ḤANOḴ 18

1 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.

2 And I saw the corner-stone of the earth. I saw the four winds which bear the earth and the firmament of the shamayim.

3 And I saw how the winds stretch out the vaults of the shamayim, and have their station between the shamayim and earth: these are the pillars of the shamayim.

4 I saw the winds of the shamayim which turn and bring the circumference of the sun and all the stars to their going down.

5 I saw the winds on the earth carrying the clouds. I saw the paths of the messengers.

6 I saw at the end of the earth the firmament of the shamayim above. 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.

7 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.

8 But the middle one reached to the shamayim like the throne of Elohim – of alabaster – and the summit of the throne was of sapphire.

9 And I saw a flaming fire, and beyond these mountains is

10 a region – the end of the great earth – there the shamayim were completed.

11 And I saw a deep abyss, with columns of fire of the shamayim, and among them I saw columns of fire fall, which were beyond measure – alike towards the height and towards the depth.

12 And beyond that abyss I saw a place which had no firmament of the shamayim 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.

13 I saw there seven stars like great burning mountains, and to me, when I inquired regarding them,

14 the messenger said, “This place is the end of the shamayim and earth. This has become a prison for the stars and the host of the shamayim.

15 “And the stars which roll over the fire are they which have transgressed the commandment of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed times.

16 “And He was wroth with them, and bound them till the time when their guilt should be completely ended – for ten thousand years.”