1 Enoch: The Hermeneia Translation

The Book of the Watchers (Chapters 1–36) Superscription to the Book 1:1 The words of the blessing with which Enoch blessed the righteous chosen who will be present on the day of tribulation, to remove all the enemies; and the righteous will be saved. Introduction: An Oracle of Judgment (1:2—5:9) 2 And he took up his discoursea and said, “Enoch, a righteous man whose eyes were opened by God, who had the vision of the Holy One and of heaven, which he showed me. From the words of the watchers and holy ones I heard everything ; and as I heard everything from them, I also understood what I saw. Not for this generation do I expound, but concerning one that is distant I speak. 3 And concerning the chosen I speak now, and concerning them I take up my discourse. The Theophany “The Great Holy One will come forth from his dwelling, 4 and the eternal God will tread from thence upon Mount Sinai. a Lit. parable (Aram matla,b and those who are hiding in all the ends of the earth will sing. All the ends of the earth will be shaken, and trembling and great fear will seize them (the watchers) unto the ends of the earth. 6 The high mountains will be shaken and fall and break apart, and the high hills will be made low and melt like wax before the fire. 7 The earth will be wholly rent asunder, and everything on the earth will perish, and there will be judgment on all. 8 With the righteous he will make peace, and over the chosen there will be protection, and upon them will be mercy. They will all be God’s, and he will grant them his good pleasure.c He will bless (them) all, and he will help (them) all. Light will shine upon them, and he will make peace with them. 9 Look, he comes with the myriads of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to destroy all the wicked, and to convict all humanity for all the wicked deeds that they have done, and the proud and hard words that wicked sinners spoke against him. a Eth: Gk from his camp (same Gk noun). b Eth all will fear and the watchers will quake: Gk all will fear and the watchers will believe. c Gk good pleasure (eudokian): Eth prosperity (=Gk euodian). [3.149.251.155] Project MUSE (2024-04-24 18:22 GMT) 1 Enoch 2:1—5:3 21 The Indictmenta 2:1 “Contemplate all (his) works, and observe the works of heaven, how they do not alter their paths; and the luminaries b heaven, that they all rise and set, each one ordered in its appointed time; and they appear on their feasts and do not transgress their own appointed order. 2 Observe the earth, and contemplate the works that take place on it from the beginning until the consummation, that nothing on earth changes, but all the works of God are manifest to you. 3 Observe c winter, that all the earth is filled with water, and clouds and dew and rain rest upon it. 3:1 Contemplate and observe how all the trees appear withered and (how) all their leaves are stripped, except fourteen trees that are not stripped, which remain with the old until the new comes after two or three years. 4:1 Observe the signs of summer, whereby the sun burns and scorches, and you seek shelter and shade from its presence, and the earth burns with scorching heat, and you are unable to tread on the dust or the rock because of the burning. 5:1 Contemplate all the trees; their leaves blossom green on them, and they cover the trees. And all their fruit is for glorious honor. Contemplate all these works, and understand that he who lives for all the ages made all these works. 2/ And his works take place from year to year, and they all carry out their works for him, and their works do not alter, but they all carry out his word. 3 Observe how, in like manner, the sea and the rivers carry out and do not alter their works from his words. a The textual witnesses in this section are often at odds with one another, frequently because of omissions in one or another. For details, see Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 150–51. b Gk Eth...