2 Enoch

2 Enoch / Book of the Secrets of Enoch — Morfill & Charles — Section 165

and place him in the paradise of Eden for preservation, because the time draws nigh, and I will discharge all the water upon the earth, and all that is upon the earth shall perish. 2. (And I will establish another race, and Melchizedek shall be the chief of the priests, in that family, just as Seth is to me in this family '’) 3. And Michael hastened, and came by night, and Nir was sleeping in his bed. And Michael appeared to him, and said to him: ‘ The Lord says unto thee, Nir: “Send the child to me; [entrusted him to thee.”’ 4. And Nir did not know that the chief captain Michael was speaking to him, and his heart was confused, and he said: ‘If the people know about the child, and take him, they will slay him, For the heart of this people is crafty before the face of the Lord. And Nir said to him who spoke to him ‘ The child is not with me, and I do not know who thou art, who art speaking to me.’ 5. And he who was speaking to me answered: ‘Be not afraid, Nir, I am the chief captain of the Lord. The Lord hath sent me, and lo! 1 will take thy child to-day, and will go with him, and will place him in the paradise of Eden, and there shall he be for ever. 6. And when the twelfth generation shall be, and a thousand and seventy years shall be, in that generation a just man shall be born, and the Lord shall tell him to come out upon that mountain where the ark of thy brother Noe shall stand, and he shall find there another Melchizedek who has lived there seven years, concealing himself from the people who worship idols, so that they should not slay him, and he shall lead him forth and he shall be priest, and the first king in the town of Salem after the fashion of this Melchizedek, the commencement of the priests. And 3432 years shall be fulfilled till that time from the beginning and creation of Adam, 7. And from that Melchizedek there shall be twelve priests in number till the great Igumen, that is to say leader, who shall bring forth all things visible and invisible. 8. And Nir understood his first dream, and believed it, and having answered Michael, he said: ‘ Blessed is the Lord, who has glorified thee to-day to me, and now bless thy servant Nir, as we are draw- ing near our departure from this world, and take the child, and do unto him as the Lord hath spoken unto thee. 9. And Michael took the child on that night on which he came, and took him on his wings, and placed him in the paradise of Eden. to. And Nir having risen on the following day, went to his house, and did not find the child, and there was instead of joy very great sorrow, because he had no other son except this (alia lectio—because he