3 Enoch Chapter 28: Modernized English & Source Wording

The Hebrew Book · Lightly modernized English

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Rabbi Ishmael said: Metatron, the Angel, the Prince of the Presence, said to me:

¹ Above all these there are four great princes, lrin and Qaddishin by name: high, honored, revered, beloved, wonderful and glorious ones, greater than all the children of heaven. There is none like to them among all the celestial princes and none their equal among all the Servants. For each one of them is equal to all the rest together.

² And their dwelling is opposite the Throne of Glory, and their standing place opposite the Holy One, blessed be he, so that the brilliance of their dwelling is a reflection of the brilliance of the Throne of Glory. And the splendor of their face is a reflection of the splendor of Shekina.

³ And they are glorified by the glory of the Divine Majesty (Gebura) and praised by (through) the praise of Shekina.

⁴ And not only that, but the Holy One, blessed be he, does nothing in his world without first consulting them, but after that he does it. As it is written (Dan. iv. 17): "The sentence is by the decree of the 'Irin and the demand by the word of the Qaddishin."

⁵ The llrin are two and the Qaddishin are two. And how are they standing before the Holy One, blessed be he? It is to be understood, that one ‘lr is standing on one side and the other ‘lr on the other side, and one Qaddish is standing on one side and the other on the other side.

⁶ And ever do they exalt the humble, and they abase to the ground those that are proud, and they exalt to the height those that are humble.

⁷ And every day, as the Holy One, blessed be he, is sitting upon the Throne of Judgment and judges the whole world, and the Books of the Living and the Books of the Dead are opened before Him, then all the children of heaven are standing before him in fear, dread, awe and trembling. At that time, (when) the Holy One, blessed be he, is sitting upon the Throne of Judgment to carry out judgment, his garment is white as snow, the hair on his head as pure wool and the whole of his cloak is like the shining light. And he is covered with righteousness all over as with a coat of mail.

⁸ And those 'Irm and Qaddishin are standing before him like court officers before the judge. And they raise and argue every case and close the case that comes before the Holy One, blessed be he, in judgment, according as it is written (Dan. iv. 17): "The sentence is by the decree of the 'Irm and the demand by the word of the Qaddishin"

⁹ Some of them argue and others pass the sentence in the Great Beth Din in 'Araboth. Some of them make the requests from before uthe Divine Majesty and some close the cases before the Most High. Others finish by going down and (confirming ) executing the sentences on earth below. According as it is written (Dan. iv. 13, 14): " See an 'Ir and a Qaddishcame down from heaven and cried aloud and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the birds from his branches ".

¹⁰ Why are they called 'Irin and Qaddishint By reason that they sanctify the body and the spirit with lashes of fire on the third day of the judgment, as it is written (Hos. vi. 2): "After two days will he revive us: on the third he will raise us up, and we will live before him."