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2 Baruch (Syriac Apocalypse)Date: early second century A.D. translation: H.E Gaylord, Jr. Jerusalem will be destroyed Chapter one 1And it happened in the twenty-fifth year of Jeconiah, the king of Judah, that the 2word of the Lord came to Baruch, the son of Neriah, and said to him: Have you seen all that this people are doing to me, the evil things which the two tribes which remained have done-more than the ten tribes which were carried 3away into captivity? For the former tribes were forced by their kings to sin, but 4these two have themselves forced and compelled their kings to sin. Behold, therefore, I shall bring evil upon this city and its inhabitants. And it will be taken away from before my presence for a time. And I shall scatter this people among 5the nations that they may do good to the nations. And my people will be chastened, and the time will come that they will look for that which can make their times prosperous. ******** Chapter two 1This, then, I have said to you that you may say to Jeremiah and all those who are like you that you may retire from this city like a firm pillar and your prayers like a strong wall. ******** Chapter three And I said: 1O Lord, my Lord, have I therefore come into the world to see the evil things 2of my mother? No, my Lord. If I have found grace in your eyes, take away my spirit first that I may go to my fathers and I may not see the destruction of my 3mother. For from two sides I am hard pressed: I cannot resist you, but my soul 4also cannot behold the evil of my mother. But one thing I shall say in your 5presence, O Lord; Now, what will happen after these things? For if you destroy your city and deliver up your country to those who hate us, how will the name of 6Israel be remembered again? Or how shall we speak again about your glorious 7deeds? Or to whom again will that which is in your Law be explained? Or will the universe return to its nature and the world go back to its original silence? 8And will the multitude of the souls be taken away and will not the nature of man 9be mentioned again? And where is all that which you said to Moses about us? ******** The New Jerusalem Chapter four 1 And the Lord said to me: 3I have carved you? It is not this building that is in your midst now; it is that which will be revealed, with me, that was already prepared from the moment that I decided to create 4Paradise. And I showed it to Adam before he sinned. But when he transgressed the commandment, it was taken away from him-as also 4Paradise. After these things I showed it to my servant Abraham in the night 5 between the portions of the victims. And again I showed it also to Moses on Mount Sinai when I showed hin the likeness of the tabernacle and all its vessels. 6,7Behold, now it is preserved with me-as also Paradise. Now go away and do as I command you. ******** 1Preparation made by the angels before the enemies arrive Chapter five And I answered and said: 2And the Lord said to me: 5And I went away and took with me Jeremiah and Add and Serial and Jewbush and Gedaliah and all the nobles of the people. And I brought them to the valley of 6Kidron and told them all which had been said to me. And they raised their voices 7and they all lamented. And we sat there and fasted until the evening. Chapter six 1Now it happened on the following day that, behold an army of the Chaldeans surrounded the city. And in the evening I, Baruch left the people, went outside, 2and set myself by an oak. And I was grieving over Zion and sighed because of 3the captivity which had come upon the people. And behold, suddenly a strong 4spirit lifted me and carried me above the wall of Jerusalem. And I saw, and behold, there were standing four angels at the four corners of the city, each of 5them with a burning torch in his hands. And another angel came down from heaven and said to them, “Hold your torches and do not light them before I say 6 it to you. Because I was sent first to speak a word to the earth and them to deposit 7in it what the Lord, the Most High, has commanded me. “And I saw that he descended in the Holy of Holies and that he took from there the veil, the holy ephod, the mercy seat, the two tables, the holy raiment of the priests, the altar of incense, the forty-eight precious stones with which the priests were clothed, and 8all the holy vessels of the tabernacle. And he said to the earth with a loud voice: And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up. Chapter seven 1And after these things I heard this angel saying to the angels who held the torches: Now destroy the walls and overthrow them to their foundations so that the enemies do not boast and say, “We have over thrown the wall of Zion and we have burnt down the place of the mighty God.” And they restored me to the place where I once stood. ******** The enemies enter the city Chapter eight 1Now the angels did as he had commanded them; and when they had broken up the corners of the wall, a voice was heard from the midst of the temple after the wall had fallen, saying: 2Enter, enemies, and come, adversaries, because he who guarded the house has left it. 3,4And I, Baric went away. And it happened after these things that the army 5of the Chadeans entered and seized the house and all that is around it. And they carried away the people into captivity and killed some of them. And they put King Zedekiah in irons and sent him to the king of Babylon. ******** Chapter nine 1And I, Baric came with Jeremiah, whose heart was found to be pure from 2sins, and who was not captured during the seizure of the city; and we tent our garments, and wept and mourned, and fasted for seven days. ******** Baric’s lamentation Chapter ten 1And it happened after seven says that the word of God came to me and said to me: 2,3Tell Jeremiah to go away in order to support tha captives unto Babylon. You however, stay here in the desolation of Zion and I shall show you after these days what will happen at the end of days. 4,5And I spoke to Jeremiah as the Lord commanded me. He, then, went away with the people, but I, Baruch, came back and sat in front of the doors of the Temple, and I raised the following lamentation over Zion and said: ******** Chapter eleven 1Now this I, Baruch say to you, O Babylon: If you had lived in happiness and Zion in its glory, it would have been a great 2sorrow to us that you had been equal to Zion. But now, behold, the grief is infinite and the lamentation is unmeasurable, because, behold, you are happy and Zion 3has been destroyed. Who will judge over these things? Or to whom shall we complain about that which has befallen us? 4O Lord, how have you borne it? Our fathers went to rest without grief and, 5 behold, the righteous sleep at rest in the earth. For they did not know this anguish 6nor did they hear that which has befallen us. Would that you had ears, O earth, and would that you had a heart, O dust, so that you might go and announce in 7the realm of death and say to the dead, “You are more happy than we who live.” ******** Chapter twelve 1But I shall say as I think and I shall speak to you, O land, that which is happy. 2The afternoon will not always burn nor will the rays of the sun always give 3 light. Do not think and do not expect that you will always have happiness and 4joy, and do not raise yourself too much and do not oppress. For surely wrath will arise against you in its own time, because long-suffering is now held back, as it were, by reins. 5And having said these things, I fasted for seven days. ******** The nations will be judged Chapter thirteen 1And after these things, it happened that I, Baruch, was standing on Mount Zion and, behold, a voice came from the high heavens, saying to me: 2,3Stand upon your feet, Baruch, and hear the word of the mighty God. Because you have been astonished at that which has befallen Zion you will surely be 4preserved until the end of times to be for a testimony. This means that if these happy cities will ever say, “Why has the mighty God brought upon us this 5retribution?”, you and those who are like you, those who have seen this evil and retribution coming over you and your nation in their own time, may say to them 6,7that the nations will be thoroughly punished.” And this they may expect. And when they say in that time, “When?” you will say to them: ******** What is the profit of being righteous? Chapter fourteen 1And I answered and said: Behold, you have shown me the dourse of times, and that which will happen 2after these things, And you have told me that the retribution of that which has been spoken by you will come upon the nations. And now, I know there are many who have sinned and who have lived in happiness and who have left the world, but there will be few nations left in those times to which those words can be spoken 3which you said. For what is the advantage (of this), or what evil worse than that 4which we have seen befall us can we expect to see? But I will continue to speak 5before you. What have they profited who have knowledge before you, and who did not walk in vanity like the rest of the nations, and who did not say to the dead; 6“Give life to us,” but always feared you and did not leave your ways? And behold, they have been diligent and, nevertheless, you had no mercy on Zion on 7their account. And if there are others who did evil, Zion should have been forgiven on account of the works of those who did good works and should not have been 8overwhelmed because of the works of those who acted unrighteously. O Lord, my Lord, who can understand your judgment? Or who can explore the depth of 9your way? Or who can discern the majesty of your path? Or who can discern your incomprehensible counsel? Or who of those who are born has ever discovered 10the beginning and the end of your wisdom? For we all have been made like 11 breath. For as breath ascends without human control and vanishes, so it is with the nature of men, who do not go away according to their won will, and who do 12not know what will happen to them in the end. For the righteous justly have good hope for the end and go away from this habitation without fear because they possess with you a store of good works which is preserved in treasuries. 13Therefore, they leave this world without fear and are confident of the world which 14 you have promised to them with an expectation full of joy. But woe to those of us who have also now been treated shamefully and who await evils at that time. 15But you know exactly what you have made of your servants, for we are not able 16to understand that which is good like you, our Creator. I shall continue to speak 17before your presence, O Lord, my Lord. When in the beginning the world did not exist with its inhabitants, you devised and spoke by means of your word and at the same time the works of your creation stood by means of your word and 18at the same time the works of your creation stood before you. And you said that you would make a man for this world as a guardian over your works that it should 19be known that he was not created for the world, byt the world for him. And now, I see that the world which was made for us, behold, it remains; but we, for whom it was made, depart. ******** Chapter fifteen 1And the Lord answered and said to me: You are rightly astonished about man’s departure, but your judgment about the 2evils which befell those who sin is incorrect. And with regard to what you say about the righteous who are taken away and the wicked ones who are happy, 3,4and with regard to what you say that man does not know your judgment, for this reason, now, listen and I shall speak to you; pay attention and I shall let my 5 words be heard. It is true that man would not have understood my judgment if he had not received the Law and if he were not instructed with understanding. 6But now, because he trespassed, having understanding, he will be punished 7because he has understanding. And with regard to the righteous ones, those whom you said the world has come on their account, yes, also that which is 8coming is on their account. For this world is to them a struggle and an effort with much trouble. And that accordingly which will come, a crown with great glory. ******** Chapter sixteen 1And I answered and said: O Lord, my Lord, behold, the present years are few and evil, and who can inherit that which is unmeasurable in this short time? ******** Chapter seventeen 1And the Lord answered and said to me: 2With the Most High no account is taken of much time and of few years. For what did it profit Adam that he lived nine hundred and thirty years and transgressed 3that which he was commanded? Therefore, the multitude of time that he lived did not profit him, but it brought death and cut off the years of those who were born 4from him. Or what did it harm Moses that he lived only one hundred and twenty years and, because he subjected himself to him who created him, he brought the Law to the descendants of Jacob and he lighted a lamp to the generation of Israel? ******** Chapter eighteen 1And I answered and said: 2He who lighted took from the light, and there are few who imitated him. But many whom he illuminated took from the darkness of Adam and did not rejoice in the light of the lamp. ******** Chapter nineteen 1And he answered and said to me: Therefore he appointed a covenant for them at that time and said, “Behold, I appoint for you life and death,” and he called heaven and earth as a witness against 2them. For he knew that his time was short, but that heaven and earth will stay 3forever. They, however, sinned and trespassed after his death, although they knew that they had the Law to reprove them and that light in which nothing could err, apart from the spheres, which witnessed, and me. And I judge everything 4that exists. You, however, should not think about this in your heart and you 5should not be afflicted because of the things which have been. For now the end of times is at stake whether it be property, happiness, or shame; and not its 6beginning. For when a man is happy in his youth and is treated badly in his old 7age, he forgets all happiness he possessed. And further, when a man is badly treated in his youth but will be happy in the end, he does not remember his 8disgrace anymore. And further, listen: Even if everyone had been happy continually since the day death was decreed against those who trespassed, but was destroyed in the end, everything would have been in vain. ******** Chapter twenty 1Therefore, behold, the days will come and the times will hasten, more than the former, and the periods will hasten more than those which are gone, and the 2years will pass more quickly than the present ones. Therefore, I now took away 3Zion to visit the world in its own time more speedily. Now, however, remember 4everything which I commanded you and seal it in the interior of your mind. And 5then I shall show you my strong judgment and my unexplorable ways. Therefore, go away and sanctify yourself for seven days and do not eat bread and do not 6drink water and do not speak to anybody. And after this time come to this place, and I shall reveal myself to you, and I shall speak to you true things, and I shall command you with regard to the course of times, for they will come and will not tarry. ******** Prayer of Baruch, the Son of Neriah Chapter twenty one 1I went from there and sat in the valley of Kidron in a cave of the earth and sanctified myself there and ate no bread, but I was not hungry; I drank no water, but I was not thirsty. And I stayed there until the seventh day as he had commanded 2,3me. And it happened at sunset that my soul received many thoughts, and I began to speak in the presence of the Mighty One, and said: 4O hear me, you who created the earth, the one who fixed the firmament by the word and fastened the height of heaven by the spirit, the one who in the beginning 5of the world called that which did not yet exist and they obeyed you. You who gave commandments to the air with your sign and have seen the things which are 6to come as well as those which have passed. You how reign with great thoughts over the powers which stand before you, and who rules with indignation the countless holy things, who are flame and fire, whom you created from the 7beginning, those who stand around your throne. For you alone (all) this exists 8so that you may create at once all that you want. You are the one who causes the rain to fall on earth with a specific number of raindrops. You alone know the end 9of times before it has arrived. Hear my prayer. For only you can sustain those who exist, those who have gone and those who will come, those who sin and those who have proved themselves to be righteous, since you are the Living One and the 10Inscrutable one. For you are the only Living One, the Immortal One and the 11Iinscrutable one, and you know the number of men, And while many have sinned once, many others have proved themselves to be righteous. 12You know where you have preserved the end of those who have sinned or the 13fulfillment of those who have proved themselves to be righteous. 14For if only this life exists which everyone possesses here, nothing could be more bitter than this. For of what help is strength which changes into weakness, of food in abundance 15which changes into famine, or beauty which changes into ugliness? For the nature 16of men is always unchangeable. For as we were once, we are no longer, and as we 17are now, we shall not remain in the future. For if an end of all things had not been 18prepared, their beginning would have been senseless. But let me know all that which comes from you, and regarding that which I ask you, enlighten me. 19How long will corruption remain, and until when will the time of mortals be happy, and until when will those who pass away be polluted by the great wickedness 20in this world? Therefore, command mercifully and confirm all that you have said that you would do so that your power will be recognized by those who believe that 21your long-suffering means weakness. And now show it to them, those who do not know, but who have seen that which has befallen us and our city, up to now, that it is in agreement with the long-suffering of your power, because you called 22us a beloved people on account of your name. From now, therefore, everything 23is in a state of dying. Therefore, reprove the angel of death, and let your glory appear, and let the greatness of your beauty be known, and let the realm of death be sealed, so that it may not receive the dead from this time, and let the treasuries 24of the souls restore those who are enclosed in them. For as many years have passed as those which passed wince the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all those who were like them, who sleep in the earth-those on whose account you 25have said you have created the world. And now, show your glory soon and do not postpone that which was promised by you. 26And it happened that when I had ended the words of this prayer, I became very weak. ******** Chapter twenty two 1And afterward it happened that, behold, the heaven was opened, and I say, and strength was given to me, and a voice was heard from on high which said to me: 2,3Baruch, Baruch, why are you disturbed? Who starts on a journey and does not complete it? Or who will be comforted making a sea voyage unless he can reach 4a harbor? Or he who promises to give a present to somebody-is it not a theft, 5unless it is fulfilled? Or he who sows the earth-does he not lose everything unless 6he reaps its harvest in its own time? Or he who plants a vineyard-does the planter 7expect to receive fruit from it, unless it grows until its appointed time? Or a woman who has conceived-does she not surely kill the child when she bears 8untimely? Or he who builds a house, can it be called a house, unless it is provided with a roof and is finished? Tell this to me first. ******** Chapter twenty three 1And I answered and said: No, Lord, my Lord. 2And he answered and said to me: Why, then, are you disturbed about that which you do not know, and why are 3you restless about that of which you do not possess any knowledge? For as you have not forgotten men who exist and who have passed away, I remember those 4who will come. For when Adam sinned and death was decreed against those who were to be born, the multitude of those who would be born was numbered. And for that number a place was prepared where the living ones might live and where 5the dead might be preserved. No creature will live again unless the number that has been appointed is completed. For my spirit creates the living, and the realm 6of death receives the dead. And further, it is given to you to hear that which will 7come after these times. For truly, my salvation which comes has drawn near and is not as far away as before. ******** Chapter twenty four 1For behold, the days are coming, and the books will be opened in which are written the sins of all those who have sinned, and moreover, also the treasuries in which are brought together the righteousness of all those who have proven 2themselves to be righteous. And it will happen at that time that you shall see, and many with you, the long-suffering of the Most high, which lasts from generation to generation, who has been long-suffering toward all who are born, both those who dinned and those who proved themselves to be righteous. 3And I answered and said: But, behold, O lord, a man does not know the number of things which pass 4away nor those which come. For behold, I also know what has befallen me; but that which will happen with our enemies, I do not know, or when you will command your works. Chapter twenty five 1And he answered and said to me: You also will be preserved until that time, namely until that sign which the Most 2High will bring about the inhabitants of the earth at the end of days, This 3then will be the sign,. When horror seizes the inhabitants of earth, and they fall into many tribulations and further, they fall 4into great torments. And it will happen that they will say in their thoughts because of their great tribulations, “The Mighty One does not anymore remember the earth”, It will happen they lose hope, that the time will awake. ******** The apocalypse of the twelve calamities and the coming of the Messiah Chapter twenty six 1And I answered and said: That tribulation which will be will it last long time; and that distress, will it embrace many years? Chapter twenty seven 1And he answered and said to me” That time will be divided into twelve parts, and each part has been preserved 2for that for which it was appointed. In the first part; the beginning of commotions. 3,4In the second part: the slaughtering of the great. In the third part; the fall of 5,6many into death. In the fourth part; the drawing of the sword, In the fifth part; 7famine and the withholding of rain. In the sixth part; earthquakes and terrors. 9,10In the eighth part; a multitude of ghosts and the appearances of demons. In the ninth part; the fall of dire. In the tenth part; rape and much violence. In the 13eleventh part; injustice and unchastity. In the twelth part; disorder and a mixture 14of all that has been before. These parts of that time will be preserved and will 15be mixed, one with another, and they will minister to each other. For some of these parts will withhold a part of themselves and take from others and will accomplish that which belongs to them and to others; hence, those who live on earth in those days will not understand that it is the end of times. Chapter twenty eight 1,2But everyone who will understand will be wise at that time. For the measure and the calculation of that time will be two parts: weeks of seven weeks. 3And I answered and said: It is good that man should come so far and see, but it is better that he should 4,5not come so far lest he fall. But I shall also say this. Will he who is incorruptable despise those who are corruptible, and will he despise what happens with those who are corruptible so that he might only look to those who are not corruptible? 6But when, O Lord, these things will surely come of which you spoke to me before, 7let me also know this, if I have found grace in your eyes: Is it in one place or in one part of the earth that these things will come or will they be noticed by the whole earth? Chapter twenty nine 1And he answered and said to me: That which will happen at that time bears upon the whole earth. Therefore, all 2who live will notice it. For at that time I shall only protect those found in this 3land at that time. And it will happen that when all that which should come to pass in these parts has been accomplished, the Anointed One will begin to be 4revealed. And Behemoth will reveal itself from its place, and Leviathan will come from the sea, the two great monsters which I created on the fifth day of creation and which I shall have kept until that time. And they will be nourishment 5for all who are left. The earth will also yield fruits ten thousandfold. And on one vine will be a thousand branches, and one branch will produce a thousand clusters, and one cluster will produce a thousand grapes, and one grape will 6produce a cor of wine. And those who are hungry will enjoy themselves and they 7will, moreover, see marvels every day. For winds will go out in front of me every morning to bring the fragrance of aromatic fruits and clouds at the end of 8the day to distill the dew of health. And it will happen at that time that the treasury of manna will come down again from on high, and they will eat of ir in those years because these are they who will have arrived at the consummation of time. Chapter thirty 1And it will happen after these things when the time of the appearance of the Anointed One has been fulfilled and he returns with glory, that then all who 2sleep in hope of him will rise. And it will happen at that time that those treasuries will be opened in which the number of the souls of the righteous were kept, and they will go out and the multitudes of the souls will appear together, in one assemblage, of one mind. And the first ones will enjoy themselves, and the last 3ones will not be sad. For they know that the time has come of which it is said 4that it is the end of times. But the souls of the wicked will the more waste away 5when they shall see all these things. For they know that their torment has come and that their perditions have arrived. ******** Baruch speaks to the people Chapter thirty one 1And it happened after these things, that I went to the people and said to them: Assemble to me all our elders and I shall speak words to you. 2,3And they all assembled in the valley of the Kidron. And I began to speak and said to them: Hear, O Israel, and I shall speak to you, and you O seed of Jacob, pay attention, 4and I shall teach you. Do not forget Zion but remember the distress of Jerusalem. 5For, behold, the days are coming, that all that has been will be taken away to be destroyed, and it will become as though it had not been. Chapter thirty two 1You, however, if you prepare your minds to sow into them the fruits of the law, he shall protect you in the time in which the Mighty One shall shake the 2entire creation. For after a short time, the building of Zion will be shaken in order 3 that it will be rebuilt. That building will not remain; but it will again be uprooted 4after some time and will remain desolate for a time. And after that it is necessary 5that it will be renewed in glory and that it will be perfected into eternity. We should not, therefore, be so sad regarding the evil which has come now, but much 6more (distressed) regarding that which is in the future. For greater than the two 7evils will be the trial when the Mighty One will renew his creation. And now, do not draw near to me for some days and do not call upon me until I shall come to you. 8And it happened after having said all these words to them that I, Baruch, went my way. And when the people saw that I went away, they raised their voices and lamented and said: 9Where are you going from us, Baruch, and do you leave us as a father who leaves his children as orphans and goes away from them? Chapter thirty three 1These are the commands which your friend Jeremiah, the prophet, gave to 2you. And he said to you, “Look to this people during the time I am absent, while I help the rest of our brothers in Babylon, against whom has been declared the 3sentence that they should be carried away into captivity.” And now, if you abandon us too, it would nave been better for all of us that we shall die first, and that then you should abandon us. Chapter thirty four 1And I answered and said to the people: Heaven forbid that I should abandon you or that I should go away from you. But I shall go to the Holy of Holies to ask from the Mighty One on behalf of you and Zion so that I may receive in some ways more light, and after that I shall return to you. ******** The apocalypse of the forest, the vine, the fountain and the cedar Chapter thirty five 1And I, Baruch, went to the holy place and sat on the ruins and wept and said: Chapter thirty six 1And when I had said this, I fell asleep at that place and saw a vision in the 2night. And behold there was a forest with trees that was planted on the plain and surrounded by high mountains and rugged rocks. And the forest occupied much 3space. And behold, over against it a vine arose, and from under it a fountain (ran) 4peacefully. And that fountain came to the forest and changed into great waves, and those waves submerged the forest and suddenly uprooted the entire forest and 5overthrew all the mountains which surrounded it. And the height of the forest became low, and that top of the mountains became low. And that fountain became 6so strong that it left nothing of the great forest except one cedar. When it had also cast that one down, it destroyed the entire forest and uprooted it so that nothing was left of it, and its place was not even known anymore. Then that vine arrived with the fountain in peace and in great tranquility and arrived at a place which was not far away from the cedar, and they brought to him that cedar which had 7been cast down. And I saw, and behold, that vine opened its mouth and spoke and said to the cedar, “Are you not that cedar which remained of the forest of wickedness? Because of you, wickedness remained and has been done during all 8 these years, but never goodness. And you possessed power over that which did not belong to you; you did not even show compassion to that which did belong to you. And you extended your power over those who were living far from you, and you keep those who are close to you in the nets of your wickedness, and you 9uplift your soul always like one who could not be uprooted. But now your time 10has hastened and your hour has come. Therefore O cedar, follow the forest which has departed before you and become ashes with it, and let your earth be mixed 11together. And now, sleep in distress and rest in pain until your last time comes in which you will return to be tormented even more.” Chapter thirty seven 1And after these things I saw that the cedar was burning and the vine growing, while it and all around it became a valley full of unfading flowers. And I awoke and arose. ******** Interpretation of the apocalypse Chapter thirty eight 1And I prayed and said: O Lord, my Lord, you are the one who has always enlightened those who 2conduct themselves with understanding. Your Law is life, and your wisdom is 3,4the right way. Now, show me the explanation of this vision. For you know that my soul has always been associated with your Law, and that i did not depart from your wisdom from my earliest days. Chapter thirty nine 1And he answered and said to me: 2Baruch, this is the explanation of the vision which you have seen. As you have seen the great forest surrounded by high and rocky mountains, this is the word; 3Behold, the days will come when this kingdom that destroyed Zion once will be 4destroyed and that it will be subjected to that which will come after it. This again will also be destroyed after some time, And another, a third will rise and also that 5 will possess power in its own time and will be destroyed. After that a fourth kingdom arises whose power is harsher and more evil than those which were before it, and it will reign a multitude of times like the trees on the plain, and it 6will rule the times and exalt itself more than the cedars of Lebanon. And the truth will hide itself in this and all who are polluted with unrighteousness will flee to it 7like the evil beasts flee and creep into the forest. And it will happen when the time of its fulfillment is approaching in which it will fall, that at that time the dominion of my Anointer One which is like the fountain and the vine, will be revealed. And when it has revealed itself, it will uproot the multitude of its host. 8And that which you have seen, namely the tall cedar, which remained of that forest, and with regard to the words which the vine said to it which you heard, that is the meaning. Chapter forty 1The last ruler who is left alive at that time will be bound, whereas the entire host will be destroyed. And they will carry him on Mount Zion, and my Anointer One will convict him of all his wicked deeds and will assemble and set before him 2all the works of his hosts. And after these things he will kill him and protect the 3rest of my people who will be found in the place that I have chosen. And his dominion will last forever until the world of corruption has ended and until the 4times which have been mentioned before have been fulfilled. This is your vision and this is its explanation. ******** About the apostates and the believers Chapter forty one 1And I answered and said: For whom and for how many will these things be? Or who will be worthy to 2live in that time? I shall now say before you everything that I think, and I shall 3ask you about the things of which I meditate. For behold, I see many of your people who separated themselves from your statutes and who have cast away from 4 them the yoke of your Law. Further, i have seen others who left behind their 5vanity and who have fled under your wings. What will, therefore, happen with 6those? Or how will that last time receive them? Their time will surely not be weighed exactly, and they will certainly not be judged as the scale indicated? Chapter forty two 1And he answered and said to me: 2Also these things I shall show you. As for what you said: “To whom and to how many will these things be?” The good that was mentioned before will be to those who have believed, and the opposite of these things will be to those who 3 have despised. And as for that which you said with regard to those who have 4drawn near and to those who have withdrawn, this is the explanation. As for those who have first subjected themselves and have withdrawn later and who mingled themselves with the seed of the mingled nations, their first time will be 5considered as mountains. And those who first did not know life and who later knew it exactly and who mingled with the seed of the people who have separated 6themselves, their first time will be considered as mountains. And times will inherit times, and periods periods, and they will receive from one another. And then with a view to the end, all will be compared according to the length of times 7and the hours of periods. For corruption will take away those who belong to it, 8and life those who belong to it. And dust will be called, and told, “Give back that which does not belong to you and raise up all that you have kept until its own time.” Chapter forty three 1You, however Baruch, strengthen your heart with a view to that which has been said to you, and understand that which has been revealed to you because you 2have many consolations which will last forever. For you will go away from this place and leave the regions which are now before your eyes. And you shall forget that which is corruptible and not again remember that which is among the mortal 3ones. Go away, therefore, and command your people and some to this place and afterward fast seven days. And then I shall come to you and speak with you. ******** Baruch speaks to the people Chapter forty four 1And I, Baruch, went from there and came to my people and called my firstborn son and the Gedaliahs, my friends, and seven of the elders of the people and said to them: 2,3 Behold, I go to my fathers in accordance with the way of the whole earth. You however, do not withdraw from the way of the Law, but guard and admonish the people who are left lest they withdraw from the commandments of the Mighty 4One. For you see that he whom we serve is righteous and that our Creator is 5,6 impartial. And we see what has befallen Zion and what happened to Jerusalem, that the judgment of the Mighty One will be made known, as well as his ways which 7 are inscrutable and right. For when you endure and preserve in his fear and do not forget his Law, the time again will take a turn for the better for you. And they 8 will participate in the consolation of Zion. For that which in now is nothing. But 9 that which is in the future will be very great. For everything will pass away which is corruptible, and everything that dies will go away, and all present time will be forgotten, and there will be no remembrance of the present time which is 10 polluted by evils. For he who runs now runs in vain and he who is happy will 11 fall quickly and be humiliated. For that which will be in the future, that is what one will look for, and that which comes later, that is what we shall hope for. For 12 there is a time that does not pass away. And that period is coming which will remain forever; and there is the new world which does not carry back to corruption those who enter into its beginning, and which has no mercy on those who come 13 into torment of those who are living in it, and it does not carry to perdition. For those are the ones who will inherit this time of which it is spoken, and to these 14 is the heritage of the promised time. These are they who prepared for themselves treasures of wisdom. And stores of insight are found with them. And they have 15 not withdrawn form mercy and they have preserved the truth of the Law. For the coming world will be given to these, but the habitation of the many others will be in the fire. Chapter forty five 1 You, therefore, admonish the people as much as you can. For this is our work. 2 For, when you instruct them, you will make them alive. Chapter forty six 1 And my son and the elders of the people said to me: Did the Mighty One humiliate us to such an extent that he will take you away 2 from us quickly? And shall we truly be in darkness, ans will there be no light 3 any more for that people who are left? For where shall we again investigate the Law, or who will distinguish between death and life for us? 4 And I said to them: I cannot resist the throne of the Mighty One. But Israel will not be in want of 5 a wise man, not the tribe of Jacob, a son of the Law. But only prepare your heart so that you obey the Law, and be subject to those who are wise and understanding 6 with fear. And prepare your soul that you shall not depart from them. Is you do this, those good tidings will come to you of which I spoke to you earlier, and you 7 will not fall into the torment of which I spoke to you earlier. But with regard to the word that I shall be taken up, I did not let it be known to them at that time, not even to my son. Chapter forty seven 1 And after I had left, having dismissed them I returned from there and said to them: Behold, I go to Hebron, for to there the Mighty One has sent me. 2 And I arrived at that place where the word was spoken to me, and I sat there and fasted seven days. Chapter forty eight 1 And it happened after seven days that I prayed before the Mighty One and said: 25 And when I had prayed these things I became very weak. 26 And he answered and said to me: 29 Because it is as follows; There is nothing that will be destroyed unless it acted wickedly, if it had been able to do something without remembering my goodness and accepting my long-suffering. 30,31 For this reason surely you will be taken up, as I said to you before,. And the time will come of which I spoke to you and that time is appearing which brings affliction. For it will come and pass away with enormous vehemence; and arriving 32 in the heat of indignation, it will be turbulent. And it will be in those days that all inhabitants of the earth will live with each other in peace, because they do not 33 know that my judgment has come near. For in that time there will not be found many wise men and there will also be not many intelligent ones, but in addition 34 they who know will be silent more and more. And there will be many tidings and not a few rumors, and the works of the phantoms will be visible, and not a 35 few promises will be told, some idle and others affirmed. And honor will change itself into shame, and strength will be humiliated to contempt, and the strong one 36 will be broken down, and beauty will become contemptible. And many will say to many in that time.”Where did the multitude of intelligence hide itself and 37 where did the multitude of wisdom depart?” And when one thinks about these things, jealousy will arise in those who did not think much of themselves; and passion will take hold of those who were peaceful; and many will be agitated by wrath to injure many; and they will raise armies to shad blood; and they will 38 perish with those at the end. And it will happen in that time that a change of times will reveal itself openly for the eyes of everyone because they polluted themselves in all those times and caused oppression, and each one walked in his 39 own works and did not remember the Law of the Mighty One. Therefore, a fire will consume their thoughts, and with a flame the meditations of their kidneys 40 will be examined. For the Judge will come and will not hesitate. For each of the inhabitants of the earth knew when he acted unrighteously, and they did not know 41 my Law because of their pride. But many will surely weep at that time-more, however, because of the living one than of the dead. 42 And I answered and said: O Adam, what did you do to all who were born after you? And what will be 43 said of the first Eve who obeyed the serpent, so that this whole multitude is going to corruption? And countless are those whom the fire devours. 44 But again I shall speak before you. 45,46 You, O Lord, my Lord, you know that which is in your creation, for you commanded the dust one day to produce Adam; and you knew the number of those who are born from him and how they sinned before you, those who existed and 47 who did not recognize you as their Creator. And concerning all of those, their end will put them to shame, and your Law which they transgressed will repay them on your day. 48 But now, let us cease talking about the wicked and inquire about the righteous. 49 And I will tell about their blessedness and I shall not be silent about their glory 50 which is kept for them. For surely, as you endured much labor in the short time in which you live in this passing world, so you will receive great light in that world which has no end. Chapter forty nine 1 But further, I ask you O Mighty One; and I shall ask grace from him who 2 created all things. In which shape will the living live in your day? Or how will 3 remain their splendor which will be after that? Will they, perhaps, take again this present form, and will they put on the chained members which are in evil and by which evils are accomplished? Or will you perhaps change these things which have been in the world, as also the world itself? PAGE TWO | ||||
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