Chapter 54

1Afterwards the Ancient of days repented, and said, In vain have I destroyed all the inhabitants of the earth. 2And he sware by his great name, saying, Henceforwards I will not act thus towards all those who dwell upon earth. 3But I will place a sign in the heavens;80 and it shall be a faithful witness81 between me and them for ever, as long as the days of heaven and earth last upon the earth. 4Afterwards, according to this my decree, when I shall be disposed to seize them beforehand, by the instrumentality of angels, in the day of affliction and trouble, my wrath and my punishment shall remain upon them, my punishment and my wrath, saith God the Lord of spirits. 78 male. 79 female. 80 Gen. 9:13, "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." 81 faith, or fidelity. The Book of Enoch the Prophet 54 5O you kings, O you mighty, who inhabit the world, you shall behold my Elect One, sitting upon the throne of my glory. And he shall judge Azazeel, all his associates, and all his hosts, in the name of the Lord of spirits. 6There likewise I beheld hosts of angels who were moving in punishment, confined in a net-work of iron and brass. Then I inquired of the angel of peace, who proceeded with me, To whom those under confinement were going. 7He said, To each of their elect and their beloved,82 that they may be cast into the fountains and deep recesses of the valley. 8And that valley shall be filled with their elect and beloved; the days of whose life shall be consumed, but the days of their error shall be innumerable. 9Then shall princes83 combine together, and conspire. The chiefs of the east, among the Parthians and Medes, shall remove kings, in whom a spirit of perturbation shall enter. They shall hurl them from their thrones, springing as lions from their dens, and like famished wolves into the midst of the flock. 10They shall go up, and tread upon the land of their elect. The land of their elect shall be before them. The threshingfloor, the path, and the city of my righteous people shall impede the progress of their horses. They shall rise up to destroy each other; their right hand shall be strengthened; nor shall a man acknowledge his friend or his brother; 11Nor the son his father and his mother; until the number of the dead bodies shall be completed, by their death and punishment. Neither shall this take place without cause. 82 ["To each of…their beloved." Or, "Each to his own chosen ones and to his own beloved ones" (Knibb, p. 139).] 83 ["Princes." Or, "angels" (Charles, p. 149; Knibb, p. 140).] The Book of Enoch the Prophet 55 12In those days shall the mouth of hell be opened, into which they shall be immerged; hell shall destroy and swallow up sinners from the face of the elect.