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Part I The Book of the Watchers Chapters 1–36 Chapter 1 A blessing before the storm HISTORICAL TRANSLATION · R. H. CHARLES I. 1. The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect 〚and〛 righteous, who will be living in the day of tribulation, when all the wicked 〚and godless〛 are to be removed. 2. And he took up his parable and said—Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens, 〚which〛 the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is for to come. 3. Concerning the elect I said, and took up my parable concerning them: The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling, 4. And the eternal God will tread upon the earth, (even) on Mount Sinai, [And appear from His camp] And appear in the strength of His might from the heaven ⌜of heavens⌝. 5. And all shall be smitten with fear, And the Watchers shall quake, And great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth. 6. And the high mountains shall be shaken, And the high hills shall be made low, And shall melt like wax before the flame

7. And the earth shall be ⌜wholly⌝ rent in sunder, And all that is upon the earth shall perish, And there shall be a judgement upon all (men). 8. But with the righteous He will make peace, And will protect the elect, And mercy shall be upon them. And they shall all belong to God, And they shall be prospered, And they shall ⌜all⌝ be blessed. ⌜And He will help them all⌝, And light shall appear unto them, ⌜And He will make peace with them⌝. 9. And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of ⌜His⌝ holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy ⌜all⌝ the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works ⌜of their ungodliness⌝ which they have ungodly committed, ⌜And of all the hard things which⌝ ungodly sinners ⌜have spoken⌝ against Him. Reader’s companion In this chapter. Enoch introduces a vision intended for a distant generation. God approaches in overwhelming power: mountains shake, the earth breaks apart, and wrongdoing faces judgment. Yet the opening is a blessing. Those described as righteous are promised protection, mercy, light, and peace within this frightening scene.

A closer look. The opening gives you two threads to follow: judgment on destructive conduct and protection for those described as righteous or elect. The trembling mountains make divine authority visible; the promise of peace tells you why that authority matters to the people receiving the blessing. Enoch introduces himself as someone taught through a vision and angelic instruction. His role is to pass on what he has received. Keep verses 8–9 together: reassurance and accountability form one ending to the chapter. Pause and consider. How does the promise of peace in verse 8 change the effect of the trembling mountains in verses 5–7? Read alongside: 1:1–3; 1:4–9 Chapter 2 Learning to observe HISTORICAL TRANSLATION · R. H. CHARLES II. 1. Observe ye every thing that takes place in the heaven, how they do not change their orbits, ⌜and⌝ the luminaries which are in the heaven, how they all rise and set in order each in its season, and transgress not against their appointed order. 2. Behold ye the earth, and give heed to the things which take place upon it from first to last, ⌜how steadfast they are⌝, how ⌜none of the things upon earth⌝ change, ⌜but⌝ all the works of God appear ⌜to you⌝. 3. Behold the summer and the winter, 〚how the whole earth is filled with water, and clouds and dew and rain lie upon it〛. Reader’s companion In this chapter. The reader is told to look at the heavens, the earth, and the changing seasons. The lights above rise and set in their appointed order. Water, clouds, dew, and rain become further examples of a creation carrying out its assigned work.

A closer look. Chapters 2–5 form a single argument. First comes observation: heavenly lights, the earth, water, and the seasons keep their appointed patterns. Then chapter 5 contrasts that regularity with human disobedience. 'Luminaries' simply means the heavenly lights. Reading the commands to observe aloud helps you hear the teacher at work: the audience is being asked to examine familiar evidence before hearing a moral accusation. Pause and consider. Which repeated instruction makes this chapter feel like a lesson in attention rather than a scene of action? Read alongside: 2:1–3; 5:1–4 Chapter 3 The leaves that remain HISTORICAL TRANSLATION · R. H. CHARLES III. Observe and see how (in the winter) all the trees 〚seem〛 as though they had withered and shed all their leaves, except fourteen trees, which do not lose their foliage but retain the old foliage from two to three years till the new comes. Reader’s companion In this chapter. Enoch turns to winter trees. Most appear withered and bare, while fourteen retain their foliage until new leaves replace the old. A closer look. The winter scene adds a small variation to the previous chapter's pattern. Bare trees and trees retaining their leaves both belong to a recurring cycle. The fourteen trees remain unnamed in this passage; the point you can follow is the overlap of old and new foliage, which makes continuity visible even in a season associated with loss. Pause and consider. What does the contrast between bare branches and retained leaves add to the invitation to observe in chapter 2? Read alongside: 3:1; 2:1–3

Chapter 4 The heat underfoot HISTORICAL TRANSLATION · R. H. CHARLES IV. And again, observe ye the days of summer how the sun is above the earth over against it. And you seek shade and shelter by reason of the heat of the sun, and the earth also burns with glowing heat, and so you cannot tread on the earth, or on a rock by reason of its heat. Reader’s companion In this chapter. Summer replaces winter in the reader's attention. The sun drives people into shade, and the heated ground and rocks become difficult to walk upon. A closer look. The lesson moves from what you see to what you feel. Shade becomes desirable, and an ordinary rock becomes too hot to walk upon. That direct address brings the reader into the argument: the coming contrast with human conduct will rest on experiences the audience can recognize. Read this brief chapter as another step toward the accusation in 5:4. Pause and consider. Why might the writer move from looking at trees to feeling the heat of a rock? Read alongside: 4:1; 5:1–4 Chapter 5 Order outside, disorder within HISTORICAL TRANSLATION · R. H. CHARLES V. 1. Observe 〚ye〛 how the trees cover themselves with green leaves and bear fruit: wherefore give ye heed ⌜and know⌝ with regard to all ⌜His works⌝, and recognize how He that liveth for ever hath made them so.

2. And ⌜all⌝ His works go on ⌜thus⌝ from year to year ⌜for ever⌝, and all the tasks ⌜which⌝ they accomplish for Him, and ⌜their tasks⌝ change not, but according as 〚God〛 hath ordained so is it done. 3. And behold how the sea and the rivers in like manner accomplish ⌜and change not⌝ their tasks ⌜from His commandments⌝. 4. But ye—ye have not been steadfast, nor done the commandments of the Lord, But ye have turned away and spoken proud and hard words With your impure mouths against His greatness. Oh, ye hard-hearted, ye shall find no peace. 5. Therefore shall ye execrate your days, And the years of your life shall perish, And ⌜the years of your destruction⌝ shall be multiplied in eternal execration, And ye shall find no mercy. 6a. In those days ye shall make your names an eternal execration unto all the righteous, b. And by you shall ⌜all⌝ who curse, curse. c. ⌜And all⌝ the sinners ⌜and godless⌝ shall imprecate by you, 7c. And for you, the godless, there shall be a curse. 6d. ⌜And all the ... shall rejoice, e. And there shall be forgiveness of sins, f. And every mercy and peace and forbearance: g. There shall be salvation unto them, a goodly light. i. And for all of you sinners there shall be no salvation, j. But on you all shall abide a curse⌝. 7a. But for the elect there shall be light and grace and peace, b. And they shall inherit the earth. 8. And then there shall be bestowed upon the elect wisdom, And they shall all live and never again sin, Either through ungodliness or through pride; But they who are wise shall be humble. 9. And they shall not again transgress, Nor shall they sin all the days of their life, Nor shall they die of (the divine) anger or wrath,

But they shall complete the number of the days of their life. And their lives shall be increased in peace, And the years of their joy shall be multiplied, In eternal gladness and peace, All the days of their life. Reader’s companion In this chapter. Trees bear leaves and fruit; rivers and seas perform their tasks. Against that ordered background, Enoch accuses his audience of proud speech and disobedience. The passage contrasts the condemnation of sinners with the light, wisdom, humility, and lasting peace promised to the elect. A closer look. Here the observations of trees, seasons, and water become an accusation. Creation performs its work, while the people addressed have used proud words and departed from their obligations. The promises at the end bring wisdom together with humility and peace: understanding is meant to change conduct. Charles prints parts of verses 6 and 7 out of numerical sequence and retains a gap. Follow the contrast between the two groups through that interrupted order; the unusual numbering belongs to the historical edition. Pause and consider. Why does the promise of wisdom in verse 8 immediately become a promise that the wise will be humble? Read alongside: 5:1–9

Chapter 6 An oath on the mountain HISTORICAL TRANSLATION · R. H. CHARLES VI. 1. And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. 2. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.’ 3. And Semjâzâ, who was their leader, said unto them: ‘I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.’ 4. And they all answered him and said: ‘Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.’ 5. Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. 6. And they were in all two hundred; who descended ⌜in the days⌝ of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. 7. And these are the names of their leaders: Sêmîazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl. 8. These are their chiefs of tens. Reader’s companion In this chapter. Two hundred heavenly beings decide to take human wives and have children. Their leader fears being left to bear the punishment alone, so the group binds itself with a shared oath. They descend on Mount Hermon, and the narrative lists the names of their leaders.