1 Methusalam began to stand at the altar before the face [glory] of the Lord and all the people from that day for ten years, trusting in an eternal inheritance, and having taught well the whole land and all his people; and no man was found to turn from the Lord in vanity during all the days in which Methusalam lived. 2. And the Lord blessed Methusalam and was pleased with his sacrifices, and his gifts and all his services which he served before the face [glory] of the Lord. 3. And when the time of the days of the departure of Methusalam took place, [the angel of] the Lord appeared to him in a nightly vision, and said to him: “Listen, Methusalam! I am the Lord GOD of thy father Enoch, I order thee to see, how the days of thy life are finished, and the day of thy rest has drawn near. 4. Call Nir, the son of thy son Lamech, the second, born after Noah, and clothe him in the robes of thy consecration, and place him by My altar, and tell him all that shall be in his days, because the time of the destruction of the whole earth draws near, and of every man and every living thing upon the earth. 5. For in his days there shall be a very great confusion upon the earth, because a man has been envious of his neighbour, and people have become inflamed against people and nation stirs up war against nation, and all the earth is filled with foulness and blood, and every kind of evil. 6. And moreover in addition they deserted their Maker, and have bowed down to vain gods, and to the firmament of heaven, and the course of the earth and the waves of the sea. And the adversary is multiplied and rejoices in his deeds to My great vexation. 7. And all the earth changes its form, and every tree and every fruit changes its seeds, expecting the time of destruction. And all peoples are changing upon the earth to My grief. 8. Then I shall command the abysses to pour themselves upon the earth, and the great treasuries of the waters of heaven shall come upon the earth in their nature and according to their first nature. 9. And all the stability of the earth shall perish and all the earth shall tremble and shall be deprived of its strength from that day. 10. Then I will preserve the son of thy son Lamech, his first son Noe and from his seed I will raise up another world, and his seed shall exist for ever till the second destruction when also men shall sin before My face [glory].” 11. Methusalam leaped up from his sleep and his dream troubled him greatly. And he called all the elders of the people and told them all that the Lord had said to him, and all the vision that had appeared to him from the Lord. 12. And the people were grieved at his vision, and answered him: ‘Let the Lord GOD do according to His will! And now, Methusalam, accomplish thou all things which the Lord enjoined thee.’ 13. And Methusalam called Nir, the son of Lamech, the younger brother of Noe, and clothed him in the robes of the priesthood before the face of all the people, and placed him at the head of the altar, and taught him all that he was to do among the people. 14. And Methusalam called to the people: ‘Lo! Nir will be before your face from to-day as a prince and a leader.’ 15. And the people said to Methusalam, ‘Let it be unto us according to thy word, and let the voice of the Lord be as He spoke to thee.’ 16. And when Methusalam had spoken to the people before the altar, his spirit was confused, and he bent his knees, and stretched out his hands to the heavens, and prayed to GOD. And as he prayed his spirit went forth to the Lord. 17. And Nir and all the people made haste and made a grave for Methusalam in the place Aruzan. 18. And Nir came in glorious attire in all his priestly robes, with lights, with much pomp, and the people lifted up the body of Methusalam, and having [honoured] it, laid it in the grave, which they had made for him, and buried him, and said: ‘Blessed was Methusalam before the face [glory] of the Lord, and before the face of all people.’ 19. When they were about to depart to their own households, Nir said to the people: ‘Go quickly now, and bring sheep and heifers, and turtle-doves, and pigeons, and let us offer them [for GOD’s sake] before the face [glory] of the Lord, and then go to your houses.’ 20. And the people listened to Nir the priest, and hastened and brought the victims, and bound them to the head of the altar. 21. And Nir took the sacrificial knife, and slew all the victims that were brought, and offered them before the face [glory] of the Lord. 22. And all the people rejoiced before the face [glory] of the Lord, and glorified on that day the Lord of Nir, the ruler of heaven and earth. From that day there was peace and order over the whole earth in the days of Nir, during 202 years. 23. And then the people turned from GOD and began to be jealous one of another, and people rebelled against people, and tongue arose against tongue, in reviling. 24. And if lips were the same, hearts chose different things. 25. And then the devil began to reign for the third time, the first time before paradise, the second time in paradise, the third time outside of paradise, he continued (doing so) till the deluge. 26. And there arose a great dispute and confusion. And Nir the priest heard it, and was greatly grieved, and said in his heart, ‘In truth I have understood that the time has drawn near, and the end which the Lord spake to Methusalam, the father of my father Lamech.’