Noah’s Prayer for His Sons

¹During the third week of this jubilee [1583–1589], impure demons began to mislead Noah’s grandchildren, to make them act foolishly and to destroy them. ²Then Noah’s sons came to their father Noah and told him about the demons who were misleading, blinding, and killing his grandchildren. ³He prayed before the Lord his God and said, “God of the spirits which are in all animate beings—you who have shown kindness to me, saved me and my sons from the floodwaters, and did not make me perish as you did to the people [meant for] destruction—because your mercy for me has been large and your kindness to me has been great: may your mercy be lifted over the children of your children; and may the wicked spirits not rule them in order to destroy them from the earth. ⁴Now you bless me and my children so that we may increase, become numerous, and fill the earth. ⁵You know how your Watchers, the fathers of these spirits, have acted during my lifetime. As for these spirits who have remained alive, shut them up and hold them captive in the place of judgment. May they not cause destruction among your servant’s sons, my God, for they are depraved and were created for the purpose of destroying. ⁶May they not rule the spirits of the living, for you alone know their punishment, and may they not have power over the sons of the righteous from now and forevermore.”