Foreword
The
Lord made men and gave him his life, but who understands what he
factually received? Thus the Lord brings him to behold the other side
of the fence, what life is
without God, or to have Him for an enemy, and so man will acknowledge Him and
His gifts.
BARUCH
TO
INDEX
The letter of
Foreword.
1. These are
the words which Baruch the son of Nerias, son of Masssias, son of Sedecias, son
of Asadias, son of Chelcias, had written in a book in Babylon in the fifth year
on the seventh day of the month at the time when the Chaldeans had taken
Jerusalem and burned it with fire.
2. (years
later then) Baruch read the words of this book in the hearing of Jechonias, the
son of Joachim king of Judah, and in the ears of all the people that came to
hear it, the nobles, the king's sons, and the elders of the people form the
lowest to the highest of all that dwelt at Babylon by the river Sud.
3. And they
wept and fasted before the Lord, and made a collection of money according to
every man's ability, to sent to Jerusalem to Jochim the high priest who was the
son of Chelcias, son of Salom, and to all the priests and people which were at
Jerusalem.
4. This was
at the time when Baruch received the vessels of the house of the Lord which were
carried out of the temple, to return them to the land of Judah on the tenth day
of the month of Sivan.
5. These
were the silver vessels which Zedekiah, son of Josiah king of Judah had caused
to make, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away together with
Jechonias and the princes, and the captives, the mighty men, the people of the
land, from Jerusalem to Babylon.
6. And they
said; Behold, we are sending you money so you may purchase burnt offerings, and
sin offerings, incense and food offerings, and offer them on the altar of the
Lord our God.
7. And pray
for the life of Nebuchadnezzar, and for that of Balthasar his son, that their
days on the earth may be as the days of heaven, so that the Lord will give us
strength and good days to live under the shadow of Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, and under that of Baltasar his son, and we shall serve them long and
find favor in their sight.
8. Pray for
us to the Lord our God, for we have sinned against the Lord our God, and to this
day His fury and wrath is not turned from us.
9. And read
this book which we have sent to you to make confessions in the house of the Lord
on the feast days and solemn days.
Israel acknowledges guilt.
10. And you
shall say; "To the Lord belongs righteousness, but to us confusion even as
it has come to pass this very day to those of Judah and Jerusalem, and its kings
and princes, and to the priests and prophets as well as to our fathers.
11. For we
have sinned before the Lord disobeying Him, we did not listen to His voice to
walk in the commandments that He openly gave us since the day that He brought
our forefathers out of the land of Egypt.
12. To this
present day we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, being negligent in not
hearing His voice.
13. Therefore
do these evils cleave to us, the curse which the Lord appointed by Moses His
servant at the time that He brought our fathers out of Egypt to give us a land
flowing with milk and honey.
14. Nor did
we listen to the voice of our God according to all the words of the prophets
whom He sent to us, but every man followed the imaginations of his own wicked heart to serve strange gods performing evil in the sight of the Lord God.
God’s
righteous judgment.
1. Therefore
the Lord kept His word which He spoke to us and to our judges and our kings and
princes who ruled us, and to all the men of Israel and Judah.
2. To bring
great plagues on us, for the things that happened in Jerusalem, which has not
happened under all of heaven even as it was written in the law of Moses, that a
man would eat the flesh of his own son and daughter.
3. Wherefore
He delivered them to be subjected to all the kingdoms around them for a reproach
and desolation.
4. And we
were cast down, and not exalted, because we sinned against the Lord our God, in
not being obedient to His voice.
5. To the
Lord our God belongs righteousness, while to us and our fathers belongs open
shame, even as it is this day.
6. For all
these plagues which the Lord pronounced against us have come upon us, and yet
have we not prayed before the Lord that each of us might turn from the
imaginations of our wicked heart.
7. Therefore
did the Lord watch over us for evil, and brought this on us, for the Lord is
righteous in all His works which He has commanded us.
8. But we
did not listen to His voice to walk in His commandments that He had set before
us. of repentance.
9. And now O
Lord God of Israel which brought Thy people out of the land of Egypt with great
might, and high authority, through signs and wonders making Thyself a name even
as it is this day.
10. We O Lord
our God have sinned, we have done ungodly, dealing unrighteously in all Thy
ordinances, Let now Thy wrath turn from us, for we are but few left among the
heathen where Thou has scattered us.
11. Hear our
prayers O Lord and our petition, and deliver us for Thy own sake, give us favor
in the sight of them which have led us away, that all the earth may know that
Thou art the Lord our God, because Israel and its posterity is called by Thy
name.
12. O Lord
look down from Thy holy house and consider us, bow down Thy ear Lord to hear us,
open Thy eyes and behold.
13. For the
dead in the graves, whose souls are taken from their bodies cannot praise Thy
glory and righteousness.
14. But the
soul that greatly sorrows, bowed down and weak, and the eyes that fail and the
hungry soul will give Thee praise and righteousness.
15. We O Lord
do not place our supplication before Thee for our righteousness or for that of
our fathers or of our kings, but for Thy mercy, according to Thy wrath and
indignation upon us.
16. For Thou
did speak by Thy servants the prophets saying Thus says the Lord; sow down your
shoulders, and serve the king of Babylon,
17. And if
you will not hear the voice of the Lord to serve the king of Babylon I will
remove from the cities of Judah and from Jerusalem the voice of gladness and
joy, and that of the bridegroom and bride, and the whole land shall be desolate
of its inhabitants.
18. But we
would not listen to Thy voice to serve the king of Babylon, therefore did Thou
keep Thy word, so that the bones of our kings and those of our fathers would be
taken from their places.
19. And they
are cast out to the heat of the day and to the frost of the night, and the house
which is called by Thy name Thou has laid waste, as it is this day, for the
wickedness of the house of Israel and that of Judah.
20. O Lord
our God, Thou has dealt with us according to Thy goodness, and with great mercy,
even as Thou spoke by Moses on the day when Thou commanded him to write Thy law
before the children of Israel saying;
21. If you
will not hear My voice, then this multitude shall surely be made into a small
number among the nations where I will scatter them.
22. For I
knew that they would not hear Me for it is a stiff-necked people, but in the
land of their captivity they will repent themselves, and acknowledge that I am
their God.
23. For I
will give them a heart and ears to hear, and they shall praise Me in the land of
their captivity, and think on My name and return from their stiff neck and wicked
deeds.
24. For they
will remember the way of their fathers which sinned before the Lord, and I will
bring them again into the land which with an oath I promised to their fathers
Abraham Isaac and Jacob, and they shall be lords of it.
25. And I
will increase them and they shall not be diminished, and I will make an
everlasting covenant with them to be their God, and they will be My people, and
I will no more drive My people Israel out of the land which I have given them.
1. Lord
Almighty, God of Israel, in the anguish of our souls, and in our troubled
spirits we cry to Thee.
2. Hear O
Lord and have mercy, for Thou art merciful, and have pity on us for we have
sinned before Thee, for again O Lord Thou endures forever, but we perish for all
ages.
3. O Lord Almighty God of Israel, hear now the prayer of Thy children who are in the jaws of death, who have sinned before Thee not listening to Thee for which reason these plagues are on us.
4.
Remember
not the iniquities of our forefathers, but think on Thy name, for art not Thou
the Lord our God? Therefore we will praise Thee.
5. And for
this reason Thou has put fear in our hearts to the intent that we should call on
Thy name and praise Thee in our captivity.
6. For we
have called to mind all the iniquities of our fathers that sinned before Thee,
behold, we are as yet this day in our captivity where Thou has scattered us for
a reproach and a curse according to all the iniquities of our fathers which
departed from Thee our God.
Wisdom the key to life.
7. Hear
Israel the commandments of life, give ear to understand wisdom. How is it O
Israel that you languish in the land of your enemy, that you are in a strange
country defiling yourselves among the dead, that you are counted those that are
down in the grave?
8. You
forsook the fountain of wisdom, for if you had walked in the way of God - you
would have lived in peace forever.
9. Learn
therefore now the right wisdom that you may come to acknowledge who He is that
grants long life goods and joy, and peace. Who knows where she lives? Who has
come into her treasure chambers?
10. Where are
the princes of the nations that ruled over the wild beasts, who played with the
birds of heaven, who gathered silver and gold on which men put their trust, and
never had enough?
11. They were
anxious how to gather gold and silver, all of which is for nothing, they
perished going into the kingdom of death, and others took their places.
12. The descendants living on the earth saw the light, but they knew not
the way on which knowledge may be found, nor did they understand the paths thereof, but
despised it, and also their children became lost.
13. Nothing
was heard of her in Canaan, nor has it been seen in Teman,
the
children of Hagar search after earthly wisdom, and while the merchants of
Merah and Teman think to have understanding - they know
not the way of understanding, nor have they found wisdom.
14.
O
how glorious is the house of the Lord O Israel, and how wide and large is the
place of his possession, she has no end, she is immeasurable.
15. In
earlier times there were giants, famous warriors, but the Lord did not choose
them, nor did He give them the way of knowledge, instead they were destroyed for
they had no wisdom, perishing in their foolishness.
16.
Who has
gone up to heaven to take her, or brought her down from the clouds? Who has gone
over the sea and finding her brought her for costly gold?
17. No man
knows her way on which she may be found, but he who knows all things knows her,
and has found her out with His understanding.
18.
He who
prepared the earth forever and filled her with four footed beasts, He that sends
forth the light, and when He calls to it - it returns, it obeys Him.
19. The stars
shine in their order and rejoice, and when He calls them to appear they answer;
Here we are, and with joy provide light for the will of Him who made them, this
is our God, and there shall be no other to be compared to Him.
20. He has
founded the wisdom, and given her to Jacob His servant, and to Israel His
beloved, and afterwards she appeared on the earth, and lived with you.
Jerusalem laments her children.
1. This
is the book of the commandments of God, of the law that endures forever, all who
keep it shall come to life, but such as leave it shall die.
2. Turn
yourself O Jacob and take hold of it, walk by the light that enlightens your
way, give not your honor to another, nor your treasure to a strange nation.
3. O blessed
are we Israel, for the things pleasing to God are made known to us, be of good
cheer my people, you have remained because the Lord has
thought on you.
4. You were sold to the nations not for
destruction but because you angered Him, because you provoked Him by offering to
devils instead of to Him.
5. You have
forgotten the everlasting God who created you, and you grieved Jerusalem who
nursed you.
6. For she
saw the wrath of God coming for you saying; Listen you who dwell in Zion, God
has brought great mourning on me for I beheld the captivity of my sons and
daughters which the everlasting One brought on them.
7. I
nourished them with joy, but with weeping and sorrow saw them leave, no-one
rejoiced over me, a widow forsaken of many.
8. I am left
desolate for the sins of my children, for they departed from the law of God,
they knew not His statutes, nor walked in the way of His commandments, nor trod
in the paths of His discipline, in His righteousness.
9. Come you
that live around Zion, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters which
the Everlasting One brought on them.
10.
For He
has brought on them a nation from afar, a shameless nation of a strange
language, who respect not the old nor pity children.
11.
They have
carried away the dearly beloved children of the widow, and left her that was
alone desolate as without daughters.
12. But how
can I help you? He that has brought these plagues on you will deliver you from
the hands of your enemies, go you children, go your way, for I am left desolate.
13. I have
removed my joyous clothing, and put on sackcloth, and I will call to the
Everlasting One forever.
Consolation to the exiled.
14. Be of
good cheer my children, cry to the Lord and He will deliver you from the power
of the hand of the enemy.
15. For my
hope is in the Everlasting that He will save you, and joy came to me from the
Holy One because of the mercy which shall soon come to you from Him our-Savior.
16.
For I
sent you out with mourning and weeping, but God will give you to me again with
joy and gladness forever.
17. And
just as now the neighbors of Zion have seen your captivity, so shall they
shortly see your salvation from our God who shall come on you with great glory,
and with the brightness of the Everlasting.
18.
Suffer the wrath that has come on you from God patiently my children,
for your enemies
persecuted you, but shortly you shall see his destruction, and you shall tread
on his neck.
19.
My
delicate ones had to walk on sharp roads, they were led away as a flock stolen
by the enemy.
20. But be of good comfort my children, cry to God, for you shall be remembered of Him who brought these things on you.
21. For like
as it was in your mind to stray from God, so return now and seek Him ten times
more.
22. For He
who brought these plagues on you shall again bring you everlasting joy with your
salvation.
23.
Take a
good heart O Jerusalem, for He that gave you that name will comfort you,
miserable shall those be that afflicted you and who rejoiced at your fall.
24.
Miserable
are the cities which your children served, she who kept your sons captive.
25. For like
as she rejoiced at your ruin, and was glad in your fall, so she shall be grieved
for her desolation.
26. For I
will take away the rejoicing of her great multitude, and her pride shall be
turned into weeping.
27.
For fire
shall come on her from the Everlasting long to endure, and she shall be
inhabited of devils for a great time.
28. O
Jerusalem look around towards the east, and behold the joy that comes to you
from God, look your sons are coming, those who were led away, they come together
from the east and from the west by the word of the Holy One rejoicing in the
glory of God.
Rejoicing in redemption.
1. Remove
O Jerusalem the garment of your mourning and put on the beauty of the glory that
comes from God forever.
2. Put
around you a double garment of the righteousness which comes from God, and set a
Diadem on your head of the glory of the Everlasting.
3. For God will show your brightness to every nation under heaven, for
your name shall be called of God forever, the peace of righteousness, and the reward of
Godliness.
4.Arise O
Jerusalem, stand on high, look towards the east and behold your children
gathered from the west unto the east by the word of the Holy One rejoicing in
the remembrance of God.
5. For they
departed from you on foot, and were led away by their enemies, but God brings
them to you exalted with glory as children of the kingdom.
6. For God
will cast down every high hill, and every sandbank, and fill up every valley so
that Israel may go safely in the glory of the Lord.
7.
Moreover
even the woods and every sweet smelling tree shall overshadow Israel by the
command of God.
8. For God
shall lead Israel with joy in the light of His glory and with the mercy and
righteousness that comes of Him.
