2 Baruch

48:1-47. PRAYER OF BARUCH

48 1 And it came to pass after the seventh day, that I prayed before the Mighty One and said

2        'O my Lord, you summon the advent of the times,

And they stand before you;

You cause the power of the ages to pass away,

And they do not resist you;

         You arrange the method of the seasons,

And they obey you.

3        You alone know the duration of the generations,

And you reveal not Your mysteries to many.

4        You make known the multitude of the fire,

And you weigh the lightness of the wind.

5        You explore the limit of the heights,

And you scrutinize the depths of the darkness.

6        You care for the number which pass away that they may be preserved, And you prepare an abode for those that are to be.

7        You remember the beginning which you have made,

And the destruction that is to be You forget not.

8        With nods of fear and indignation You command the flames,

And they change into spirits,

And with a word you quicken that which was not,

And with mighty power you hold that which has not yet come.

9        You instruct created things in the understanding of you,

And you make wise the spheres so as to minister in their orders.

10      Armies innumerable stand before you

And minister in their orders quietly at Your nod.

11      Hear Your servant

And give ear to my petition.

12      For in a little time are we born,

         And in a little time do we return.

13      But with you hours are as a time,

         And days as generations.

14      Be not therefore wroth with man; for he is nothing

15      And take not account of our works; For what are we?

For lo! by Your gift do we come into the world,

         And we depart not of our own will.

16      For we said not to our parents, "Beget us,

Nor did we send to Sheol and say, "Receive us."

17      What therefore is our strength that we should bear Your wrath,

Or what are we that we should endure Your judgment?

18      Protect us in Your compassions,

         And in Your mercy help us.

19      Behold the little ones that are subject unto you,

         And save all that draw near unto you:

         And destroy not the hope of our people,

         And cut not short the times of our aid.

20      For this is the nation which you have chosen,

         And these are the people, to whom you find no equal.

21      But I will speak now before you,

         And I will say as my heart thinks.

22      In you do we trust, for lo! Your law is with us,

And we know that we shall not fall so long as we keep Your statutes.

23      [To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the Gentiles.]

24      For we are all one celebrated people,

Who have received one law from One:

And the law which is amongst us will aid us,

And the surpassing wisdom which is in us will help us.'

25 And when I had prayed and said these things, I was greatly weakened. 26 And He answered and said unto me:

'You have prayed simply, O Baruch,

And all your words have been heard.

27      But My judgment exacts its own

And My law exacts its rights.

28      For from your words I will answer you,

And from your prayer I will speak to you.

29 For this is as follows: he that is corrupted is not at all; he has both wrought iniquity so far as lie could do anything, and has not remembered My goodness, nor accepted My long-suffering. 30 Therefore you shall surely be taken up, as I before told you. 31 For that time shall arise which brings affliction; for it shall come and pass by with quick vehemence, and it shall be turbulent coming in the heat of indignation. 32 And it shall come to pass in those days that all the inhabitants of the earth shall be moved one against another, because they know not that My judgment has drawn nigh.

33      For there shall not be found many wise at that time,

         And the intelligent shall be but a few:

         Moreover, even those who know shall most of all be silent.

34      And there shall be many rumors and tidings not a few,

         And the doing of phantasms shall be manifest,

         And promises not a few be recounted,

         Some of them (shall prove) idle,

         And some of them shall be confirmed.

35      And honor shall be turned into shame,

         And strength humiliated into contempt,

And probity destroyed,

And beauty shall become ugliness.

36      And many shall say to many at that time:

"Where hath the multitude of intelligence hidden itself,

And whither hath the multitude of wisdom removed itself?"

37      And whilst they are meditating these things,

Then envy shall arise in those who had not thought aught of themselves (?)

And passion shall seize him that is peaceful,

And many shall be stirred up in anger to injure many,

And they shall rouse up armies in order to shed blood,

And in the end they shall perish together with them.

38      And it shall come to pass at the self-same time,

That a change of times shall manifestly appeal to every man,

Because in all those times they polluted themselves

And they practiced oppression,

And walked every man in his own works,

And remembered not the law of the Mighty One.

39      Therefore a fire shall consume their thoughts,

And in flame shall the meditations of their reins be tried;

For the Judge shall come and will not tarry.

40      Because each of the inhabitants of the earth knew when he was transgressing.

But My Law they knew not by reason of their pride.

41      But many shall then assuredly weep,

Yea, over the living more than over the dead.'

42      And I answered and said:

'O Adam, what have you done to all those who are born from you?

And what will be said to the first Eve who hearkened to the serpent?

43      For all this multitude are going to corruption,

Nor is there any numbering of those whom the fire devours.

44 But again I will speak in Your presence. 45 You, O LORD, my Lord, know what is in Your creature. 46 For you did of old command the dust to produce Adam, and you know the number of those who are born from him, and how far they have sinned before you, who have existed and not confessed you as their Creator. 47 And as regards all these their end shall convict them, and Your law which they have transgressed shall requite them on Your day.'

48:48-50. Fragment of an Address of Baruch to the People

48      ['But now let us dismiss the wicked and inquire about the righteous.

49      And I will recount their blessedness

And not be silent in celebrating their glory, which is reserved for them.

50      For assuredly as in a little time in this transitory world in which you live, you have endured much labor,

So in that world to which there is no end, you shall receive great light.']