1 Enoch 76

At the ends of the earth I saw twelve gateways standing open toward all the quarters of the sky. The winds come out of them and blow across the earth.

1And at the ends of the earth I saw twelve portals open to all the quarters (of the heaven), from which the winds go forth and blow over the earth.

NoteThese chapters (72 to 82 of Enoch) picture the sky as a solid dome resting on the earth, with openings set around its rim like gates in a city wall. The sun, the moon, the stars and here the winds go in and out through them. "The ends of the earth" means the far edge where that rim comes down, a place Enoch is shown on a guided tour. "Quarters" means directions, the four points of the compass.

2Three of them stand open on the face of the sky, which is the east, and three in the west, and three on the right side of the sky, which is the south, and three on the left, which is the north.

2Three of them are open on the face (i.e. the east) of the heavens, and three in the west, and three on the right (i.e. the south) of the heaven, and three on the left (i.e. the north).

NoteRight and left are given from the position of someone facing the sunrise: east is in front, so south falls on the right hand and north on the left. Hebrew and Aramaic use one word for both right hand and south, and one word for both left hand and north, which is why the text can say right and left without explaining itself. "The face of the sky" is the side you face, the east.

3The first three are the gateways of the east, and three are of the north, and three come after those on the left of the south, and three are of the west.

3And the three first are those of the east, and three are of †the north, and three after those on the left of the south†, and three of the west.

NoteThis verse does not match verse 2: it names the north second and the south third, and the phrase about the south is tangled beyond repair. In his translation Charles marked the words with daggers to show that the surviving copies disagree here and the original wording is lost.

4Through four of these come winds that bring blessing and plenty, and from the other eight come harmful winds. When those are sent out, they bring destruction on all the earth, and on the water that is on it, and on all who live there, and on everything that is in the water and on the land.

4Through four of these come winds of blessing and prosperity, and from those eight come hurtful winds: when they are sent, they bring destruction on all the earth and on the water upon it, and on all who dwell thereon, and on everything which is in the water and on the land.

NoteFour of the twelve bring good and eight bring harm. In the survey that follows, the four good ones turn out to be the middle gateway of each set of three (verses 6, 8, 11 and 13); the gateways on either side of a middle one bring some mixture of damage.

5The first wind from those gateways is called the east wind. It comes out through the first gateway in the east, leaning toward the south. From it come ruin, drought, heat, and destruction.

5And the first wind from those portals, called the east wind, comes forth through the first portal which is in the east, inclining towards the south: from it come forth desolation, drought, heat, and destruction.

NoteIn the lands this book comes from, the east wind blows off the desert, dry and scorching, and can wither a standing crop in a day. Ancient writers of the region use it as a byword for ruin, which is why nothing good is listed under it.

6Through the second gateway, the middle one, comes what is fitting, and from it come rain and fruitfulness and plenty and dew. Through the third gateway, which lies toward the north, come cold and drought.

6And through the second portal in the middle comes what is fitting, and from it there come rain and fruitfulness and prosperity and dew; and through the third portal which lies toward the north come cold and drought.

Note"What is fitting" keeps the vagueness of the original phrase, which means what is right or what is due: weather as it ought to be for the season. No particular wind is named.

7After these the south winds come out through three gateways. Through the first of those gateways, which leans toward the east, comes a hot wind.

7And after these come forth the south winds through three portals: through the first portal of them inclining to the east comes forth a hot wind.

NoteThe survey runs east, then south, then north, then west, which is not the order verse 2 used when listing them.

8Through the middle gateway next to it come sweet smells, and dew and rain, and plenty and health.

8And through the middle portal next to it there come forth fragrant smells, and dew and rain, and prosperity and health.

9Through the third gateway, which lies toward the west, come dew and rain, locusts and ruin.

9And through the third portal lying to the west come forth dew and rain, locusts and desolation.

NoteLocusts are swarming insects like large grasshoppers that periodically arrive in clouds dense enough to darken the sky and strip a region's crops bare within hours. The text lists them as a disaster on the same footing as drought.

10After these come the north winds. From the seventh gateway, the one in the east, come dew and rain, locusts and ruin.

10And after these the north winds: from the seventh portal in the east come dew and rain, locusts and desolation.

NoteThe gateways are numbered straight through all twelve, so the seventh is the first of the three northern ones. Within each set of three, the first leans toward one neighboring direction, the second sits in the middle, and the third leans the other way; in the northern set the first lies toward the east.

11From the middle gateway come, straight on, health and rain and dew and plenty. Through the third gateway, the one in the west, come cloud and white frost, and snow and rain, and dew and locusts.

11And from the middle portal come in a direct direction health and rain and dew and prosperity; and through the third portal in the west come cloud and hoar-frost, and snow and rain, and dew and locusts.

12After these four come the west winds. Through the first gateway, the one next to the north, come dew and white frost, and cold and snow and frost.

12And after these four are the west winds: through the first portal adjoining the north come forth dew and hoar-frost, and cold and snow and frost.

13From the middle gateway come dew and rain, and plenty and blessing. Through the last gateway, the one next to the south, come drought and ruin, and burning and destruction.

13And from the middle portal come forth dew and rain, and prosperity and blessing; and through the last portal which adjoins the south come forth drought and desolation, and burning and destruction.

14With these the twelve gateways of the four quarters of the sky are complete. I have shown you all their laws, and all the harm they bring, and all the good they give, my son Methuselah.

14And the twelve portals of the four quarters of the heaven are therewith completed, and all their laws and all their plagues and all their benefactions have I shown to thee, my son Methuselah.

Note"Laws" here means the fixed rules each gateway keeps, the same word used throughout these chapters for the regular courses of the sun, the moon and the stars. Methuselah was Enoch's son (Genesis 5:21 to 27), and the whole book is framed as Enoch reporting what he was shown and handing the record to his son.