1 Enoch (Ethiopic) Parallel Translations

XVII

1And they took and brought me to a place in which those who were there were like flaming fire, 2and, when they wished, they appeared as men. And they brought me to the place of darkness, and to a mountain the point of whose summit reached to heaven. And I saw the places of the luminaries and the treasuries of the stars and of the thunder and in the uttermost depths, where were 4a fiery bow and arrows and their quiver, and a fiery sword and all the lightnings. And they took 5me to the living waters, and to the fire of the west, which receives every setting of the sun. And I came to a river of fire in which the fire flows like water and discharges itself into the great sea towards 6the west. I saw the great rivers and came to the great river and to the great darkness, and went 7to the place where no flesh walks. I saw the mountains of the darkness of winter and the place 8whence all the waters of the deep flow. I saw the mouths of all the rivers of the earth and the mouth of the deep.

17

17:1 They raised me up into a certain place, where there was (28) the appearance of a burning fire; and when they pleased they assumed the likeness of men.

(28) Where there was. Or, "where they [the angels] were like" (Knibb, p. 103).

17:2 They carried me to a lofty spot, to a mountain, the top of which reach to heaven.

17:3 And I beheld the receptacles of light and of thunder at the extremities of the place, where it was deepest. There was a bow of fire, and arrows in their quiver, a sword of fire, and every species of lightning.

17:4 Then they elevated me to a babbling stream, (29) and to a fire in the west, which received all the setting of the sun. I came to a river of fire, which flowed like water, and emptied itself into the great sea westwards.

(29) To a babbling stream. Literally, "to water of life, which spoke" (Laurence, p. 23).

17:5 I saw every large river, until I arrived at the great darkness. I went to where all of flesh migrate; and I beheld the mountains of the gloom which constitutes winter, and the place from which issues the water in every abyss.

17:6 I saw also the mouths of all the rivers in the world, and the mouths of the deep.