The Book Of The Secrets Of Enoch
1926 anthology, complete selected publisher reading text
Rutherford H. Platt
AND now, my children, do not say: ‘Our father is standing before God, and is praying for our sins,’ for there is there no helper of any man who has sinned.
2 You see how I wrote all works of every man, before his creation, all that is done amongst all men for all time, and none can tell or relate my handwriting, because the Lord sees all the imaginings of man, how they are vain, where they lie in the treasure-houses of the heart.
3 And now, my children, mark well all the words of your father, that I tell you, lest you regret, saying: ‘Why did our father not tell us?’
LIV.
Enoch instructs his sons, that they should hand the books to others also.
AT that time, not understanding this let these books which I have given you be for an inheritance of your peace.
2 Hand them to all who want them, and instruct them, that they may see the Lord’s very great and marvellous works.
LV.
Here Enoch shows his sons, telling them with tears: ‘My children, the hour has approached for me to go up on to heaven; behold, the angels are standing before me.’
MY children, behold, the day of my term and the time nave approached.
2 For the angels who shall go with me are standing before me and urge me to my departure from you; they are standing here on earth, awaiting what has been told them.
3 For to-morrow I shall go up on to heaven, to the uppermost Jerusalem to my eternal inheritance.
4 Therefore I bid you do before the Lord’s face all his good pleasure.
LVI.
Methosalam asks of his father blessing, that he (sc. Methosalam) may make him (sc. Enoch) food to eat.
METHOSALAM having answered his father Enoch, said: ‘What is agreeable to thy eyes, father, that I may make before thy face, that thou mayst bless our dwellings, and thy sons, and that thy people may be made glorious through thee, and then thatthou mayst depart thus, as the Lord said?,
2 Enoch answered to his son Methosalam and said: ‘Hear, child, from the time when the Lord anointed me with the ointment of his glory, there has been no food in me, and my soul remembers not earthly enjoyment, neither do I want anything earthly!
LVII.
Enoch bade his son Methosalam. to summon all his brethren.
MY child Methosalam, summon all thy brethren and our household and the elders of the people, that I may talk to them and depart, as is planned for me.’
2 And Methosalam. made haste, and summoned his brethren, Regim, Riman, Uchan, Chermion, Gaidad, and all the elders of the people before the face of his father Enoch; and he blessed them, and said to them:
LVIII.
Enoch’s instruction to his sons.
LISTEN to me, my children, to-day.
2 In those days when the Lord came down on to earth for Adam’s sake, and visited all his creatures, which he created himself, after all these he created Adam, and the Lord called all the beasts of the earth, all the reptiles, and all the birds that soar in the air, and brought them all before the face of our father Adam.
3 And Adam gave the names to all things living on earth.
4 And the Lord appointed him ruler over all, and subjected to him all things under his hands, and made them dumb and made them dull that they be commanded of man, and be in subjection and obedience to him.
5 Thus also the Lord created every man lord over all his possessions.
6 The Lord will not judge a single soul of beast for man’s sake, but adjudges the souls of men to their beasts in this world; for men have a special place.
7 And as every soul of man is according to number, similarly beasts will not perish, nor all souls of beasts which the Lord created, till the great judgement, and they will accuse man, if he feed them ill.
LIX.
Enoch instructs his sons wherefore they may not touch beef because of what comes from it.
WHOEVER defiles the soul of beasts, defiles his own soul.
2 For man brings clean animals to make sacrifice for sin, that he may have cure of his soul.
3 And if they bring for sacrifice clean animals, and birds, man has cure, he cures his soul.
4 All is given you for food, bind it by the four feet, that is to make good the cure, he cures his soul.
5 But whoever kills beast without wounds, kills his own soul and defiles his own flesh.
6 And he who does any beast any injury whatsoever, in secret, it is evil practice, and he defiles his own soul.
LX.
He who does injury to soul of man, does injury to his own soul, and there is no cure for his flesh, nor pardon for all time. How it is not fitting to kill man neither by weapon nor by tongue.