1 Enoch 24

From there I went to another place on the earth, and he showed me a range of mountains on fire, burning day and night.

1And from thence I went to another place of the earth, and he showed me a mountain range of fire which burnt day and night.

Note"From there" picks up a journey already under way: in the chapters before this one, an angel has been escorting Enoch from place to place at the far edges of the earth and explaining what he sees. The unnamed "he" who shows him the burning mountains is that guide, identified in verse 6 as Michael.

2I went past it and saw seven splendid mountains, each one different from the others. Their stones were splendid and beautiful, splendid all together, glorious to look at and lovely on the outside. Three of them stood toward the east, one set on top of another, and three stood toward the south, one on top of another. There were deep, rough ravines, and not one of them ran into any other.

2And I went beyond it and saw seven magnificent mountains all differing each from the other, and the stones (thereof) were magnificent and beautiful, magnificent as a whole, of glorious appearance and fair exterior: three towards the east, one founded on the other, and three towards the south, one upon the other, and deep rough ravines, no one of which joined with any other.

NoteThe layout is given as a set of directions rather than a map: three mountains ranged toward the east, three toward the south, and (in the next verse) a seventh in the middle, so the six form two arms meeting at a corner. "One founded on the other" in Charles's wording is ambiguous in the Ethiopic; it may mean piled one above another, or set one behind another so that each rises higher than the one in front. The ravines between them run deep and none joins another, so each mountain stands separate.

3The seventh mountain stood in the middle of these, and it was higher than they were, shaped like the seat of a throne. Sweet-smelling trees stood in a circle around the throne.

3And the seventh mountain was in the midst of these, and it excelled them in height, resembling the seat of a throne: and fragrant trees encircled the throne.

Note"The seat of a throne" is the shape of a chair of state: a raised seat with a back, which is what the mountain's outline suggests. Notice that the sentence starts by saying the mountain merely resembles a throne and then speaks of "the throne" as a thing actually there, without saying whose it is. The text leaves that unstated.

4Among them was a tree with a scent I had never smelled before. No tree among them and no other tree anywhere was like it. Its smell went beyond every other smell, and its leaves and blossoms and wood never wither. Its fruit is beautiful, and its fruit looks like the dates of a palm tree.

4And amongst them was a tree such as I had never yet smelt, neither was any amongst them nor were others like it: it had a fragrance beyond all fragrance, and its leaves and blooms and wood wither not for ever: and its fruit is beautiful, and its fruit resembles the dates of a palm.

NoteThe verbs shift here from past to present: Enoch describes what he saw, then states the tree's qualities as standing facts, that its leaves and blossoms and wood never wither and its fruit is beautiful. Dates are the fruit of the date palm, which grow in heavy clusters and were a common sweet food in the ancient Near East, so this is a comparison to something the first hearers ate.

5Then I said, "How beautiful this tree is, and how sweet it smells. Its leaves are lovely, and its blossoms look very delightful."

5Then I said: ‘How beautiful is this tree, and fragrant, and its leaves are fair, and its blooms very delightful in appearance.’

6Then Michael answered me. He was one of the holy and honored angels who was with me, and he was their leader.

6Then answered Michael, one of the holy and honoured angels who was with me, and was their leader.

NoteMichael is one of the chief angels of this book, listed by name along with others in chapter 20; "the holy and honoured angels" is a fixed phrase in 1 Enoch for that group, and Michael is called their leader. The chapter ends in the middle of the exchange: Michael answers, but what he says follows in the next chapter.