284.关于地狱和地狱团伙。午夜过后，我醒了两次，生动清晰地看见发生在我周围属灵气场中的事。有一个人从最低层地狱被放出来，有一个地狱团伙陪同他，他们似乎围绕脚下一个圆球走动，绕着它前行，好像在找什么东西。他们还打听哪里有纯真的人，并且用尽一切诡计急切地寻找。最终，这个团伙觉得自己似乎在环游世界，徒劳地寻找了一番后，最后以为找到了一个纯真之人；于是，他们通过自己的幻觉以可怕的方式对待这个人，事实上，不断击打并割伤他。后来，他们还靠近我，想把我从一个地方转到另一个地方，好叫他们其中的一员和我说话，用诡诈迷惑我；但蒙弥赛亚神怜悯，我安然无恙。然而，我仍发觉他能以何等巧妙的方式通过一种神奇的流注来扭曲我的思维，以便他将凡良善的东西都扭曲成另一种意义，以某种像毒药一样的东西来代替它。因为地狱里的人最坏的本性是，他们虽不知道何为良善，但仍通过他们相反的本性而感觉到它的存在，并在一瞬间扭曲它。
284. About hell and the hellish gang
After midnight I awoke twice, and was having a vivid vision of what was going on in the spiritual realm around me, and there was someone let out of the lowest hell accompanied by some also infernal gang that seemed to be carried about in a kind of circle under the feet, around which they were marching in search of [something]. It was innocents they were looking for, and this with all cunning and eagerness. At length that gang, after seeming to themselves to walk a complete circle and to have sought in vain, finally thought they had come upon an innocent, whom they seemed to themselves in fantasy to treat in dreadful ways, inflicting ceaseless blows and lacerations.
Finally they also approached me and wanted to transfer me from one place to another, as one of them said, and then to corrupt me with their deceits, but by the mercy of God the Messiah, I was kept safe. Still, I perceived how subtly they were able to distort my thinking, through a most remarkable influence that bent whatever was good in a different direction, replacing it with something like poison. For the very evil character of those in hell is such that although they do not know what goodness is, they nevertheless sense its presence by means of their contrary character, and corrupt it in a moment.
284. CONCERNING HELL AND THE INFERNAL CREW
After midnight I was awakened twice, and had a vivid vision of what was taking place in the spiritual sphere around me. Someone had been sent forth from the lowest hell, accompanied also by a certain infernal crew who seemed to themselves to be carried round about as if around a kind of globe beneath the feet, around which they marched. They also inquired where there were innocent persons whom they sought with the utmost guile and assiduity. At length that crew, after seeming to themselves to have walked around the globe and to have inquired in vain, supposed they had found an innocent person whom they seemed to themselves to treat in a dreadful manner by their phantasies, and indeed with continued blows and lacerations. Later they also approached me and wanted to transfer me from one place to another in order that one of them might speak with me and so pervert me by his deceits; but by the mercy of God Messiah I was safe. Still I perceived in what a subtle manner he could by a wonderful influx pervert my thoughts, so that whatever was good he would bend into another sense, and substitute something poisonous, as it were: for the worst nature of those in hell is such that although they do not know what good is, still owing to their nature being contrary, they are keenly sensitive of its presence, and in a moment pervert it.
284. De inferno et turba infernali
Post mediam noctem bis evigilatus sum, et eram in visione viva, quid ageretur in sphaera spirituali circum me,et erat quidam 1
emissus ex infimo inferno, comitatus turba quadam etiam infernali, quae circumferri sibi videbantur quasi circum quendam orbem sub pedibus circum quem proficiscerentur, et quaererent erant innocentiae, quas quaerebant 2
, et quidem omni dolo et studio, tandem turba ea, postquam ambulare sibi visa esset per orbem, et frustra quaesivisse, tandem putabant se innocentem invenisse, quem diris modis sibi per phantasias tractare videbantur, et quidem continuis ictibus et dilacerationibus, tandem ad me quoque accesserunt, qui voluerunt me ab uno loco in alterum transferre, ut loquebatur unus, et sic me dolis suis pervertere 3
, sed tutus eram ex misericordia Dei Messiae, usque percipiebam, quam subtili modo pervertere posset cogitationes meas, per influxum mirandum, sic ut quicquid bonum esset, flecteret aliorsum, et substitueret quasi venenum, nam talis est eorum indoles pessima in inferno, ut tametsi non sciant quid bonum, usque per contrariam eorum indolem id persentiscunt, et momento pervertunt.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has quidem
2. The Manuscript has quaesiebant
3. The Manuscript has perverteret