Chereads / THE BOOK OF ENOCH / Chapter 4 - CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4 - CHAPTER 4

SECTION IV.

CHAP. 17.—And they took me to a place where there were images like flaming fire, and

when they wished they appeared like men. 2. And he led me to the place of the whirlwind,

and on a hill, the point of whose summit reached to heaven. 3. And I saw shining places, and

the thunder at the ends thereof; in the depths thereof a bow of fire, and arrows and their

quiver, and a sword of fire, and all lightning. 4. And they took me to the so-called water of

life, and to the fire of the west, which receives every setting of the sun. 5. And I came to a

river of fire, whose fire flows like water, and is emptied into a great sea which is towards the

west. 6. And I saw all the great rivers, and came to a great darkness, and went there where

all flesh wanders. 7. And I saw the mountains of the black clouds of winter, and the place

whither all the waters of the deep flow. 8. And I saw the mouths of all the rivers of the earth

and the mouth of the deep.

CHAP. 18.—And I saw the repositories of all the winds, and I saw how he had

ornamented all the creation and the foundations of the earth with them. 2. And I saw the

corner-stone of the earth, and I saw the four winds which support the earth and the

firmament of the heavens. 3. And I saw how the winds expand the heights of the heavens;

and they remained between heaven and earth, and they are pillars of heaven. 4. And I saw

the winds which turn the heavens, which lead down the course of the sun and all the stars.

5. And I saw the winds upon the earth which carry the clouds, and I saw the paths of the

angels; I saw at the end of the earth the firmament of the heavens above. 6. And I proceeded

towards the south; and it burns day and night there where seven hills of precious stones are,

three towards the east, three towards the south. 7. But of those towards the east, one of

colored stone, one of pearls, and one of antimony; and those towards the south of red stone.

8. But the middle one reached up to heaven, like the throne of God, of alabaster, and the

summit of the throne of sapphire. 9. And I saw a burning fire which was in all the hills. 10.

And there I saw a place, beyond the great earth; there the waters collected. 11. And I saw

a great abyss in the earth, with columns of heavenly fire; and I saw among them columns of heavenly fire, which fall. and are without number, either towards the height or towards the

depth. 12. And over that abyss I saw a place which had no firmament of heaven above it,

and no foundation of earth beneath it, and no water above it, and no birds upon it; it was a

void place. 13. And there I saw a terrible thing: seven stars, like great burning mountains and

like spirits, that petitioned me. 14. The angel said: "This is the place of the consummation

of heaven and earth; it is a prison for the stars of heaven, and for the host of heaven. 15. And

the stars that roll over the fire are they who have transgressed the command of God before

their rising, because they did not come forth in their time. 16. And he was enraged at them,

and bound them till the time of the consummation of their sins in the year of the mystery."

CHAP. 19.—And Uriel said to me: "Here will stand the souls of those angels who have

united themselves with women, and having assumed many different forms, have

contaminated mankind, and have led them astray so that they brought offerings to the

demons as to gods, namely on the day when the great judgment, on which they will be

judged, shall be consummated. 2. And their women having led astray the angels of heaven,

will be like their friends." 3. And I, Enoch, alone saw this vision, the ends of all; and no man

has seen them as I have seen them.

CHAP. 20.—And these are the names of the holy angels who watch: 2. Uriel, one of the

holy angels, the angel of thunder and of trembling; 3. Rufael, one of the holy angels, the angel

of the spirits of men; 4. Raguel, one of the holy angels, who takes vengeance on the earth and

the luminaries; 5. Michael, one of the holy angels, namely set over the best portion of men,

over the people; 6. Saraqâel, one of the holy angels, who is over the spirits of the children of

men who induce the spirits to sin; 7. Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the serpents

and over the Paradise and the Cherubim.

CHAP. 21.—And I went around to a place where not one thing took place. 2. And I saw

there something terrible, no high heavens, no founded earth, but a void place, awful and

terrible. 3. And there I saw seven stars of heaven, tied together to it, like great mountains,

and flaming as if by fire. 4. At that time I said: "On account of what sin are these bound, and

why have they been cast hither?" 5. And then answered Uriel, one of the holy angels, who

was with me, conducting me, and said to me: "Enoch, concerning what dost thou ask, and

concerning what dost thou inquire, and ask and art anxious? 6. These are of the stars who

have transgressed the command of God, the Highest, and are bound here till ten thousand

worlds, the number of the days of their sins, shall have been consummated." 7. And from

there I went to another place which was still more terrible than the former. And I saw a

terrible thing: a great fire was there, which burned and flickered and appeared in sections; it

was bounded by a complete abyss, great columns of fire were allowed to fall into it; its extent

and size I could not see, and I was unable to see its origin. 8. At that time I said: "How

terrible this place is, and painful to look at!" 9. At that time answered Uriel, one of the holy

angels, who was with me; he answered and said to me: "Enoch, why such fear and terror in

thee concerning this terrible place and in the presence of this pain?" 10. And he said to me:

"This is the prison of the angels, and here they are held to eternity."