III.—The Testament of Levi Concerning the Priesthood and Arrogance.

1. The copy of the words of Levi, what things he appointed to his sons, according to all that they should do, and what things should befall them until the day of judgment. He was in sound health when he called them to him, for it had been shown to him that he should die. And when they were gathered together he said to them:—

2. I Levi was conceived in Haran and born there, and after that I came with my father to Shechem. And I was young, about twenty years of age, when with Simeon I wrought the vengeance on Hamor for our sister Dinah. And when we were feeding our flocks in Abel-Maul, a spirit of understanding of the Lord came upon me,  1  [Isa. xi. 2.] and I saw all men corrupting their way, and that unrighteousness had built to itself walls, and iniquity sat upon towers; and I grieved for the race of men, and I prayed to the Lord that I might be saved. Then there fell upon me a sleep, and I beheld a high mountain: this is the mountain of Aspis  2  See below, c. 6. in Abel-Maul. And behold, the heavens were opened, and an angel of God said to me, Levi, enter. And I entered from the first heaven into the second, and I saw there water hanging between the one and the other. And I saw a third heaven far brighter than those two, for there was in it a height without bounds. And I said to the angel, Wherefore is this? And the angel said to me, Marvel not at these, for thou shalt see four other heavens brighter than these, and without comparison, when thou shalt have ascended thither: because thou shalt stand near the Lord, and shalt be His minister, and shall declare His mysteries to men, and shalt proclaim concerning Him who shall redeem Israel;  3  Cf. Luke xxiv. 21. and by thee and Judah shall the Lord appear among men, saving in them every race of men; and of the portion of the Lord shall be thy life, and He shall be thy field and vineyard, fruits, gold, silver.

3. Hear, then, concerning the seven  4  For the Jewish idea of seven heavens, cf. Clement of Alexandra, Strom., iv. 7; and Wetstein’s note on 2 Cor. xii. 2; [also vol. vii. note 11, this series; and vol. ii. note 7, p. 438, this series]. heavens. The lowest is for this cause more gloomy, in that it is near all the iniquities of men. The second hath fire, snow, ice, ready for the day of the ordinance of the Lord, in the righteous judgment of God: in it are all the spirits of the retributions for vengeance on the wicked. In the third are the hosts of the armies which are ordained for the day of judgment, to work vengeance on the spirits of deceit and of Beliar. And the heavens up to the fourth above these are holy, for in the highest of all dwelleth the Great Glory, in the holy of holies, far above all holiness. In the heaven next to it are the angels of the presence of the Lord, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for all the ignorances of the righteous; and they offer to the Lord a reasonable sweet-smelling savour, and a bloodless offering. And in the heaven below this are the angels who bear the answers to the angels of the presence of the Lord. And in the heaven next to this are thrones, dominions, in which hymns are ever offered to God. Therefore, whenever the Lord looketh upon us, all of us are shaken; yea, the heavens, and the earth, and the abysses, are shaken at the presence of His majesty; but the sons of men, regarding not these things, sin, and provoke the Most High.

4. Now, therefore, know that the Lord will execute judgment upon the sons of men; because when the rocks are rent,  5  [Matt. xxvii. 51–53.] and the sun quenched, and the waters dried up, and the fire trembling, and all creation troubled, and the invisible spirits melting away, and the grave  6  [Hades, rather.] spoiled in the suffering of the Most High,  7  [ἐπὶ τῳ πάθει τοῦ ῾Υψισοῦ. Compare Tatian, vol. ii. p. 71, this series.] men unbelieving will abide in their iniquity, therefore with punishment shall they be judged. Therefore the Most High hath heard thy prayer, to separate thee from iniquity, and that thou shouldest become to Him a son, and a servant, and a minister of His presence. A shining light of knowledge shalt thou shine in Jacob, and as the sun shalt thou be to all the seed of Israel. And a blessing shall be given to thee, and to all thy seed, until the Lord shall visit all the heathen in the tender mercies of His Son, even for ever. Nevertheless thy sons shall lay hands upon Him to crucify Him; and therefore have counsel and understanding been given thee, that thou mightest instruct thy sons concerning Him, because he that blesseth Him shall be blessed, but they that curse Him shall perish.

5. And the angel opened to me the gates of heaven, and I saw the holy temple, and the Most High upon a throne of glory. And He said to me, Levi, I have given thee the blessings of the priesthood until that I shall come and sojourn in the midst of Israel. Then the angel brought me to the earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, and said, Work vengeance on Shechem because of Dinah, and I will be with thee, because the Lord hath sent me. And I destroyed at that time the sons of Hamor, as it is written in the heavenly tablets.  8  This document, the idea of which is that of a book containing what is fore-ordained in heaven as to the course of the future, is one often appealed to in Apocalyptic literature, when some oracular declaration of weighty import is needed. Thus, in the Book of Enoch, the angel Uriel tells Enoch that the tablets contain all wisdom, the dying Enoch tells his children that the tablets are the source of all understanding, etc. (see, e.g., cc. 81. 1; 93. 2; 106. 19, ed. Dillmann). In the Book of Jubilees, again, it is said that inscribed on the tablets are, e.g., the punishment of the angels who sinned with mortal women, the plan of the division of weeks, the name of Abraham as the friend of God, etc. (cc. 5, 6, 19). See also Test. Asher, 2, 7, infra. And I said to Him, I pray Thee, O Lord, tell me Thy name, that I may call upon Thee in a day of tribulation. And He said, I am the angel who intercedeth for the race of Israel, that He smite them not utterly, because every evil spirit attacketh it. And after these things I was as it were awaked, and blessed the Most High, and the angel that intercedeth for the race of Israel, and for all the righteous.  9  [Gen. xlviii. 16. The Jehovah-Angel.]

6. And when I came to my father I found a brazen shield;  10  ἀσπίς. The Latin version gives the other meaning to ἀσπίς here, of asp or viper. The epithet χαλκῆν, however, renders “shield” much more probable, as there seems nothing in the context pointing to the “brazen serpent.” wherefore also the name of the mountain is Aspis, which is near Gebal, on the right side of Abila; and I kept these words in my heart. I took counsel with my father, and with Reuben my brother, that he should bid the sons of Hamor that they should be circumcised; for I was jealous because of the abomination which they had wrought in Israel. And I slew Shechem at the first, and Simeon slew Hamor. And after this our brethren came and smote the city with the edge of the sword; and our father heard it and was wroth, and he was grieved in that they had received the circumcision, and after that had been put to death, and in his blessings he dealt otherwise  with us . For we sinned because we had done this thing against his will, and he was sick upon that day. But I knew that the sentence of God was for evil upon Shechem; for they sought to do to Sarah as they did to Dinah our sister, and the Lord hindered them. And so they persecuted Abraham our father when he was a stranger, and they harried his flocks when they were multiplied upon him; and Jeblae his servant, born in his house, they shamefully handled. And thus they did to all strangers, taking away their wives by force, and the men themselves driving into exile. But the wrath of the Lord came suddenly upon them to the uttermost.  11  A quotation from 1 Thess. ii. 16, where the context also is similar to the present. [See Lardner’s refutation of the learned Grabe on this quotation, vol. ii. p. 359.]

7. And I said to my father, Be not angry, sir, because by thee will the Lord bring to nought the Canaanites, and will give their land to thee, and to thy seed after thee. For from this day forward shall Shechem be called a city of them that are without understanding; for as a man mocketh at a fool, so did we mock them, because they wrought folly in Israel to defile our sister. And we took our sister from thence, and departed, and came to Bethel.

8. And there I saw a thing again even as the former, after we had passed seventy days. And I saw seven men in white raiment saying to me, Arise, put on the robe of the priesthood, and the crown of righteousness, and the breastplate of understanding, and the garment of truth, and the diadem of faith, and the tiara of miracle, and the ephod of prophecy.  12  With the whole of this passage we may compare the description of the vestments of Aaron. See especially Ex. xxix. 5, 6 (LXX.). The πέταλον is the translation of צִיץ, the plate of gold on the forehead of the high priest over the mitre. The λογίον, or λογεῖον, is the breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim. For the ποδήρης, see Ex. xxviii. 27 (LXX.). And each one of them bearing each of these things put them on me, and said, From henceforth become a priest of the Lord, thou and thy seed for ever. And the first anointed me with holy oil, and gave to me the rod of judgment. The second washed me with pure water, and fed me with bread and wine, the most holy things,  13  On the possible reference here to the elements of the Eucharist, see Grabe’s note, Spicilegium, in loc. and clad me with a holy and glorious robe. The third clothed me with a linen vestment like to an ephod. The fourth put round me a girdle like unto purple. The fifth gave to me a branch of rich olive. The sixth placed a crown on my head. The seventh placed on my head a diadem of priesthood, and filled my hands with incense, so that I served as a priest to the Lord. And they said to me, Levi, thy seed shall be divided into three branches,  14  Nitzsch (p. 19, n. 37) explains this division into three ἀρχαί, as referring to the three orders of the Christian priesthood. This, however, seems improbable. Cf. Kayser, p. 119; Vorstman, p. 41. It is far more probable that the reference is to Moses, Aaron, and Christ. Thus with πιστεύσας we may compare Num. xii. 7. For this use of ἀρχή, cf. Gen. ii. 10. [Isa. lxvi. 21.] for a sign of the glory of the Lord who is to come; and first shall he be that hath been faithful; no portion shall be greater than his. The second shall be in the priesthood. The third—a new name shall be called over Him, because He shall arise as King from Judah, and shall establish a new priesthood, after the fashion of the Gentiles, to all the Gentiles.  15  [Rom. xvi. 15, 16, 17, Greek. Compare Heb. v. 1.] And His appearing shall be unutterable, as of an exalted  16  Or, if we follow the reading of Cd. Oxon., “Prophet of the Most High.” prophet of the seed of Abraham our father. Every desirable thing in Israel shall be for thee and for thy seed, and everything fair to look upon shall ye eat, and the table of the Lord shall thy seed apportion, and some of them shall be high priests, and judges, and scribes; for by their mouth shall the holy place be guarded. And when I awoke, I understood that this thing was like unto the former. And I hid this also in my heart, and told it not to any man upon the earth.

9. And after two days I and Judah went up to Isaac after  17  Or rather, with Cd. Oxon., “with our father.” our father; and the father of my father blessed me according to all the words of the visions which I had seen: and he would not come with us to Bethel. And when we came to Bethel, my father Jacob saw in a vision concerning me, that I should be to them for a priest unto the Lord; and he rose up early in the morning, and paid tithes of all to the Lord through me. And we came to Hebron to dwell there, and Isaac called me continually to put me in remembrance of the law of the Lord, even as the angel of God showed to me. And he taught me the law of the priesthood, of sacrifices, whole burnt-offerings, first-fruits, free-will offerings, thank-offerings. And each day he was instructing me, and was busied for me before the Lord. And he said to me, Take heed, my child, of the spirit of fornication; for this shall continue, and shall by thy seed pollute the holy things. Take therefore to thyself, while yet thou art young, a wife, not having blemish, nor yet polluted, nor of the race of the Philistines or Gentiles. And before entering into the holy place, bathe;  18  We constantly find Peter, in the Clementine Homilies and Recognitions, combining with the Agapæ the practice of bathing. Cf., e.g., Recog., iv. 3, v. 36. and when thou offerest the sacrifice, wash; and again when thou finishest the sacrifice, wash. Of twelve trees ever having leaves, offer up  the fruits to the Lord, as also Abraham taught me; and of every clean beast and clean bird offer a sacrifice to the Lord, and of every firstling and of wine offer first-fruits; and every sacrifice thou shalt salt with salt.  19  Cf. Hom., xiv. 1. [Lev. ii. 13; Mark ix. 49.]

10. Now, therefore, observe whatsoever I command you, children; for whatsoever things I have heard from my fathers I have made known to you. I am clear from all your ungodliness and transgression which ye will do in the end of the ages against the Saviour of the world, acting ungodly, deceiving Israel, and raising up against it great evils from the Lord.  20  [Annas and Caiaphas. John xix. 11.] And ye will deal lawlessly with Israel, so that Jerusalem shall not endure your wickedness; but the veil of the temple shall be rent, so as not to cover your shame. And ye shall be scattered as captives among the heathen, and shall be for a reproach and for a curse, and for a trampling under foot. For the house which the Lord shall choose shall be called Jerusalem, as is contained in the book of Enoch the righteous.  21  This document is frequently quoted in the Testaments: cf. Sim. 5; Levi 14, 16; Judah 18; Dan 5; Naph. 4; Benj. 9. Most of these citations, however, are not to be found in the work as it has come down to us. We must therefore either assume the reference to some other books of Enoch not now extant, or rather perhaps that they are general appeals to the spirit of the book, regarded as a great fount of prophecy.

11. Therefore, when I took a wife I was twenty-eight years old, and her name was Melcha. And she conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Gersham, for we were sojourners in our land: for Gersham is interpreted sojourning. And I saw concerning him that he would not be in the first rank. And Kohath was born in my thirty-fifth year, towards the east. And I saw in a vision that he was standing on high in the midst of all the congregation. Therefore I called his name Kohath, which meaneth, beginning of majesty and instruction. And thirdly, she bare to me Merari, in the fortieth year of my life; and since his mother bare him with difficulty, she called him Merari, which meaneth my bitterness, because he also died. And Jochebed was born in my sixty-fourth year, in Egypt, for I was renowned then in the midst of my brethren.

12. And Gersham took a wife, and she bare to him Lomni and Semei. And the sons of Kohath, Ambram, Isaar, Chebro, and Ozel. And the sons of Merari, Mooli and Homusi. And in my ninety-fourth year Ambram took Jochebed my daughter to him to wife, for they were born in one day, he and my daughter. Eight years old was I when I went into the land of Canaan, and eighteen years when I slew Shechem, and at nineteen years I became priest, and at twenty-eight years I took a wife, and at forty years I went into Egypt. And behold, ye are my children, my children even  of a third generation. In my hundred and eighteenth year Joseph died.

13. And now, my children, I command you that ye fear our Lord with your whole heart, and walk in simplicity according to all His  22  Read αὐτοῦ with Cd. Oxon. law. And do ye also teach your children learning, that they may have understanding in all their life, reading unceasingly the law of God; for every one who shall know the law of God shall be honoured, and shall not be a stranger wheresoever he goeth. Yea, many friends shall he gain more than his forefathers; and many men shall desire to serve him, and to hear the law from his mouth. Work righteousness, my children, upon the earth, that ye may find  treasure in the heavens, and sow good things in your souls, that ye may find them in your life. For if ye sow evil things, ye shall reap all trouble and affliction. Get wisdom in the fear of God with diligence; for though there shall be a leading into captivity, and cities be destroyed, and lands and gold and silver and every possession shall perish, the wisdom of the wise none can take away, save the blindness of ungodliness and the palsy of sin: for even among his enemies shall it be to him glorious, and in a strange country a home, and in the midst of foes shall it be found a friend. If a man teach these things and do them, he shall be enthroned with kings, as was also Joseph our brother.

14. And now, my children, I have learnt from the writing of Enoch that at the last ye will deal ungodly, laying your hands upon the Lord in all malice; and your brethren shall be ashamed because of you, and to all the Gentiles shall it become a mocking. For our father Israel shall be pure from the ungodliness of the chief priests who shall lay their hands upon the Saviour of the world. Pure is the heaven above the earth, and ye are the lights of the heaven as the sun and the moon. What shall all the Gentiles do if ye be darkened in ungodliness? So shall ye bring a curse upon our race for whom came the light of the world, which was given among you for the lighting up of every man.  23  [John i. 4–9; viii. 12; ix. 5, etc.] Him will ye desire to slay, teaching commandments contrary to the ordinances of God. The offerings of the Lord will ye rob, and from His portion will ye steal; and before ye sacrifice to the Lord, ye will take the choicest parts, in despitefulness eating them with harlots. Amid excesses  24  The word πλεονξία, like the English “excess,” has not unfrequently special reference to sins of sensuality. Cf. 1 Cor. v. 11; Eph. iv. 19; v. 3, 5; Col. iii. 5; 1 Thess. iv. 6, the context in all of which passages points strongly to this conclusion. See Suicer’s Thesaurus, s.v. will ye teach the commandments of the Lord, the women that have husbands will ye pollute, and the virgins of Jerusalem will ye defile; and with harlots and adulteresses will ye be joined. The daughters of the Gentiles will ye take for wives, purifying them with an unlawful purification; and your union shall be like unto Sodom and Gomorrah in ungodliness. And ye will be puffed up because of the priesthood lifting yourselves up against men. And not only so, but being puffed up also against the commands of God, ye will scoff at the holy things, mocking in despitefulness.

15. Therefore the temple which the Lord shall choose shall be desolate in uncleanness, and ye shall be captives throughout all nations, and ye shall be an abomination among them, and ye shall receive reproach and everlasting shame from the righteous judgment of God; and all who see you shall flee from you. And were it not for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob our fathers, not one from my seed should be left upon the earth.

16. And now I have learnt in the book of Enoch that for seventy weeks will ye go astray, and will profane the priesthood, and pollute the sacrifices, and corrupt the law, and set at nought the words of the prophets. In perverseness ye will persecute righteous men, and hate the godly; the words of the faithful will ye abhor, and the man who reneweth the law in the power of the Most High will ye call a deceiver;  25  Cf. Matt. xxvii. 63, where ἐκεῖνος ὁ πλάνος is said of our Lord. and at last, as ye suppose, ye will slay Him, not understanding His resurrection, wickedly taking upon your own heads the innocent blood.  26  [Matt. xxvii. 25.] Because of Him shall your holy places be desolate, polluted even to the ground, and ye shall have no place that is clean; but ye shall be among the Gentiles a curse and a dispersion, until He shall again look upon you, and in pity shall take you to Himself through faith and water.  27  [John iii. 5; Isa. xii. 3; 1 Pet. iii. 20.]

17. And because ye have heard concerning the seventy weeks, hear also concerning the priesthood; for in each jubilee there shall be a priesthood. In the first jubilee, the first who is anointed into the priesthood shall be great, and shall speak to God as to a Father; and his priesthood shall be filled with the fear of the Lord, and in the day of his gladness shall he arise for the salvation of the world. In the second jubilee, he that is anointed shall be conceived in the sorrow of beloved ones; and his priesthood shall be honoured, and shall be glorified among all. And the third priest shall be held fast in sorrow; and the fourth shall be in grief, because unrighteousness shall be laid upon him exceedingly, and all Israel shall hate each one his neighbour. The fifth shall be held fast in darkness, likewise also the sixth and the seventh. And in the seventh there shall be such pollution as I am not able to express, before the Lord and men, for they shall know it who do these things. Therefore shall they be in captivity and for a prey, and their land and their substance shall be destroyed. And in the fifth week they shall return into their desolate country, and shall renew the house of the Lord. And in the seventh week shall come the priests, worshippers of idols, contentious, lovers of money, proud, lawless, lascivious, abusers of children and beasts.

18. And after their punishment shall have come from the Lord, then will the Lord raise up to the priesthood a new Priest, to whom all the words of the Lord shall be revealed; and He shall execute a judgment of truth upon the earth,  28  [Jer. xxxiii. 15.] in the fulness of days. And His star shall arise in heaven,  29  [Matt. ii. 2. Constant references to the Gospels proofs of text.] as a king shedding forth the light of knowledge in the sunshine of day, and He shall be magnified in the world until His ascension. He shall shine forth as the sun in the earth, and shall drive away all darkness from the world under heaven, and there shall be peace in all the earth. The heavens shall rejoice in His days, and the earth shall be glad, and the clouds shall be joyful, and the knowledge of the Lord shall be poured forth upon the earth, as the water of seas; and the angels of the glory of the presence of the Lord shall be glad in Him. The heavens shall be opened, and from the temple of glory shall the sanctification come upon Him with the Father’s voice, as from Abraham the father of Isaac. And the glory of the Most High shall be uttered over Him, and the spirit of understanding and of sanctification shall rest upon Him in the water. He shall give the majesty of the Lord to His sons in truth for evermore; and there shall none succeed Him for all generations, even for ever.  30  An additional clause occurs here in Cd. Oxon., which generally has a tendency to omit; the copyist of Cd. Cam. having possibly looked on to the same initial words in the next clause: “And in His priesthood shall the Gentiles be multiplied in knowledge on the earth and shall be enlightened through the grace of the Lord; but Israel shall be minished in ignorance, and be darkened in sorrow.” And in His priesthood shall all sin come to an end, and the lawless shall rest from evil, and the just shall rest in Him. And He shall open the gates of paradise, and shall remove  31  The reading of Cd. Oxon. here, ἀποστήσει, is to be preferred to Cd. Cam., στήσει. Grosseteste’s Latin version, in all probability made from the latter, has stare faciet. [See p. 7, note 1, supra.] the threatening sword against Adam; and He shall give to His saints to eat from the tree of life,  32  [Rev. ii. 7.] and the spirit of holiness shall be on them. And Beliar shall be bound by Him, and He shall give power to His children to tread upon the evil spirits.  33  [Luke x. 18, 19.] And the Lord shall rejoice in His children, and the Lord shall be well pleased in His beloved for ever. Then shall Abraham and Isaac and Jacob be joyful, and I will be glad, and all the saints shall put on gladness.

19. And now, my children, ye have heard all; choose therefore for yourselves either the darkness or the light, either the law of the Lord or the works of Beliar. And we answered our father, saying, Before the Lord will we walk according to His law. And our father said, The Lord is witness, and His angels are witnesses, and I am witness, and ye are witnesses, concerning the word of your mouth. And we said, We are witnesses. And thus Levi ceased giving charge to his sons; and he stretched out his feet, and was gathered to his fathers, after he had lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. And they laid him in a coffin, and afterwards they buried him in Hebron, by the side of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.

 ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ ΛΕΥΙ ΠΕΡΙ ΙΕΡΩΣΥΝΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΥΠΕΡΗΦΑΝΕΙΑΣ 

[1] Ἀντίγραφον λόγων Λευί, ὅσα διέθετο τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ, κατὰ πάντα ἃ ποιήσουσι, καὶ ὅσα συναντήσει αὐτοῖς ἕως ἡμέρας κρίσεως: Ὑγιαίνων ἦν ὅτε ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἑαυτόν: ὤφθη γὰρ αὐτῷ, ὅτι μέλλει ἀποθνήσκειν. Καὶ ὅτε συνήχθησαν, εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς:

[2] Ἐγὼ Λευὶ ἐν Χαρρὰν συνελήφθην, καὶ ἐτέχθην ἐκεῖ, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἦλθον σὺν τῷ πατρὶ εἰς Σίκιμα. Ἤμην δὲ νεώτερος, ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν εἴκοσι, ὅτε ἐποίησα μετὰ Συμεὼν τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῆς ἀδελφῆς ἡμῶν Δίνας ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἐμμώρ. Ὡς δὲ ἐποιμαίνομεν ἐν Ἀβελμαούλ, πνεῦμα συνέσεως Κυρίου ἦλθεν ἐπ' ἐμέ, καὶ πάντας ἑώρων ἀνθρώπους ἀφανίσαντας τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὅτι τείχη ᾠκοδόμησεν ἑαυτῇ ἡ ἀδικία, καὶ ἐπὶ πύργους ἡ ἀνομία κάθηται, καὶ ἐλυπούμην περὶ τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ηὐξάμην Κυρίῳ, ὅπως σωθῶ. Τότε ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ ὕπνος, καὶ ἐθεασάμην ὄρος ὑψηλόν: τοῦτο ὄρος Ἀσπίδος ἐν Ἀβελμαούλ. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ ἄγγελος Θεοῦ εἶπε πρός με: Λευί, εἴσελθε. Καὶ εἰσῆλθον ἐκ τοῦ πρώτου οὐρανοῦ εἰς τὸν δεύτερον, καὶ εἶδον ἐκεῖ ὕδωρ κρεμάμενον ἀνάμεσον τούτου κἀκείνου. Καὶ εἶδον τρίτον οὐρανὸν πολὺ φωτεινότερον παρὰ τοὺς δύο: καὶ γὰρ ὕψος ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ ἄπειρον. Καὶ εἶπον τῷ ἀγγέλῳ: Διατί οὗτος; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος πρός με: Μὴ θαύμαζε ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἄλλους γὰρ τέσσαρας οὐρανοὺς ὄψει φαιδροτέρους καὶ ἀσυγκρίτους, ὅτε ἀνέλθῃς ἐκεῖ: ὅτι σύνεγγυς Κυρίου στήσῃ, καὶ λειτουργὸς αὐτοῦ ἔσῃ, καὶ μυστήρια αὐτοῦ ἐξαγγελεῖς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος λυτροῦσθαι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ κηρύξεις: καὶ διὰ σοῦ καὶ Ἰούδα ὀφθήσεται Κύριος ἐν ἀνθρώποις, σώζων ἐν αὐτοῖς πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων: καὶ ἐκ μερίδος Κυρίου ἡ ζωή σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σου ἀγρός, ἀμπελών, καρποί, χρυσίον, ἀργύριον.

[3] Ἄκουσον οὖν περὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ οὐρανῶν. Ὁ κατώτερος διὰ τοῦτο στυγνότερός ἐστιν, ἐπειδὴ οὗτος παρὰ πάσας ἀδικίας ἀνθρώπων. Ὁ δεύτερος ἔχει πῦρ, χίονα, κρύσταλλον, ἕτοιμα εἰς ἡμέραν προστάγματος Κυρίου, ἐν τῇ δικαιοκρισίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ: ἐν αὐτῷ εἰσι πάντα τὰ πνεύματα τῶν ἐπαγωγῶν εἰς ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἀνόμων. Ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ εἰσὶν αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν παρεμβολῶν, οἱ ταχθέντες εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως, ποιῆσαι ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς πνεύμασι τῆς πλάνης καὶ τοῦ Βελίαρ. Οἱ δὲ εἰς τὸν τέταρτον ἐπάνω τούτων ἅγιοί εἰσιν: ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἀνωτέρῳ πάντων καταλύει ἡ μεγάλη δόξα ἐν ἁγίῳ ἁγίων, ὑπεράνω πάσης ἁγιότητος. Ἐν τῷ μετ' αὐτὸν οἱ ἄγγελοί εἰσι τοῦ προσώπου Κυρίου, οἱ λειτουργοῦντες καὶ ἐξιλασκόμενοι πρὸς Κύριον ἐπὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἀγνοίαις τῶν δικαίων. Προσφέρουσι δὲ Κυρίῳ ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας λογικήν, καὶ ἀναίμακτον προσφοράν. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ὑποκάτω εἰσὶν οἱ ἄγγελοι οἱ φέροντες τὰς ἀποκρίσεις τοῖς ἀγγέλοις τοῦ προσώπου Κυρίου. Ἐν δὲ τῷ μετ' αὐτόν εἰσι θρόνοι, ἐξουσίαι, ἐν ᾧ ὕμνοι ἀεὶ τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρονται. Ὅταν οὖν ἐπιβλέψῃ Κύριος ἐφ' ἡμᾶς πάντες ἡμεῖς σαλευόμεθα: καὶ οἱ οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ οἱ ἄβυσσοι, ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ σαλεύονται: οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀναισθητοῦντες ἁμαρτάνουσι, καὶ παροργίζουσι τὸν ὕψιστον.

[4] Νῦν οὖν γινώσκετε, ὅτι ποιήσει Κύριος κρίσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅτι τῶν πετρῶν σχιζομένων, καὶ τοῦ ἡλίου σβεννυμένου, καὶ τῶν ὑδάτων ξηραινομένων, καὶ τοῦ πυρὸς καταπτήσσοντος, καὶ πάσης κτίσεως κλονουμένης, καὶ τῶν ἀοράτων πνευμάτων τηκομένων, τοῦ ᾅδου σκυλευομένου ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει τοῦ ὑψίστου, οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀπιστοῦντες ἐπιμενοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις: διὰ τοῦτο ἐν κολάσει κριθήσονται. Εἰσήκουσεν οὖν ὁ ὕψιστος τῆς προσευχῆς σου, τοῦ διελεῖν σε ἀπὸ τῆς ἀδικίας, καὶ γενέσθαι αὐτῷ υἱὸν καὶ θεράποντα καὶ λειτουργὸν τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ. Φῶς γνώσεως φωτεινὸν φωτιεῖς ἐν Ἰακώβ, καὶ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἔσῃ παντὶ σπέρματι Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ δοθήσεται σοι εὐλογία, καὶ παντὶ σπέρματί σου, ἕως ἐπισκέψηται Κύριος πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σπλάγχνοις υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος. Πλὴν οἱ υἱοί σου ἐπιβαλοῦσι χεῖρας ἐπ' αὐτόν, τοῦ ἀποσκολοπίσαι αὐτόν. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δέδωταί σοι βουλὴ καὶ σύνεσις, τοῦ συνετίσαι τοὺς υἱούς σου περὶ αὐτοῦ: ὅτι ὁ εὐλογῶν αὐτὸν εὐλογημένος ἔσται, οἱ δὲ καταρώμενοι αὐτὸν ἀπολοῦνται.

[5] Καὶ ἤνοιξέ μοι ὁ ἄγγελος τὰς πύλας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ: καὶ εἶδον τὸν ναὸν τὸν ἅγιον, καὶ ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης τὸν ὕψιστον. Καὶ εἶπέ μοι: Λευί, σοὶ δέδωκα τὰς εὐλογίας τῆς ἱερατείας, ἕως οὗ ἐλθὼν παροικήσω ἐμμέσῳ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Τότε ὁ ἄγγελος ἤγαγέ με ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἔδωκέ μοι ὅπλον καὶ ῥομφαίαν, καὶ εἶπε: Ποίησον ἐκδίκησιν ἐν Συχὲμ ὑπὲρ Δίνας, κἀγὼ ἔσομαι μετά σου, ὅτι Κύριος ἀπέσταλκέ με. Καὶ συνετέλεσα τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἐμμώρ, καθῶς γέγραπται ἐν ταῖς πλαξὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἶπον δὲ αὐτῷ: Δέομαι, κύριε, εἰπέ μοι τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἵνα ἐπικαλέσωμαί σε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεως. Καὶ εἶπεν: Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ παραιτούμενος τὸ γένος Ἰσραήλ, τοῦ μὴ πατάξαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τέλος, ὅτι πᾶν πνεῦμα πονηρὸν εἰς αὐτὸν προσβάλλει. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ὥσπερ ἔξυπνος γενόμενος εὐλόγησα τὸν ὕψιστον, καὶ τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν παραιτούμενον τοῦ γένους τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ πάντων τῶν δικαίων.

[6] Καὶ ὡς ἠρχόμην πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου, εὗρον ἀσπίδα χαλκῆν, διὸ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ὄρους Ἄσπις, ὅτι ἐγγὺς Γεβάλ, ἐκ δεξιῶν Ἀβιλᾶ: καὶ συνετήρουν τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου. Ἐγὼ συνεβούλευσα τῷ πατρί μου καὶ Ῥουβὴμ τῷ ἀδελφῷ μου, ἵνα εἴπῃ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἐμμώρ, τοῦ περιτμηθῆναι αὐτούς, ὅτι ἐζήλωσα διὰ τὸ βδέλυγμα, ὃ ἐποίησαν ἐν Ἰσραήλ. Κἀγὼ ἀνεῖλον τὸν Συχὲμ ἐν πρώτοις, καὶ Συμεὼν τὸν Ἐμμώρ. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐλθόντες οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἐπάταξαν τὴν πόλιν ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας. Καὶ ἤκουσεν ὁ πατήρ, καὶ ὠργίσθη, καὶ ἐλυπήθη, ὅτι κατεδέξαντο τὴν περιτομὴν καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἀπέθανον, καὶ ἐν ταῖς εὐλογίαις ἄλλως ἐποίησεν. Ἡμάρτομεν γάρ, ὅτι παρὰ γνώμην αὐτοῦ τοῦτο πεποιήκαμεν: καίγε ἐμαλακίσθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ εἶδον ὅτι ἀπόφασις Θεοῦ ἦν εἰς κακὰ ἐπὶ Σίκιμα: δίοτι ἤθελον εἰς τὴν Σάρραν ποιῆσαι, ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν Δίναν τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν: καὶ Κύριος ἐκώλυσεν αὐτούς. Καὶ οὕτως ἐδίωξαν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν ξένον ὄντα, καὶ κατεπάτησαν τὰ ποίμνια ὀγκούμενα ὄντα ἐπ' αὐτόν: καὶ Ἰεβλάε τὸν οἰκογενῆ αὐτοῦ σφόδρα αἰκίσαντο. Καίγε οὕτως ἐποίουν πάντας τοὺς ξένους, ἐν δυναστείᾳ ἁρπάζοντες τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν, καὶ ξενηλατοῦντες αὐτούς. Ἔφθασε δὲ ἡ ὀργὴ Κυρίου ἐπ' αὐτοὺς εἰς τέλος.

[7] Καὶ εἶπον τῷ πατρί: Μὴ ὀργίζου, κύριε, ὅτι ἐν σοὶ ἐξουδενώσει Κύριος τοὺς Χαναναίους καὶ δώσει τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν σοὶ καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου μετά σε. Ἔσται γὰρ ἀπὸ σήμερον Σικὶμ λεγομένη πόλις ἀσυνέτων: ὅτι ὡσεί τις χλευάσαι μωρὸν οὕτως ἐχλευάσαμεν αὐτούς: ὅτι καίγε ἀφροσύνην ἔπραξαν ἐν Ἰσραήλ, μιᾶναι τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν. Καὶ λαβόντες ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν, ἀπάραντες ἤλθομεν εἰς Βεθήλ.

[8] Κἀκεῖ πάλιν εἶδον πρᾶγμα ὥσπερ τὸ πρότερον, μετὰ τὸ ποιῆσαι ἡμέρας ἑβδομήκοντα. Καὶ εἶδον ἑπτὰ ἀνθρώπους ἐν ἐσθῆτι λευκῇ λέγοντάς μοι: Ἀναστὰς ἔνδυσαι τὴν στολὴν τῆς ἱερατείας, καὶ τὸν στέφανον τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ τὸ λόγιον τῆς συνέσεως, καὶ τὸν ποδήρη τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ πέταλον τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τὴν μίτραν τοῦ σημείου, καὶ τὸ ἐφοὺδ τῆς προφητείας. Καὶ εἷς ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἕκαστον βαστάζοντες ἐπέθηκάν μοι καὶ εἶπαν: Ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν γίνου εἰς ἱερέα Κυρίου, σὺ καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ἕως αἰῶνος. Καὶ ὁ πρῶτος ἤλειψέ με ἐλαίῳ ἁγίῳ, καὶ ἔδωκέ μοι ῥάβδον κρίσεως. Ὁ δεύτερος ἔλουσέ με ὕδατι καθαρῷ, καὶ ἐψώμισεν ἄρτον καὶ οἶνον, ἅγια ἁγίων, καὶ περιέθηκέ μοι στολὴν ἁγίαν καὶ ἔνδοξον. Ὁ τρίτος βυσσίνην με περιέβαλεν, ὁμοίαν ἐφούδ. Ὁ τέταρτος ζώνην μοι περιέθηκεν, ὁμοίαν πορφύρᾳ. Ὁ πέμπτος κλάδον μοι ἐλαίας ἔδωκε ποιότητος. Ὁ ἕκτος στέφανόν μοι τῇ κεφαλῇ περιέθηκεν. Ὁ ἕβδομος διάδημά μοι τῇ κεφαλῇ περιέθηκεν ἱερατείας, καὶ ἐπλήρωσαν τὰς χεῖράς μου θυμιάματος, ὥστε ἱερατεύειν με Κυρίῳ. Εἶπαν δὲ πρός με: Λευί, εἰς τρεῖς ἀρχὰς διαιρεθήσεται τὸ σπέρμα σου, εἰς σημεῖον δόξης Κυρίου ἐπερχομένου: καὶ ὁ πιστεύσας πρῶτος ἔσται: κλῆρος μέγας ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν οὐ γενήσεται. Ὁ δεύτερος ἔσται ἐν ἱερωσύνῃ. Ὁ τρίτος ἐπικληθήσεται αὐτῷ ὄνομα καινόν, ὅτι βασιλεὺς ἐκ τοῦ Ἰούδα ἀναστήσεται, καὶ ποιήσει ἱερατείαν νέαν, κατὰ τὸν τύπον τῶν ἐθνῶν, εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Ἡ δὲ παρουσία αὐτοῦ ἄφραστος, ὡς προφήτου ὑψηλοῦ ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ πατρὸς ἡμῶν. Πᾶν ἐπιθυμητὸν ἐν Ἰσραὴλ σοὶ ἔσται καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου: καὶ ἔδεσθε πᾶν ὡραῖον ὁράσει, καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν Κυρίου διανεμήσεται τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔσονται ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ κριταὶ καὶ γραμματεῖς: ὅτι ἐπὶ στόματος αὐτῶν φυλαχθήσεται τὸ ἅγιον. Καὶ ἐξυπνισθεὶς συνῆκα ὅτι τοῦτο ὅμοιον ἐκείνου ἐστί. Καὶ ἔκρυψα καίγε τοῦτο ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, καὶ οὐκ ἀνήγγειλα αὐτὸ παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

[9] Καὶ μεθ' ἡμέρας δύο ἀνέβημεν ἐγὼ καὶ Ἰούδας πρὸς Ἰσαὰκ μετὰ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν. καὶ εὐλόγησέ με ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ πατρός μου, κατὰ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τῶν ὁράσεών μου ὧν εἶδον: καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε πορευθῆναι μεθ' ἡμῶν εἰς Βεθήλ. Ὡς δὲ ἤλθομεν εἰς Βεθήλ, εἶδεν ὁ πατήρ μου Ἰακὼβ ἐν ὁράματι περὶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς ἱερέα πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ ἀναστὰς τὸ πρωὶ ἀπεδεκάτωσε πάντα δι' ἐμοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Καὶ ἤλθομεν εἰς Χεβρὼν τοῦ καταλῦσαι: καὶ Ἰσαὰκ ἐκάλει με συνεχῶς τοῦ ὑπομνῆσαί με νόμον Κυρίου, καθὼς ἔδειξέ μοι ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἐδίδασκέ με νόμον ἱερωσύνης, θυσιῶν, ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, ἀπαρχῶν, ἑκουσίων, σωτηρίων. Καὶ ἦν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν συνετίζων με, καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ ἀσχολούμενος ἦν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου. Καὶ ἔλεγε: Μὴ πρόσεχε, τέκνον, ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς πορνείας: τοῦτο γὰρ ἐνδελεχιεῖ, καὶ μέλλει διὰ τοῦ σπέρματός σου μιαίνειν τὰ ἅγια. Λαβὲ οὖν σεαυτῷ γυναῖκα, ἔτι νέος ὤν, μὴ ἔχουσαν μῶμον, μηδὲ βεβηλωμένην, μηδὲ ἀπὸ γένους ἀλλοφύλων ἢ ἐθνῶν. Καὶ πρὸ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰ ἅγια, λούου: καὶ ἐν τῷ θύειν, νίπτου. καὶ ἀπαρτίζων πάλιν τὴν θυσίαν, νίπτου. Δώδεκα δένδρων ἀεὶ ἐχόντων φύλλα ἄναγε Κυρίῳ, ὡς κἀμὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐδίδαξε. Καὶ παντὸς ζώου καθαροῦ καὶ πετεινοῦ καθαροῦ πρόσφερε θυσίαν Κυρίῳ. Καὶ παντὸς πρωτογενήματος καὶ οἴνου πρόσφερε ἀπαρχάς: καὶ πᾶσαν θυσίαν ἅλατι ἁλιεῖς.

[10] Νῦν οὖν φυλάξασθε ὅσα ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν, τέκνα: ὅτι ὅσα ἤκουσα παρὰ τῶν πατέρων μου, ἀνήγγειλα ὑμῖν. Ἀθῷός εἰμι ἀπὸ πάσης ἀσεβείας ὑμῶν καὶ παραβάσεως, ἣν ποιήσετε ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς τὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου, ἀσεβοῦντες, πλανῶντες τὸν Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἐπεγείροντες αὐτῷ κακὰ μεγάλα παρὰ Κυρίου. Καὶ ἀνομήσετε σὺν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, ὥστε μὴ βαστάξαι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ προσώπου πονηρίας ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ σχίσαι τὸ ἔνδυμα τοῦ ναοῦ, ὥστε μὴ κατακαλύπτειν ἀσχημοσύνην ὑμῶν. Καὶ διασπαρήσεσθε αἰχμάλωτοι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ἔσεσθε εἰς ὀνειδισμόν, καὶ εἰς καταπάτημα: ὁ γὰρ οἶκος, ὃν ἂν ἐξελέξηται Κύριος, Ἱερουσαλὴμ κληθήσεται, καθὼς περιέχει βίβλος Ἔνωχ τοῦ δικαίου.

[11] Ὅτε οὖν ἔλαβον γυναῖκα, ἤμην ἐτῶν εἰκοσιοκτώ, ᾗ ὄνομα Μελχᾶ. Καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Γηρσάμ: ὅτι ἐν τῇ γῇ ἡμῶν πάροικοι ἦμεν: Γηρσὰμ γὰρ παροικία γράφεται. Εἶδον δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔσται ἐν πρώτῃ τάξει. Καὶ ὁ Καὰθ ἐγεννήθη τριακοστῷ πέμπτῳ ἔτει, πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου. Εἶδον δὲ ἐν ὁράματι, ὅτι μέσος ἐν ὑψηλοῖς ἵστατο πάσης τῆς συναγωγῆς. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκάλεσα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Καάθ, ὅ ἐστιν ἀρχὴ μεγαλείου καὶ συμβιβασμός. Καὶ τρεῖς ἔτεκέ μοι τὸν Μεραρὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ ἔτει ζωῆς μου. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐδυστόκισεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν Μεραρί, ὅ ἐστι πικρία μου: ὅτι καίγε αὐτὸς ἀπέθανεν. Ἡ δὲ Ἰωχαβὲδ ἑξηκοστῷ τετάρτῳ ἔτει ἐτέχθη ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ: ἔνδοξος γὰρ ἤμην τότε ἐμμέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου.

[12] Καὶ ἔλαβε Γηρσὰμ γυναῖκα, καὶ ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ τὸν Λομνὶ καὶ τὸν Σεμεί. Καὶ υἱοὶ Καὰθ Ἀμβράμ, Ἰσαάρ, Χεβρώ, Ὀζήλ. Καὶ υἱοὶ Μεραρὶ Μοολὶ καὶ Ὁμουσί. Καὶ ἐνενηκοστῷ τετάρτῳ ἔτει μου, ἔλαβεν ὁ Ἀμβρὰμ τὴν Ἰωχαβὲδ θυγατέρα μου αὐτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα: ὅτι ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγεννήθησαν, αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ μου. Ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν ἤμην ὅτε εἰσῆλθον εἰς γῆν Χαναάν: καὶ ὀκτωκαίδεκα ἐτῶν ὅτε ἀπέκτεινα τὸν Συχέμ: καὶ ἐννεακαίδεκα ἐτῶν ἱεράτευσα: καὶ εἰκοσιοκτὼ ἐτῶν, ἔλαβον γυναῖκα: καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἐτῶν, εἰσῆλθον εἰς Αἴγυπτον. Καὶ ἰδού, τέκνα μού ἐστε, τέκνα μου, τρίτη γενεά. Ἰωσὴφ ἑκατοστῷ ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει ἀπέθανε.

[13] Καὶ νῦν, τέκνα μου, ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν ἵνα φοβεῖσθε τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας: καὶ πορεύεσθε ἐν ἁπλότητι κατὰ πάντα τὸν νόμον αὐτῶν. Διδάξατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν γράμματα, ἵνα ἔχωσι σύνεσιν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν, ἀναγινώσκοντες ἀδιαλείπτως τὸν νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ: ὅτι πᾶς, ὃς γνώσεται νόμον Θεοῦ, τιμηθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ξένος, ὅπου ὑπάγει. Καίγε πολλοὺς φίλους ὑπὲρ γονεῖς κτήσηται, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσουσι πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δουλεῦσαι αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι νόμον ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ. Ποιήσατε δικαιοσύνην, τέκνα μου, ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἵνα εὕρητε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς: καὶ σπείρετε ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἀγαθά, ἵνα εὕρητε αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ὑμῶν. Ἐὰν γὰρ σπείρητε κακά, πᾶσαν ταραχὴν καὶ θλῖψιν θερίσητε. Σοφίαν κτήσασθε ἐν φόβῳ Θεοῦ μετὰ σπουδῆς: ὅτι ἐὰν γένηται αἰχμαλωσία, καὶ πόλεις ὀλοθρευθῶσι καὶ χῶραι καὶ χρυσὸς καὶ ἄργυρος καὶ πᾶσα κτῆσις ἀπολεῖται, τοῦ σοφοῦ τὴν σοφίαν οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀφελέσθαι, εἰ μὴ τύφλωσις ἀσεβείας καὶ πήρωσις ἁμαρτίας: ὅτι γενήσεται αὐτῷ αὐτὴ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις λαμπρά, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας πατρὶς καὶ ἐμμέσῳ ἐχθρῶν εὑρηθήσεται φίλος. Ἐὰν διδάσκῃ ταῦτα καὶ πράττῃ, σύνθρονος ἔσται βασιλέως, ὡς καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν.

[14] Καὶ νῦν, τέκνα, ἔγνων ἀπὸ γραφῆς Ἐνώχ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τέλει ἀσεβήσητε ἐπὶ Κύριον, χεῖρας ἐπιβάλλοντες ἐν πάσῃ κακίᾳ, καὶ αἰσχυνθήσονται ἐφ' ὑμῖν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ὑμῶν, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι γενήσεται χλευασμός. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰσραὴλ καθαρὸς ἔσται ἀπὸ τῆς ἀσεβείας τῶν ἀρχιερέων, οἵτινες ἐπιβαλοῦσι τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου. Καθαρὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑπὲρ τὴν γῆν: καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ φωστῆρες τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὡς ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη. Τί ποιήσουσι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς σκοτισθῆτε ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ, καὶ ἐπάξετε κατάραν ἐπὶ τὸ γένος ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ ὧν τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, τὸ δοθὲν ἐν ὑμῖν εἰς φωτισμὸν παντὸς ἀνθρώπου; τοῦτον θέλοντες ἀνελεῖν, ἐναντίας ἐντολὰς διδάσκοντες τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιώμασι, τὰς προσφορὰς Κυρίου λῃστεύσητε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν μερίδων αὐτοῦ κλέψητε καὶ πρὸ τοῦ θυσιάσαι Κυρίῳ λήψεσθε τὰ ἐκλεκτά, ἐν καταφρονήσει ἐσθίοντες μετὰ πορνῶν, ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου διδάξητε, τὰς ὑπάνδρους βεβηλώσητε, καὶ παρθένους Ἱερουσαλὴμ μιανεῖτε, καὶ πόρναις καὶ μοιχαλίσι συναφθήσεσθε, θυγατέρας ἐθνῶν λήψεσθε εἰς γυναῖκας, καθαρίζοντες αὐτὰς καθαρισμῷ παρανόμῳ, καὶ γενήσεται ἡ μίξις ὑμῶν Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ, καὶ φυσιωθήσεσθε ἐπὶ τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ, κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπαιρόμενοι: οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ φυσιούμενοι, καταπαίξετε τὰ ἅγια, ἐν καταφρονήσει γελοιάζοντες.

[15] Διὰ ταῦτα ὁ ναός, ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται Κύριος, ἔρημος ἔσται ἐν ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, καὶ ὑμεῖς αἰχμάλωτοι ἔσεσθε εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἔσεσθε βδέλυγμα ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ λήψεσθε ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ αἰσχύνην αἰώνιον παρὰ τῆς δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες ὑμᾶς φεύξονται ἀφ' ὑμῶν. Καὶ εἰ μὴ δι' Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν, εἷς ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματός μου οὐ μὴ καταλειφθῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

[16] Καὶ νῦν ἔγνων ἐν βιβλίῳ Ἐνώχ, ὅτι ἑβδομήκοντα ἑβδομάδας πλανηθήσεσθε, καὶ τὴν ἱερωσύνην βεβηλώσητε καὶ τὰς θυσίας μιανεῖτε, καὶ τὸν νόμον ἀφανίσητε καὶ λόγους προφητῶν ἐξουθενώσητε, ἐν διαστροφῇ διώξετε ἄνδρας δικαίους, καὶ εὐσεβεῖς μισήσητε, ἀληθινῶν λόγους βδελύξησθε, καὶ ἄνδρα ἀνακαινοποιοῦντα νόμον ἐν δυνάμει ὑψίστου πλάνον προσαγορεύσετε, καὶ τέλος, ὡς νομίζετε, ἀποκτενεῖτε αὐτόν, οὐκ εἰδότες αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀνάστημα, τὸ ἀθῷον αἷμα ἐν κακίᾳ ἐπὶ κεφαλὰς ὑμῶν ἀναδεχόμενοι. Δι' αὐτὸν ἔσται τὰ ἅγια ὑμῶν ἔρημα, ἕως ἐδάφους μεμιαμμένα: καὶ οὐκ ἔσται τόπος ὑμῶν καθαρός, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔσεσθε εἰς κατάραν καὶ εἰς διασκορπισμόν, ἕως αὐτὸς πάλιν ἐπισκέψηται, καὶ οἰκτειρήσας προσδέξηται ὑμᾶς ἐν πίστει καὶ ὕδατι.

[17] Καὶ ὅτι ἠκούσατε περὶ τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἑβδομάδων, ἀκούσατε καὶ περὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης. Καθ' ἕκαστον γὰρ Ἰωβηλαῖον ἔσται ἱερωσύνη. Ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ Ἰωβηλαίῳ ὁ πρῶτος χριόμενος εἰς ἱερωσύνην μέγας ἔσται, καὶ λαλήσει Θεῷ ὡς πατρί: καὶ ἡ ἱερωσύνη αὐτοῦ πλήρης μετὰ φόβου Κυρίου: καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ χαρᾶς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ κόσμου αὐτὸς ἀναστήσεται. Ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ Ἰωβηλαίῳ ὁ χριόμενος ἐν πένθει ἀγαπητῶν συλληφθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἱερωσύνη αὐτοῦ τιμία, καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι δοξασθήσεται. Ὁ δὲ τρίτος ἱερεὺς ἐν λύπῃ παραληφθήσεται. Καὶ ὁ τέταρτος ἐν ὀδύνῃ ἔσται: ὅτι προσθήσει ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἡ ἀδικία εἰς πλῆθος: καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ μισήσουσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ. Ὁ πέμπτος ἐν σκότει παραληφθήσεται: ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ ἕκτος καὶ ὁ ἕβδομος. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἔσται μιασμός, ὃν οὐ δύναμαι εἰπεῖν, ἐνώπιον Κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων: ὅτι αὐτοὶ γνώσονται, οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτά. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ καὶ ἐν προνομῇ ἔσονται: καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ ἡ ὕπαρξις αὐτῶν ἀφανισθήσεται. Καὶ ἐμπέμπτῃ ἑβδομάδι ἐπιστρέψουσιν εἰς γῆν ἐρημώσεως αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀνακαινοποιήσουσιν οἶκον Κυρίου. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἑβδοματικῷ ἥξουσιν οἱ ἱερεῖς, εἰδωλολατροῦντες, μάχιμοι, φιλάργυροι, ὑπερήφανοι, ἄνομοι, ἀσελγεῖς, παιδοφθόροι καὶ κτηνοφθόροι.

[18] Καὶ μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῶν παρὰ Κυρίου, τῇ ἱερατείᾳ. τότε ἐγερεῖ Κύριος ἱερέα καινόν, ᾧ πάντες οἱ λόγοι Κυρίου ἀποκαλυφθήσονται: καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσει κρίσιν ἀληθείας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν πλήθει ἡμερῶν. Καὶ ἀνατελεῖ ἄστρον αὐτοῦ ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὡς βασιλεύς, φωτίζων φῶς γνώσεως ἐν ἡλίῳ ἡμέρας: καὶ μεγαλυνθήσεται ἐν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ, ἕως ἀναλήψεως αὐτοῦ. Οὗτος ἀναλάμψει ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ ἐξαρεῖ πᾶν σκότος ἐκ τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανόν, καὶ ἔσται εἰρήνη ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. Οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἀγαλλιάσονται ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ γῆ χαρίσεται, καὶ αἱ νεφέλαι εὐφρανθήσονται, καὶ ἡ γνῶσις Κυρίου χυθήσεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὡς ὕδωρ θαλασσῶν: καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι τῆς δόξης τοῦ προσώπου Κυρίου χαρίσονται ἐν αὐτῷ. Οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἀνοιγήσονται, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς δόξης ἥξει ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἁγίασμα μετὰ φωνῆς πατρικῆς ὡς ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ πατρὸς Ἰσαάκ. Καὶ δόξα ὑψίστου ἐπ' αὐτὸν ῥηθήσεται, καὶ πνεῦμα συνέσεως καὶ ἁγιασμοῦ καταπαύσει ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ὕδατι. Αὐτὸς δώσει τὴν μεγαλωσύνην Κυρίου τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα: καὶ οὐκ ἔσται διαδοχὴ αὐτῷ εἰς γενεὰς καὶ γενεὰς ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης αὐτοῦ ἐκλείψει πᾶσα ἁμαρτία, καὶ οἱ ἄνομοι καταπαύσουσιν εἰς κακά: οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι καταπαύσουσιν ἐν αὐτῷ. Καίγε αὐτὸς ἀνοίξει τὰς θύρας τοῦ παραδείσου, καὶ στήσει τὴν ἀπειλοῦσαν ῥομφαίαν κατὰ τοῦ Ἀδάμ, καὶ δώσει τοῖς ἁγίοις φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης ἔσται ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ὁ Βελίαρ δεθήσεται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ δώσει ἐξουσίαν τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ πονηρὰ πνεύματα. Καὶ εὐφρανθήσεται Κύριος ἐπὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὐδοκήσει Κύριος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς αὐτοῦ ἕως τῶν αἰώνων. Τότε ἀγαλλιάσεται Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ: κἀγὼ χαρίσομαι, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι ἐνδύσονται εὐφροσύνην.

[19] Καὶ νῦν, τέκνα μου, πάντα ἠκούσατε: ἑλέσθε οὖν ἑαυτοῖς ἢ τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς, ἢ νόμον Κυρίου ἢ ἔργα Βελίαρ. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθημεν ἡμεῖς τῷ πατρί, λέγοντες: Ἐνώπιον Κυρίου πορευσώμεθα, κατὰ τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, Μάρτυς Κύριος, καὶ μάρτυρες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, καὶ μάρτυς ἐγώ, καὶ μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς περὶ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν. Καὶ εἴπωμεν: Μάρτυρες. Καὶ οὕτως ἐπαύσατο Λευὶ ἐντελλόμενος τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξέτεινε τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ ζήσας ἕκατον τριάκοντα ἑπτὰ ἔτη. Καὶ ἔθηκαν αὐτὸν ἐν σωρῷ: καὶ ὕστερον ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν Χεβρών, ἀνὰ χεῖρα Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ.