225.最坏的魔鬼，或复仇女神被关在地狱；他们不能从那里被释放出来，否则，人类必灭亡。没有人能想象出被关在地狱中的那帮团伙何等有害。其中一些魔鬼稍稍被松开，就会如此冷酷、诡诈和猛烈地攻击我，以致我永远无法想象这种恶毒存在的可能性。这就是为何这帮团伙被如此关押起来，以致他们无法张开嘴反对，更不能攻击任何人，除了再也没有任何希望的最坏的人外。当有人在致使仇恨的煽动下犯下可怕罪行时，若非这帮地狱团伙被弥赛亚神关押起来，可以说用锁链锁起来，人类就会灭亡。但当世人陷入复仇女神之手时，他们的束缚就在被允许的范围内松开。以前，我有几次经历过这些“复仇女神”，这事被允许是为了让我能讲述它。当我写这些事时，这些复仇女神的缰绳稍稍松开，这使得最末层或属世天的灵人惊恐万分，以致他们毫不掩饰自己的恐惧，渴望逃离，求助于弥赛亚神。由此明显可知那些在属世天徘徊的属世灵人的脸何等可怕。
225. The worst demons, or furies, are shut up in hell, and they cannot be released from there without the human race being destroyed
No one can possibly conceive how harmful that gang is that is kept bound up in hell. Some of them who had been slightly loosed, attacked me so hard, and so very cunningly and sharply, that I would never have been able to believe such poisons could ever exist. This is why that gang is kept bound up in such a way that they cannot as much as open their mouth to, much less attack, anyone except the very worst kind for whom there is no more hope, or when someone aroused with murderous hatred is committing criminal acts. Unless this hellish gang were held in bonds almost like chains by God the Messiah, the human race would perish.
But their bond is loosened, as far as it is permitted, when a person on earth falls into a fury. I have experienced that fury several times previously, this being permitted for the purpose of enabling me to tell about it.
When I had written these things, the reins of those furies were very slightly slackened, which so alarmed the spirits in the last or earthly heaven, that they openly made known their terror, and then wanted to resort to supplications to God the Messiah. From this it can be evident how grotesque the faces must be of those earthly minded spirits who hover about in the earthly heaven [218, 223]. 1747, the 28th day of October (old calendar).
225. THE WORST GENII, OR FURIES, ARE SHUT UP IN HELL, AND THEY CANNOT BE RELEASED THEREFROM, LEST THE HUMAN RACE SHOULD PERISH
No one can ever conceive how harmful is the crew that is held bound in hell. Some of them having been let loose a little, infested me in such a manner, and so very deceitfully and so acutely, that I could never have believed that such venom was at all possible: wherefore that crew is held so bound that it can on no account mutter against, still less infest, any but the worst of men for whom there is no longer any hope. And when anyone incited by deadly hatred commits dreadful crimes, unless this infernal crew were held in bonds and, as it were, in chains by God Messiah, the human race would perish. But the bond is relaxed with them, as far as it is permitted, when man falls into [the hands of] "the furies"; I have also sometimes experienced these "furies" on former occasions, this being permitted in order that I might relate it. When I had written these things the reins of these "furies" were very slightly relaxed; and as a result those spirits in the ultimate or natural heaven were thrown into such consternation that they manifestly betrayed their terror, and thus desired to flee to supplications to God Messiah. Hence it can be evident how horrible must be the faces of those who are natural spirits, and who flit about in the natural heaven. 1747, Oct. 28, o.s.
225. Quod pessimi genii, seu furiae, inclusi sunt inferno, et inde nequeant exsolvi, nisi periret genus humanum
Nusquam aliquis concipere potest, quam damnosa turba ea sit, quae in inferno tenetur vincta, quorum aliqui parum soluti sunt, ita me infestarunt, et tam dolosissime et tam acute, ut nusquam id potuissem credere, quod talia venena usquam dari potuissent; quare turba ea tenetur ita vincta ut nequaquam possint hiscere minus infestare hominem, nisi pessimum, de quo non amplius aliqua spes, et quum aliquis odio percitus internecino facinora patrat, nisi haec turba infernalis, teneretur in vinculis et quasi catenis a Deo Messia, periret humanum genus, sed tantum relaxatur iis vinculum, quantum permittitur, dum homo in furias labitur; expertus etiam sum furias istas aliquoties prius, ob finem id permissum, ut id possem narrare; cum haec scripsissem, furiis istis pauxillum relaxatae sunt habenae, inde spiritus ii in ultimo seu naturali coelo ita consternati sunt, ut terrorem manifeste proderent, et sic ad supplicationes ad Deum Messiam fugere cupiebant, inde quam horrenda facies foret eorum qui naturales spiritus sunt, et in naturali coelo circumvolitant, constare potest. 1747, die 28 1
Oct. st. v.
Footnotes:
1. In the Manuscript 21 in 28 emendatum