1 Enoch: The Hermeneia Translation

The Book of Parables (Chapters 37–71) Superscription and Introduction (Chapter 37) 37:1 aThe vision of wisdom that Enoch saw—the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam. 2 This is the beginning of the words of wisdom, which I took up to recount to those who dwell on the earth.b Listen, O ancients, and look, you who come after— the words of the Holy One,c which I speak in the presence of the Lord of Spirits. 3 It is profitable to speak these things at first, and from those who come after, let us not withhold the beginning of wisdom. 4 Until now there had not been given from the presence of the Lord of Spirits such wisdom as I have received according to my insight, according to the good pleasure of the Lord of Spirits, by whom the lot of everlasting life was given to me. 5 Three parables were (imparted) to me, and I took (them) up and spoke to those who dwell on the earth. a All Eth mss begin with The second vision that he saw, almost certainly a gloss that postdates the section’s incorporation into the corpus and relates the Parables to Enoch’s vision recounted in the Book of the Watchers. b Eth yabs, lit. (dry) land. The Parables appear to use this noun and medr (earth) synonymously and both are translated here as earth, unless a contrast is explicit with the sea or water or with heaven. c Many mss read the holy words. 50 1 Enoch 38:1-6 51 The First Parable (Chapters 38–44) The Coming Judgment of the Wicked 38:1 The First Parable. When the congregation of the righteous appears, the sinners are judged for their sins, and from the face of the earth they are driven; 2 And when the Righteous Onea appears in the presence of the righteous, whose chosen works depend on the Lord of Spirits, and light appears to the righteous and chosen who dwell on the earth; Where (will be) the dwelling place of the sinners, and where (will be) the resting place of those who have denied the Lord of Spirits? It would have been better for them, if they had not been born. 3 When his hidden things are revealed to the righteous, the sinners will be judged, and the wicked will be driven from the presence of the righteous and chosen. 4 And thereafter, it will not be the mighty and exalted who possess the land,b and they will not be able to look at the face of the holy, for the light of the Lord of Spirits will have appeared on the face of the holy, righteous, and chosen. 5 And then the kings and mighty will perish, and they will be given into the hand of the righteous and holy, 6 and from then on, no one will seek mercy for them from the Lord of Spirits, for their life will be at an end. a Some mss read righteousness. b That is, the land of Israel, or an individual’s land. Alternatively “the earth.” [18.117.182.179] Project MUSE (2024-04-27 00:03 GMT) 52 1 Enoch 39:1-6 The Descent of the Angels 39:1 In those days, sons of the chosen and holy were descending from the highest heaven, and their seed was becoming one with the sons of men. 2 In those days Enoch received books of jealous wrath and rage and books of trepidation and consternation.a Enoch’s Ascent to Heaven 3 And in those daysb a whirlwind snatched me up from the face of the earth and set me down within the confines of the heavens. The Dwellings of the Righteous 4 And there I saw another vision—the dwellings of the holy ones, and the resting places of the righteous. 5 There my eyes saw their dwellings with his righteous angels and their resting places with the holy ones. And they were petitioning and interceding and were praying for the sons of men. And righteousness was flowing like water before them, and mercy like dew upon the earth; thus it is among them forever and ever. The Dwelling of the Chosen One 6 And in that placec my eyes saw the Chosen Oned of righteousness and faith, and righteousness will be his days, and the...