Enoch sees the storehouses of winds, the cornerstone of the earth, and the pillars of heaven. He observes seven stars bound together like great mountains, burning in fire — fallen stars punished for failing to rise at their appointed times. An angel explains that this is the prison of rebellious stars/angels.
The identification of stars with angels — and the punishment of stars that fail to keep their courses — directly parallels the Watchers' own punishment. In ancient cosmology, stars were often identified with heavenly beings (cf. Job 38:7, 'the morning stars sang together').
The blending of astronomical phenomena with angelic beings may seem strange to modern readers but is standard in ancient Near Eastern and Israelite thought.
Job 38:7 (morning stars as heavenly beings); Isaiah 14:12 (fallen star/morning star); Jude 13 (wandering stars for whom blackest darkness is reserved); Revelation 1:20 (stars as angels of churches).
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw the storehouses of all the winds. I saw how God had furnished the whole creation with them, and the firm foundations of the earth.
REF I saw the treasuries of all the winds: I saw how He had furnished with them the whole creation and the firm foundations of the earth.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw the cornerstone of the earth, and I saw the four winds that support the earth and the vault of heaven.
REF And I saw the corner-stone of the earth: I saw the four winds which bear [the earth and] the firmament of the heaven.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw how the winds stretch out the vault of heaven and hold their position between heaven and earth — these are the pillars of heaven.
REF And I saw how the winds stretch out the vaults of heaven, and have their station between heaven and earth: these are the pillars of the heaven.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw the winds of heaven that turn and carry the sun's circuit and all the stars to their setting.
REF I saw the winds of heaven which turn and bring the circumference of the sun and all the stars to their setting.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw the winds on the earth carrying the clouds. I saw the paths of the angels. At the end of the earth I saw the vault of heaven above.
REF I saw the winds on the earth carrying the clouds: I saw the paths of the angels. I saw at the end of the earth the firmament of the heaven above.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I continued onward and saw a place that burns day and night, where there are seven mountains of magnificent stones — three toward the east and three toward the south.
REF And I proceeded and saw a place which burns day and night, where there are seven mountains of magnificent stones, three towards the east, and three towards the south.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
Those toward the east: one was of colored stone, one of pearl, and one of jacinth. Those toward the south were of red stone.
REF And as for those towards the east, one was of coloured stone, and one of pearl, and one of jacinth, and those towards the south of red stone.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
But the middle one reached to heaven like the throne of God — made of alabaster — and the summit of the throne was sapphire.
REF But the middle one reached to heaven like the throne of God, of alabaster, and the summit of the throne was of sapphire.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw a blazing fire. And beyond those mountains —
REF And I saw a flaming fire. And beyond these mountains
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
there is a region at the end of the great earth, where the heavens come to their completion.
REF is a region the end of the great earth: there the heavens were completed.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw a deep abyss with columns of heavenly fire, and among them I saw columns of fire falling, immeasurable in both height and depth.
REF And I saw a deep abyss, with columns of heavenly fire, and among them I saw columns of fire fall, which were beyond measure alike towards the height and towards the depth.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
Beyond that abyss I saw a place that had no vault of heaven above it and no solid earth beneath it. There was no water on it and no birds — it was a desolate and terrifying place.
REF And beyond that abyss I saw a place which had no firmament of the heaven above, and no firmly founded earth beneath it: there was no water upon it, and no birds, but it was a waste and horrible place.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
There I saw seven stars like great burning mountains. When I asked about them,
REF I saw there seven stars like great burning mountains, and to me, when I inquired regarding them,
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
the angel said: 'This place is the end of heaven and earth. It has become a prison for the stars and the host of heaven.
REF The angel said: 'This place is the end of heaven and earth: this has become a prison for the stars and the host of heaven.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
The stars that roll through the fire are those that transgressed the Lord's commandment at the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed times.
REF And the stars which roll over the fire are they which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord in the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed times.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
And he was angry with them and bound them until the time when their guilt will be fully punished — for ten thousand years.'
REF And He was wroth with them, and bound them till the time when their guilt should be consummated (even) for ten thousand years.'