Baruch
Chapter 1
1 And these are the
words of the book which Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, the son
of Zedekiah, the son of Hasadiah, the son of Hilkiah, wrote in Babylon, 2 in
the fifth year, on the seventh day of the month, at the time when the Chaldeans
took Jerusalem and burned it with fire. 3 And Baruch read the words of this
book in the hearing of Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and in the
hearing of all the people who came to hear the book, 4 and in the hearing of
the mighty men and the sons of the kings, and in the hearing of the elders, and
in the hearing of all the people, from the least to the greatest, all who dwelt
in Babylon by the river Sud. 5 And they wept and fasted and prayed before the
Lord, 6 and they gathered money, according as each man's hand was able, 7 and
they sent it to Jerusalem to Jehoiakim the priest, the son of Hilkiah, the son
of Shallum, and to the priests and to all the people who were found with him in
Jerusalem, 8 when he received the vessels of the house of the Lord that had
been carried out of the temple, to return them to the land of Judah, on the
tenth day of Sivan—silver vessels which Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of
Judah, had made, 9 after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away
Jeconiah and the princes and the prisoners and the mighty men and the people of
the land from Jerusalem, and brought him to Babylon. 10 And they said: Behold,
we have sent you money; buy with the money burnt offerings and sin offerings
and incense, and prepare a grain offering, and offer them upon the altar of the
Lord our God; 11 and pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and
for the life of Belshazzar his son, that their days may be as the days of
heaven upon the earth. 12 And the Lord will give us strength and will enlighten
our eyes, and we shall live under the shadow of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
and under the shadow of Belshazzar his son, and we shall serve them many days
and find favor in their sight. 13 And pray for us to the Lord our God, for we
have sinned against the Lord our God, and the wrath of the Lord and his anger
have not turned away from us to this day. 14 And you shall read this book,
which we have sent to you, to make confession in the house of the Lord on the
day of the feast and on the days of the appointed season, 15 and you shall say:
To the Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us shame of face, as at this
day—to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 16 and to our
kings and our princes and our priests and our prophets and our fathers, 17
because we have sinned before the Lord, 18 and we have disobeyed him and have
not heeded the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in the commandments of the
Lord which he set before us. 19 From the day when the Lord brought our fathers
out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, we have been disobedient toward the
Lord our God, and we were heedless in not hearing his voice. 20 And there have
clung to us the evils and the curse which the Lord commanded through Moses his
servant, on the day when he brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt to
give us a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. 21 And we did not
hearken to the voice of the Lord our God, according to all the words of the
prophets whom he sent to us, 22 but we went, each of us, in the intent of his
own wicked heart, to serve other gods and to do evil in the sight of the Lord
our God.
Chapter 2
1And the Lord confirmed
his word, which he spoke against us and against our judges who judged Israel,
and against our kings and against our rulers, and against every man of Israel
and Judah. 2There was not done under the whole heaven what was done in Jerusalem,
according to the things written in the law of Moses, 3that we should eat, a man
the flesh of his own son, and a man the flesh of his own daughter. 4And he gave
them into subjection to all the kingdoms around us, for a reproach and a
desolation among all the peoples round about, where
the Lord scattered them. 5And they were brought low and not raised up, because
we sinned against the Lord our God by not hearkening to his voice. — 6To the
Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us and to our fathers the shame of
face, as at this day. 7What the Lord spoke against us, all these evils, have
come upon us. 8And we did not entreat the face of the Lord, that each of us
should turn away from the thoughts of his wicked heart. 9And the Lord watched
over the evils, and the Lord brought them upon us; for the Lord is righteous in
all his works which he commanded us. 10And we did not hearken to his voice, to
walk in the ordinances of the Lord which he set before our face. — 11And now, O
Lord, God of Israel, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a
mighty hand and with signs and with wonders and with great power and with an
uplifted arm, and made yourself a name, as at this day: 12we have sinned, we
have been ungodly, we have done wrong, O Lord our God, against all your
ordinances. 13Let your wrath turn away from us, for we
are left few among the nations where you have scattered us. 14Hear, O Lord, our
prayer and our supplication, and deliver us for your own sake, and give us
favor in the sight of those who carried us away, 15that all the earth may know
that you are the Lord our God, because your name has been called upon Israel
and upon his race. 16O Lord, look down from your holy house and consider us;
incline, O Lord, your ear and hear; 17open, O Lord, your eyes and see; for it
is not the dead in Hades, whose spirit has been taken from their bowels, who
will give glory and justification to the Lord, 18but the soul that grieves over
its greatness, that walks stooped and feeble, and the failing eyes, and the
hungering soul — these will give you glory and righteousness, O Lord. 19For it
is not on account of the righteous deeds of our fathers and of our kings that
we lay our plea for mercy before your face, O Lord our God; 20for you have sent
your wrath and your anger upon us, as you spoke by the hand of your servants
the prophets, saying: 21Thus says the Lord: Bend your shoulder and serve the
king of Babylon, and remain in the land which I gave to your fathers. 22But if
you do not hearken to the voice of the Lord, to serve the king of Babylon, 23I
will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from around Jerusalem the
voice of gladness and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom and the
voice of the bride, and the whole land shall become a desolation, without
inhabitants. 24But we did not hearken to your voice, to serve the king of
Babylon; and you confirmed your words which you spoke by the hands of your servants the prophets, that the bones
of our kings and the bones of our fathers would be brought out of their place.
25And behold, they lie cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the
night; and they died in grievous pains, by famine and by sword and by
banishment. 26And you have made the house upon which your name was called as it
is this day, because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of
Judah. — 27Yet you have dealt with us, O Lord our God, according to all your
kindness and according to all your great compassion, 28as you spoke by the hand
of your servant Moses, on the day you commanded him to write your law before
the sons of Israel, saying: 29If you do not hearken to my voice, surely this
great and numerous multitude will be turned into a small one among the nations
where I will scatter them; 30for I know that they will not hearken to me,
because they are a stiff-necked people. But they will return to their heart in
the land of their exile, 31and they will know that I am the Lord their God. And
I will give them a heart and ears that hear, 32and they will praise me in the
land of their exile, and they will remember my name, 33and they will turn from
their stiff back and from their wicked deeds, because they will remember the
way of their fathers who sinned before the Lord. 34And I will bring them back
to the land which I swore to their fathers, to Abraham and to Isaac and to
Jacob, and they shall rule over it; and I will multiply them, and they shall
not be diminished. 35And I will establish for them an everlasting covenant,
that I will be their God and they shall be my people; and I will no more remove my people Israel from the land which I gave
them.
Chapter 3
1 O Lord Almighty, God
of Israel, a soul in anguish and a spirit in distress cries out to you. 2 Hear,
O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned before you; 3 for you are enthroned
forever, and we are perishing forever. 4 O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, hear
now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of the sons of those who sinned before
you, who did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God, so that calamities
have clung to us. 5 Do not remember the iniquities of our fathers,
but remember your hand and your name at this time; 6 for you are the
Lord our God, and we will praise you, O Lord. 7 For this reason you have put
your fear in our hearts, so that we might call upon your name; and we will
praise you in our exile, for we have put away from our hearts all the iniquity
of our fathers who sinned before you. 8 Behold, we are today in our exile,
where you scattered us to be a reproach and a curse and a penalty, according to
all the iniquities of our fathers who forsook the Lord our God. 9 Hear, O
Israel, the commandments of life; give ear, to learn wisdom. 10 Why is it, O
Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies, that you have grown
old in a foreign land, 11 that you are defiled with the dead, that you are
counted among those in Hades? 12 You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom. 13
If you had walked in the way of God, you would have dwelt in peace forever. 14
Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, where there is
understanding, that you may know also where there is
length of days and life, where there is light for the
eyes and peace. — 15 Who has found her place, and who has entered her
treasuries? 16 Where are the rulers of the nations, and those who lorded it
over the beasts on the earth, 17 those who made sport of the birds of the sky,
and who hoarded up silver and gold, in which men trusted, and there is no end
to their acquiring, 18 those who schemed for silver and were anxious, and whose
works are past finding out? 19 They have vanished and gone down to Hades, and
others have risen up in their place. 20 Younger men
saw the light and dwelt upon the earth, but the way of knowledge they did not
know, 21 nor did they understand her paths, nor lay hold of her; their sons
strayed far from their way. 22 She has not been heard of in Canaan, nor seen in
Teman; 23 neither the sons of Hagar, who seek understanding on the earth, the
merchants of Merran and Teman, the storytellers and
the seekers of understanding—they did not know the way of wisdom, nor remember
her paths. — 24 O Israel, how great is the house of God, and how vast the place
of his dominion! 25 It is great and has no end, high and immeasurable. 26 There
were born the giants, renowned from of old, great in stature, skilled in war.
27 God did not choose these, nor did he give them the way of knowledge; 28 and
they perished because they had no wisdom; they perished through their folly. —
29 Who has gone up into heaven and taken her, and brought her down from the
clouds? 30 Who has crossed over the sea and found her, and will bring her for
choice gold? 31 There is no one who knows her way, nor any who ponders her
path; 32 but he who knows all things knows her; he found her out by his
understanding—he who prepared the earth for everlasting time, who filled it
with four-footed creatures; 33 he who sends forth the light, and it goes; he
called it, and it obeyed him with trembling; 34 and the stars shone in their
watches and rejoiced; 35 he called them and they said, "Here we are";
they shone with gladness for him who made them. 36 This is our God; no other
shall be compared with him. 37 He found out every way of knowledge and gave her
to Jacob his servant and to Israel, beloved by him; 38 afterward she appeared
on earth and lived among men.
Chapter 4
1This is the book of
the commandments of God, and the law that endures forever: all who hold fast to
it will live, but those who forsake it will die. — 2Turn, O Jacob, and take
hold of it; walk toward the shining in the presence of its light. 3Do not give your
glory to another, nor your advantages to a foreign nation. 4Blessed are we, O
Israel, for the things that are pleasing to God are known to us. 5Take courage,
my people, memorial of Israel. 6You were sold to the nations, not for
destruction; but because you provoked God to anger, you were handed over to
your adversaries. 7For you provoked the one who made you by sacrificing to
demons and not to God. 8You forgot the everlasting God who nourished you, and
you also grieved Jerusalem, who reared you. 9For she saw the wrath that came
upon you from God, and she said: Hear, you neighbors of Zion, God has brought
great sorrow upon me; 10for I have seen the captivity of my sons and daughters,
which the Everlasting brought upon them. 11For I nourished them with gladness,
but I sent them away with weeping and mourning. 12Let no one rejoice over me,
the widow, forsaken by many; I was made desolate because of the sins of my
children, because they turned aside from the law of God, 13and did not know his
statutes, nor walk in the ways of God's commandments, nor tread the paths of
discipline in his righteousness. 14Let the neighbors of Zion come, and remember
the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting
brought upon them. 15For he brought against them a nation from afar, a
shameless nation of a strange tongue, who had no reverence for the old man nor
pity for the child, 16and they led away the beloved sons of the widow, and left
her, who was alone, bereft of her daughters. 17But I—how
am I able to help you? 18For he who brought these
evils upon you will deliver you from the hand of your enemies. 19Go, my
children, go; for I have been left desolate. 20I have taken off the robe of
peace and put on the sackcloth of my supplication; I will cry out to the
Everlasting all my days. — 21Take courage, my children, cry out to God, and he
will deliver you from oppression, from the hand of enemies. 22For I have hoped
in the Everlasting for your salvation, and joy has come to me from the Holy One
because of the mercy that will come to you quickly from your everlasting
savior. 23For I sent you out with mourning and weeping, but God will give you
back to me with joy and gladness forever. 24For just as now the neighbors of
Zion have seen your captivity, so will they soon see your salvation from God,
which will come upon you with great glory and the splendor of the Everlasting.
25My children, endure with patience the wrath that has come upon you from God.
Your enemy has pursued you, but soon you will see his destruction and will
tread upon their necks. 26My delicate ones have traveled rough roads; they were
carried off like a flock seized by enemies. — 27Take courage, my children, and
cry out to God, for you will be remembered by the one who brought this upon
you. 28For just as your mind was set on straying from God, so now, turning
back, seek him ten times more earnestly. 29For he who
brought these evils upon you will bring you everlasting gladness along with
your salvation. 30Take courage, O Jerusalem, for he who named you will comfort
you. 31Wretched are those who mistreated you and rejoiced at your fall;
32wretched are the cities that your children served as slaves; wretched is she
who received your sons. 33For just as she rejoiced at your fall and was glad at
your ruin, so will she grieve over her own desolation. 34And I will take away
from her the exultation of her great population, and her boasting will be
turned to mourning. 35For fire will come upon her from the Everlasting for many
days, and she will be inhabited by demons for a long time. — 36Look around
toward the east, O Jerusalem, and see the gladness that is coming to you from
God. 37Behold, your sons are coming, whom you sent away; they are coming,
gathered from east to west, at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory
of God.
Chapter 5
1 Take off, O
Jerusalem, the garment of your mourning and affliction, and put on the beauty
of the glory that comes from God forever. 2 Put on the double robe of the
righteousness that comes from God; set upon your head the diadem of the glory
of the Everlasting. 3 For God will show your splendor to all under heaven. 4
For your name will be called by God forever: Peace of Righteousness and Glory
of Godliness. — 5 Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand upon the height, and look about
toward the east, and see your children gathered from the setting of the sun to
its rising at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the remembrance of God. 6
For they went out from you on foot, led away by enemies, but God brings them in to you, carried in glory as on a royal throne. 7 For God
has ordained that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low,
and that the valleys be filled up to make the ground level, so that Israel may
walk safely in the glory of God. 8 And the woods and every fragrant tree have
given shade to Israel at God's command. 9 For God will lead Israel with joy by
the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.