God responds by sending the archangels to execute judgment. Uriel warns Noah of the coming flood. Raphael binds Azazel in the wilderness under rocks and darkness until the final judgment. Gabriel incites the giants to destroy each other. Michael binds Shemihazah and the other Watchers in the valleys of the earth for seventy generations. The chapter concludes with a vision of the renewed, purified earth.
This chapter is foundational for understanding the New Testament's references to bound angels (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6). Azazel's punishment — bound, covered with rocks, cast into darkness in the wilderness — is the cosmic prototype behind the Leviticus 16 scapegoat ritual. The vision of earth's renewal (v.16-22) anticipates Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21.
The seventy-generation imprisonment is a specific temporal calculation that later interpreters tried to correlate with actual chronology. The chapter blends pre-flood judgment with eschatological final judgment in ways that can be difficult to separate.
Leviticus 16:20-22 (scapegoat sent to Azazel in wilderness); 2 Peter 2:4 (angels cast into chains of darkness); Jude 6 (angels kept in everlasting chains); Revelation 20:1-3 (Satan bound); Isaiah 65:17-25 (new creation); Genesis 6:13-17 (flood announcement).
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
Then the Most High, the Holy and Great One, spoke and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him:
REF Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him:
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
'Go to Noah and tell him in my name: Hide yourself! And reveal to him the end that is approaching — that the whole earth will be destroyed, for a great flood is about to come upon the entire earth, and it will destroy everything on it.
REF 'Go to Noah and tell him in my name "Hide thyself!" and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it.
Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)legal
Instruction about writing the commandments on new tablets clarified
The JST footnote revises the tablet-replacement narrative to clarify the nature of what was written, consistent with Restoration theology's distinction between the higher law (given before the golden calf) and the lesser law given afterward. This connects to JST Galatians and the broader JST treatment of the law of Moses.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And now instruct him so that he may escape and his offspring may be preserved for all the generations of the world.'
REF And now instruct him that he may escape and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of the world.'
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot and cast him into the darkness. Make an opening in the desert — in Dudael — and throw him in there.
REF And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dûdâêl, and cast him therein.
The wilderness place where Azazel is bound. The name may mean 'God's cauldron.' It corresponds to the desolate place (azazel) of Leviticus 16.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
Place rough and jagged rocks upon him and cover him with darkness. Let him remain there forever, and cover his face so that he may not see light.
REF And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And on the day of the great judgment he will be cast into the fire.
REF And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And heal the earth which the Watchers have corrupted, and announce the healing of the earth, so that the plague may be healed and all the children of humanity may not perish because of all the secret knowledge that the Watchers disclosed and taught to their children.
REF And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
The whole earth has been corrupted by the works taught by Azazel — to him assign all sin.'
REF And the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azâzêl: to him ascribe all sin.'
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And to Gabriel the Lord said: 'Go against the illegitimate and the corrupt ones, against the children born of transgression. Destroy the children of the Watchers from among humanity — send them against one another so that they destroy each other in battle, for they will not have long life.
REF And to Gabriel said the Lord: 'Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates, and against the children of fornication: and destroy [the children of fornication and] the children of the Watchers from amongst men [and cause them to go forth]: send them one against the other that they may destroy each other in battle: for length of days shall they not have.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And no petition that their fathers make to you will be granted on their behalf — for they hoped to live an eternal life, and that each one of them would live five hundred years.'
REF And no request that they (i.e. their fathers) make of thee shall be granted unto their fathers on their behalf; for they hope to live an eternal life, and that each one of them will live five hundred years.'
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And the Lord said to Michael: 'Go, bind Shemihazah and his companions who joined themselves to women and defiled themselves with them in all their impurity.
REF And the Lord said unto Michael: 'Go, bind Semjâzâ and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled themselves with them in all their uncleanness.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
When their sons have killed one another and they have witnessed the destruction of their loved ones, bind them for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth until the day of their judgment and final end — until the judgment that lasts forever and ever is complete.
REF And when their sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgement and of their consummation, till the judgement that is for ever and ever is consummated.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
In those days they will be led to the abyss of fire — to the torment and the prison where they will be confined forever.
REF In those days they shall be led off to the abyss of fire: and to the torment and the prison in which they shall be confined for ever.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And whoever is condemned and destroyed will from that time be bound together with them until the end of all generations.
REF And whosoever shall be condemned and destroyed will from thenceforth be bound together with them to the end of all generations.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And destroy all the spirits of the corrupt ones and the children of the Watchers, because they have wronged humanity.
REF And destroy all the spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers, because they have wronged mankind.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
Destroy all wrongdoing from the face of the earth, and let every evil work come to an end. Let the plant of righteousness and truth appear, and it will become a blessing. The works of righteousness and truth will be planted in faithfulness and joy forever.
REF Destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end: and let the plant of righteousness and truth appear: and it shall prove a blessing; the works of righteousness and truth shall be planted in truth and joy for evermore.
A metaphor for the restored righteous community. Found also in Isaiah 60:21, 61:3 and the Qumran Hodayot.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And then all the righteous will escape and will live until they father thousands of children, and they will complete all the days of their youth and old age in peace.
REF And then shall all the righteous escape, and shall live till they beget thousands of children, and all the days of their youth and their old age shall they complete in peace.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And then the whole earth will be cultivated in righteousness, and it will all be planted with trees and filled with blessing.
REF And then shall the whole earth be tilled in righteousness, and shall all be planted with trees and be full of blessing.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
All kinds of beautiful trees will be planted on it, and they will plant vineyards on it. The vines planted there will produce wine in abundance, and every kind of seed sown on it — each measure will yield a thousand, and each measure of olives will produce ten presses of oil.
REF And all desirable trees shall be planted on it, and they shall plant vines on it: and the vine which they plant thereon shall yield wine in abundance, and as for all the seed which is sown thereon each measure (of it) shall bear a thousand, and each measure of olives shall yield ten presses of oil.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And cleanse the earth from all oppression and from all unrighteousness and from all sin and from all godlessness, and destroy from the earth all the impurity that has been committed upon it.
REF And cleanse thou the earth from all oppression, and from all unrighteousness, and from all sin, and from all godlessness: and all the uncleanness that is wrought upon the earth destroy from off the earth.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And all the children of humanity will become righteous, and all nations will offer worship and will praise me, and all will bow before me.
REF And all the children of men shall become righteous, and all nations shall offer adoration and shall praise Me, and all shall worship Me.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And the earth will be cleansed from all defilement, from all sin, from all punishment, and from all torment, and I will never again send these upon it from generation to generation and forever.
REF And the earth shall be cleansed from all defilement, and from all sin, and from all punishment, and from all torment, and I will never again send (them) upon it from generation to generation and for ever.