The Book of Enoch 104
Book V The Epistle of Enoch Chapters 91–108 · 2nd - 1st century BCE
Enoch's testament to his children: woes against the wicked and rich, comfort for the righteous, the Apocalypse of Weeks, and a closing appendix on the miraculous birth of Noah.
Dating & manuscripts. The Apocalypse of Weeks is one of the earliest datable parts. Chapters 106-107 (the Birth of Noah) are a later appendix drawn from a separate Noah tradition.
In the manuscripts the Apocalypse of Weeks runs 93:1-10 then 91:11-17; Charles rearranged the verses to restore that order, which is why some editions number these chapters differently.
1 Enoch is an anthology of five distinct works, composed over roughly three centuries.
Assurance to the Righteous
In heaven the angels remember the righteous for good before the glory of the Great One and their names are written there. Themes: Faith and Righteousness of the Patriarchs
1 swear unto you, that in heaven the angels remember you for good before the glory of the Great One: and your names are written before the glory of the Great One.
2 Be hopeful; for aforetime ye were put to shame through ill and affliction; but now ye shall shine as the lights of heaven, ye shall shine and ye shall be seen, and the portals of heaven shall be opened to you.
3 And in your cry, cry for judgement, and it shall appear to you; for all your tribulation shall be visited on the rulers, and on all who helped those who plundered you.
4 Be hopeful, and cast not away your hopes for ye shall have great joy as the angels of heaven.
5 What shall ye be obliged to do ? Ye shall not have to hide on the day of the great judgement and ye shall not be found as sinners, and the eternal judgement shall be far from you for all the generations of the world.
6 And now fear not, ye righteous, when ye see the sinners growing strong and prospering in their ways: be not companions with them, but keep afar from their violence; for ye shall become companions of the hosts of heaven.
7 And, although ye sinners say: " All our sins shall not be searched out and be written down," nevertheless they shall write down all your sins every day.
8 And now I show unto you that light and darkness, day and night, see all your sins.
9 Be not godless in your hearts, and lie not and alter not the words of uprightness, nor charge with lying the words of the Holy Great One, nor take account of your idols; for all your lying and all your godlessness issue not in righteousness but in great sin.
10 And now I know this mystery, that sinners will alter and pervert the words of righteousness in many ways, and will speak wicked words, and lie, and practice great deceits, and write books concerning their words.
11 But when they write down truthfully all my words in their languages, and do not change or minish ought from my words but write them all down truthfully -all that I first testified concerning them.
12 Then, I know another mystery, that books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom.
13 And to them shall the books be given, and they shall believe in them and rejoice over them, and then shall all the righteous who have learnt therefrom all the paths of uprightness be recompensed.'
Did You Know?
In heaven the angels remember the righteous for good before the glory of the Great One and their names are written there.
The righteous shall shine as the lights of heaven and the portals of heaven shall be opened to them.
Although sinners say all their sins shall not be searched out and written down, all their sins are written down every day.
Light and darkness, day and night, see all the sins of the sinners.
Books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom.
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Commentary
In brief
Enoch swears that angels remember the righteous before the Great One with their names written there, promising they will shine as lights of heaven and rejoice like angels while sinners' sins are recorded daily. Books of true words then bring joy, wisdom and recompense to the righteous.