5839. and afterwards went back, but all like this were discovered and thrown out. There were also certain who knew how to look down beneath themselves into the very houses, and see and hear those who were below and also those at the sides. Because they acted similarly, they were all discovered and thrown out. They brought on a desire to scratch my body. All these were the type that were not delighted by any usefulness for the sake of the use, but did what is useful for the sake of making a living and for the sake of a high position, a reputation and a profit as goals. In a word, leisure was their delight, and they who love leisure above use acquire evils in their spirit, for they do not direct their mind to what is useful but to the kind of things that are in the world, thus to things that are filthy and to evils of every kind, from which they are fully restrained if they are delighted by uses. נ
[2] Such purifications of the nations of the reformed have been going on for a long time. It has been granted them, as before, to ascend to places where earlier there had been those like them who had formed the previous heaven, after which they were stripped of good qualities and then arranged by the Lord so that they would take the way tending to a society they felt suited them or to swamps and hells, from which ways it was not allowable for them to deviate, and if they did they were punished. Those who deviated had a desire to do evil, or rather, to give themselves freedom so that they would be able to do evil. For this reason there were guards on both sides of the way, and anyone who went beyond the guard was punished and thrown into his own hell. There were examinations of [their] natures, there are many. They were clearly discerned by the angels from the turnings to the four quarters.
5839. Some, also, were skilled in the arts of looking down below themselves into the very houses, and seeing and hearing those who were beneath, and likewise at the sides. As these acted similarly, they were all sought out and driven forth. They occasioned an itchy irritation in my body. They were all such as did not take pleasure in any use for the sake of the use, but performed every use for the sake of a living, and for the sake of honors, reputation and profit, as ends. In a word, ease was their delight; and they who love ease more than use, collect evils in their spirit; for they do not determine the mind to use, but to such things as are in the world, thus, to basenesses and evils of every kind - from which they are readily withheld, if they delight in uses. - Such purifications of the nations of the Reformed lasted a long while. It was permitted them, as before, to as it were mount up to the places where there were previously similar ones, who constituted the former heaven. They were afterwards vastated, and then arranged in order by the Lord, so that they should traverse a road which led to the society suited to them, or to the marshes and hells, from which roads it was not permitted them to deviate; and if they did deviate, they were punished. Those who turned aside had the lust of inflicting injury, or of setting themselves at liberty so that they might be able to commit evils: wherefore, there were guards at both sides of the road, and he who went outside the guards was punished and cast into his hell. Of what nature the explorations were, was clearly perceived by the angels by the turnings to the quarters. They were very numerous.
5839. et postea redierunt, sed omnes tales inventi et ejecti: quidam etiam artes calluerunt despicere infra se in ipsas domus, ac videre et audire illos qui infra, et quoque a lateribus, illi quia similiter egerunt, omnes inventi sunt et ejecti, illi pruritum scabiei intulerunt corpori meo; omnes erant tales qui non delectati sunt aliquo usu propter usum, sed aliquem usum fecerunt propter victum, et propter honores, famam, et lucrum, ut fines, verbo otium illis fuerat delectamentum, et qui otium prae usu amant, illi colligunt mala in spiritu suo, nam non determinant mentem ad usum, sed ad talia quae in mundo sunt, ita ad spurca et omnis generis mala, a quibus bene detinentur si delectantur usibus. - Tales purificationes nationum ex reformatis diu perstiterunt, datum est illis ut prius quasi scandere ad loca, ubi prius similes qui formaverunt prius coelum, postquam devastati sunt, et tunc ordinati a Domino, ut irent viam, quae tendebat ad societatem illis conformem, vel ad paludes et inferna, e quibus viis non illis deflectere licuit, et si deflecterent, puniebantur; qui deflectebant, cupiditatem habebant malefaciendi, seu [se] in libertatem mittendi ut possent mala facere, quare custoditae erant viae utrinque, et qui extra custodita ibat, puniebatur et in infernum suum conjiciebatur. Explorationes quales fuerunt, sunt plures, ab angelis clare visae per conversiones ad plagas.