The Book Of The Secrets Of Enoch
1926 anthology, complete selected publisher reading text
Rutherford H. Platt
HE who works the killing of a man’s soul, kills his own soul, and kills his own body, and there is no cure for him for all time.
2 He who puts a man in any snare, shall stick in it himself, and there is no cure for him for all time.
3 He who puts a man in any vessel, his retribution will not be wanting at the great judgement for all time.
4 He who works crookedly or speaks evil against any soul, will not make justice for himself for all time.
LXI.
Enoch instructs his sons to keep themselves from injustice and often to stretch forth hands to the poor, to give a share of their labours.
AND now, my children, keep your hearts from every injustice, which the Lord hates. Just as a man asks (sc. something) for his own soul from God, so let him do to every living soul, because I know all things, how in the great time (sc. to come) are many mansions prepared for men, good for the good, and bad for the bad, without number many.
2 Blessed are those who enter the good houses, for in the bad (sc. houses) there is no peace .nor return (sc. from them).
3 Hear, my children, small and great! When man puts a good thought in his heart, brings gifts from his labours before the Lord’s face and his hands made them not, then the Lord will turn away his face from the labour of his hand, and he (sc. man) cannot find the labour of his hands.
4 And if his hands made it, but his heart murmur, and his heart cease not making murmur incessantly, he has not any advantage.
LXII.
Of how it is fitting to bring one’s gift with faith, because there is no repentance after death.
BLESSED is the man who in his patience brings his gifts with faith before the Lord’s face, because he will find forgiveness of sins.
2 But if he take back his words before the time, there is no repentance for him; and if the time pass and he do not of his own will what is promised, there is no repentance after death.
3 Because every work which man does before the time, is all deceit before men, and sin before God.
LXIII.
Of how not to despise the poor, but to share with them equally, lest thou be murmured against before God.
WHEN man clothes the naked and fills the hungry, he will find reward from God.
2 But if his heart murmur, he commits a double evil: ruin of himself and of that which he gives; and for him there will be no finding of reward on account of that.
3 And if his own heart is filled with his food and his own flesh (sc. clothed) with his clothing he commits contempt, and forfeit all his endurance of poverty, and will not find reward of his good deeds.
4 Every proud and magniloquent man is hateful to the Lord, and every false speech, clothed in untruth; it will be cut with the blade of the sword of death, and thrown into the fire, and shall burn for all time.’
XLIV.
Of how the Lord calls up Enoch, and people took counsel to go and kiss him at the place called Achuzan.
WHEN Enoch had spoken these words to his sons, all people far and near heard how the Lord was calling Enoch. They took counsel together:
2 ‘Let us go and kiss Enoch’ and two thousand men came together and came to the place Achuzan where Enoch was, and his sons.
3 And the elders of the people, the whole assembly, came and bowed down and began to kiss Enoch and said to him:
4 ‘Our father Enoch, be thou blessed of the Lord, the eternal ruler, and now bless thy sons and all the people, that we may be glorified to-day before thy face.
5 For thou shalt be glorified before the Lord’s face for all time, since the Lord chose thee, rather than all men on earth, and designated thee writer of all his creation, visible and invisible, and redeemer of the sins of man, and helper of thy household.’
LXV.
Of Enoch’s instruction of his sons.
AND Enoch answered all his people saying: ‘Hear, my children, before that all creatures were created, the Lord created the visible and invisible things.
2 And as much time as there was and went past, understand that after that he created man in the likeness of his own form, and put into him eyes to see, and ears to hear, and heart to reflect, and intellect wherewith to deliberate.
3 And the Lord saw all man’s works, and created all his creatures, and divided time, from time he fixed the years, and from the years he appointed the months, and from the months he appointed the days, and of days he appointed seven.
4 And in those he appointed the hours, measured them out exactly, that man might reflect on time and count years, months, and hours, their alternation, beginning, and end, and that he might count his own life, from the beginning until death, and reflect on his sin and write his work bad and good; because no work is hidden before the Lord, that every man might know his works and never transgress all his commandments, and keep my handwriting from generation to generation.
5 When all creation visible and invisible, as the Lord created it, shall end, then every man goes to the great judgement, and then all time shall perish, and the years, and thenceforward there will be neither months nor days nor hours, they will be stuck together and will not be counted.
6 There will be one aeon, and all the righteous who shall escape the Lord’s great judgement, shall be collected in the great aeon, for the righteous the great aeon will begin, and they will live eternally, and then too there will be amongst them neither labour, nor sickness, nor humiliation, nor anxiety, nor need, nor violence, nor night, nor darkness, but. great light.
7 And they shall have a great indestructible wall, and a paradise bright and incorruptible, for all corruptible things shall pass away, and there will be eternal life.
LXVI.
Enoch instructs his sons and all the elders of the people, how they are to walk with terror and trembling before the Lord, and serve him alone and not bow down to idols, but to God, who created heaven and earth and. every creature, and to his image.
AND now, my children, keep your souls from all injustice, such as the Lord hates.