spiritual world], the ones who are savage and almost feral. I have been told by angels, though, what they are like and where they get such a savage nature. They take great delight in pillage, and the greatest delight in eating plundered food. The pleasure they feel when they think about eating plundered food was communicated to me; I could tell that it was their supreme joy.
Historical accounts of various populations on our planet show that here as well there have been people this feral. Some of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were this way (see 1 Samuel 30:16), 1as were some of the people of Judah and Israel at the time of David, who made annual forays to plunder other nations and rejoiced to eat the spoils. 2
I was told that most of these inhabitants of that planet were giants, and that the people of our planet would only come up to their navels.
I was also told that they are stupid, with no interest in heaven or eternal life. All they care about is what has to do with their land and their herds.
Footnotes:
1. In 1 Samuel 30:16 the Amalekites are described as “eating and drinking and dancing, because of the great amount of spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah” (New Revised Standard Version). [GFD]
2. On the people of Judah and Israel at the time of David waging war against other nations and plundering them, see, for example, 2 Samuel 5:17-25; 8:1-14; 10; 12:26-31. “Annual forays” is likely a reference to the spring as “the time when kings go out to battle” (2 Samuel 11:1, New Revised Standard Version; see also 1 Kings 20:22, 26). [LSW]
108. I did not, however, talk with the spirits on the side facing us, who are fierce and almost like wild animals; but the angels told me about their nature and the source of their wildness. They said that they took great pleasure in stealing, and particularly in eating what they had stolen. Their pleasure in this, when they were thinking of eating what they had stolen, was imparted to me, and I could grasp how overpowering it was. There were once people in our world who had a similarly wild nature, as is plain from the histories of various peoples; also from the inhabitants of the land of Canaan (1 Samuel 30:16). This also appears from the Jewish and Israelite people in the time of David, when they made raids every year to take booty from other peoples, and feasted gleefully on the spoil. I was also told that these inhabitants are for the most part giants, and people of our world only come up to their navel. Furthermore they are stupid and do not ask what heaven is or everlasting [life], 1but care only for what concerns their lands and their flocks.
Footnotes:
1. [Restored from Arcana Caelestia 7249.-TR.]
108. But I did not speak with those spirits who are on the side that looks this way, and who are savage and almost like wild beasts; but I was informed by the angels concerning their quality, and whence they have so fierce a nature. The cause is this, that they are exceedingly delighted with rapine, and more especially with eating their plunder; the delight thence arising, when they think about eating their plunder, was communicated to me, and was perceived to be most extraordinary. That on our earth there have been inhabitants of a like fierce nature, appears from the histories of various nations; also from the inhabitants of the land of Canaan (1 Samuel 30:16); and likewise from the Jewish and Israelitish nation, even in the time of David, in that they made yearly excursions, and plundered the Gentiles, and rejoiced in feasting on the spoils. I was informed further, that those inhabitants are for the most part giants, and that the men of our earth reach only to their navels; also that they are stupid, making no inquiries concerning heaven or eternal life, but immersed solely in earthly cares and the care of their cattle.
108. Cum illis autem spiritibus, qui a parte huc spectante apparent, ac sunt immites et paene ferini, non loquutus sum, sed relatum est ab angelis, quales sunt, et unde illis tam ferina natura; quod nempe ibi admodum delectentur rapinis, et quam maxime edere ex rapinis: jucunditas inde, cum cogitant de edere ex rapinis, mecum communicata fuit, et appercepta quod summa esset. Quod Incolae tali natura ferina etiam in nostra Tellure fuerint, patet ex Historicis variarum gentium; tum ex Incolis terrae Canaanis (I Samuelis 30:16): et quoque ex Gente Judaica et Israelitica etiam tempore Davidis, quod quotannis excursiones fecerint, et depraedati gentes, et laetati ex praeda comederint. Dictum etiam, quod Incolae illi quoad plurem partem sint gigantes, et quod nostrae telluris homines modo ad umbilicum eorum pertingant. Tum quoque, quod sint stupidi, non quaerentes quid coelum, aut quid aeterna, sed quod solum illa curent quae sunt eorum terrae, et eorum pecorum.