Fallen Angels and the Origins of Evil (22 page)

42 The sheep were all white, with wool long and pure. Then all who had perished, and had been destroyed, every beast of the field, and every bird of heaven, assembled in that house: while the Lord of the sheep rejoiced with great joy, because all were good, and had come back again to his dwelling.

43 And I saw that they laid down the sword which had been given to the sheep, and returned it to his house, sealing it up in the presence of the Lord.

44 All the sheep would have been inclosed in that house, had it been capable of containing them; and the eyes of all were open, gazing on the good One; nor was there one among them who did not behold him.

45 I likewise perceived that the house was large, wide, and extremely full. I saw, too, that a white cow was born, whose horns were great; and that all the beasts of the field, and all the birds of heaven, were alarmed at him, and entreated him at all times.

46 Then I saw that the nature of all of them was changed, and that they became white cows;

47 And that the first,
who
was in the midst of them, spoke, when that word became [or, “was a wild-ox, and that wild-ox was” (Knibb, p. 216)] a large beast, upon the head of which were great and black horns;

48 While the Lord of the sheep rejoiced over them, and over all the cows.

49 I lay down in the midst of them: I awoke; and saw the whole. This is the vision which I saw, lying down and waking. Then I blessed the Lord of righteousness, and gave glory to Him.

50 Afterwards I wept abundantly, nor did my tears cease, so that I became incapable of enduring it. While I was looking on, they flowed on account of what I saw; for all was come and gone by; every individual circumstance respecting the conduct of mankind was seen by me.

51 In that night I remembered my former dream; and therefore wept and was troubled, because I had seen that vision.

1 And now, my son Mathusala, call to me all thy brethren, and assemble for me all the children of thy mother; for a voice calls me, and the spirit is poured out upon me, that I may show you everything which shall happen to you for ever.

2 Then Mathusala went, called to him all his brethren, and assembled his kindred.

3 And conversing with all his children in truth,

4
Enoch
said, Hear, my children, every word of your father, and listen in uprightness to the voice of my mouth; for I would gain your attention, while I address you. My beloved, be attached to integrity, and walk in it.

5 Approach not integrity with a double heart; nor be associated with double-minded men: but walk, my children, in righteousness, which will conduct you in good paths; and be truth your companion.

6 For I know, that oppression will exist and prevail on earth; that on earth great punishment shall in the end take place; and that there shall be a consummation of all iniquity, which shall be cut off from its root, and every fabric
raised by
it shall pass away. Iniquity, however, shall again be renewed, and consummated on earth. Every act of crime, and every act of oppression and impiety, shall be a second time embraced.

7 When therefore iniquity, sin, blasphemy, tyranny, and every
evil
work, shall increase, and
when
transgression, impiety, and uncleanness also shall increase,
then
upon them all shall great punishment be inflicted from heaven.

8 The holy Lord shall go forth in wrath, and upon them all shall great punishment from heaven be inflicted.

9 The holy Lord shall go forth in wrath, and with punishment, that he may execute judgment upon earth.

10 In those days oppression shall be cut off from its roots, and iniquity with fraud shall be eradicated, perishing from under heaven.

11 Every place of strength [or, “all the idols of the nations” (Knibb, p. 218)] shall be surrendered with its inhabitants; with fire shall it be burnt. They shall be brought from every part of the earth, and be cast into a judgment of fire. They shall perish in wrath, and by a judgment overpowering them for ever.

12 Righteousness shall be raised up from slumber; and wisdom shall be raised up, and conferred upon them.

13 Then shall the roots of iniquity be cut off; sinners perish by the sword; and blasphemers be annihilated everywhere.

14 Those who meditate oppression, and those who blaspheme, by the sword shall perish.

15 And now, my children, I will describe and point out to you the path of righteousness and the path of oppression.

16 I will again point them out to you, that you may know what is to come.

17 Hear now, my children, and walk in the path of righteousness, but shun that of oppression; for all who walk in the path of iniquity shall perish for ever.

1 That which was written by Enoch. He wrote all this instruction of wisdom for every man of dignity, and every judge of the earth; for all my children who shall dwell upon earth, and for subsequent generations, conducting themselves uprightly and peaceably.

2 Let not your spirit be grieved on account of the times; for the holy, the Great One, has prescribed a period to all.

3 Let the righteous man arise from slumber; let him arise, and proceed in the path of righteousness, in all its paths; and let him advance in goodness and in eternal clemency. Mercy shall be showed to the righteous man; upon him shall be conferred integrity and power for ever. In goodness and in righteousness shall he exist, and shall walk in everlasting light; but sin shall perish in eternal darkness, nor be seen from this time forward for evermore.

1 After this, Enoch began to speak from a book.

2 And Enoch said, Concerning the children of righteousness, concerning the elect of the world, and concerning the plant of righteousness and integrity.

3
Concerning
these things will I speak, and
these things
will I explain to you, my children: I
who
am Enoch. In consequence of that which has been shown to me, from my heavenly vision and from the voice of the holy angels
[131]
have I acquired knowledge; and from the tablet of heaven have I acquired understanding.

4 Enoch then began to speak from a book, and said, I have been born the seventh in the first week, while judgment and righteousness wait with patience.

5 But after me, in the second week, great wickedness shall arise, and fraud shall spring forth.

6 In that week the end of the first shall take place, in which mankind shall be safe [or, “a man will be saved” (Knibb, p. 224)].

7 But when
the first
is completed, iniquity shall grow up; and he shall execute the decree upon sinners [the Deluge].

8 Afterwards, in the third week, during its completion, a man [Abraham] of the plant of righteous judgment shall be selected; and after him the plant of righteousness shall come for ever.

9 Subsequently, in the fourth week, during its completion, the visions of the holy and the righteous shall be seen, the order of generation after generation
shall take place,
and an habitation shall be made for them. Then in the fifth week, during its completion, the house of glory and of dominion [Temple of Solomon] shall be erected for ever.

10 After that, in the sixth week, all those who are in it shall be darkened, the hearts of all of them shall be forgetful of wisdom, and in it shall a man [Nebuchadnezzar] ascend.

11 And during its completion he shall burn the house of dominion with fire, and all the race of the elect root shall be dispersed [the Babylonian captivity].

12 Afterwards, in the seventh week, a perverse generation shall arise; abundant shall be its deeds, and all its deeds perverse. During its completion, the righteous shall be selected from the everlasting plant of righteousness; and to them shall be given the sevenfold doctrine of his whole creation.

13 Afterwards there shall be another week, the eighth of righteousness, to which shall be given a sword to execute judgment and justice upon all oppressors.

14 Sinners shall be delivered up into the hands of the righteous, who during its completion shall acquire habitations by their righteousness; and the house of the great King shall be established for celebrations for ever. After this, in the ninth week, shall the judgment of righteousness be revealed to the whole world.

15 Every work of the ungodly shall disappear from the whole earth; the world shall be marked for destruction; and all men shall be on the look out for the path of integrity.

16 And after this, on the seventh day of the tenth week, there shall be an everlasting judgment, which shall be executed upon the Watchers; and a spacious eternal heaven shall spring forth in the midst of the angels.

17 The former heaven shall depart and pass away; a new heaven shall appear; and all the celestial powers shine with sevenfold splendour for ever. Afterwards likewise shall there be many weeks, which shall externally exist in goodness and in righteousness.

18 Neither shall sin be named there for ever and for ever.

19 Who is there of all the children of men, capable of hearing the voice of the Holy One without emotion?

20 Who is there capable of thinking his thoughts? Who capable of contemplating all the workmanship of heaven? Who of comprehending the deeds of heaven?

21 He may behold its animation, but not its spirit. He may be capable of conversing
respecting it,
but not of ascending
to it.
He may see all the boundaries of these things, and meditate upon them; but he can make nothing like them.

22 Who of all men is able to understand the breadth and length of the earth?

23 By whom have been seen the dimensions of all these things? Is it every man who is capable of comprehending the extent of heaven; what its elevation is, and by what it is supported?

24 How many are the numbers of the stars; and where all the luminaries remain at rest?

1 And now let me exhort you, my children, to love righteousness, and to walk in it; for the paths of righteousness are worthy of acceptation; but the paths of iniquity shall suddenly fail, and be diminished.

2 To men of note in their generation the paths of oppression and death are revealed; but they keep far from them, and do not follow them.

3 Now, too, let me exhort you
who are
righteous, not to walk in the paths of evil and oppression, nor in the paths of death. Approach them not, that you may not perish; but covet,

4 And choose for yourselves righteousness, and a good life.

5 Walk in the paths of peace, that you may live, and be found worthy. Retain my words in your inmost thoughts, and obliterate them not from your hearts; for I know that sinners counsel men to commit crime craftily. They are not found in every place, nor does every counsel possess a little of them [i.e., his words].

6 Woe to those who build up iniquity and oppression, and who lay the foundation of fraud; for suddenly shall they be subverted, and never obtain peace.

7 Woe to those who build up their houses with crime; for from their very foundations shall their houses be demolished, and by the sword shall they
themselves
fall. Those, too, who acquire gold and silver, shall justly and suddenly perish. Woe to you who are rich, for in your riches have you trusted; but from your riches you shall be removed; because you have not remembered the Most High in the days of your prosperity: (you shall be removed, because you have not remembered the Most High in the days of your prosperity). [These lines are evidently a repetition of the preceding, from an error in the transcription (Laurence, p. 154)].

8 You have committed blasphemy and iniquity; and are destined to the day of the effusion of blood, to the day of darkness, and to the day of the great judgment.

9 This I declare and point out to you, that he who created you will destroy you.

10 When you fall, he will not show you mercy; but your Creator will rejoice in your destruction.

11 Let those, then, who shall be righteous among you in those days, detest sinners, and the ungodly.

1 O that my eyes were clouds of water, that I might weep over you, and pour forth my tears like rain, and rest from the sorrow of my heart!

2 Who has permitted you to hate and to transgress? Judgment shall overtake you, ye sinners.

3 The righteous shall not fear the wicked; because God will again bring them into your power, that you may avenge yourselves of them according to your pleasure.

4 Woe to you who shall be so bound by execrations, that you cannot be released from them; the remedy being far removed from you on account of your sins. Woe to you who recompense your neighbour with evil; for you shall be recompensed according to your works.

5 Woe to you, ye false witnesses, you who aggravate iniquity; for you shall suddenly perish.

6 Woe to you, ye sinners; for you reject the righteous; for you receive or reject
at pleasure
those who
commit
iniquity; and their yoke shall prevail over you.

1 Wait in hope, ye righteous; for suddenly shall sinners perish from before you, and you shall exercise dominion over them, according to your will.

2 In the day of the sufferings of sinners your offspring shall be elevated, and lifted up like eagles. Your nest shall be more exalted than that of the avest; you shall ascend, and enter into the cavities of the earth, and into the clefts of the rocks for ever, like conies, from the sight of the ungodly;

3 Who shall groan over you, and weep like sirens.

4 You shall not fear those who trouble you; for restoration shall be yours; a splendid light shall shine around you, and the voice of tranquillity shall be heard from heaven. Woe to you, sinners; for your wealth makes you resemble saints, but your hearts reproach you,
knowing
that you are sinners. This word shall testify against you, for the remembrance of crime.

5 Woe to you who feed upon the glory of the corn, and drink the strength of the deepest spring, and in
the pride of
your power tread down the humble.