1 Enoch (Ethiopic) Parallel Translations

XC

XC.1-5. THIRD PERIOD -FROM ALEXANDER THE GREAT TO THE GRAECO-SYRIAN DOMINATION.

1And I saw till 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 2hands, 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 3devour their flesh. And the sheep cried out because their flesh was being devoured by the birds, 4and 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 till only their bones stood there: and their bones too fell 5to 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.

6But behold lambs were borne by those white sheep, and they began to open their eyes and to see, 7and to cry to the sheep. Yea, they cried to them, but they did not hearken to what they said to 8them, 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 took one of those lambs, and dashed the sheep 9in pieces and devoured them. And I saw till horns grew upon those lambs, and the ravens cast down their horns; and I saw till there sprouted a great horn of one of those sheep, and their eyes 10were opened. And it looked at them {and their eyes opened}, and it cried to the sheep, and the 11rams 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 12sheep 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).

19And I saw till a great sword was given to the sheep, and the sheep proceeded against all the beasts of the field to slay them, and all the beasts and the birds of the heaven fled before their face.

XC.20-27. JUDGEMENT OF THE FALLEN ANGELS, THE SHEPHERDS, AND THE APOSTATES.

20And I saw till a 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. 21And 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 22were 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 23than I commanded them.' And behold they were all bound, I saw, and they all stood before Him. 24And 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 25of pillars of fire. And those seventy shepherds were judged and found guilty, and they were cast 26into 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 27cast 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. THE NEW JERUSALEM, THE CONVERSION OF THE SURVIVING GENTILES, THE RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS, THE MESSIAH. ENOCH AWAKES AND WEEPS.

28And I stood up to see till 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 29it off and laid it in a place in the south of the land. And I saw till 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 beer 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. 30And 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 31them in every thing. 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 32took me up and set me down in the midst of those sheep before the judgement took place. And those 33sheep 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 34His house. And I saw till 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 35were invited into that house, but it held them not. And the eyes of them all were opened, and they 36saw 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. 37And I saw that a white bull was born, with large horns and all the beasts of the field and all the 38birds of the air feared him and made petition to him all the time. And I saw till 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 animal and had great black horns on its head; and the Lord of the sheep 39rejoiced over it and over all the oxen. And I slept in their midst: and I awoke and saw everything. 40This is the vision which I saw while I slept, and I awoke and blessed the Lord of righteousness and 41gave 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 42be 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 that vision.

89

89:1 And I observed during the time, that thus thirty-seven (123) shepherds were overlooking, all of whom finished in their respective periods as the first. Others then received them into their hands, that they might overlook them in their respective periods, every shepherd in his own period.

(123) Thirty-seven. An apparent error for thirty-five (see verse 7). The kings of Judah and Israel (Laurence, p. 139).

89:2 Afterwards I saw in the vision, that all the birds of heaven arrived; eagles, the avest, kites and ravens. The eagle instructed them all.

89:3 They began to devour the sheep, to peck out their eyes, and to eat up their bodies.

89:4 The sheep then cried out; for their bodies were devoured by the birds.

89:5 I also cried out, and groaned in my sleep against the shepherd which overlooked the flock.

89:6 And I looked, while the sheep were eaten up by the dogs, by the eagles, and by the kites. They neither left them their body, nor their skin, nor their muscles, until their bones alone remained; until their bones fell upon the ground. And the sheep became diminished.

89:7 I observed likewise during the time, that twenty-tree shepherds (124) were overlooking; who completed in their respective periods fifty-eight periods.

(124) The kings of Babylon, etc., during and after the captivity. The numbers thirty-five and twenty-three make fifty-eight; and not thirty-seven, as erroneously put in the first verse (Laurence, p. 139).

89:8 Then were small lambs born of those white sheep; who began to open their eyes and to see, crying out to the sheep.

89:9 The sheep, however, cried not out to them, neither did they hear what they uttered to them; but were deaf, blind, and obdurate in the greatest degrees.

89:10 I saw in the vision that ravens flew down upon those lambs;

89:11 That they seized one of them; and that tearing the sheep in pieces, they devoured them.

89:12 I saw also, that the horns grew upon those lambs; and that the ravens lighted down upon their horns.

89:13 I saw, too, that a large horn sprouted out on an animal among the sheep, and that their eyes were opened.

89:14 He looked at them. Their eyes were wide open; and he cried out to them.

89:15 Then the dabela (125) saw him; all of whom ran to him.

(125) Dabela. The ibex, probably symbolizing Alexander the Great (Laurence, p. 140).

89:16 And besides this, all the eagles, the avest, the ravens and the kites, were still carrying off the sheep, flying down upon them, and devouring them. The sheep were silent, but the dabela lamented and cried out.

89:17 Then the ravens contended, and struggled with them.

89:18 They wished among them to break his horn; but they prevailed not over him.

89:19 I looked on them, until the shepherds, the eagles, the avest, and the kites came.

89:20 Who cried out to the ravens to break the horn of the dabela; to contend with him; and to kill him. But he struggled with them, and cried out, that help might come to him.

89:21 Then I perceived that the man came who had written down the names of the shepherds, and who ascended up before the Lord of the sheep.

89:22 He brought assistance, and caused every one to see him descending to the help of the dabela.

89:23 I perceived likewise that the Lord of the sheep came to them in wrath, while all those who saw him fled away; all fell down in his tabernacle before his face; while all the eagles, the avest, ravens, and kites assembled, and brought with them all the sheep of the field.

89:24 All came together, and strove to break the horn of the dabela.

89:25 Then I saw, that the man, who wrote the book at the word of the Lord, opened the book of destruction, of that destruction which the last twelve shepherds (126) wrought; and pointed out before the Lord of the sheep, that they destroyed more than those who preceded them.

(126) The native princes of Judah after its delivery from the Syrian yoke.

89:26 I saw also that the Lord of the sheep came to them, and taking in his hand the sceptre of his wrath seized the earth, which became rent asunder; while all the beasts and birds of heaven fell from the sheep, and sunk into the earth, which closed over them.

89:27 I saw, too, that a large sword was given to the sheep, who went forth against all the beasts of the field to slay them.

89:28 But all the beasts and birds of heaven fled away from before their face.

89:29 And I saw a throne erected in a delectable land;

89:30 Upon this sat the Lord of the sheep, who received all the sealed books;

89:31 Which were open before him.

89:32 Then the Lord called the first seven white ones, and commanded them to bring before him the first of the first stars, which preceded the stars whose form partly resembled that of horses; the first star, which fell down first; and they brought them all before him.

89:33 And he spoke to the man who wrote in his presence, who was one of the seven white ones, saying, Take those seventy shepherds, to whom I delivered up the sheep, and [who] receiving them killed more of them than I commanded. Behold, I saw them all bound, and standing before him. First came on the trial of the stars, which, being judged, and found guilty, went to the place of punishment. They thrust them into [a place], deep, and full of flaming fire, and full of pillars of fire. Then the seventy shepherds were judged, and being found guilty, were thrust into the flaming abyss.

89:34 At that time likewise I perceived, that one abyss was thus opened in the midst of the earth, which was full of fire.

89:35 And to this were brought the blind sheep; which being judged, and found guilty, were all thrust into that abyss of fire on the earth, and burnt.

89:36 The abyss was on the right of that house.

89:37 And I saw the sheep burning, and their bones consuming.

89:38 I stood beholding him immerge that ancient house, while they brought out its pillars, every plant in it, and the ivory infolding it. They brought it out, and deposited it in a place on the right side of the earth.

89:39 I also saw, that the Lord of the sheep produced a new house, great, and loftier than the former, which he bound by the former circular spot. All its pillars were new, and its ivory new, as well as more abundant than the former ancient [ivory], which he had brought out.

89:40 And while all the sheep which were left were in the midst of it, all the beasts of the earth, and all the birds of heaven, fell down and worshipped them, petitioning them, and obeying them in everything.

89:41 Then those three, who were clothed in white, and who, holding me by my hand, had before caused me to ascend, while the hand of him [who] spoke held me; raised me up, and placed me in the midst of the sheep, before the judgment took place.

89:42 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.

89:43 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.

89:44 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.

89:45 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.

89:46 Then I saw that the nature of all of them was changed, and that they became white cows;

89:47 And that the first, [who] was in the midst of them, spoke, when that word became (127) a large beast, upon the head of which were great and black horns;

(127) Spoke, when that word came. Or "was a wild-ox, and that wild-ox was…" (Knibb, p. 216).

89:48 While the Lord of the sheep rejoiced over them, and over all the cows.

89:49 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.

89:50 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.

89:51 In that night I remembered my former dream; and therefore wept and was troubled, because I had seen that vision.