Monday, March 25, 2024

The Book of Enoch: Chapters LXXXII-LXXXVII

Chapter LXXXII

1. And now I have shown thee, my son Mathusala, every sight which I saw prior to thy birth. I will relate another vision, which I saw before I was married ; they resemble each other.
2. The first was when I was learning a book; and the other before I was married to thy mother. I saw a potent vision;
3. And on account of these things besought the Lord.
4. I was lying down in the house of my grand-father Malalel, when I saw in a vision heaven purifying, and snatched away.
5. And falling to the earth, I saw likewise the earth absorbed by a great abyss; and mountains suspended over mountains.
6. Hills were sinking upon hills, lofty trees were gliding off from their trunks, and were in the act of being projected, and of sinking into the abyss.
7. Being alarmed at these things, my voice faltered. I cried out and said, The earth is destroyed. Then my grandfather Malalel raised me up, and said to me : Why dost thou thus cry out, my son? and wherefore dost thou thus lament?
8. I related to him the whole vision which I had seen. He said to me, Confirmed is that which thou hast seen, my son ;
9. And potent the vision of thy dream respecting every secret sin of the earth. Its substance shall sink into the abyss, and a great destruction take place.
10. Now, my son, rise up ; and beseech the Lord of glory (for thou art faithful), that a remnant may be left upon earth, and that he would not wholly destroy it. My son, all this calamity upon earth comes down from heaven ; upon earth shall there be a great destruction.
11. Then I arose, prayed, and entreated; and wrote down my prayer for the generations of the world, explaining everything to my son Mathusala.
12. When I went out below, and looking up to heaven, beheld the sun proceeding from the east, the moon descending to the west, a few scattered stars, and everything which God has known from the beginning, I blessed the Lord of judgment, and magnified him : because he hath sent forth the sun from the chambers of the east ; that, ascending and rising in the face of heaven, it might spring up, and pursue the path which has been pointed out to it.


Chapter LXXXIII

1. I lifted up my hands in righteousness, and blessed the holy, and the Great One. I spoke with the breath of my mouth, and with a tongue of flesh, which God has formed for all the sons of mortal men, that with it they may speak giving them; breath, a mouth, and a tongue to converse with.
2. Blessed art thou, Lord, the King, great and powerful in thy greatness, Lord of all the creatures of heaven, King of kings, God of the whole world, whose reign, whose kingdom, and whose majesty endure for ever and ever.
3. From generation to generation shall thy dominion exist. All the heavens are thy throne for ever, and all the earth thy footstool for ever and for ever.
4. For thou hast made them, and over all thou reignest. No act whatsoever exceeds thy power. With thee wisdom is unchangeable ; nor from thy throne and from thy presence is it ever averted. Thou knowest all things, seest and hearest them; nor is anything concealed from thee; for thou perceivest all things.
5. The angels of thy heavens have transgressed ; and on mortal flesh shall thy wrath remain, until the day of the great judgment.
6. Now then, God, Lord and mighty King, I entreat thee, and beseech thee to grant my prayer, that a posterity may be left to me on earth, and that the whole human race may not perish ;
7. That the earth may not be left destitute, and destruction take place for ever.
8. O my Lord, let the race perish from off the earth which has offended thee, but a righteous and upright race establish for a posterity for ever. Hide not thy face, Lord, from the prayer of thy servant.


Chapter LXXXIV

1. After this I saw another dream, and explained it all to thee, my son. Enoch arose and said to his son Mathusala, To thee, my son, will I speak. Hear my word ; and incline thine ear to the visionary dream of thy father. Before I married thy mother Edna, I saw a vision on my bed;
2. And behold, a cow sprung forth from the earth ;
3. And this cow was white.
4. Afterwards a female heifer sprung forth ; and with it another heifer : one of them was black, and one was red.
5. The black heifer then struck the red one, and pursued it over the earth.
6. From that period I could see nothing more of the red heifer ; but the black one increased in bulk, and a female heifer came with him.
7. After this I saw that many cows proceeded forth, resembling him, and following after him.
8. The first female young one also went out in the presence of the first cow ; and sought the red heifer but found him not.
9. And she lamented with a great lamentation, while she was seeking him.
10. Then I looked until that first cow came to her, from which time she became silent, and ceased to lament.
11. Afterwards she calved another white cow.
12. And again calved many cows and black heifers.
13. In my sleep also I perceived a white bull, which in like manner grew, and became a large white bull.
14. After him many white cows came forth, resembling him.
15. And they began to calve many other white cows, which resembled them and followed each other.


Chapter LXXXV

1. Again I looked attentively while sleeping, and surveyed heaven above.
2. And behold a single star fell from heaven.
3. Which being raised up, ate and fed among those cows.
4. After that I perceived other large and black cows ; and behold all of them changed their stalls and pastures, while their young began to lament one with another. Again I looked in my vision, and surveyed heaven ; when behold I saw many stars which descended, and projected themselves from heaven to where the first star was,
5. Into the midst of those young ones ; while the cows were with them, feeding in the midst of them.
6. I looked at and observed them ; when behold, they all acted after the manner of horses, and began to approach the young cows, all of whom became pregnant, and brought forth elephants, camels, and asses.
7. At these all the cows were alarmed and terrified ; when they began biting with their teeth, swallowing, and striking with their horns.
8. They began also to devour the cows; and behold all the children of the earth trembled, shook with terror at them, and suddenly fled away.


Chapter LXXXVI

1. Again I perceived them, when they began to strike and to swallow each other; and the earth cried out. Then I raised my eyes a second time towards heaven, and saw in a vision, that, behold, there came forth from heaven as it were the likeness of white men. One came forth from thence, and three with him.
2. Those three, who came forth last, seized me by my hand ; and raising me up from the generations of the earth, elevated me to a high station.
3. Then they showed me a lofty tower on the earth, while every hill became diminished. And they said. Remain here, until thou perceivest what shall come upon those elephants, camels, and asses, upon the stars, and upon all the cows.


Chapter LXXXVII

1. Then I looked at that one of the four white men, who came forth first.
2. He seized the first star which fell down from heaven.
3. And, binding it hand and foot, he cast it into a valley ; a valley narrow, deep, stupendous, and gloomy.
4. Then one of them drew his sword, and gave it to the elephants, camels, and asses, who began to strike each other. And the whole earth shook on account of them.
5. And when I looked in the vision, behold, one of those four angels, who came forth, hurled from heaven, collected together, and took all the great stars, whose form partly resembled that of horses and binding them all hand and foot, cast them into the cavities of the earth.

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