Book of Enoch (Part 7)

LXXXIX.68-71. First Period of the Angelic Rulers – from the Destruction of Jerusalem to the Return from Captivity

And the shepherds and their associates delivered over those sheep to all the wild beasts, to devour them, and each one of them received in his time a definite number: it was written by the other in a book how many each one of them destroyed of them. And each one slew and destroyed many more than was prescribed; and I began to weep and lament on account of those sheep. And thus in the vision I saw that one wh wrote, how he wrote down every one that was destroyed by those shepherds, day by day, and carried up and laid down and showed actually the whole book to the Lord of the sheep – (even) everything that they had done, and all that each one of them had made away with, and all that they had given over to destruction. And the book was read before the Lord of the sheep, and He took the book from his hand and read it and sealed it and laid it down.

LXXXIX.72-77. Second Period – from the Time of Cyrus to that of Alexander the Great

And forthwith I saw how the shepherds pastured for twelve hours, and behold three of those sheep turned back and came and entered and began to build up all that had fallen down of that house; but the wild boars tried to build as before, and they reared up that tower, and it was named the high tower; and they began again to place a table before the tower, but all the bread on it was polluted and not pure.

And as touching all this the eyes of those sheep were blinded so that they saw not, and (the eyes of) their shepherds likewise; and they delivered them in large numbers to their shepherds for destruction, and they trampled the sheep with their feet and devoured them. And the Lord of the sheep remained unmoved til all the sheep were dispersed over the field and mingled with them (i.e. the beasts), and they (i.e. the shepherds) did not save them out of the hand of the beasts. And this one who wrote the book carried it up, and showed it and read it before the Lord of the sheep, and implored Him on their account, and besought Him on their account as he showed Him all the doings of the shepherds, and gave testimony before Him against all the shepherds. And he took the actual book and laid it down beside Him and departed.

XC.1-5. Third Period – from Alexander the Great to the Graeco-Syrian Dominion

And I saw til that in this manner thirty-five shepherds undertook the pasturing (of the sheep), and they severally completed their periods as did the first; and others received them into their hands, to pasture them for their period, each shepherd in his own period. And after that I saw in my vision all the birds of heaven coming, the eagles, the vultures, the kites, the ravens; but the eagles led all the birds; and they began to devour those sheep, and to pick out their eyes and to devour their flesh. And the sheep cried out because their flesh was being devoured by the birds, and as for me I looked and lamented in my sleep over that shepherd who pastured the sheep. And I saw until those sheep were devoured by the dogs and eagles and kites, and they left neither flesh nor skin nor sinew remaining on them til only their bones stood there: and their bones too fell to the earth and the sheep became few. And I saw until that twenty-three had undertaken the pasturing and completed in their several periods fifty-eight times.

XC.6-12 Fourth Period – from the Graeco-Syrian Domination to the Maccabean Revolt

But behold lambs were born by those white sheep, and they began to open their eyes to see, and to cry to the sheep. Yea, they cried to them, but they did not hearken to what they said to them, but were exceedingly deaf, and their eyes were very exceedingly blinded. And I saw in the vision how the ravens flew upon those lambs, and the ravens cast down their horns; and I saw til there sprouted a great horn of one of those sheep, and their eyes were opened. And it looked at them [and their eyes opened], and it cried to the sheep, and the rams saw it and all ran to it. And notwithstanding all this those eagles and vultures and ravens and kites still kept tearing the sheep and swooping down upon them and devouring them: still the sheep remained silent, but the rams lamented and cried out And those ravens fought and battled with it and sought to lay low its horn, but they had no power over it.

XC.13-19. The last Assault of the Gentiles on the Jews (where vv. 13-15 and 16-18 are doublets)

And I saw till the shepherds and eagles and those vultures and kites came, and they cried to the ravens that they should break the horn of that ram, and they battled and fought with it, and it battled with them and cried that its help might come.

All the eagles and vultures and ravens and kites were gathered together, and there came with them all the sheep of the field, yea, they all came together, and helped each other to break that horn of the ram.

And I saw til a great sword was given to the sheep, and the sheep proceeded agaisnt all the beasts of the field to slay them, and all the beasts and the birds of the heaven fled before their face.

And I saw till that man, who wrote down the names of the shepherds [and] carried up into the presence of the Lord of the sheep [came and helped it and showed it everything: he had come down for the help of that ram].

And I saw that man, who wrote the book according to the command of the Lord, til he opened that book concerning the destruction which those twelve last shepherds had wrought, and showed that they had destroyed much more than their predecessors, before teh Lord of the sheep.

And I saw til the Lord of the sheep came unto them in wrath, and all who saw Him fled, and they fell into His shadow from before His face.

And I saw til the Lord of the sheep came unto them and took in HIs hand the staff of His wrath, and smote the earth, and the earth clave asunder, and all the beasts and all the birds of the heaven fell from among those sheep, and were swallowed up in the earth and it covered them.

XC.20-27. Judgement of the Fallen Angels, the Shepherds, and the Apostates

And I saw till the throne was erected in the pleasant land, and the Lord of the sheep sat Himself thereon, and the other took the sealed books and opened those books before the Lord of the sheep. And the Lord called those men the seven first white ones, and commanded that they should bring before Him, beginning with the first star which led the way, all the stars whose privy members were like those of horses, and they brought them all before Him. And He said to that man who wrote before Him, being one of those seven white ones, and said unto him: ‘Take those seventy shepherds to whom I delivered the sheep, and who taking them on their own authority slew more than I commanded them.’ And behold they were all bound, I saw, and they all stood before Him. And the judgement was held first over the stars, and they were judged and found guilty, and went to the place of condemnation, and they were cast into an abyss, full of fire and flaming, and full of pillars of fire. And those seventy shepherds were judged and found guilty, and they were cast into that fiery abyss. And I saw at that time how a like abyss was opened in the midst of the earth, full of fire, and they brought those blinded sheep, and they were all judged and found guilty and cast into this fiery abyss, and they burned; now this abyss was to the right of that house. And I saw those sheep burning and their bones burning.

XC.28-42. New Jerusalem, the Conversion of the surviving Gentiles, the Resurrection of the Righteous, the Messiah. Enoch awakes and weeps

And I stood up to see til they folded up that old house; and carried off all the pillars, and all the beams and ornaments of the house were at the same time folded up with it, and they carried it off and laid it in a place in the south of the land. And I saw til the Lord of the sheep brought a new house greater and loftier than that first, and set it up in the place of the first which had folded up: all its pillars were new, and its ornaments were new and larger than those of the first, the old one which He had taken away, and all the sheep were within it. And I saw all the sheep which had been left, and all the beasts on the earth, and all the birds of the heaven, falling down and doing homage to those sheep and making petition to and obeying them in everything. And thereafter those three who were clothed in white and had seized me by my hand [who had taken me up before], and the hand of that ram also seizing hold of me, they took me up and set me down in the midst of th esheep before the judgement took place. And those sheep were all white, and their wool was abundant and clean. And all that had been destroyed and dispersed, and all the beasts of the field, and all the birds of the heaven, assembled in that house, and the Lord of the sheep rejoiced with great joy because they were all good and had returned to His house. And I saw til they laid down that sword, which had been given to the sheep, and they brought it back into the house, and it was sealed before the presence of the Lord, and all the sheep were invited into that house, but it held them not. And the eyes of them all were opened, and they saw the good, and there was not one among them that did not see. And I saw that that house was large and broad and very full. And I saw that a white bull was born, with large horns and all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air feared him and made petition to him all the time. And I saw til all their generations were transformed, and they all became white bulls; and the first among them became a lamb, and that lamb became a great animals and had great black horns on its head; and the Lord of the sheep rejoiced over it and over all the oxen. And I slept in their midst: and I awoke and saw everything. This is the vision which I saw while I slept, and I awoke and blessed the Lord of righteousness and gave Him glory. Then I wept with a great weeping and my tears stayed not till I could no longer endure it: when I saw, they flowed on account of what I had seen; for everything shall come and be fulfilled, and all the deeds of men in their order were shown to me. On that night I remembered the first dream, and because of it I wept and was troubled – because I had seen the vision.

Section V. XCI-CIV (ie. XCII, XCI, 1-10, 18-19, XCIII. 1-10, XCI. 12-17, XCIV-CIV).

A Book of Exhortation and Promised Blessing for the Righteous and of Malediction and Woe for the Sinners. XCII, XCI.1-10, 18-19. Enoch’s Book of Admonition for his Children.

The book written by Enoch – [Enoch indeed wrote this complete doctrine of wisdom, (which is) praised of all men and a judge of all the earth] for all my children who shall dwell on the earth. And for the future generations who shall observe uprightness and peace.

Let not your spirit be troubled on account of the times; for the Holy and Great One has appointed days for all things.

And the righteous one shall arise from sleep, [Shall arise] and walk in the paths of righteousness, and all his path and conversation shall be in eternal goodness and grace.

He will be gracious to the righteous and give him eternal uprightness, and he will give him power so that he shall be (endowed) with goodness and righteousness. And he shall walk in eternal light.

And sin shall perish in darkness for ever, and shall no more be seen from that day for evermore.

XCI.1-10, 18-19. Enoch’s Admonition to his Children

‘And now, my son Methuselah, call to me all thy brothers and gather together to me all the son s of thy mother; for the word calls me, and the spirit is poured out upon me, that I may show you everything that shall befall you for ever.’

And thereupon Methuselah went and summoned to him all his brothers and assembled his relatives. And he spake unto all the children of righteousness and said:

‘Hear, ye sons of Enoch, all the words of your father, and hearken aright to the voice of my mouth; For I exhort you and say unto you, beloved:

Love uprightness and walk therein. And draw not nigh to uprightness with a double heart, and associate not with those of a double heart,

But walk in righteousness, my sons. And it shall guide you on good paths, and righteousness shall be your companion.

For I know that violence must increase on the earth, and a great chastisement be executed on the earth, and all unrighteousness shall be your companion.

Yea, it shall be cut off from its roots, and its whole structure be destroyed.

And unrighteousness shall again be consummated on the earth, and all the deeds of unrighteousness and of violence and transgression shall prevail in a twofold degree.

And whensin and unrighteousness and blasphemy and violence in all kinds of deeds increase, and apostasy and transgression and uncleannes increase,

A great chastisement shall come from heaven upon all these, and the holy Lord will come forth with wrath and chastisement to execute judgement on earth.

In those days violence shall be cut off from its roots, and the roots of unrighteousness together with deceit, and they shall be destroyed from under heaven.

And all the idols of the heathen shall be abandoned, and the temples burned with fire, and they shall remove them from the whole earth,

And they (i.e. the heathen) shall be cast into the judgement of fire, and shall perish in wrath and in grievous judgement for ever.

And the righteous shall arise from their sleep, and wisdom shall arise and be given unto them.

[And after that the roots of unrighteousness shall be cut off, and the sinners shall be destroyed by the sword … shall be cut off from the blasphemers in every place, and those who plan violence and those who commit blasphemy shall perish by the sword.’

And now I tell you, my sons, and show you the paths of righteousness and the paths of violence. Yea, I will show them to you again that ye may know what will come to pass. And now, hearken unto me, my sons, and walk in the paths of righteousness, and walk not in the paths of violence; for all who walk in the paths of unrighteousness shall perish for ever.’

XCIII, XCI.12-17. The Apocalypse of Weeks

And after that Enoch both gave and began to recount from the books. And Enoch said:

‘Concerning the children or righteousness and concerning the elect of the world, and concerning the plant of uprightness, I will speak these things, yea, I Enoch will declare (them) unto you, my sons:

According to that which appeared to me in the heavenly vision, and which I have known through the word of the holy angels, and have learnt from teh heavenly tablets.’

And Enoch began to recount from the books and said: ‘I was born the seventh in the first week, while judgement and righteousness still endured.

And after me there shall arise in the second week great wickedness, and deceit shall have sprung up; and in it there shall be the first end.

And in it a man shall be saved; and after it is ended unrighteousness shall grow up, and a law shall be made for the sinners.

And after that in the third week at its close a man shall be elected as the plant of righteous judgement, and his posterity shall become the plant of righteousness for evermore.

And after that in the fourth week, at its close, visions o the holy and righteous shall be seen, and a law for all generations and an enclosure shall be made for them. And after that in the sixth week all who live in it shall be blinded, and the hearts of all of them shall godlessly forsake wisdom.

And in it a man shall ascend; and at its close the house of dominion shall be burnt with fire, and the whole race of the chosen root shall be dispersed.

And after that in the seventh week shall an apostate generation arise, and many shall be its deeds, and all its deeds shall be apostate.

And at its close shall be elected the elect righteous of the eternal plant of righteousness, to receive sevenfold instruction concerning all His creation.

[For who is there of all the children of men that is able to hear the voice of the Holy One without being troubled? And who can think His thoughts? and who is there that can behold all the works of heaven? And how should there be one who could behold the heaven, and who is there that could understand the things of heaven and see a soul or a spirit and could tell thereof, or ascend and see all their ends and think them or do like them? And who is there of all men that could know what is the breadth and the length of the earth, and to whom has been shown the measure of all of them? Or is there any one who could discern the length of the heaven and how great is its height, and upon what it is founded, and how great is the number of the stars, and where all the luminaries rest?]