XXXIX. The Abode of the Righteous and of the Elect One: the Praises of the Blessed.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Charles, R. H. (Robert Henry)
XXXIX. [1. And it †shall come to pass in those days that elect and holy children †will descend from the high heaven, and their seed †will become one with the children of men. 2. And in those days Enoch received books of zeal and wrath, and books of disquiet and expulsion.]
And mercy shall not be accorded to them, saith the Lord of Spirits.
3. And in those days a whirlwind carried me off from the earth,
And set me down at the end of the heavens.
4. And there I saw another vision, the dwelling-places of the holy,
And the resting-places of the righteous.
5. Here mine eyes saw their dwellings with His righteous angels,
And their resting-places with the holy.
And they petitioned and interceded and prayed for the children of men.
And righteousness flowed before them as water,
And mercy like dew upon the earth:
Thus it is amongst them for ever and ever.
6 a. And in that place mine eyes saw the Elect One of righteousness and of faith,
7 a. And I saw his dwelling-place under the wings of the Lord of Spirits.
6 b. And righteousness shall prevail in his days,
And the righteous and elect shall be without number before Him for ever and ever.
7 b. And all the righteous and elect before Him shall be †strong† as fiery lights,
And their mouth shall be full of blessing,
And their lips shall extol the name of the Lord of Spirits,
And righteousness before Him shall never fail,
[And uprightness shall never fail before Him].
8. There I wished to dwell,
And my spirit longed for that dwelling-place:
And there heretofore hath been my portion,
For so hath it been established concerning me before the Lord of Spirits.
9. In those days I praised and extolled the name of the Lord of Spirits with blessings and praises, because He hath destined me for blessing and glory according to the good pleasure of the Lord of Spirits. 10. For a long time my eyes regarded that place, and I blessed Him and praised Him, saying: ‘Blessed is He, and may He be blessed from the beginning and for evermore. 11. And before Him there is no ceasing. He knows before the world was created what is for ever and what will be from generation unto generation. 12. Those who sleep not bless Thee: they stand before Thy glory and bless, praise, and extol, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Spirits: He filleth the earth with spirits.”’ 13. And here my eyes saw all those who sleep not: they stand before Him and bless and say: ‘Blessed be Thou, and blessed be the name of the Lord for ever and ever.’ 14. And my face was changed; for I could no longer behold.