ETHIOPIC MS. BY THE LATE RICHARD LAURENCE, BISHOP OF CASHEL.
CHAP 46
1. There I beheld the ANCIENT of days, whose head was like white wool,
and with him another, whose continance resembled that of man. His
contenance was full of grace, like that of one of the holy angels.
Then I inquired of one of the angels who went with me, and who showed
me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man; who he was; whence
he was; and why he accompanied the ANCIENT of days.
2. He answered and said to me, This is the Son of man to whom
righteousness belongs; with whom righteousness has dwelt; and who will
reveal all the treasures of that which is concealed: for the Lord of
spirits has chosen him; and his portion has surpassed all before the
Lord of spirits in everlasting uprightness.
3. This Son of man, whom thou beholdest, shall raise up kings and the
mighty from their couches, and the powerful from their thrones; shall
loosen the bridles of the powerful, and break in pieces the teeth of
sinners.
4. He shall hurl kings from their thrones and their dominions; because
they will not exalt and praise him, nor humble themselves before him,
by whom their kingdoms were granted to them. The countenance likewise
of the mighty shall be cast down, filling them with confusion. Darkness
shall be their habitation, and worms shall be their bed; nor from that
their bed shall they hope to be again raised, because they exalted not
the name of the Lord of spirits.
5. They shall condemn the stars of heaven, shall lift up their hands
against the Most High, shall tread upon and inhabit the earth,
exhibiting all their works of iniquity, even their works of iniquity.
Their strength shall be in their riches, and their faith in the gods
whom they have formed with their own hands. They shall deny the name
of the Lord of spirits, and shall expel him from the temples, in
which they assemble;
6. And with him the faithfull, who suffer in the name of the Lord of
spirits.
CHAP 47
1. In that day the prayer of the holy and the righteous, and the blood
of the righteous, shall ascend from the earth into the presence of the
Lord of spirits.
2. In that day shall the holy ones assemble, who dwell above the heavens,
and with united voice petition, supplicate, praise, laud, and bless the
name of the Lord of spirits, on account of the blood of the righteous
which has been shed; that the prayer of the righteous may not be
intermitted before the Lord of spirits; that for them he would execute
judgement; and that his patience may not endure for ever.
3. At that time I beheld the Ancient of days, while he sat upon the
throne of his glory, while the book of the living was opened in his
presence, and while all the powers which were above the heavens stood
around a before him.
4. Then were the hearts of the saints full of joy, because the
consummation of righteousness was arrived, the supplication of the
saints heard, and the blood of the righteous appreciated by the lord
of spirits.
CHAP 48
1. In that place I beheld a fountain of righteousness, which never
failed, encircled by many springs of wisdom. Of these all the thirsty
drank, and were filled with wisdom, having their habitation with the
righteous, the elect, and the holy.
2. In that hour was this Son of man invoked before the lord of spirits,
and his name in the presence of the Ancient of days.
3. Before the sun and the signs were created , before the stars of
heaven were formed, his name was invoked in the presence of the Lord
of spirits. A support shall he be for the righteous and the holy to
lean upon, without falling; and he shall be the light of nations.
4. He shall be the hope of those whose hearts are troubled. All, who
dwell on earth, shall fall down and worship before him; shall bless
and glorify him, and sing praises to the name of the Lord of spirits.
5. Therefore the Elect and the Concealed one existed in his presence,
before the world was created, and for
ever.
6. In his presence he existed and has revealed to the saints and to
the righteous the wisdom of the Lord of spirits; for he has preserved
the lot of the righteous, because they have hated and rejected this
world of iniquity, and have detested all its works and ways, in the
name of the Lord of spirits.
7. For in his name shall they be preserved; and his will shall be
their life. In those days shall the kings of the earth and the mighty
men, who have gained the world by their achievements, become humble in
countenance.
8. For in the day of their anxiety and trouble their souls shall not
be saved; and they shall be in subjection to those whom I have chosen.
9. I will cast them like hay into the fire, and like lead into the water.
Thus shall they burn in the presence of the righteous, and sink in the
presence of the holy; nor shall a tenth part of them be found.
10.But in the day of their trouble, the world shall obtain tranquility.
11. In his presence shall they fall, and not be raised up again; nor
shall there be anyone to take them out of his hands, and to lift them
up: for they have denied the Lord of spirits, and his Messiah. The name
of the Lord of Spirits shall be blessed. CHAP 48 was repeated twice.
this section seems to have no chapter number (Nina Fulford)
1. Wisdom is poured forth like water, and glory fails not before him
for ever and ever; for potent is he in all the secrets of righteousness.
2. But iniquity passes away like a shadow, and possesses not a fixed
station; for the Elect On stands before the lord of spirits; and his
glory is for ever and ever; and his power from generation to generation.
3. With him dwells the spirit of intellectual wisdom, the spirit of
instruction and of power, and the spirit of those who sleep in
righteousness; he shall judge secret things.
4. Nor shall any be able to utter a single word before him; for the
Elect One is in the presence of the Lord of spirits, according to his
own pleasure.
this section seems to have no chapter number (Nina Fulford)
1. Wisdom is poured forth like water, and glory fails not before him
for ever and ever; for potent is he in all the secrets of righteousness.
2. But iniquity passes away like a shadow, and possesses not a fixed
station; for the Elect On stands before the lord of spirits; and his
glory is for ever and ever; and his power from generation to generation.
3. With him dwells the spirit of intellectual wisdom, the spirit of
instruction and of power, and the spirit of those who sleep in
righteousness; he shall judge secret things.
4. Nor shall any be able to utter a single word before him; for the
Elect One is in the presence of the Lord of spirits, according to
his own pleasure.
CHAP 50
1. In those days shall the earth deliver up from her womb, and hell
deliver up from hers, that which it has received; and destruction shall
restore that which it owes.
2. He shall select the righteous and holy from among them; for the day
of their salvation has approached.
3. And in those days shall the Elect One sit upon his throne, while
every secret of intellectual wisdom shall proceed from his mouth: for
the Lord of spirits has gifted and glorified him.
4. In those days the mountains shall skip like rams, and the hills
shall leap like young sheep satiated with milk; and all the rightious
shall become angels in heaven.
5. Their countenance shall be bright with joy: for in those days shall
the Elect One be exalted. The earth shall rejoice; the righteous shall
inhabit it, and the elect possess it.
CHAP 51
1. After that period, in the place where I had seen every secret
sight, I was snatched up in a whirlwind, and carried off westwards.
2. There my eyes beheld the secrets of heaven and all which existed
on earth; a mountain of iron, a mountain of copper, a mountain of
silver, a mountain of gold, a mountain of fluid metal, and a mountain
of lead.
3. And I inquired of the angel who went with me, saying, What are
these things, which in secret I behold?
4. He said, All these things which thou beholdest shall be for the
dominion of the Messiah, that he may command and be poweful upon earth.
5. And that angel of peace answered me, saying, Wait but a short time,
and thou shalt understand, and every secret thing shall be revealed
to thee, which the Lord of spirits has decreed. Those mountains which
thou hast seen, the mountain of iron, or copper, of silver, of gold,
of fluid metal, and of lead, all these in the presence of the Elect
One shall be like a honeycomb before the fire, and like water descending
from above upon these mountains; and shall become debilitated before
his feet.
6.In those days men (they) shall not be saved by gold and by silver.
7. Nor shall they have it in their power to secure themselves, and to fly.
8. There shall be neither iron for war, nor a coat of mail for the breast.
9. Copper shall be useless; useless also that which neither rusts nor
consumes away; and lead shall not be coveted.
10. All these things shall be rejected, and perish from off the earth,
when the Elect One shall appear in the presence of the Lord of spirits.
