The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation) · 129 of 141 · tr. R.H. Charles
Chapter XCIX
XCIX. Woes pronounced on the Godless, the Lawbreakers: evil Plight of Sinners in the last Days: further Woes . CHAPTER XCIX. 1. Woe to you who work godlessness, And glory in lying and extol them: Ye shall perish, and no happy life shall be yours. 2. Woe to them who pervert the words of uprightness, And transgress the eternal law, And transform themselves into what they were not [ into sinners ] : They shall be trodden under foot upon the earth. 3. In those days make ready, ye righteous, to raise your prayers as a memorial, And place them as a testimony before the angels, That they may place the sin of the sinners for a memorial before the Most High. 4. In those days the nations shall be stirred up, And the families of the nations shall arise on the day of destruction. 5. And in those days the destitute shall go forth and carry off their children, And they shall abandon them, so that their children shall perish through them: Yea, they shall abandon their children (that are still) sucklings, and not return to them, And shall have no pity on their beloved ones. 6. And again I swear to you, ye sinners, that sin is prepared for a day of unceasing bloodshed. 7. And they who worship stones, and grave images of gold p. 142 and silver and wood 〈 and stone 〉 and clay, and those who worship impure spirits and demons, and all kinds of idols not according to knowledge, shall get no manner of help from them. 8. And they shall become godless by reason of the folly of their hearts, And their eyes shall be blinded through the fear of their hearts And through visions in their dreams. 9. Through these they shall become godless and fearful; For they shall have wrought all their work in a lie, And shall have worshiped a stone: Therefore in an instant shall they perish. 10. But in those days blessed are all they who accept the words of wisdom, and understand them, And observe the paths of the Most High, and walk in the path of His righteousness, And become not godless with the godless; For they shall be saved. 11. Woe to you who spread evil to your neighbours; For you shall be slain in Sheol. 12. Woe to you who make deceitful and false measures, And (to them) who cause bitterness on the earth; For they shall thereby be utterly consumed. 13. Woe to you who build your houses through the grievous toil of others, And all their building materials are the bricks and stones of sin; I tell you ye shall have no peace. 14. Woe to them who reject the measure and eternal heritage of their fathers And whose souls follow after idols; For they shall have no rest. 15. Woe to them who work unrighteousness and help oppression, p. 143 And slay their neighbours until the day of the great judgement. 16. For He shall cast down your glory, And bring affliction on your hearts, And shall arouse His fierce indignation , And destroy you all with the sword; And all the holy and righteous shall remember your sins.
Themes
◆Asha Cosmic Ordercosmology
Truth as the fundamental structure of reality.
The 'eternal law' and 'words of uprightness' reflect a cosmic order based on truth and right conduct.
All passages →◆Cosmic Dualismtheology
Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.
A strong moral dualism exists between the righteous who walk in paths of righteousness and the godless sinners who work lies.
All passages →◆Covenanttheology
A binding agreement or relationship between the divine and a people or individual, establishing mutual obligations.
The text references the 'eternal heritage of their fathers,' implying a binding relationship or inheritance tied to divine law.
All passages →◆Divine Providencetheology
Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
God actively orders the unfolding of events, stirring up nations and determining the fate of sinners and the righteous.
All passages →◆Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
The Most High is depicted as an active agent who arouses indignation, casts down glory, and destroys with the sword.
All passages →◆Love Of Neighbourethics
Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.
Woes are pronounced on those who 'spread evil to your neighbours,' implying a positive obligation of care and non-harm.
All passages →◆Prayerpraxis
Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.
The text explicitly instructs the righteous to 'raise your prayers as a memorial' before the angels.
All passages →◆Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics
Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.
The passage condemns 'lying,' 'false measures,' and worshipping idols 'not according to knowledge,' rejecting outward falsehood.
All passages →◆Renunciation Of Wealthethics
The spiritual danger of attachment to material possessions; wealth as a spiritual obstacle.
The text pronounces woe on those who build houses through the 'grievous toil of others,' critiquing unjust material accumulation.
All passages →◇Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology
Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.
[auto] The passage is centrally focused on the 'day of destruction' and 'great judgement' where sinners perish and the righteous are saved.
All passages →Related passages · 12 parallels
◆buddhism|The Dhammapada|Chapter X, Section 1b
“He who inflicts pain on innocent and harmless persons, will soon come to one of these ten states: [133.
See Mahâbhârata XII, 4056.
134.
See Childers, s.v.
nibbâna, p.
270, and s.v.
kâ m so; D'Alwis, Buddhist Nirvâ n a, p.
35.
136.…”
Both passages warn against harmful actions and the consequences that follow. They emphasize the suffering and misfortune that befall those who commit wrongdoings, highlighting the moral and karmic repercussions in their respective traditions.
◆buddhism|The Dhammapada|Chapter XXII, Section 1a
“p.
74 CHAPTER XXII.
THE DOWNWARD COURSE.
306.
He who says what is not, goes to hell; he also who, having done a thing, says I have not done it.
After death both are equal, they are men with evil deeds in the next world.
307.
Many men…”
Both passages emphasize the consequences of evil actions and the importance of righteous behavior. They warn against deceit, unrighteousness, and the transgression of moral laws, highlighting the eventual downfall of those who engage in such behaviors.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 5 (part 11)
“Man must know evil for the purpose of becoming able to realise the good, after which he returns to the latter; but as everything seeks for its own corresponding principle, he in whom evil has become paramount will remain in evil.
p.
121 "…”
Both passages discuss the nature of evil and its consequences. They emphasize the irreversible nature of evil choices and the ultimate fate of those who persist in evil, highlighting the contrast between the righteous and the wicked.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 14 (part 5)
“"Man's own sins, his depravity and vices in rejecting God, are his hell-fire, which gnaws in him eternally.
His mockeries are now before his eyes, and he does not dare to let even one good thought enter into his soul; for the good is to hi…”
Both passages describe the plight of the godless and the consequences of their actions, emphasizing eternal suffering and the inability to find relief or satisfaction in their evil ways. They share a common theme of divine judgment and the ultimate fate of those who reject the divine.
◆egyptian|The Egyptian Heaven and Hell|Chapter 23 (part 2)
“From the text we learn that the chief offences with which these enemies are charged is the "putting of secret things behind p.
171 them, the dragging forth of the sacred object sekem from the secret place, or sanctuary, and the profanation…”
Both passages describe the consequences of sinful actions and the punishment of wrongdoers. They emphasize the annihilation or severe punishment of those who commit grave offenses, highlighting a common theme of divine justice in mystical traditions.
◆gnosticism|Gospel of Thomas|Logion 44
“Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven."…”
Both passages warn against grave sins with severe consequences, emphasizing the unforgivable nature of certain transgressions against the divine. They share a common theme of divine judgment and the importance of righteousness.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document FIRST
“This is the work of those who slander with the Lord and those who say contrary to lawful (things) against my soul.
But thou, O Lord, do mercy with me because of thy name.
Save me because I am poor and I am miserable: my heart was disturbe…”
Both passages emphasize the consequences of sin and the need for divine mercy. They share themes of divine judgment, the plight of sinners, and the importance of righteousness, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document SECONDt
“O Lord, my God, if I did this (thing) if there is violence in my hands, if I repaid to those who repaid to me evil (things), may I perish by my enemy, being empty: and may my enemies persecute my soul and seize it: and trample my life down…”
Both passages deal with themes of divine judgment, the fate of sinners, and the protection of the righteous. They share a common concern with the consequences of sin and the ultimate triumph of righteousness, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document FOURTHf
“The souls therefore which will take away by robbery the hekate, she is wont to deliver them unto her demons which are under her to torment them by her smoke of darkness with her evil fire: they are afflicting them greatly by the demons, and…”
Both passages describe the fate of souls or individuals who commit sins or wrongdoings, emphasizing punishment and eventual redemption or destruction. They share themes of divine judgment, torment, and the ultimate dissolution of evil.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document FIFTHb
“This is the judgment of the man, (the) slanderer.
Said she, Mariham, Woe woe to the sinners.
Answered [347 ] also Salome, said she, My Lord, Jesus, a man, murderer having not done sin ever except killing, whenever he should come out of bo…”
Both passages describe the fate of sinners and the consequences of their actions, emphasizing judgment and punishment. They share a theme of moral accountability and the inevitable reckoning for wrongdoing, though they come from different mystical traditions.
2 more
◆zoroastrianism|Avesta (Gathas)|Ahunavaiti Gatha, Yasna XXXII, Section 1b
“An evil teacher (as that leader is), he will 1 destroy (our) doctrines, and by his teachings he will pervert the (true) understanding of life, seizing away 2 (from me) my riches 3 , the choice and real wealth of (Thy) Good Mind.
To You and…”
Both passages condemn those who pervert the true understanding of life and the sacred doctrines, and both warn of the consequences for such actions. They share a theme of moral decay and the importance of righteousness, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆zoroastrianism|Avesta (Gathas)|Ushtavaiti Gatha, Yasna XLVI, Section 1b
“And as to him who (now by evil power) delivers up my settlements to harm, let not his burning (wrath) in deeds attain 7 me.
But bearing back 8 the (evil will and evil influence of such), let these things come (back) to him in anger.
Let t…”
Both passages share themes of divine justice, the fate of the wicked, and the protection of the righteous. They also emphasize the importance of adhering to divine laws and the consequences of deviating from them.