19、凡出于确认和生活而陷入邪恶，由此陷入虚假的人，都不可能知道何为良善和真理，因为他视自己的邪恶为良善，由此视自己的虚假为真理。但是，凡出于确认和生活处于良善，由此处于真理的人，都能知道何为邪恶和虚假。原因在于，一切良善及其真理本质上都是属天堂的；即便本质上不属天堂，仍来自一个天堂的源头。但一切邪恶及其虚假本质上是属地狱的，即便本质上不属地狱，仍来自地狱。属天堂的一切都在光明中，而属地狱的一切都在黑暗中。
《属天的奥秘》摘录
19、习惯于持守邪恶及谬误的人不知道良善和真理是什么，因为他相信他自己的邪恶是良善，由此相信他的谬误是真理。但是习惯于持守良善及真理的每个人都可以知道邪恶和谬误是什么。理由是一切良善及其真理在本质上是天堂的，即使本质上不是天堂的，仍然是来自天堂的源头。但是一切邪恶及其谬误在本质上是地狱的，即使本质上不是地狱的，它的源头仍然来自那里。天堂的一切都沐浴在光明中，地狱的一切都陷入黑暗里。
摘自《属天的奥秘》
19. No one who is resolutely and habitually devoted to what is evil and what is false can know what is good and what is true, because such people believe that their evil is good and that their falsity is the truth. On the other hand, anyone who is resolutely and habitually devoted to what is good and what is true can know what is evil and what is false. This is because every type of goodness and its accompanying truth is heavenly in essence, and if any of it is not heavenly in essence it still comes from heaven. Every type of evil and its accompanying falsity, though, is hellish in essence, and any of it that is not hellish in essence still comes from hell. Everything heavenly is in the light, while everything hellish is in darkness.
19. When we rationalize and live out our bad traits and the false ideas we get from them, we cannot see what is good and true, since evil thinks of itself as good, and falsity thinks of itself as true. But if we strengthen and live out our good qualities and the true ideas we get from them, we can see what is evil and false.
This is why: all our good qualities and the true ideas that go with them are heavenly in essence — or if they are not, they still come from a heavenly source. But all our bad traits and the false ideas that go with them are hellish in essence — or if they are not, they still come from a hellish source. And everything heavenly is brightly lit, but everything hellish is in the dark.
19. No one who by conviction and manner of life has chosen evil and the falsity which comes of it can know what good and truth are, because he believes that his own evil is good and thus that his own falsity is truth. However, everyone who by conviction and manner of life has chosen good and the truth which comes of it can know what evil and falsity are. The reason is that all good, and the truth which comes of it, is in its essence heavenly, and that which is not in its essence heavenly is still of heavenly origin. But all evil and the falsity which comes of it is in its essence hellish, and what is not in its essence hellish still comes from that origin. Everything heavenly is bathed in light and everything hellish is sunk in darkness.
19. No one who, from confirmation and life, is in evil and in the falsity from it, can know what good and truth are; for he believes his own evil to be good, and thus his falsity to be truth. But every one who, by confirmation and life, is in good and in the truth from it, can know what evil and falsity are. The reason is, that all good, with its truth, is in its essence heavenly: and what is not in its essence heavenly, is still from a heavenly origin; but all evil, with its falsity, is in its essence hellish, and what is not hellish in its essence, is still hellish by origin; and everything heavenly is in light, but everything hellish in darkness.
19. No one who is in evil, and thence in falsity from confirmation and life, can know what good and truth is, for he believes his own evil to be good, and thence he believes his falsity to be truth; but everyone who is in good and thence in truth from confirmation and life may know what evil and falsity are. The reason of this is, because all good and its truth is, in its essence, heavenly, and what is not heavenly in its essence is still from a heavenly origin; but all evil and its falsity is in its essence infernal, and what is not infernal in its essence has nevertheless its origin from thence; and all that is heavenly is in light, but all that is infernal is in darkness.
19. Nemo qui in malo et inde falso est ex confirmatione et vita, potest scire quid bonum et verum, quoniam malum suum credit esse bonum, ac inde falsum suum credit esse verum; at omnis qui in bono et inde vero est ex confirmatione et vita, potest scire quid malum et falsum. Causa est, quia omne bonum et ejus verum est in sua essentia caeleste, et quod non in sua essentia est caeleste, est usque ex origine caelesti; omne autem malum et ejus falsum est in sua essentia infernale, et quod non in sua essentia est infernale, est usque ex origine inde: ac omne caeleste est in luce, at omne infernale in tenebris.