The narrative shifts to Noah, who sees the earth tilting and sinking and fears it will be destroyed. He goes to Enoch (his great-grandfather) at the ends of the earth and cries out for explanation. Enoch tells Noah about the coming judgment — a great destruction has been decreed because of the fallen angels' teachings and the sins of humanity.
This chapter contains an embedded Noah apocalypse — one of the clearest examples of the 'Book of Noah' material within the Parables. The intergenerational relationship between Enoch and Noah, with the elder transmitting revelation to the younger, models the tradition of apocalyptic teaching. Noah's visceral fear of the tilting earth is a powerful image of pre-catastrophic awareness.
The Noah material disrupts the Parables' Enoch-centered narrative and is widely regarded as a secondary insertion. However, its inclusion serves the literary purpose of connecting the Parables' eschatological judgment with the historical precedent of the Flood.
Genesis 6:9-13 — God telling Noah about the coming destruction. 2 Peter 2:5 — Noah as a herald of righteousness. Hebrews 11:7 — Noah warned about things not yet seen. The tilting earth motif parallels Job 9:6 ('he shakes the earth out of its place').
Ge'ez: wa-ba-ye'eti mawā'el — 'and in those days'
In those days Noah saw that the earth had sunk down and its destruction was near.
REF And in those days Noah saw the earth that it had sunk down and its destruction was nigh.
Ge'ez: wa-tanśā'a — 'and he departed'
He set out and went to the ends of the earth and cried out to his great-grandfather Enoch. Noah called three times with a bitter voice: 'Hear me, hear me, hear me!'
REF And he departed from thence and went to the ends of the earth, and cried aloud to his grandfather Enoch: and Noah said three times with an embittered voice: 'Hear me, hear me, hear me.'
Ge'ez: wa-yebēlahu — 'and he said to him'
He said to him: 'Tell me what is happening to the earth — why is it in such terrible condition, shaking like this? Am I going to perish with it?'
REF And I said unto him: 'Tell me what it is that is falling out on the earth that the earth is in such evil plight and shaken, lest perchance I shall perish with it?'
Ge'ez: wa-ba-ye'eti sā'at — 'and at that moment'
At that moment there was a great commotion on the earth, and a voice was heard from heaven. I fell on my face.
REF And thereupon there was a great commotion on the earth, and a voice was heard from heaven, and I fell on my face.
Ge'ez: wa-Ḥanok abuy — 'and Enoch my grandfather'
Enoch my great-grandfather came and stood beside me and said: 'Why have you cried out to me with such bitter weeping?'
REF And Enoch my grandfather came and stood by me, and said unto me: 'Why hast thou cried unto me with a bitter cry and weeping?'
Ge'ez: wa-wadā'a 'em-qedma — 'and a decree went forth'
A decree has gone out from the presence of the Lord concerning those who dwell on the earth: their ruin is accomplished because they have learned all the secrets of the angels, all the violence of the satans, all their powers — the most hidden ones — all the power of those who practice sorcery, the power of witchcraft, and the power of those who make cast images for the whole earth.
REF And a command has gone forth from the presence of the Lord concerning those who dwell on the earth that their ruin is accomplished because they have learnt all the secrets of the angels, and all the violence of the Satans, and all their powers — the most secret ones — and all the power of those who practise sorcery, and the power of witchcraft, and the power of those who make molten images for the whole earth.
Ge'ez: wa-kama — 'and how'
They have learned how silver is extracted from the dust of the earth, and how soft metal originates in the ground.
REF And how silver is produced from the dust of the earth, and how soft metal originates in the earth.
Ge'ez: 'esma be'esit wa-berur — 'for lead and tin'
Lead and tin are not produced from the earth in the ordinary way — a spring produces them, and an angel stands within it. That angel is pre-eminent.
REF For lead and tin are not produced from the earth like the first: it is a fountain that produceth them, and an angel stands therein, and that angel is pre-eminent.
Ge'ez: wa-'em-de'eri zeku — 'and after that'
After that my great-grandfather Enoch took me by the hand, raised me up, and said: 'Go, for I have asked the Lord of Spirits about this commotion on the earth.'
REF And after that my grandfather Enoch took hold of me by my hand and raised me up, and said unto me: 'Go, for I have asked the Lord of Spirits as touching this commotion on the earth.'
Ge'ez: wa-yebēlani — 'and he said to me'
He told me: 'Because of their unrighteousness, their judgment has been decided and will not be withheld by me forever. Because of the sorceries they have discovered and practiced, the earth and those who dwell on it will be destroyed.'
REF And He said unto me: 'Because of their unrighteousness their judgement has been determined upon and shall not be withheld by Me for ever. Because of the sorceries which they have searched out and learnt, the earth and those who dwell upon it shall be destroyed.'
Ge'ez: wa-'ella 'emuntu — 'and these'
For these there is no place of repentance forever, because the Lord of Spirits showed them a path of repentance — but for them there is no place of repentance.
REF And these — they have no place of repentance for ever, because the Lord of Spirits has shown them the man of repentance: but there is no place of repentance for them.