1 Enoch 53

LIII—LIV. 6. The Valley of Judgement: the Angels of Punishment: the Communities of the Elect One.

1There mine eyes saw a deep valley with open mouths, and all who dwell on the earth and sea and islands shall bring to him gifts and presents and tokens of homage, but that deep valley shall not become full.*The valley of Jehoshaphat, where God was to assemble and judge the Gentiles, Joel iii. 2, 12. In Joel Theodotion renders XXX and the Targ. Jon. 'plain of the decision of judgement'. The Midrash Mishle 68ᵈ holds that God will judge the whole world in this valley. Though usually identified with the Kidron, the valley originally had no locality assigned to it. See Encyc. Bib. ii. 2353.*1, 2. The presents and homage of the mighty ones avail not, as they are sinners and oppressors, and therefore torments await them. 2And their hands commit lawless deeds, And the sinners devour all whom they lawlessly oppress: Yet the sinners shall be destroyed before the face of the Lord of Spirits, And they shall be banished from off the face of His earth, And they shall perish for ever and ever. 3For I saw all the angels of punishment abiding (there) and preparing all the instruments of Satan. 4And I asked the angel of peace who went with me: ‘For whom are they preparing these instruments?’ 5And he said unto me: ‘They prepare these for the kings and the mighty of this earth, that they may thereby be destroyed. 6And after this the Righteous and Elect One shall cause the house of his congregation to appear: henceforth they shall be no more hindered in the name of the Lord of Spirits.*See xxxviii. 1 (note) = synagogue. Cf. Ps. lxxiv. 8. 7And these mountains shall not stand as the earth before his righteousness, But the hills shall be as a fountain of water, And the righteous shall have rest from the oppression of sinners.’*Cf. lii. 6, and Isa. lxiv. 3; Zech. iv. 7. There is a return to the figurative language of lii, where the mountains = the kingdoms of the earth.