1 Enoch 89:1-71

¹And one of those four went to those white bulls and taught him a mystery, while that bull was trembling; he was born and became a man, and he hewed for himself a great ark and dwelt upon it; and three bulls dwelt with him in that ark, and they were covered over.

²And again I lifted up my eyes toward heaven and saw a lofty roof, and seven sluices upon it; and those sluices were pouring much water into one enclosure.

³And I saw again, and behold, springs were opened upon the earth in that great enclosure, and that water began to boil and to rise upon the earth, until that enclosure could no longer be seen, until all its ground was covered with water.

⁴And water and darkness and mist increased upon it; and I beheld the height of that water, and that water rose above the height of that enclosure, and poured over the enclosure, and stood upon the earth.

⁵And all the bulls of that enclosure were gathered together, until I saw them sink and be swallowed up and perish in that water.

⁶But that ark was floating upon the water, while all the bulls and elephants and camels and asses sank to the bottom with all the cattle, and I could not see them; and they were unable to come forth, and perished and sank into the deep.

⁷And again I saw in the vision until those sluices were removed from that lofty roof, and the fissures of the earth were made level, and other abysses were opened.

⁸Then the water began to descend into them, until the earth became visible; and that ark settled upon the earth, and the darkness withdrew, and light came.

⁹And that white bull which had become a man came forth from that ark, and the three bulls with him; and one of those three bulls was white, like that bull, and one of them was red as blood, and one was black; and that white bull departed from them.

¹⁰And they began to beget beasts of the field and birds, and there arose from them every kind of species: lions, leopards, dogs, wolves, hyenas, wild boars, foxes, conies, swine, falcons, vultures, kites, ravens, and eagles; and there was born among them a white bull.

¹¹And they began to bite one another; but that white bull which was born among them begat a wild ass and a white bull with it, and the wild asses multiplied.

¹²And that bull which was born of him begat a black wild boar and a white sheep; and that wild boar begat many boars, and that sheep begat twelve sheep.

¹³And when those twelve sheep had grown up, they gave up one of them to the asses, and those asses again gave up that sheep to the wolves; and that sheep grew up among the wolves.

¹⁴And the Lord brought the eleven sheep to dwell with him and to pasture with him among the wolves; and they multiplied and became many flocks of sheep.

¹⁵And the wolves began to fear them and to oppress them, until they made away with their young; and they cast their young into a rushing stream of water. And those sheep began to cry out on account of their young and to complain to their Lord.

¹⁶But a sheep which had been saved from the wolves fled and escaped to the wild asses; and I saw the sheep as they lamented and cried and implored their Lord with all their might, until that Lord of the sheep descended at the voice of the sheep from a lofty abode, and came to them and beheld them.

¹⁷And he called that sheep which had escaped from the wolves, and spoke to him concerning the wolves, that he should warn them not to touch the sheep.

¹⁸And the sheep went to the wolves according to the word of the Lord, and another sheep met that sheep and went with him; and the two of them entered together into the assembly of those wolves, and spoke to them and warned them that from then on they should not touch the sheep.

¹⁹And thereafter I saw the wolves, how they prevailed exceedingly over the sheep with all their might; and the sheep cried out.

²⁰And their Lord came to the sheep and began to strike those wolves; and the wolves began to wail, but the sheep were silent, and from that time on they did not cry out.

²¹And I watched the sheep until they came forth from among the wolves; and the wolves' eyes were blinded, and they went out pursuing the sheep with all their might. But the Lord of the sheep went with them, leading them; and all his sheep followed him, and his face was glorious and his appearance terrible and majestic.

²²But those wolves began to pursue those sheep, until they overtook them at a certain sea of water.

²³And that sea of water was divided, and the water stood on this side and on that before their face, and their Lord leading them stood between them and the wolves.

²⁴And while those wolves had not yet seen the sheep, the sheep went into the midst of that sea of water, and the wolves followed after the sheep, and those wolves ran after them into that sea of water.

²⁵But when they saw the Lord of the sheep, they turned to flee from before his face; and that sea of water gathered itself together, and became as its nature was, swiftly, and the water filled up and rose until it covered those wolves.

²⁶And I saw until all the wolves which had pursued those sheep perished and were drowned.

²⁷But the sheep passed over from that water and came out into a wilderness, where there was no water nor grass; and they began to open their eyes and to see. And I saw the Lord of the sheep watching over them and giving them water and grass; and that sheep walking and leading them.

²⁸And that sheep ascended to the summit of that lofty rock, and the Lord of the sheep sent him to them.

²⁹And thereafter I saw the Lord of the sheep, who stood before them, and his appearance was terrible and mighty; and all those sheep saw him and were afraid before his face.

³⁰And all of them feared and trembled because of him, and they cried out after that sheep with them, to the other sheep that was in their midst: 'We cannot stand before our Lord or look upon him.'

³¹And that sheep who led them returned and ascended to the summit of that rock; and the sheep began to be blinded in their eyes and to stray from the way that he had shown them, but that sheep did not know.

³²And the Lord of the sheep was greatly wroth against them with a great wrath; and that sheep perceived it and came down from the summit of the rock and came to the sheep, and found the greater part of them blinded in their eyes and those who had strayed from his way. And when they saw him, they feared and trembled before his face, and desired to return to their folds.

³³And that sheep took with him other sheep and came to those sheep who had strayed, and thereafter began to slay them; and the sheep feared before his face. And that sheep brought back those sheep who had strayed, and they returned into their folds.

³⁴And I continued to see in the vision until that sheep became a man and built a house for the Lord of the sheep, and set up all the sheep in that house.

³⁵And I watched until that sheep, who had met that sheep who led the sheep, fell asleep; and I watched until all the great sheep perished, and little ones arose in their place, and they entered into a pasture and drew near to a stream of water.

³⁶And that sheep who had led them, who had become a man, departed from them and fell asleep; and all the sheep sought him and cried over him with a great cry.

³⁷And I watched until they ceased from their cry for that sheep, and crossed that stream of water; and there arose all the sheep who were leading them, in place of those who had fallen asleep, and they led them.

³⁸And I watched the sheep until they came into a good place and into a pleasant and glorious land, and I watched those sheep until they were filled; and that house was in the midst of them in the pleasant land.

³⁹And at times their eyes were opened, and at times blinded, until another sheep arose and led them and brought them all back, and their eyes were opened.

⁴⁰And the dogs and foxes and wild boars began to devour those sheep, until another sheep arose, [the Lord of the sheep raised up] one of them, a ram which led them.

⁴¹And that ram began to butt on this side and on that those dogs and foxes and wild boars, until he had destroyed them all.

⁴²And that sheep's eyes were opened, and he saw that ram which was in the midst of the sheep, how he had forsaken his glory and began to gore those sheep, and trampled them, and walked unbecomingly.

⁴³And the Lord of the sheep sent a sheep to another sheep and raised him up to be a ram and to lead the sheep in place of that ram which had forsaken its glory. And he went to him and spoke with him alone, and raised up that ram and made him prince and leader of the sheep; and in all these things those dogs continued to oppress the sheep.

⁴⁴And the first ram pursued that second ram, and that second ram arose and fled from before his face; and I watched until those dogs cast down the first ram.

⁴⁵And that second ram arose and led the little sheep; and that ram begat many sheep and fell asleep, and a little sheep became ram in his place, and became prince and leader of those sheep.

⁴⁶And those sheep grew and multiplied; and all the dogs and foxes and wild boars feared and fled from him; and that ram struck and killed all the beasts, and those beasts could no more prevail among the sheep, and they robbed nothing whatever from them.

⁴⁷And that house became great and broad, and a lofty tower was built upon that house for the Lord of the sheep; and that house was low, but the tower was exalted and high. And the Lord of the sheep stood upon that tower, and they offered a full table before him.

⁴⁸And again I saw those sheep, how they went astray again and walked in many ways and forsook that house of theirs. And the Lord of the sheep called some from among the sheep and sent them to the sheep, but the sheep began to kill them.

⁴⁹And one of them was saved and was not killed, and he sprang away and cried out against the sheep; and they wished to kill him, but the Lord of the sheep delivered him from the hand of the sheep, and brought him up to me and set him down.

⁵⁰And he sent many other sheep to those sheep to testify and to lament over them. And thereafter I saw how, when they forsook the house of the Lord of the sheep and his tower, they went astray in everything, and their eyes were blinded; and I saw how the Lord of the sheep wrought much slaughter upon them in their pastures, until those sheep invited that slaughter and betrayed his place.

⁵¹And he forsook them into the hand of the lions and the leopards and the wolves and the hyenas, and into the hand of the foxes and to all the beasts; and those beasts of the field began to tear those sheep in pieces.

⁵²And I saw how he forsook that house of theirs and their tower, and gave them all into the hand of the lions, that they might tear them and devour them — into the hand of all the beasts.

⁵³And I began to cry with all my might, and to call out to the Lord of the sheep, and to show him concerning the sheep, that they were devoured by all the wild beasts.

⁵⁴But he remained silent, though he saw it, and rejoiced that they were devoured and swallowed up and plundered; and he left them into the hand of all the beasts for food.

⁵⁵And he summoned seventy shepherds and cast off those sheep that they might pasture them; and he said to the shepherds and their companions: 'Every one of you from now on shall pasture the sheep, and whatever I command you, do.'

⁵⁶'And I will deliver them to you by number, and I will tell you which of them are to be destroyed — and them destroy.' And he delivered those sheep to them.

⁵⁷And he called another and said to him: 'Observe and see everything that the shepherds do to these sheep; for they will destroy more of them than I have commanded them.'

⁵⁸'And every excess and destruction which is wrought by the shepherds, write down: how many they destroy at my command, and how many they destroy of their own accord; and write down against each shepherd all the destruction he does.'

⁵⁹'And read out in my presence by number how many they destroy of their own accord, and how many they deliver over for destruction, that this may be a testimony for me against them, that I may know all the deeds of the shepherds, that I may deliver them over, and may see what they do — whether they abide by the command I have commanded them or not.' 'But they shall not know it, and you shall not show it to them, nor rebuke them; but write down all the destruction wrought by the shepherds, each in his season, one by one, and bring up to me everything.'

⁶⁰And I watched until those shepherds pastured in their season, and they began to kill and to destroy more than was commanded them, and they gave over those sheep into the hand of the lions.

⁶¹And the lions and leopards devoured and swallowed up the greater part of those sheep, and the wild boars ate with them; and they burned that tower and demolished that house. And I grieved exceedingly on account of that tower, because that house of the sheep was demolished; and thereafter I could not see whether those sheep entered that house.

⁶²And the shepherds and their companions delivered those sheep to all the beasts, that they might devour them; and each one of them in his season received a fixed number, and each one of them one to another wrote down in a book how many he destroyed of them.

⁶³And beyond their appointed portion each killed and destroyed; and I began to weep and to lament greatly on account of those sheep.

⁶⁴And thus in the vision I saw that one who wrote, how he wrote down every day one that was destroyed by those shepherds, and brought up and laid down and showed the whole book to the Lord of the sheep — everything that they had done, and everything that each one of them had made away with, and all that they had given over to destruction.

⁶⁵And the book was read before the Lord of the sheep, and he took the book in his hand and read it and sealed it and laid it down.

⁶⁶And thereafter I saw while shepherds pastured for twelve hours, and behold, three of those sheep returned and came and went in, and began to build up all that had fallen from that house; but the wild boars hindered them, and they could not.

⁶⁷And they began again to build as before, and they raised up that tower, and it was called the lofty tower; and they began again to set before the tower a table, but all the bread upon it was polluted and was not pure.

⁶⁸And concerning all these things the eyes of those sheep were blinded so that they did not see, and their shepherds likewise; and they were delivering them in great numbers to their shepherds for destruction, and they trampled the sheep with their feet and devoured them.

⁶⁹And the Lord of the sheep remained silent until all the sheep were dispersed over the field and mingled with them; and they did not save them from the hand of the beasts.

⁷⁰And that one who wrote the book brought it up and showed it and read it in the dwellings of the Lord of the sheep, and entreated him on their behalf and petitioned him, showing him all the deeds of their shepherds and testifying before him against all the shepherds.

⁷¹And taking it, he laid that book beside him, and went out.