1 Enoch (Ethiopic) Parallel Translations

LX

1In the year 500, in the seventh month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the life of Enoch. In that Parable I saw how a mighty quaking made the heaven of heavens to quake, and the host of the Most High, and the angels, a thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, were 2disquieted with a great disquiet. And the Head of Days sat on the throne of His glory, and the angels and the righteous stood around Him.

3And a great trembling seized me,
And fear took hold of me,
And my loins gave way,
And dissolved were my reins,
And I fell upon my face.

4And Michael sent another angel from among the holy ones and he raised me up, and when he had raised me up my spirit returned; for I had not been able to endure the look of this host, and the 5commotion and the quaking of the heaven. And Michael said unto me: 'Why art thou disquieted with such a vision? Until this day lasted the day of His mercy; and He hath been merciful and 6long-suffering towards those who dwell on the earth. And when the day, and the power, and the punishment, and the judgement come, which the Lord of Spirits hath prepared for those who worship not the righteous law, and for those who deny the righteous judgement, and for those who take His name in vain-that day is prepared, for the elect a covenant, but for sinners an inquisition.

25When the punishment of the Lord of Spirits shall rest upon them, it shall rest in order that the punishment of the Lord of Spirits may not come, in vain, and it shall slay the children with their mothers and the children with their fathers. Afterwards the judgement shall take place according to His mercy and His patience.'

7And on that day were two monsters parted, a female monster named Leviathan, to dwell in the 8abysses of the ocean over the fountains of the waters. But the male is named Behemoth, who occupied with his breast a waste wilderness named Dűidâin, on the east of the garden where the elect and righteous dwell, where my grandfather was taken up, the seventh from Adam, the first 9man whom the Lord of Spirits created. And I besought the other angel that he should show me the might of those monsters, how they were parted on one day and cast, the one into the abysses 10of the sea, and the other unto the dry land of the wilderness. And he said to me: 'Thou son of man, herein thou dost seek to know what is hidden.'

58

58:1 In the five hundredth year, and in the seventh month, on the fourteenth [day] of the month, of the lifetime of Enoch, in that parable, I saw that the heaven of heavens shook; that it shook violently; and that the powers of the Most High, and the angels, thousands and thousands, and myriads of myriads, were agitated with great agitation. And when I looked, the Ancient of days was sitting on the throne of his glory, while the angels and saints were standing around him. A great trembling came upon me, and terror seized me. My loins were bowed down and loosened; my reins were dissolved; and I fell upon my face. The holy Michael, another holy angel, one of the holy ones, was sent, who raised me up.

58:2 And when he raised me, my spirit returned; for I was incapable of enduring this vision of violence, its agitation, and the concussion of heaven.

58:3 Then holy Michael said to me, Why are you disturbed at this vision?

58:4 Hitherto has existed the day of mercy; and he has been merciful and longsuffering towards all who dwell upon the earth.

58:5 But when the time shall come, then [shall] the power, the punishment, and the judgment [take place], which the Lord of spirits has prepared for those who prostrate themselves to the judgment of righteousness, for those who abjure that judgment, and for those who take [his] name in vain.

58:6 That day has been prepared for the elect [as a day of] covenant; and for sinners [as a day of] inquisition.

58:7 In that day shall be distributed [for food] (54) two monsters; a female monster, whose name is Leviathan, dwelling in the depths of the sea, above the springs of waters;

(54) Distributed for food. Or, "separated from one another" (Knibb, p. 143).

58:8 And a male [monster], whose name is Behemoth; which possesses, [moving] on his breast, the invisible wilderness.

58:9 His name was Dendayen in the east of the garden, where the elect and the righteous will dwell; where he received [it] from my ancestor, who was man, from Adam the first of men, (55) whom the Lord of spirits made.

(55) He received it…first of men. Or, "my [great-] grandfather was taken up, the seventh from Adam" (Charles, p. 155). This implies that this section of the book was written by Noah, Enoch's descendant, rather than Enoch. Scholars have speculated that this portion of the book may contain fragments of the lost Apocalypse of Noah.

58:10 Then I asked of another angel to show me the power of those monsters, how they became separated, how they became separated on the same day, one [being] in the depths of the sea, and one in the dry desert.

58:11 And he said, You, son of man, are here desirous of understanding secret things.

58:12 And the angel of peace, who was with me, said, These two monsters are by the power of God prepared to become food, that the punishment of God may not be in vain.

58:13 Then shall children be slain with their mothers, and sons with their fathers.

58:14 And when the punishment of the Lord of spirits shall continue, upon them shall it continue, that the punishment of the Lord of spirits may not take place in vain. After that, judgment shall exist with mercy and longsuffering.