1 Enoch 12

Before these things happened, Enoch was hidden away, and none of the children of men knew where he was hidden, or where he was staying, or what had become of him.

1Before these things Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was hidden, and where he abode, and what had become of him.

2What he did had to do with the Watchers, and his days were spent with the holy ones.

2And his activities had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the holy ones.

Note"Watchers" is a title used throughout this book for heavenly beings; the word means those who are awake or who keep watch.

3And I, Enoch, was blessing the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and look, the Watchers called me, Enoch the scribe, and said to me:

3And I Enoch was blessing the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and lo! the Watchers called me—Enoch the scribe—and said to me:

4'Enoch, you scribe of righteousness, go and declare to the Watchers of heaven, who have left the high heaven, the holy place that lasts forever, and have made themselves unclean with women, and have done what the children of earth do, and have taken wives for themselves:

4‘Enoch, thou scribe of righteousness, go, †declare† to the Watchers of the heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have done as the children of earth do, and have taken unto themselves wives:

NoteA scribe is someone whose work is writing and keeping records.

5"You have brought great destruction on the earth. And you will have no peace and no forgiveness of sin. And since they take delight in their children,

5“Ye have wrought great destruction on the earth: And ye shall have no peace nor forgiveness of sin: and inasmuch as †they† delight themselves in †their† children,

NoteThe words marked with daggers in verses 4 to 6 are places where the manuscripts do not agree, so the wording is uncertain. In these two verses the message shifts between speaking to "you" and speaking about "they," and the rendering keeps that shift.

6they will see the murder of the ones they love, and they will mourn over the destruction of their children, and they will plead forever, but you will not receive mercy and peace."'

6The murder of †their† beloved ones shall †they† see, and over the destruction of †their† children shall †they† lament, and shall make supplication unto eternity, but mercy and peace shall ye not attain.”’