3 Enoch Chapter 22B: Modernized English & Source Wording

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¹ And there is a court before the Throne of Glory,

² which no seraph nor angel can enter, and it is 36,000 myriads of parasangs, as it is written (Is.vi.2): "and the Seraphim are standing above him" (the last word of the scriptural passage being 'Lamech-Vav’ [numerical value: 36]).

³ As the numerical value Lamech-Vav (36) the number of the bridges there.

⁴ And there are 24 myriads of wheels of fire. And the serving angels are 12,000 myriads. And there are 12,000 rivers of hail, and 12,000 treasuries of snow. And in the seven Halls are chariots of fire and flames, without reckoning, or end or searching. Rabbi Ishmael said to me: Metatron, the angel, the Prince of the Presence, said to me:

¹ How are the angels standing on high? Pie said: Like a bridge that is placed over a river so that every one can pass over it, likewise a bridge is placed from the beginning of the entry to the end.

² And three serving angels surround it and utter a song before YHWH, the God of Israel. And there are standing before it lords of dread and captains of fear, thousand times thousand and ten thousand times ten thousand in number and they sing praise and hymns before YHWH, the God of Israel.

³ Numerous bridges are there: bridges of fire and numerous bridges of hail. Also numerous rivers of hail, numerous treasuries of snow and numerous wheels of fire.

⁴ And how many are the serving angels? 12,000 myriads: six (thousand myriads) above and six (thousand myriads] below. And 12,000 are the treasuries of snow, six above and six below. And 24 myriads of wheels of fire, 12 (myriads] above and 12 (myriads] below. And they surround the bridges and the rivers of fire and the rivers of hail. And there are numerous serving angels, forming entries, for all the creatures that are standing in the midst of it, corresponding to (opposite) the paths of Raqia Shamayim.

⁵ What does YHWH, the God of Israel, the King of Glory? The Great and Fearful God, mighty in strength, does cover his face.

⁶ In Araboth are 660,000 myriads of angels of glory standing opposite the Throne of Glory and the divisions offlaming fire. And the King of Glory does cover His face; for else the (Araboth Raqia' would be torn apart in its middle because of the majesty, splendor, beauty, radiance, loveliness, brilliancy, brightness and excellency of the appearance of (the Holy One,) blessed be he.

⁷ There are numerous serving angelsperforming his will, numerous kings, numerous princes in the 'Araboth of his delight, angels who are revered among the rulers in heaven, distinguished, adorned with song and bringing love to remembrance: (who) are affrighted by the splendor of the Shekina, and their eyes are dazzled by the shining beauty of their King, their faces grow black and their strength does fail.

⁸ There go out rivers ofjoy, streams of gladness, rivers of rejoicing, streams of triumph, rivers of love, streams of friendship (another reading:) of commotion and they flow over and go out before the Throne of Glory and wax great and go through the gates of the paths of 'Araboth Raqia at the voice of the shouting and musick of the CHAYYOTH, at the voice of the rejoicing of the timbrels of his 'OPHANNIM and at the melody of the cymbals of His Kerubim. And they wax great and go out with commotion with the sound of the hymn: "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, IS THE LORD OF HOSTS; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!"