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The Book of Baruch

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- Chapter 3 -

They pray for mercy, acknowledging that they are justly punished for forsaking true wisdom. A prophecy of Christ.

1
“ ‘And now, O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the troubled spirit cry out to you.
2
Listen, O Lord, and be merciful, for you are a merciful God, and so be merciful to us, for we have sinned before you.
3
For you are enthroned in eternity, but we will pass away in time.
4
O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, listen now to the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their sons, who have sinned before you and have not listened to the voice of the Lord their God, and have joined themselves to evil.
5
Remember not 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
And for this reason, you have imparted your fear into our hearts, and also, so that we may call upon your name and may praise you in our captivity, for we are converted from the iniquity of our fathers, who sinned before you.
8
And, behold, we are still in our captivity on this day, where you have scattered us into disgrace, and into slander, and into sin, according to all the iniquities of our fathers, who withdrew from you, O Lord our God.(a)
9
Listen, O Israel, to the commandments of life! Pay attention, so that you may learn prudence!
10
How is it, O Israel, that you are in the land of your enemies,
11
that you have grown old in a foreign land, that you are defiled with the dead, that you are regarded as among those who are descending into hell?(b)
12
You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
13
For if you had walked in the way of God, you would certainly have lived in everlasting peace.
14
Learn where prudence is, where virtue is, where understanding is, so that you may know at the same time where long life and prosperity are, where the light of the eyes and peace are.
15
Who has discovered its place? And who has entered its treasure chamber?
16
Where are the leaders of the peoples, and those who rule over the beasts that are upon the earth,
17
who play among the birds of the air,
18
who store up treasures of silver and gold, in which men trust, and with whom there is no end to their acquiring, who work with silver and are anxious about it, and whose works are inexplicable?(c)
19
They have been banished and have descended to hell, and others are risen up in their place.
20
The youth have seen the light and have dwelt upon the earth, yet they are ignorant of the way of instruction.
21
They have neither understood the paths of it, nor have their sons accepted it. It is far from their face.
22
It has not been heard of in the land of Canaan, nor has it been seen in Teman.(d)
23
It is likewise with the sons of Hagar, who search for the practicality that is of the earth, the negotiators of Merran and Teman, and the storytellers, and the searchers of discretion and intelligence. Yet the way of wisdom they have not known, nor have they called to mind its paths.(e)
24
O Israel, how great is the house of God, and how vast is the place of his possession!
25
It is great and has no end! It is exalted and immense!
26
There were those who were called giants, who existed from the beginning, of great stature, expert in war.
27
The Lord did not choose them, nor did they discover the way of instruction; for this reason they perished,
28
and, because they did not have wisdom, they passed away as a result of their foolishness.
29
Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds?
30
Who has crossed the sea, and found her, and brought her, chosen instead of gold?
31
There is no one who is able to know her ways, nor any who can search out her paths.
32
Yet he who knows the universe is familiar with her, and in his foresight he invented her, he who prepared the earth for time without end, and filled it with cattle and four-footed beasts,
33
who sends out the light, and it goes, and who summoned it, and it obeyed him in fear.
34
Yet the stars have given light from their posts, and they rejoiced.
35
They were called, and so they said, “Here we are,” and they shined with cheerfulness to him who made them.
36
This is our God, and no other can compare to him.
37
He invented the way of all instruction, and delivered it to Jacob his child, and to Israel his beloved.
38
After this, he was seen on earth, and he conversed with men.(f)

Footnotes

(a)3:8 The word maledictum can be translated as curses or as evil-speaking (slander).(Conte)
(b)3:11 Here infernum is translated as hell, which seems a better fit for the context.(Conte)
(c)3:18 The wealthy of today play among the birds of the air (rather than play with the birds of the air), and they store up treasures of transient wealth.(Conte)
(d)3:22 Theman:The capital city of Edom.(Challoner)
(e)3:23 Agar:The mother of the Ismaelites.(Challoner)
(f)3:38 Was seen upon earth, etc:viz., by the mystery of the incarnation, by means of which the son of God came visibly amongst us, and conversed with men. The prophets often speak of things to come as if they were past, to express the certainty of the event of the things foretold.(Challoner)

They pray for mercy, acknowledging that they are justly punished for forsaking true wisdom. A prophecy of Christ.

1
O Lord Almighty, you God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the troubled spirit cries to you.
2
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy; for you are a merciful God. Yes, have mercy upon us, because we have sinned before you.
3
For you are enthroned forever, and we keep perishing.
4
O Lord Almighty, you God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead Israelites, and of the children of those who were sinners before you, who didn’t listen to the voice of you their God; because of this, these plagues cling to us.
5
Don’t remember the iniquities of our fathers, but remember your power and your name at this time.
6
For you are the Lord our God, and we will praise you, O Lord.
7
For this cause, you have put your fear in our hearts, to the intent that we should call upon your name. We will praise you in our captivity, for we have called to mind all the iniquity of our fathers who sinned before you.
8
Behold, we are yet this day in our captivity where you have scattered us, for a reproach and a curse, and to be subject to penalty according to all the iniquities of our fathers who departed from the Lord our God.
9
Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life! Give ear to understand wisdom!
10
How is it, O Israel, that you are in your enemies’ land, that you have become old in a strange country, that you are defiled with the dead,
11
that you are counted with those who are in Hades?
12
You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
13
If you had walked in the way of God, you would have dwelled in peace forever.
14
Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, and where there is understanding, that you may also know where there is length of days and life, where there is the light of the eyes and peace.
15
Who has found out her place? Who has come into her treasuries?
16
Where are the princes of the heathen, and those who ruled the beasts that are on the earth,
17
those who had their pastime with the fowls of the air, and those who hoarded up silver and gold, in which people trust, and of their getting there is no end?
18
For those who diligently sought silver, and were so anxious, and whose works are past finding out,
19
they have vanished and gone down to Hades, and others have come up in their place.
20
Younger men have seen the light and lived upon the earth, but they haven’t known the way of knowledge,
21
nor understood its paths. Their children haven’t embraced it. They are far off from their way.
22
It has not been heard of in Canaan, neither has it been seen in Teman.
23
The sons also of Agar who seek understanding, which are in the land, the merchants of Merran and Teman, and the authors of fables, and the searchers out of understanding—none of these have known the way of wisdom or remembered her paths.
24
O Israel, how great is the house of God! How large is the place of his possession!
25
It is great and has no end. It is high and unmeasurable.
26
Giants were born that were famous of old, great of stature, and expert in war.
27
God didn’t choose these, nor did he give the way of knowledge to them,
28
so they perished, because they had no wisdom. They perished through their own foolishness.
29
Who has gone up into heaven, taken her, and brought her down from the clouds?
30
Who has gone over the sea, found her, and will bring her for choice gold?
31
There is no one who knows her way, nor any who comprehend her path.
32
But he that knows all things knows her, he found her out with his understanding. He who prepared the earth for all time has filled it with four-footed beasts.
33
It is he who sends forth the light, and it goes. He called it, and it obeyed him with fear.
34
The stars shone in their watches, and were glad. When he called them, they said, “Here we are.” They shone with gladness to him who made them.
35
This is our God. No other can be compared to him.
36
He has found out all the way of knowledge, and has given it to Jacob his servant and to Israel who is loved by him.
37
Afterward she appeared upon earth, and lived with men.
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