THE ANIMAL APOCALYPSE
First Enoch 85 - 90 - My Translation
1 Khanokh 85
1,2
After all this, I had another dream. Now I will show the whole
dream to you, beni. So Khanokh raised himself up and told
Methuselah:
‘Now I will speak to
you, beni. Listen to my words. Turn your ear to the dream-vision of
your father.
‘Before I took your mother Edna,
I saw a vision while in my bed. Hinneh! A bull came out of the
land, and that bull was white. A heifer came out after it, and along
with the heifer came two bulls, one black, 4 the other red.
The black gored the red and chased him across the grounds until 5 I
could see the red no longer. But that black bull grew and the heifer
followed him. Then 6 I saw lots of cattle coming out of him. They
all looked like him and followed him. That first heifer left the
first to search for the red, but did not find him. 7 She cried out
for him with a great howl while continuing to search.
‘I watched until the
first 8 bull came to her to calm her down. From then on she did not
cry anymore. After that she bore another white bull, then after him
she bore many bulls and black cattle. 9 I saw in my sleep that the
white bull likewise grew up and become a great white bull. From him
proceeded a lot of white bulls. They all looked like him. And they
all begat many more white bulls. They all looked alike, one
following the other, and many.’
1 Khanokh 86
1 ‘Again I saw
something with my eyes as I slept: I saw the skies above, and 2
hinneh! A star fell from skies. 3 The star got up and began
to pasture and eat with the cattle. 4 After that I saw very big,
black cattle. Hinneh! They all changed their stalls and pasture
lands; the young crying among themselves.
‘Again I saw in the
vision by looking skyward, and hinneh! I saw many stars fall,
casting themselves down from the skies to that first star. 5 They
became as bulls amongst those young cattle and pastured among them.
I looked at them and saw them; and hinneh! They all let out their
members, just like horses. They began to cover the female cattle, 5
which all became expectant. They bore elephants, camels, and asses.
All the cattle were afraid and very anxious about them, for they
began to bite with their teeth and gulp down, and to gore with their
6 horns. They began to swallow up those cattle; and hinneh! All the
young ones of the earth began to tremble and shake before them, and
run away from them.’
Sky beings in white
1 Khanokh 87
1 ‘Again I saw how they
gored and swallowed each other down. Then the earth 2 began to cry
out. I raised my eyes again to the skies, and I saw something in the
vision: hinneh! Out of the skies came beings like white men. Four
left that place 3 and three went with them.
‘Those three that came
last grabbed me by my hand and took me up, away from the families of
earth. They raised me up to a high place and showed me 4 a tower
rising high above the earth; all the hills were down lower. One
of them said to me, “Stay here until you see all that happens to
those elephants, camels, and asses, also to the stars and the
cattle; all of them!”’
1 Khanokh 88
1 ‘I saw one of the
first four beings. He seized the first star that had fallen
from the skies. He bound it up hand and foot then cast it into a
pit. Now this pit was 2 deep and narrow; it was dark and horrible.
One of the beings drew a sword and gave it to the elephants,
camels, and asses. They started to strike one another, and the whole
earth shook 3 on account of them.
‘While as I was
watching in the vision, hinneh! One of those four who had come out
cast stones from the skies. They rounded up all the great stars
(those whose members were like horses’ members) and took them,
binding them hand and foot in order to throw them in an abyss.’
Great ship
1 Khanokh 89
1 ‘One of the four went
to thet white bull and gave him secret orders (yet without scaring
him). He was born a bull but he became a man! He built himself a
great ship and lived on it. 2 Three bulls stayed with him in that
ship, and they were all covered over. Again I raised my eyes towards
the skies and saw a high roof with seven waterways on it – and the
white-water 3 flooded down (with the rest of the water) into a
reservoir.
‘Again I saw something!
Look! Fountains opened up on the surface of the great reservoir, and
water rose and swelled on the surface. 4 I watched that ship until
its shell was completely covered with water. The water, the
darkness, and mist multiplied upon it. As I looked at the hill of
water, I saw it had risen higher than the ship. It was
streaming over it as though it were situated on land.
5 ‘All the cattle in
that reservoir were rounded up until I saw them sink, 6 swallowed
up, perishing in the water. But the ship floated in the water while
all the cattle, elephants, camels, and asses sank to the bottom with
the rest of the creatures, until I could see them no longer, for
they could not escape. They all perished, sinking into the
depths.
‘Again I watched the
vision until the white-water torrents were pouring from of the
sky-high roof while the land rifts 8 were leveling things up and
other pits came opened. The water began to run down into the
abyss until the land again became visible. The ship
settled on the ground; the darkness 9 vanished and light appeared.
‘The white bull (who
had become a man) came out of that ship, and the three bulls came
with him. One of those three was white, just like the bull –one of
them was red as blood and one was black. Then the white bull left
them alone.’
Flood to the great
tripping out
10 ‘Those who were
left began to bring out wildlife and birds, so that there arose
different kinds, like lions, tigers, wolves, dogs, hyenas, wild
hogs, foxes, squirrels, swine, falcons, vultures, kites, eagles, and
crows. Among them a white bull was born. Again they began to
bite one another; the white bull born among them engendered a wild
ass and with it a white bull, and 12 wild asses multiplied. But the
bull born from him begat a black wild boar and a white 13 sheep; and
the former engendered many hogs, while the sheep generated twelve
sheep.
‘When the twelve sheep
had grown, they gave one of themselves up to the asses. Then the
asses gave that sheep over to the wolves, so the sheep grew up among
wolves. Their leader brought the eleven sheep to live with the
one sheep, to pasture with it among the wolves, and they all
multiplied to become many sheep herds. The wolves began to fear
them, so they oppressed the sheep, destroying their little
ones by casting them into a very wide river.
‘The sheep began to 16
cry aloud for their little ones, complaining to their Shepherd. One
sheep that had been rescued from the wolves ran away, escaping to
the place of wild asses. Then I saw all the sheep – how they
wailed and lamented; how they sought their Shepherd with all their
might, until the Sheepmaster descended from the heights at the
sheep’s voice, came to them, and pastured them. He called on the
sheep that had escaped the wolves, and spoke with it concerning the
wolves, that it should 18 give a warning to them not to touch the
sheep.
‘So the sheep went to
the wolves in accordance with the command of their Shepherd, and
another sheep met that sheep and went with it, and the two
went together to enter into the assembly of wolves. They spoke with
them, warning them not to touch the 19 sheep from then on. I saw the
wolves, and how they oppressed the sheep greatly, 20 with all their
power – and the sheep cried aloud.
‘Their Shepherd came to
the sheep, which began to strike at the wolves. Now the wolves were
howling. This quieted the sheep, 21 and afterward stopped there
crying. I saw the sheep until they left the wolves. The wolves’ eyes
were blinded. Still the wolves left in hot pursuit of the sheep with
all their might. 22 The Sheepmaster went with them as their Leader,
and all His sheep 23 followed Him: and his face was dazzling and
glorious and terrible to see!
‘Still those wolves 24
pursued the sheep until they reached the great sea. This sea was
torn in two; and water stood up on this side and that, right before
their faces, and their Shepherd led them, putting Himself between 25
them and the wolves. Since the wolves did not yet see the sheep,
they advanced into the middle of that sea, and the wolves followed
the sheep, chasing after them right into the water.
26 ‘When they saw the
Sheepmaster, they turned to run away from His face, but the sea
gathered itself up and became just as it had been created – rising
and swelling until it enclosed 27 the wolves. I watched until all
those who pursued the sheep were drowned and thus perished.
Sheep in the wilderness
28 But the sheep
escaped the sea for a desert. There was no water or grass. They
began to open their eyes to see. I saw the Sheepmaster 29 pasturing
them, giving them water and grass, and a certain sheep coming
forward to lead them.
‘This certain
30 sheep climbed to the top of a lofty rock. Then the Sheepmaster
sent him back to them. Afterward I saw the Sheepmaster standing
before them: His appearance was so great, 31 awesome, and majestic,
that all the sheep beheld Him, standing in awe before His
face. They all quaked in fear on account of Him, and they cried to
that certain sheep with them, 32 “We cannot stand before our
El nor gaze at Him!”
‘That certain
sheep who led them went once again up to the top of the rock, but
the sheep were losing their vision and wandering off 33 the pathway
he had shown them (though that certain sheep did not know
it).
The Sheepmaster was
greatly angered against them, and that certain sheep learned
of it. He descended from the summit of the rock and came to the
sheep. There he found most of them sightless and fallen 34 away.
When they saw him they were horrified, and they quaked at his
presence. They wanted to return to their 35 folds.
‘That certain
sheep took other sheep with him, and came to those fallen sheep and
began to slay them. These sheep feared his presence, and since that
certain sheep brought back those 36 others who had fallen,
they returned to their folds. In this vision I watched until that
certain sheep became a man. He built a house for the Sheepmaster
and put all the sheep in that house. 37 I watched the leaders of the
sheep, who knew that certain sheep, falling asleep. Yes, I
watched until all the great sheep died off and the little ones arose
in their place; until they all came to a pasture 38 near a stream.
‘Then that certain
sheep, their leader who had become man, left 39 them and fell
asleep. All the sheep went out after him and wept over him with a
great wailing. I watched until the lamenting sheep had crossed the
stream. Then there arose two sheep for leaders in the place of the
former – those who had fallen asleep. 40 I watched until the sheep
came to a good place, an agreeable and wonderful country, and I
watched until the sheep were satisfied in the house that stood in
their midst: there, in that pleasant country.
Great house
41 ‘Sometimes their
eyes were open; other times they were shut – until another sheep
arose to lead them. He brought them all back, and their eyes were
opened. 42 But dogs, foxes, and the wild hogs began to devour those
sheep until the Sheepmaster raised a ram from their 43 number who
led them. The ram began to charge the flanks of the dogs, foxes, and
wild 44 hogs until he had destroyed them all. That sheep (whose eyes
were open) watched the ram among the sheep until it abandoned its
good repute and began to butt the other sheep, trampling
them down and conducting himself 45 in a contrary manner.
‘Then the Sheepmaster
sent the sheep to yet another lamb, raising it to become a ram, even
the herd’s prince and leader (in the place of the 46 previous
ram of forsaken reputation). This former approached and spoke
to the other alone, raising it to be a ram, and made it the prince
and leader of the sheep (as he was instructed). Yet during
all this time, dogs 47 exploited the sheep. The first ram (of
the lost reputation) pursued the second ram, and the second
arose and escaped. Then I watched until the dogs dragged 48 down the
first ram.
‘The second ram arose
49 and led the little sheep. They grew and multiplied; still dogs,
foxes, and wild hogs were afraid and fled out from before it. That
ram butted and slew all the wild beasts until they no longer
had any power over the 48b little sheep. They stole from them no
more.
‘That ram bore many
sheep and fell asleep; a little sheep became a ram in its stead –
even the sheep’s prince and leader. 50 The house became greater and
wider. It was built larger for so many sheep. A very high
tower was constructed as an addition to the house. This was
constructed for the Sheepmaster. The house was quite low, but
the tower was raised up very high. So the Sheepmaster stood upon
that tower while a fully laden table was brought for Him.’
Destruction of the great house
51 ‘Then I watched
those sheep. Once again they strayed into error, going many ways.
They left their house, so the Sheepmaster called on certain
sheep, sending them forth to redress the rest. 52 Yet these
sheep began to slay the others. However, one was not killed, but was
rescued. It hurried away to cry out over the sheep. They wanted to
kill it, but the Sheepmaster rescued it from 53 the rest and brought
it up to me, causing it to live right there. He sent many others to
testify to and cry out over the sheep..
54 ‘Afterward, I saw
they had forsaken the Sheepmaster’s house. His tower fell completely
away. Because of this, they all became blind. I watched the
Sheepmaster, how He caused a great slaughter in their herds. 55 Such
sheep invited it by betraying His house. So He gave them to lions,
tigers, wolves, and hyenas, even to foxes and all the wild 56
beasts. Beasts tore the sheep to pieces.
‘As I watched, He left
their house and tower, giving them over to lions (that tore them to
devour them), 57 even to all the beasts. I started to cry out with
all my might, appealing to the Sheepmaster, interceding with Him on
the sheep’s behalf, because they had been devoured 58 by wild
beasts. Yet He remained unmoved even though He saw it happening; He
was glad they were robbed, swallowed, and devoured. So He left them
to all such beasts to be consumed.
59 ‘Then He called
seventy shepherds. He placed the sheep with them for pasturing
before speaking with them and their companions: “Let each one of you
pasture these sheep 60 from now on, and all I command of you, do! I
will deliver them over to you in numbers correctly counted.
I will tell you which are to be destroyed, and you will destroy
them!” 61 So He gave the sheep over to the shepherds.
‘Then He called another
and spoke to him, “Watch! Make note of everything the shepherds do
to the sheep. They will slay more than 62 I have commanded.
Regarding every excess killing done by the shepherds – record
the number killed on my command plus the number they kill by whim.
Record the destruction 63 caused by each shepherd.
‘“Then read out to me
the number they kill and the number they delivered over for
execution, so I may keep a record as evidence against them. I must
know each action of the shepherds, so I may identify each and
understand what they do, whether or not they obey my 64 orders. They
are not to know of this. You will not tell them, nor accuse them;
only record each destructive act against each individual shepherd,
65 each in his own time – then lay it all out for me.”
‘I watched until the shepherds
pastured in their season. They started to kill, destroying more than
were ordered, transporting 66 sheep over to lions. Lions and tigers
ate and consumed the better part of the sheep, and the wild hogs ate
right along with them. They even burned the tower down after
tearing up 67 the house. I became very, very upset over the
destruction of the tower because the entire house of the
sheep was demolished. Afterward, I was not able observe whether any
sheep came into the ruin.’
Exile and return
68 ‘The shepherds and
their herdsmen delivered all the sheep over to the wild beasts so
they might be consumed. Each received a certain number in his time.
The number each destroyed was recorded 69 in a book by another, for
each destroyed many 70 more than was permitted. I started again
to weep, grieving for the sheep. In the vision I saw the scribe; I
saw exactly how he recorded every single one destroyed
by the shepherds, every day. He carried it up and set it
down, showing the entire book to the Sheepmaster, containing
everything the shepherds had done, all that each had 71 given
over to destruction.
‘The book was read
before the Sheepmaster. Then He took the book in his hand, read it,
sealed it up, and laid it down. 72 Right away I saw how the
shepherds pastured for twelve hours, and I witnessed three sheep
turning back. The entered into the ruin of the house and
starting rebuilding all that had fallen 73 down.
‘The wild hogs tried to hinder them,
but were not able. So they started building as before, even raising
up the tower. It was named Ha Migdah Gaboa.
Again they placed a table in front of the, but all the bread on it
was polluted and impure.
74 ‘Yet the sheep’s
eyes were blinded to these things. They could not see; so they were
handed over in large numbers to their shepherds for 75 destruction;
they trampled upon the sheep and gobbled them down.
Shepherds vs. eagles
‘The Sheepmaster was
firm in his resolve; all the sheep were dispersed over the
field and mingled with the 76 beasts there. The shepherds
did not rescue them from the beasts.
‘The recorder carried
the book up, showing it to the Sheepmaster, reading it before him.
He implored the Sheepmaster for them, and seeking His favor
as he reported all the 77 shepherd’s actions. He testified before
Him against all the shepherds. Then he took the book, placed it
beside the Sheepmaster, and departed.’
1 Khanokh 90
1 Then I watched until
thirty-five shepherds undertook the pasturing of the sheep,
and they each finished their terms as the first. Others then
received them 2 into their power, pasturing them for their terms,
each shepherd with his own term. After that I saw in my vision all
the birds approaching: eagles, vultures, kites, crows; but the
eagles led them. They began to devour those sheep, picking out their
eyes, 3 eating their bodies. The sheep cried out as their bodies
were being eaten by the birds.
4 As for me, in my
sleep I watched and grieved over the shepherd who pastured the
sheep. I watched until the sheep were devoured by the dogs, eagles,
kites – and they left neither meat, skin, nor tendon on them. Only
their bones stood out; even their bones fell 5 to the ground. The
sheep were few. I watched until twenty-three had attempted pasturing
the sheep, completing their terms fifty-eight times.
Conviction of the
shepherds and blind sheep
6 But hinneh! Lambs
were borne to the white sheep! They began to open their eyes to see,
7 and to cry to the sheep. O yes, they cried to them, but they did
not heed what they said to 8 them. They were profoundly deaf; their
eyes exceptionally blind. I saw in the vision how the crows flew
upon those lambs, taking one of them, then dashing the sheep 9 to
pieces and eating them up. I watched until the lambs grew horns; the
crows tossed down their horns. I watched until a great horn pushed
out from one of the sheep; and their eyes 10 were all opened! It
looked over them all, crying out to the sheep; and all the 11-18
rams saw it and all ran to it.
All the same, the
eagles, vultures, crows, and kites continued tearing the sheep,
swooping down on them to eat them. Still the sheep kept quiet. But
the rams grieved and cried out. The crows battled against the
horned sheep and tried to break off its horn, but they had no
power over it. All the eagles, vultures, crows, and kites were
gathered together, and with them came all the sheep in the field! O
yes! They all came together to help one another break that horn off
the ram.
19 Then I watched until
a huge sword was given to the sheep, and the sheep went against all
the beasts of the field to destroy them. The birds and beasts took
off before them. I saw the book writer – the one commanded by YHWH.
As he opened the book detailing all the destruction the last twelve
shepherds had caused, he showed the Sheepmaster that they destroyed
far more than their predecessors.
I watched until the
Sheepmaster came to them and took the rod of His anger in His hand.
He struck the ground and the ground broke into pieces. All birds and
beasts among the sheets fell to the ground; the ground
swallowed them all up and it covered them up.
20 I watched until a
throne was built in the pleasant land, and the Sheepmaster was
seated thereon, and the other took the sealed books and opened them
before the Him. 21 The Sheepmaster called the first seven
white sheep, commanding them to bring all the stars (whose
members 22 were like those of horses) before Him, beginning with the
first star that led the way. So they brought all those stars
before Him.
He said to the recorded
before Him (one of those seven white ones), ‘Take those seventy
shepherds to whom I delivered the sheep; those who took it upon
themselves to slay more 23 than I commanded them.’ And hinneh! they
seventy were bound up. I watched while they all stood before
Him. 24 Court was held over the stars first; they were judged and
found guilty. Then they were sent off to the place of conviction and
cast into a pit full of fiery flame with the 25 pillars of fire.
The seventy shepherds were judged
guilty. They too were cast 26 into that fiery pit. I saw how the pit
was opened to the earth’s center; it was full of fire. Next
they brought the blinded sheep. They were all judged guilty and 27
cast into this fiery pit. They all burned up. Now this pit was just
to the right of the house, so I watched those sheep, even their
bones, burning.
28 I stood up to watch
until they folded up the old house. They carried off all the
pillars; all the beams and supplies of the house were folded up with
it. They carried 29 it all off and laid it in the south-land. I
watched until the Sheepmaster brought a new house greater and
loftier than the first, and He set it up in place of the first, the
one that had been folded up. All its pillars were new, and its
supplies were new and larger than those of the old one He had taken
away. And all the sheep were inside.
30 I saw the remainder of the sheep,
along with all the beasts on the ground and birds in the sky,
falling down and paying homage to the sheep within the
house – pleading with them – and obeying 31 them in every
matter. Afterward the three white-robed ones – who had seized
me by my hand (with the hand of that ram also seizing me)
– 32 took me up and set me down among the sheep just before their
judgment.
Those 33 sheep were all
white. Their wool was massive and clean. All that had been destroyed
and dispersed, all the beasts of the field, and all the sky birds,
congregated in that house. The Sheepmaster greatly rejoiced because
they were all good and had returned to 34 His house. I watched until
the sheep laid down the sword given them, for they brought it into
the house. It was there sealed up in the presence of the Sheepmaster
and the sheep 35 invited in. So it no longer harmed them.
For their eyes were all
opened! They 36 saw the good, and there was not one among them that
could not see. I noticed that the house was great, wide, broad, and
full. 37 I saw a white bull with large horns born. All the beasts of
the earth and 38 birds of the sky were afraid of him and
persistently pleaded with him. I watched while all their generations
were transformed into white bulls!
The first of them
became a lamb, then a great creature with big black horns. The
Sheepmaster 39 rejoiced over it and over all the livestock. I slept
in their midst; when I awoke, I saw everything.
40 This is the vision
that I saw while I slept. I awoke and blessed the Sovereign of
Obedience and 41 honored Him. Then I wept with a great howling; my
tears would not stop until I could stand it no longer. I noticed
that they were flowing because of all I had seen; for all these
things will 42 happen exactly as these histories were shown me.
On that night, I
remembered the first dream; and because of it I wept and was very
troubled – all because I had seen such a dream-vision.
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