1124、一些生活在大洪水之前的后代与我在一起，但他们并不属于那些灭亡的人，而是属于比那些人稍好一点的人。起初，他们以一种温柔、几乎不可察觉的方式流入；但我得以发觉他们内心邪恶，行事从内在违背爱。他们身上散发出死尸的恶臭气场，以致我周围的灵人都逃走了。他们自以为很聪明，没有人会发觉他们在想什么。我与他们谈论主，问他们是否像他们的列祖那样期待主的降临。他们说，他们以一个留着白胡须的神圣老人来代表主；他们也从祂成圣，留着同样的胡须；这就是他们的后代敬畏胡须的起源。他们补充说，他们现在也能敬拜祂，不过是出于他们自己来敬拜。但就在这时，一位天使来了，他们无法忍受他的出现。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1124. Some of their descendants living before the Flood — not those who were destroyed in it but others of somewhat better character — were present with me, and at first they exerted a fairly gentle influence that was not very noticeable. But I was able to perceive that deep down they were bad, and deep down they worked against love. An aura with the stench of dead flesh wafted from them, making the spirits around me run away. They thought they were so subtle that no one would be able to tell what they were thinking.
I carried on a conversation with them about the Lord, asking whether like their forbears they had awaited his Coming. They had represented the Lord to themselves, they said, as an old and godly individual with a white beard and because of him became devout and grew beards themselves. That is the origin of the religious scruple about beards that sprang up among their descendants.{*1} Even now they were able to worship him devoutly, they added, although they did so according to their own lights; but just then an angel approached whose coming they could not bear.
Footnotes:
{*1} This mention of a "religious scruple about beards" among the descendants of the early church may be a reference to the Old Testament injunction against trimming even the "corners" of the beard (Leviticus 19:27; 21:5). A story in 2 Samuel indicates that the ancient Israelites took this injunction very seriously, a fact of which their enemies were aware. The king of the Ammonites indicated his displeasure with an Israelite delegation by shaving off half the beard of each delegate; the Israelite king, David, aware that the delegates felt "greatly ashamed" as a result, advised them not to return home until their beards had regrown (2 Samuel 10:4-5). [JSR]
Potts(1905-1910) 1124
1124. There were near me some of the posterity that lived before the flood-not of those who perished, but of those who were somewhat better than they. At first they flowed in gently and imperceptibly enough; but it was given me to perceive that inwardly they were evil, and that they inwardly acted contrary to love. There exhaled from them a sphere of the odor of a dead body, so that the spirits who were around me fled away. They imagined themselves to be so subtle that no one would perceive what they thought. I spoke with them about the Lord, as to whether or not they had expected Him, as their fathers did. They said that they had represented the Lord to themselves as an old man, holy, with a gray beard; and also that they became holy from Him, and in like manner bearded; whence arose such veneration for beards among their posterity. They added that now also they are able to adore Him, but from themselves. But then an angel came, whose presence they could not endure.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1124
1124. Present with me were some descendants who lived prior to the Flood. They did not belong to those who perished but to those who were somewhat better people. At first they flowed in quite gently and imperceptibly. But I was given to perceive that they were inwardly evil and that inwardly they acted contrary to love. There emanated from them the reeking sphere of a dead body so that the spirits around me fled. They imagined they were so clever that nobody would perceive what they were thinking. I spoke to them about the Lord, whether or not they had awaited His coming, as their fathers had done. They said that they represented the Lord to themselves as an aged and holy man with a hoary beard and that from Him they came to be holy and in a similar way bearded. This was the origin of such reverence among their descendants for beards. They added that they were also able to worship Him now, though it was from self that they did so. But at that point an angel arrived whose presence they could not stand.
Latin(1748-1756) 1124
1124. Ex posteritate quae vixit ante diluvium, non ex illis qui perierunt sed qui illis aliquantum meliores fuerunt, apud me erant, et primum influebant satis molliter et satis insensibiliter; sed percipere dabatur quod interius mali essent et quod interius contra amorem agerent; exhalabat ex iis sphaera nidoris cadaverosi ita ut aufugerent spiritus qui circum me; putabant se ita subtiles esse ut nemo perciperet quid cogitarent: locutus cum iis de Domino, annon sicut patres eorum exspectaverint Ipsum, dicebant quod sibi repraesentaverint Dominum quasi hominem vetustum barbae canae, sanctum, et quod ex Illo sancti fierent, et similiter barbati; unde talis religio apud posteros orta de barbis; addebant quod nunc quoque Ipsum adorare possent sed ex semet; at tunc angelus veniebat cujus adventum non sustinere poterant.