1 Enoch 21

And I proceeded to where things were chaotic.

Then I made a circuit to a place in which nothing was completed.

And I went around to a place where not one thing took place.

And I saw there something horrible: I saw neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth, but a place chaotic and horrible.

And there I beheld neither the tremendous workmanship of an exalted heaven, nor of an established earth, but a desolate spot, prepared, and terrific.

And I saw there something terrible, no high heavens, no founded earth, but a void place, awful and terrible.

And there I saw seven stars of the heaven bound together^a in it, like great mountains and burning with fire.

There, too, I beheld seven stars of heaven bound in it together, like great mountains, and like a blazing fire. I exclaimed, For what species of crime have they been bound, and why have they been removed to this place? Then Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me, and who conducted me, answered: Enoch, wherefore dost thou ask; wherefore reason with thyself, and anxiously inquire? These are those of the stars which have transgressed the commandment of the most high God; and are here bound, until the infinite number of the days of their crimes be completed.

And there I saw seven stars of heaven, tied together to it, like great mountains, and flaming as if by fire.

Then I said: 'For what sin are they bound, and on what account have they been cast in hither?'

From thence I afterwards passed on to another terrific place;

At that time I said : " On account of what sin are these bound, and why have they been cast hither ? "

Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me, and was chief over them, and said: 'Enoch, why dost thou ask, and why art thou eager for the truth?

Where I beheld the operation of a great fire blazing and glittering, in the midst of which there was a division. Columns of fire struggled together to the end of the abyss, and deep was their descent. But neither its measurement nor magnitude was I able to discover; neither could I perceive its origin. Then I exclaimed, How terrible is this place, and how difficult to explore!

And then answered Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me, conducting me, and said to me : " Enoch, concerning what dost thou ask, and concerning what dost thou inquire, and ask and art anxious ? 6. These are of the stars who have transgressed the command of God, the Highest, and are bound here till ten thousand worlds, the number of the days of their sins, shall have been consummated."

These are of the number of the stars ⌈of heaven⌉, which have transgressed the commandment^a of the [paragraph continues] Lord, and are bound here till ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.'

Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered and said: Enoch, why art thou alarmed and amazed at this terrific place, at the sight of this *place of* suffering? This, he said, is the prison of the angels; and here they are kept for ever.

(not present in Schodde 1882)

And from thence I went to another place, which was still more horrible than the former, and I saw a horrible thing: a great fire there which burnt and blazed, and the place was cleft as far as the abyss, being full of great descending columns of fire: neither its extent or magnitude could I see, nor could I conjecture.

(not present in Laurence 1821)

And from there I went to another 92 THE BOOK OP ENOCH. place which was still more terrible than the former. And I saw a terrible thing : a great fire was there, which burned and flickered and appeared in sections ; it was bounded by a complete abyss, great columns of fire were allowed to fall into it; its extent and size I could not see, and I was unable to see its origin.

Then I said: 'How fearful is the place and how terrible to look upon!'

(not present in Laurence 1821)

At that time I said : " How terrible this place is, and painful to look at ! "

Then Uriel answered me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said unto me: 'Enoch, why hast thou such fear and affright?' And I answered: 'Because of this fearful place, and because of the spectacle of the pain.'

(not present in Laurence 1821)

At that time answered Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me ; he answered and said to me : *' Enoch, why such fear and terror in thee concerning this terrible place and in the presence of this pain ? "

And he said ⌈⌈unto me⌉⌉: 'This place is the prison of the angels, and here they will be imprisoned for ever.'

(not present in Laurence 1821)

And he said to me : *' This is the prison of the angels, and here they are held to eternity."