3 Enoch Chapter 4: Modernized English & Source Wording

The Hebrew Book · Lightly modernized English

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Rabbi Ishmael said:

¹ I asked Metatron and said to him: “Why are you called by the name of your Creator, by seventy names? You are greater than all the princes, higher than all the angels, beloved more than all the servants, honored above all the mighty ones in kingship, greatness and glory: why do they call you ' Youth ' in the high heavens?"

² He answered and said to me: " Because I am Enoch, the son of Jared.

³ For when the generation of the flood sinned and were confounded in their deeds, saying to God: 'Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of your ways’ (Job xxi. 14), then the Holy One, blessed be he, removed me from their midst to be a witness against them in the high heavens to all the inhabitants of the world, that they may not say: 'The Merciful One is cruel”.

⁴ What sinned all those multitudes, their wives, their sons and their, daughters, their horses, their mules and their cattle and their property, and all the birds of the world, all of which the Holy One, blessed be he, destroyed from the world together with them in the waters of the flood?

⁵ Hence the Holy One, blessed be he, lifted me up in their lifetime before their eyes to be a witness against them to the future world. And the Holy One, blessed be he, assigned me for a prince and a ruler among the serving angels.

⁶ In that hour three of the serving angels, 'UZZA, 'AZZA and 'AZZAEL came out and brought charges against me in the high heavens, saying before the Holy One, blessed be he: "Said not the Ancient Ones (First Ones) rightly before You: < Do not create man! ' " The Holy One, blessed be he, answered and said to them: "I have made and I will bear, yes, I will carry and will deliver". (Is. xlvi. 4.)

⁷ As soon as they saw me, they said before Him: "Lord of the Universe! What is this one that he should ascend to the height of heights? Is not he one from among the sons of [the sons of] those who perished in the days of the Flood? "What does he in the Raqia'?"

⁸ Again, the Holy One, blessed be he, answered and said to them: "What are you, that you enter and speak in my presence? I delight in this one more than in all of you, and hence he will be a prince and a ruler over you in the high heavens."

⁹ Immediately all stood up and went out to meet me, prostrated themselves before me and said: "Happy are you and happy is your father for your Creator does favor you".

¹⁰ And because I am small and a youth among them in days, months and years, therefore they call me "Youth" (Na'ar).