This is a blog post that is in reference to all religious leadership of the 4 major Ibrahimic faith groups of Judaism, Christianity, Catholicism, and Islam. There are, of course, many scenarios that could lend to furthering our understanding of these passages. I have, only, given a few reflections from my own limited understanding. Injeel Millstone passage. Regarding this passage. It has become a mentality to undo people that some leaders feel are in non-compliance. To hope for their demise or failure; treachery against them; or to cause them to lose faith. {And many times this is with some form of curse or prophecy of misfortune, but, there is an error with cursing the innocent who are included in a society with those deemed guilty. For example, in the case of foreign muslims that engage "big business trade" with Americans to the exclusion of American muslims, why can't they exclude American muslims and innocent Americans from their curses against Americans. It's kind of like damning the entire Bible because 15% to 20% is false and/or abrogated. It, then, becomes, "Well, there is this 80% to 85% of the Bible that is valid/useful historical and prophetic evidence, are you lumping up the good of it and the bad in it into one collective damning?" Or, like the "Burn of Quran Day"; or the US soldier who used the Quran as target practice with a high powered rifle. Should all Americans be cursed because of the act of this soldier or only those who are like him and supports that type of behavior towards the Quran?} There are many traditions that, in fact, erode the faith, but, similarly there are many traditions which strengthen the faith. It seems that the mentality of building men and women of faith has faded for some years; sometimes in being judgmental, leaders detach themselves from the desire for members of a particular society to, actually, succeed. Other times, the piling up of wealth through "big business trades", etc. distracts some from desiring the success of the members of a particular society, a type of oppression through negligence. This, however, does not justify jealousy, envy, nor coveting of the wealth and treasures of the affluent negligent members of a faith group...this is about being tripped up. Because it is one thing to leave someone out of the cash and another thing to trip them up. You can't really get upset about how someone spends their money, after all, it is theirs. In doing that you would expose yourself to being charged with jealousy, envy or coveting. But, when someone trips you up that's an entirely different issue, in and of, itself.
Matthew 18:6 "But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck."
Proverb Do not lie in wait, like an outlaw, at the house of the People of God. Regarding this passage. Surely one form of tripping up the believers of Allah (swt) is to accuse them of things that certain others in their country are guilty of. Another would be, that because of the examples of some leadership, some people despise somethings of signs that would, otherwise, be beneficial for them. They take a sign and make others averse to it, and then say "Ah see this one has rejected it. This one should be counted amongst the rejectors and left out of the benefits of belief in the sign." Another would be to lay heavy burdens upon the backs of believers, using traditional sayings, which would cause them to break or break away from amongst where they are supposed to frequent.
Proverb 24:15 "Do not lie in wait like an outlaw at the home of the people of God. And don't raid the house where the people of God live. 16 They may trip seven times, but each time they will rise again. But one calamity is enough to lay the wicked low."
Proverb Those who cannot rest until they have caused someone's foot to stumble. Regarding this passage. Clearly there are individuals who cannot rest, themselves, unless they project their misfortune onto others. These seem to be people that cannot, or choose not to, go to Allah (swt) for His (swt) blessings and so must exchange their worthless scenario for someone else's valuable scenario. This has got to be the most frustrating set of circumstances for a person of faith in Allah (swt) to have to endure.
Proverb 4:16 "for evil people cannot sleep until they have done their evil deed for the day. They cannot rest unless they have caused someone to stumble. 17 They eat wickedness and drink violence!"
Good and Bad Shepherds in Ezekiel. Regarding this passage. And thus, the question becomes if Allah (swt) did this in Ezekiel 34, which you are about to read, in the past for the children of Israel, won't He (swt) do, similarly, the same thing in the House of Islam? And so it is important to be good shepherds or leaders to the followers of Nabi Muhammad (saws), as it was important to be good shepherds to the children of Israel.
Ezekiel 34:1 Then this message came to me from the LORD: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: Destruction is certain for you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn't shepherds feed their sheep? 3 You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. 4 You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the broken bones. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with force and cruelty. 5 So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd. They are easy prey for any wild animal. 6 They have wandered through the mountains and hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them. 7 "Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. Though you were my shepherds, you didn't search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. 9 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. 10 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, along with their right to feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey. 11 "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. 12 I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. 13 I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers in all the places where people live. 14 Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in lush mountain pastures. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and cause them to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes -- feed them justice! 17 "And as for you, my flock, my people, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, separating the sheep from the goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Is it not enough for you to take the best water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 All that is left for my flock to eat is what you have trampled down. All they have to drink is water that you have fouled. 20 "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. 21 For you fat sheep push and butt and crowd my sick and hungry flock until they are scattered to distant lands. 22 So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused and destroyed. And I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 And I will set one shepherd over them, even my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the LORD, have spoken! 25 "I will make a covenant of peace with them and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then my people will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. 26 I will cause my people and their homes around my holy hill to be a blessing. And I will send showers, showers of blessings, which will come just when they are needed. 27 The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the LORD. 28 They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer attack them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. 29 "And I will give them a land famous for its crops, so my people will never again go hungry or be shamed by the scorn of foreign nations. 30 In this way, they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign LORD. 31 You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God, says the Sovereign LORD." And so, Allah (swt) is showing us here that He (swt) did this in Ezekiel 34, in the past for the children of Israel, that is, rid the community of Israel of "Bad Shepherds" or bad leaders. And so it is important to be good shepherds to the followers of Nabi Muhammad (saws), as it was important to be good shepherds to the children of Israel.
Good and Bad Shepherds in Lost Book of Enoch. Regarding this long passage. This is like an expounding of the same principle of the Ezekiel 34 passage mentioned above. Allah is Sari Al Hisab. Yes, Allah (swt) is Swift in Taking Account, but, He (swt) is also, Al Latifu, the Most Subtle; or Most Mysterious; or Most Attentive to Detail. This passage comes from what many have considered to be the "Lost Books of Prophet Enoch" or Nabi Idrees (infinite saws). This is important to mention again because of the painstaking attention to detail concerning "Bad Shepherds" or bad leadership and the "Justice" that His (swt) Sovereignty is capable of formulating and exceeding for the purpose of redemption and salvation of people of faith in Allah (swt) and the maintenance of Divine Order. The translator of this version of the "Lost Books of Enoch" was from a London Christian society and so his point of reference in many places of the book reflects this bent. I think, however, that a Muslim or Jew of the monotheistic persuasions can still extract the meaning here of how carefully documented good and bad shepherding or leadership is being conducted in Allah's Presence. There does seem to be embedded in the following texts symbols of the trinity and Allah has said in the Sacred Quranul Kareem, "Trinity Desist." So please do not be moved to leave off finishing this excerpt from the book "Lost Book of Enoch." because the translator has included in his manuscript symbols of the trinity. Thank you. LXXXV-XC. The Second Dream-Vision of Enoch: the History of the World to the
Founding of the Messianic Kingdom.
CHAPTER LXXXV.
1. And after this I saw another dream, and I will show the whole dream to thee, my son.
2. And Enoch lifted up (his voice) and spake to his son Methuselah: 'To thee, my son, will I
speak: hear my words--incline thine ear to the dream-vision of thy father. 3. Before I took thy mother Edna, I saw in a vision on my bed, and behold a bull came forth from
the earth, and that bull was white; and after it came forth a heifer, and along with this (latter)
came forth two bulls, one of them black and the other red.
4. And that black bull gored the red one and pursued him over the earth, and thereupon I could
no longer see that red bull.
5. But that black bull grew and that heifer went with him, and I saw that many oxen proceeded
from him which resembled and followed him.
6. And that cow, that first one, went from the presence of that first bull in order to seek that red
one, but found him not, and lamented with a great lamentation over him and sought him.
7. And I looked till that first bull came to her and quieted her, and from that time onward she
cried no more.
8. And after that she bore another white bull, and after him she bore many bulls and black cows.
9. And I saw in my sleep that white bull likewise grow and become a great white bull, and from
Him proceeded many white bulls, and they resembled him. And they began to beget many white
bulls, which resembled them, one following the other, (even) many.
LXXXVI. The Fall of the Angels and the Demoralization of Mankind.
CHAPTER LXXXVI.
1. And again I saw with mine eyes as I slept, and I saw the heaven above, and behold a star fell
from heaven, and it arose and eat and pastured amongst those oxen.
2. And after that I saw the large and the black oxen, and behold they all changed their stalls and
pastures and their cattle, and began to live with each other.
3. And again I saw in the vision, and looked towards the heaven, and behold I saw many stars
descend and cast themselves down from heaven to that first star, and they became bulls
amongst those cattle and pastured with them amongst them .
4. And I looked at them and saw, and behold they all let out their privy members, like horses,
and began to cover the cows of the oxen, and they all became pregnant and bare elephants,
camels, and asses.
5. And all the oxen feared them and were affrighted at them, and began to bite with their teeth
and to devour, and to gore with their horns.
6. And they began, moreover, to devour those oxen; and behold all the children of the earth
began to tremble and quake before them and to flee from them.
CHAPTER LXXXVII.
1. And again I saw how they began to gore each other and to devour each other, and the earth
began to cry aloud. 2. And I raised mine eyes again to heaven, and I saw in the vision, and behold there came forth
from heaven beings who were like white men: and four went forth from that place and three with
them.
3. And those three that had last come forth grasped me by my hand and took me up, away from
the generations of the earth, and raised me up to a lofty place, and showed me a tower raised
high above the earth, and all the hills were lower.
4. And one said unto me: 'Remain here till thou seest everything that befalls those elephants,
camels, and asses, and the stars and the oxen, and all of them.'
LXXXVIII. The Punishment of the Fallen Angels by the Archangels.
CHAPTER LXXXVIII.
1.And I saw one of those four who had come forth first, and he seized that first star which
had fallen from the heaven, and bound it hand and foot and cast it into an abyss: now that
abyss was narrow and deep, and horrible and dark.
2. And one of them drew a sword, and gave it to those elephants and camels and asses:
then they began to smite each other, and the whole earth quaked because of them.
3. And as I was beholding in the vision, lo, one of those four who had come forth stoned
(them) from heaven, and gathered and took all the great stars whose privy members were
like those of horses, and bound them all hand and foot, and cast them in an abyss of the
earth.
LXXXVII. The Advent of the Seven Archangels. LXXXIX. 1-9. The Deluge and the
Deliverance of Noah.
CHAPTER LXXXIX.
1. And one of those four went to that white bull and instructed him in a secret, without his being
terrified: he was born a bull and became a man, and built for himself a great vessel and dwelt
thereon; and three bulls dwelt with him in that vessel and they were covered in.
2. And again I raised mine eyes towards heaven and saw a lofty roof, with seven water torrents
thereon, and those torrents flowed with much water into an enclosure.
3. And I saw again, and behold fountains were opened on the surface of that great enclosure,
and that water began to swell and rise upon the surface, and I saw that enclosure till all its
surface was covered with water.
4. And the water, the darkness, and mist increased upon it; and as I looked at the height of that
water, that water had risen above the height of that enclosure, and was streaming over that
enclosure, and it stood upon the earth. 5. And all the cattle of that enclosure were gathered together until I saw how they sank and
were swallowed up and perished in that water.
6. But that vessel floated on the water, while all the oxen and elephants and camels and asses
sank to the bottom with all the animals, so that I could no longer see them, and they were not
able to escape, (but) perished and sank into the depths.
7. And again I saw in the vision till those water torrents were removed from that high roof, and
the chasms of the earth were levelled up and other abysses were opened.
8. Then the water began to run down into these, till the earth became visible; but that vessel
settled on the earth, and the darkness retired and light appeared.
9. But that white bull which had become a man came out of that vessel, and the three bulls with
him, and one of those three was white like that bull, and one of them was red as blood, and one
black: and that white bull departed from them.
LXXXIX. 10-27. From the Death of Noah to the Exodus.
10. And they began to bring forth beasts of the field and birds, so that there arose different
genera: lions, tigers, wolves, dogs, hyenas, wild boars, foxes, squirrels, swine, falcons, vultures,
kites, eagles, and ravens; and among them was born a white bull.
11. And they began to bite one another; but that white bull which was born amongst them
begat a wild ass and a white bull with it, and the wild asses multiplied.
12. But that bull which was born from him begat a black wild boar and a white sheep; and the
former begat many boars, but that sheep begat twelve sheep.
13. And when those twelve sheep had grown, 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.
14. And the Lord brought the eleven sheep to live with it and to pasture with it among the
wolves: and they multiplied and became many flocks of sheep.
15. And the wolves began to fear them, and they oppressed them until they destroyed their little
ones, and they cast their young into a river of much water: but those sheep began to cry aloud
on account of their little ones, and to complain unto their Lord.
16. And a sheep which had been saved from the wolves fled and escaped to the wild asses; and I
saw the sheep how they lamented and cried, and besought their Lord with all their might, till that
Lord of the sheep descended at the voice of the sheep from a lofty abode, and came to them and
pastured them.
17. And He called that sheep which had escaped the wolves, and spake with it concerning the
wolves that it should admonish them not to touch the sheep.
18. And the sheep went to the wolves according to the word of the Lord, and another sheep met
it and went with it, and the two went and entered together into the assembly of those wolves,
and spake with them and admonished them not to touch the sheep from henceforth. 19. And thereupon I saw the wolves, and how they oppressed the sheep exceedingly with all
their power; and the sheep cried aloud.
20. And the Lord came to the sheep and they began to smite those wolves: and the wolves
began to make lamentation; but the sheep became quiet and forthwith ceased to cry out.
21. And I saw the sheep till they departed from amongst the wolves; but the eyes of the wolves
were blinded, and those wolves departed in pursuit of the sheep with all their power.
22. And the Lord of the sheep went with them, as their leader, and all His sheep followed Him:
and his face was dazzling and glorious and terrible to behold.
23. But the wolves began to pursue those sheep till they reached a sea of water.
24. And that sea was divided, and the water stood on this side and on that before their face, and
their Lord led them and placed Himself between them and the wolves.
25. And as those wolves did not yet see the sheep, they proceeded into the midst of that sea,
and the wolves followed the sheep, and [those wolves] ran after them into that sea.
26. And when they saw the Lord of the sheep, they turned to flee before His face, but that sea
gathered itself together, and became as it had been created, and the water swelled and rose till
it covered those wolves.
27. And I saw till all the wolves who pursued those sheep perished and were drowned.
LXXXIX. 28-40. Israel in the Desert, the Giving of the Law, the Entrance into
Palestine.
28. But the sheep escaped from that water and went forth into a wilderness, where there was no
water and no grass; and they began to open their eyes and to see; and I saw the Lord of the
sheep pasturing them and giving them water and grass, and that sheep going and leading them.
29. And that sheep ascended to the summit of that lofty rock, and the Lord of the sheep sent it
to them.
30. And after that I saw the Lord of the sheep who stood before them, and His appearance was
great and terrible and majestic, and all those sheep saw Him and were afraid before His face.
31. And they all feared and trembled because of Him, and they cried to that sheep with them
[which was amongst them]: "We are not able to stand before our Lord or to behold Him."
32. And that sheep which led them again ascended to the summit of that rock, but the sheep
began to be blinded and to wander from the way which he had showed them, but that sheep wot
not thereof.
33. And the Lord of the sheep was wrathful exceedingly against them, and that sheep
discovered it, and went down from the summit of the rock, and came to the sheep, and found
the greatest part of them blinded and fallen away. 34. And when they saw it they feared and trembled at its presence, and desired to return to their
folds.
35. And that sheep took other sheep with it, and came to those sheep which had fallen away,
and began to slay them; and the sheep feared its presence, and thus that sheep brought back
those sheep that had fallen away, and they returned to their folds.
36. And I saw in this vision till that sheep became a man and built a house for the Lord of the
sheep, and placed all the sheep in that house.
37. And I saw till this sheep which had met that sheep which led them fell asleep: and I saw till
all the great sheep perished and little ones arose in their place, and they came to a pasture, and
approached a stream of water.
38. Then that sheep, their leader which had become a man, withdrew from them and fell asleep,
and all the sheep sought it and cried over it with a great crying.
39. And I saw till they left off crying for that sheep and crossed that stream of water, and there
arose the two sheep as leaders in the place of those which had led them and fallen asleep (lit.
"had fallen asleep and led them").
40. And I saw till the sheep came to a goodly place, and a pleasant and glorious land, and I saw
till those sheep were satisfied; and that house stood amongst them in the pleasant land.
LXXXIX. 41-50. From the Time of the Judges till the Building of the Temple.
41. And sometimes their eyes were opened, and sometimes blinded, till another sheep arose and
led them and brought them all back, and their eyes were opened.
42. And the dogs and the foxes and the wild boars began to devour those sheep till the Lord of
the sheep raised up [another sheep] a ram from their midst, which led them.
43. And that ram began to butt on either side those dogs, foxes, and wild boars till he had
destroyed them †all†.
44. And that sheep whose eyes were opened saw that ram, which was amongst the sheep, till it
†forsook its glory† and began to butt those sheep, and trampled upon them, and behaved itself
unseemly.
45. And the Lord of the sheep sent the lamb to another lamb and raised it to being a ram and
leader of the sheep instead of that ram which had †forsaken its glory†.
46. And it went to it and spake to it alone, and raised it to being a ram, and made it the prince
and leader of the sheep; but during all these things those dogs oppressed the sheep.
47. And the first ram pursued that second ram, and that second ram arose and fled before it;
and I saw till those dogs pulled down the first ram.
48. And that second ram arose and led the [little] sheep. 49. And those sheep grew and multiplied; but all the dogs, and foxes, and wild boars feared and
fled before it, and that ram butted and killed the wild beasts, and those wild beasts had no
longer any power among the sheep and robbed them no more of ought.
48
b
. And that ram begat many sheep and fell asleep; and a little sheep became ram in its stead,
and became prince and leader of those sheep.
50. And that house became great and broad, and it was built for those sheep: (and) a tower lofty
and great was built on the house for the Lord of the sheep, and that house was low, but the
tower was elevated and lofty, and the Lord of the sheep stood on that tower and they offered a
full table before Him.
LXXXIX. 51-67. The Two Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, to the Destruction of
Jerusalem.
51. And again I saw those sheep that they again erred and went many ways, and forsook that
their house, and the Lord of the sheep called some from amongst the sheep and sent them to
the sheep, but the sheep began to slay them.
52. And one of them was saved and was not slain, and it sped away and cried aloud over the
sheep; and they sought to slay it, but the Lord of the sheep saved it from the sheep, and brought
it up to me, and caused it to dwell there.
53. And many other sheep He sent to those sheep to testify unto them and lament over them.
54. And after that I saw that when they forsook the house of the Lord and His tower they fell
away entirely, and their eyes were blinded; and I saw the Lord of the sheep how He wrought
much slaughter amongst them in their herds until those sheep invited that slaughter and
betrayed His place.
55. And He gave them over into the hands of the lions and tigers, and wolves and hyenas, and
into the hand of the foxes, and to all the wild beasts, and those wild beasts began to tear in
pieces those sheep.
56. And I saw that He forsook that their house and their tower and gave them all into the hand
of the lions, to tear and devour them, into the hand of all the wild beasts.
57. And I began to cry aloud with all my power, and to appeal to the Lord of the sheep, and to
represent to Him in regard to the sheep that they were devoured by all the wild beasts.
58. But He remained unmoved, though He saw it, and rejoiced that they were devoured and
swallowed and robbed, and left them to be devoured in the hand of all the beasts.
59. And He called seventy shepherds, and cast those sheep to them that they might pasture
them, and He spake to the shepherds and their companions: "Let each individual of you pasture
the sheep henceforward, and everything that I shall command you that do ye.
60. And I will deliver them over unto you duly numbered, and tell you which of them are to be
destroyed--and them destroy ye." And He gave over unto them those sheep. 61. And He called another and spake unto him: "Observe and mark everything that the
shepherds will do to those sheep; for they will destroy more of them than I have commanded
them.
62. And every excess and the destruction which will be wrought through the shepherds, record
(namely) how many they destroy according to my command, and how many according to their
own caprice: record against every individual shepherd all the destruction he effects.
63. And read out before me by number how many they destroy, and how many they deliver over
for destruction, that I may have this as a testimony against them, and know every deed of the
shepherds, that I may comprehend and see what they do, whether or not they abide by my
command which I have commanded them.
64. But they shall not know it, and thou shalt not declare it to them, nor admonish them, but
only record against each individual all the destruction which the shepherds effect each in his time
and lay it all before me."
65. And I saw till those shepherds pastured in their season, and they began to slay and to
destroy more than they were bidden, and they delivered those sheep into the hand of the lions.
66. And the lions and tigers eat and devoured the greater part of those sheep, and the wild boars
eat along with them; and they burnt that tower and demolished that house.
67. And I became exceedingly sorrowful over that tower because that house of the sheep was
demolished, and afterwards I was unable to see if those sheep entered that house.
LXXXIX. 68-71. First Period of the Angelic Rulers--from the Destruction of Jerusalem
to the Return from the Captivity.
68. And the shepherds and their associates delivered over those sheep to all the wild beasts, to
devour them, and each one of them received in his time a definite number: it was written by the
other in a book how many each one of them destroyed of them.
69. And each one slew and destroyed many more than was prescribed; and I began to weep and
lament on account of those sheep
70. And thus in the vision I saw that one who wrote, how he wrote down every one that was
destroyed by those shepherds, day by day, and carried up and laid down and showed actually
the whole book to the Lord of the sheep--(even) everything that they had done, and all that each
one of them had made away with, and all that they had given over to destruction.
71. And the book was read before the Lord of the sheep, and He took the book from his hand
and read it and sealed it and laid it down.
LXXXIX. 72-77. Second Period--from the time of Cyrus to that of Alexander the Great.
72. And forthwith I saw how the shepherds pastured for twelve hours, and behold three of those
sheep turned back and came and entered and began to build up all that had fallen down of that
house; but the wild boars tried to hinder them, but they were not able. 73. And they began again to build as before, and they reared up that tower, and it was named
the high tower; and they began again to place a table before the tower, but all the bread on it
was polluted and not pure.
74. And as touching all this the eyes of those sheep were blinded so that they saw not, and (the
eyes of) their shepherds likewise; and they delivered them in large numbers to their shepherds
for destruction, and they trampled the sheep with their feet and devoured them.
75. And the Lord of the sheep remained unmoved till all the sheep were dispersed over the field
and mingled with them (i.e. the beasts), and they (i.e. the shepherds) did not save them out of
the hand of the beasts.
76. And this one who wrote the book carried it up, and showed it and read it before the Lord of
the sheep, and implored Him on their account, and besought Him on their account as he showed
Him all the doings of the shepherds, and gave testimony before Him against all the shepherds.
And he took the actual book and laid it down beside Him and departed.
XC. 1-5. Third Period--from Alexander the Great to the Graeco-Syrian Domination.
CHAPTER XC.
1. And I saw till that in this manner thirty-five shepherds undertook the pasturing (of the sheep),
and they severally completed their periods as did the first; and others received them into their
hands, to pasture them for their period, each shepherd in his own period.
2. And after that I saw in my vision all the birds of heaven coming, the eagles, the vultures, the
kites, the ravens; but the eagles led all the birds; and they began to devour those sheep, and to
pick out their eyes and to devour their flesh.
3. And the sheep cried out because their flesh was being devoured by the birds, and as for me I
looked and lamented in my sleep over that shepherd who pastured the sheep.
4. And I saw until those sheep were devoured by the dogs and eagles and kites, and they left
neither flesh nor skin nor sinew remaining on them till only their bones stood there: and their
bones too fell to the earth and the sheep became few.
5. And I saw until that twenty-three had undertaken the pasturing and completed in their
several periods fifty-eight times.
XC. 6-12. Fourth Period--from the Graeco-Syrian Domination to the Maccabæan
Revolt.
6. But behold lambs were borne by those white sheep, and they began to open their eyes and to
see, and to cry to the sheep.
7. Yea, they cried to them, but they did not hearken to what they said to them, but were
exceedingly deaf, and their eyes were very exceedingly blinded.
8. And I saw in the vision how the ravens flew upon those lambs and took one of those lambs,
and dashed the sheep in pieces and devoured them. 9. And I saw till horns grew upon those lambs, and the ravens cast down their horns; and I saw
till there sprouted a great horn of one of those sheep, and their eyes were opened.
10. And it †looked at† them [and their eyes opened], and it cried to the sheep, and the rams saw
it and all ran to it.
11. And notwithstanding all this those eagles and vultures and ravens and kites still kept tearing
the sheep and swooping down upon them and devouring them: still the sheep remained silent,
but the rams lamented and cried out.
12. And those ravens fought and battled with it and sought to lay low its horn, but they had no
power over it.
XC. 13-19. The Last Assault of the Gentiles on the Jews (where vv. 13-15 and 16-18
are doublets).
13. And I saw till the †shepherds and† eagles and
those vultures and kites came, and †they cried to
the ravens† that they should break the horn of that
ram, and they battled and fought with it, and it
battled with them and cried that its help might
come.
16. All the eagles and vultures and ravens and kites
were gathered together, and there came with them
all the sheep of the field, yea, they all came
together, and helped each other to break that horn
of the ram.
19. And I saw till a great sword was given to the sheep, and the sheep proceeded against all the
beasts of the field to slay them, and all the beasts and the birds of the heaven fled before their
face.
14. And I saw till that man, who wrote down the
names of the shepherds [and] carried up into the
presence of the Lord of the sheep [came and
helped it and showed it everything: he had come
down for the help of that ram].
17. And I saw that man, who wrote the book
according to the command of the Lord, till he
opened that book concerning the destruction which
those twelve last shepherds had wrought, and
showed that they had destroyed much more than
their predecessors, before the Lord of the sheep.
15. And I saw till the Lord of the sheep came unto
them in wrath, and all who saw Him fled, and they
all fell †into His shadow† from before His face.
18. And I saw till the Lord of the sheep came unto
them and took in His hand the staff of His wrath,
and smote the earth, and the earth clave asunder,
and all the beasts and all the birds of the heaven
fell from among those sheep, and were swallowed
up in the earth and it covered them.
XC. 20-27. Judgement of the Fallen Angels, the Shepherds, and the Apostates.
20. And I saw till a throne was erected in the pleasant land, and the Lord of the sheep sat Himself thereon, and the other took the sealed books and opened those books before the Lord of the sheep.
21. And the Lord called those men the seven first white ones, and commanded that they should bring before Him, beginning with the first star which led the way, all the stars whose privy members were like those of horses, and they brought them all before [paragraph continues] Him.
22. And He said to that man who wrote before Him, being one of those seven white ones, and said unto him: "Take those seventy shepherds to whom I delivered the sheep, and who taking them on their own authority slew more than I commanded them."
23. And behold they were all bound, I saw, and they all stood before Him.
24. And the judgement was held first over the stars, and they were judged and found guilty, and went to the place of condemnation, and they were cast into an abyss, full of fire and flaming, and full of pillars of fire.
25. And those seventy shepherds were judged and found guilty, and they were cast into that fiery abyss.
26. And I saw at that time how a like abyss was opened in the midst of the earth, full of fire, and they brought those blinded sheep, and they were all judged and found guilty and cast into this fiery abyss, and they burned; now this abyss was to the right of that house.
27. And I saw those sheep burning †and their bones burning†.
XC. 28-38. The New Jerusalem, the Conversion of the surviving Gentiles, the Resurrection of the Righteous, the Messiah.
28. And I stood up to see till they folded up that old house; and carried off all the pillars, and all the beams and ornaments of the house were at the same time folded up with it, and they carried it off and laid it in a place in the south of the land.
29. And I saw till the Lord of the sheep brought a new house greater and loftier than that first, and set it up in the place of the first which had beer folded up: all its pillars were new, and its ornaments were new and larger than those of the first, the old one which He had taken away, and all the sheep were within it.
30. And I saw all the sheep which had been left, and all the beasts on the earth, and all the birds of the heaven, falling down and doing homage to those sheep and making petition to and obeying them in every thing.
31. And thereafter those three who were clothed in white and had seized me by my hand [who had taken me up before], and the hand of that ram also seizing hold of me, they took me up and set me down in the midst of those sheep before the judgement took place†.
32. And those sheep were all white, and their wool was abundant and clean.
33. And all that had been destroyed and dispersed, and all the beasts of the field, and all the birds of the heaven, assembled in that house, and the Lord of the sheep rejoiced with great joy because they were all good and had returned to His house.
34. And I saw till they laid down that sword, which had been given to the sheep, and they brought it back into the house, and it was sealed before the presence of the Lord, and all the sheep were invited into that house, but it held them not.
35. And the eyes of them all were opened, and they saw the good, and there was not one among them that did not see.
36. And I saw that that house was large and broad and very full.
37. And I saw that a white bull was born, with large horns and all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air feared him and made petition to him all the time.
38. And I saw till all their generations were transformed, and they all became white bulls; and the first among them became a lamb, and that lamb became a great animal and had great black horns on its head; and the Lord of the sheep rejoiced over it and over all the oxen.
39. And I slept in their midst: and I awoke and saw everything.
40. This is the vision which I saw while I slept, and I awoke and blessed the Lord of righteousness and gave Him glory.
41. Then I wept with a great weeping and my tears stayed not till I could no longer endure it: when I saw, they flowed on account of what I had seen; for everything shall come and be fulfilled, and all the deeds of men in their order were shown to me.
42. On that night I remembered the first dream, and because of it I wept and was troubled--because I had seen that vision.'~ THE
BOOK OF ENOCH TRANSLATED BY R. H. CHARLES, D.LITT., D.D.
Inna lillahi wa innaa ilaihi rajeun.
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