32 Book Of Baruch

1

5:8

LAMENTATIONS

135 2

Slaves' rule us; no one resc ues us from them. At peril of o ur lives we earn our bread, by risking th e sword of the desert.

2 Ch 36:17

,Ps 137:2

Dn9:18

Is 34:13- 15 Ps 102: 12, 28: 145: 13; 146:10 Ba 3:3

Ps 13:1

Lv 26:44 Jr 31:18

Our skin is as hot as the oven, such is the fever of famine .

10

They have raped the women in Zion, the virgins in the towns of Judah.

II

Princes have been ha nged at th eir hands; th e face of the old has not been respected.

12

Yo uths have toiled at the mill; boys have collapsed und er loa ds of wood.

13

T he elders have deserted the gat eway ; the young men have given up their music .

14

Joy has vanished from our hearts; our dancing has been turned to mourning.

IS

T he garland has fallen from our heads. Woe to us, because we have sinned!

16

This is why our hearts are sick; this is why ou r eyes are dim :

17

beca use Mount Zion is desolate; jackals roam to and fro on it.

18

But you, Yahweh, you remain for ever ; your throne endures from age to age ."

19

Yo u cannot mean to forget us for ever? You cannot mean to abandon us for good ?

20

Make us come back to you, Yahweh, and we will come back. Re new our da ys as in tim es pas t, un less you have utterly rejected us, in an anger tha t knows no limit.

TH E BOO K OF

BAR U C H I.

I N T RO DUCTION

Baruch and th e Jews in Babylon"

4

7

H

21

32: 12 ; T hese are th e word s of the book writt en in Babylon by Baruch so n of Nerai ah, J r 36:4 son of Ma hseiah , son of Zedekiah. so n of Hasad iah, so n of Hilkiah , - in the fifth year," on the sevent h day of t he mont h, at t he time when the C ha ldaeans captu red Jerusalem and burned it do wn. 2 K 24 : ~ - 17 Baruch read th e words of this book a loud to Jcconiah" so n of Jehoiakim, Jr 22:24-30 king of Judah, and to a ll the people who had co me to hear the reading, · to t he nobl es and the so ns of the king," a nd to the elders ; to the whole people , th at is, least no less than greatest, to all who lived in Bab ylo n beside th e river Sud. On hearing it they wept, fasted and prayed before t he Lord; -a nd they collect ed as much money as each could afford -a nd sent it to Jerusalem for the prie st Jehoia kim : son of H ilkia h, so n of Sha llum, a nd the othe r priests, and for as man y of the people as were with him in Jer usa lem. - It was Baruch who o n t he tenth day of Siva n had recovered the utensils o f the house of t he Lord , which had been removed from the Temple, to ta ke them back! to the lan d of J ud ah: t hese were silver utens ils which Zed ekiah so n of Josiah , kin g of Judah , had had ma de -w hcn Nebuc hadnezzar king of Babylon had de ported Jeco niah from 2 K 24:14 Je rusa lem to Babylon, together with the prince s, t he metalworkers, II t he men of rank and t he co mmon people. With this-they wro te-we are sending you money with which to pay for hol ocau sts, offerings for sin, a nd incense ; prepar e ob lat ions , and offer them on t he al tar 29 :7 of the Lord our G od . • Pray for the long life of Neb uchad nezzar king of Babylon, JI rTm 2:1- 2 and of his son Belshazzar, and tha t their days on earth ma y end ure as the heavens ; -p ray th at the Lor d may give us strengt h and clea r understa nd ing so that we may lead our lives under the protection of Ncbuc hadnezza r king of Babylon a nd of his son Belshazzar, and by our lon g service win their favour. O n 5: 2 . 1 _~ Also pray to the Lord our God for us, becau se we have sinned again st him , and th e anger, the fury of the Lord, has st ill not yet been turned away from us. Last ly, you are to read the book aloud which we send you with thi s and so mak e public co nfession in the house of the Lord on the feastday ' and on days of solemn assem bly. 'You are to say:

1

9

22 10

II 12

IJ

14

15

0::

til

w

III

1 a.

/,

(

5 e. The Chaldaea n officia ls. T he technical term for f . T he ea rthly Temple may be in ruins. hut Ya hwe h. officers of the kin g ('ser vant s') is used here in a n Insult- might y a nd glorious always , reigns in he a ven . rna sense.

On the elements o f which Ra is co mposed. see of the T em p le : the high priest Jehozadak had be en ex iled to Babyl on. 1 C h 5:4 1. Int rod uct io n to t he P ro p he ts . r. T he hl stor fcal book s spea k onl y of a return of the b. The year 582. pro b abl y in the 5th mo n th . a nni versary of t he fa ll of Jer usa lem whi ch was doub tless sacred vess els under Cy r us. Ezr 1:7- 1 t. g. ' me ta lwo rkers' . fo llowi ng Jr 24: I : 'c a ptives' co mm emo rat ed a mo ng th e exiles as it was in Pa les tine . cf. Zc 7:3 : hence the gat her in g referred to in vv. 3-4. G reek. h. T he feast of T abernacle s. cr. Ex 23: 14 +. Th e c . C alled also Je hoiac hin . ' so le m n asse mbl y' to o k place on t he l st and Sth days of d . Or ' k in g' s men' . court officia ls. e. Next in rank . apparentl y. to the hi gh prie st. d. th e feast, Lv 2 3:35-36 . 2 K 25:1 8. He lived in Jer usa le m beside wha t was left

g

111' 1

BARU CH

1:16

/3 54

/355 21

II. THE PR AYER OF THE EXILES

22 23

Confession of sins J r72;~

Integrity belongs to t he Lo rd our G od; to us the look of sha me we wear today, to us, the people of Judah a nd the citizens of J erusa lem, - to o ur kings and princes, our prie sts, our pr o phets, as to our a ncesto rs, - beca use we ha ve T b 3;3.4 O n 3:29: 9: sinned in the sight o f t he Lo rd, - ha ve disobeyed him , and ha ve no t listened 5- 6 to the vo ice of the Lord our God te lling us to follow the co mmandments which 2:10 Jr 7:25-26 the Lo rd had ordai ned for us. - From the day wh en the Lo rd brought our a ncestors out of th e land of Egypt unt il today we have been disob edient to t he Lord our 5n~::t~~ God, we ha ve been disloya l,' refusing to listen to his voice. -A nd so th e d isas ters, On 9: 11 and the cu rse which the Lo rd pronounced through his serva nt Moses the day Ex 3:8 he br ought our fa the rs o ut o f Egy pt to give us a la nd where mil k a nd ho ney flow, ha ve seized o n us, d isaster s we ex pe rience today. - Des pite a ll th e wo rds of th ose prop het s whom he sent us, we ha ve not listened to the vo ice of the Jr 7:24 Lo rd o ur God, - but , eac h foll owing the dictates of his ev il hear t, we ha ve ta ken to serv ing a lien gods, and do ing wha t is d ispleasing to th e Lord ou r God . O n 9: 12- 13 A nd so the Lord has ca rried ou t the sentence which he passed on us, on ou r j udges who go verned Israel , on o ur kin gs an d lead ers, on the me n o f Israel a nd of Judah; - wha t he did to Jerusa lem ha s never been para lleled under the w ide heav en s- a ll this in conformity with what wa s written in the Law of 0 1 28;53·57 Moses; -we were a ll reduced to eat ing the flesh of o ur ow n so ns an d da ug hters. Jr 19;9 L m 2:20 ; 4: Fu rthe rmo re, he has ha nded th em over int o the power o f a ll t he kingdo ms th at 10 3:8 012 8: 37 sur ro und us, to be loa thed a nd a vo ided by a ll th e neigh bouring nations amo ng Tb3; 4 who m he scattered the m . - Ins tead of bei ng masters, they found themselves Jr 29; 18 Dt 28;13.43 ensla ved , because we ha d sin ned against the Lord our God by not listen ing to his vo ice. ~ 1; 1 5 Integ rity belongs to th e Lord our God; to us the loo k of sha me we wear O n 9:7 -8 today, to us, as to our a nces to rs. - All those d isas ters which the Lord prono unced agai nst us have now hap pened to us . -A nd ye t we ha ve not tried to win th e favour of the Lord by each o ne of us re no unc ing the d ictates of his ow n 1~ :' ~~2i?; wicked heart; -a nd so th e Lo rd ha s watched fo r the right mo ment to bring disaster O n 9: 14 on us, since t he Lo rd gives a j ust ret urn for what we do o f a ll that he has 1:18 ordered us to do, -a nd we have no t listened to his voice tell ing us to follow t he co m ma nd men ts wh ich th e Lord had o rd a ined for us . On 9;7-8

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16 17

24

18

19

20

25

26

27 21 28 22 29 I

30

31 32 33

34 35

7 H

A nd no w, Lord, God o f Israe l, who brough t your peo ple out of the land of Egy pt with a migh ty hand , with signs a nd wo nders , wit h grea t powe r a nd with Ps 106:6 o utst retc hed arm, to win yo urself a name renowned today, -we ha ve sinned, we ha ve bee n irreligiou s ; Lord our God, we ha ve broke n a ll yo ur COIllrnan d rnents. -Let yo ur a nger tu rn fro m us since we a re no more tha n a po or A m 3: 12 I re m na nt among the na tio ns where you have d ispersed us. - Listen, Lord, to our Ps 25; 11 prayer, to our entreaty; de liver us for the sa ke of yo ur honour and grant us yo ur favo ur for all o ur ca ptor s to see it, -so tha t th e whole world may know tha t Jr 14;9 yo u a re t he Lord our God, si nce Israel a nd his de sce nda nts bear yo ur na me. - Look 0 1 26; 15 do wn, Lord, fro m yo ur ho ly dwe lling place and give a tho ug ht to us, take Do 9: 19 heed o f us a nd liste n, -Iook at us, Lord, an d co nsider; the dead down in Is 38: IH S heo l, whose breath has bee n ta ken from their bo dies, are not the o nes to give Dt 28;6 5-67 glory and d ue observa nce to the Lord; -the pe rson ove rcome wit h a fflict ion, who goes h is way bo wed d own and fra il, with fa iling eyes and hunge ring so ul," 3;1 he is the one to give you glory, Lord, and due obse rva nce . E~;~: T ij We do not re ly on the merits of ou r an cesto rs a nd of our kings to o fTer yo u our hum ble plea, Lo rd our God. - No . You have sen t down yo ur a nger a nd yo ur fury on us, as you prom ised through your serva nts the prophets when they said,

10

II

'The Lo rd say s th is: Bend your necks and submit to the king of Babylon, and you will re mai n in th e la nd which I gav e your a ncest ors. - But if you do not listen to th e vo ice of th e Lord and subm it to the king o f Baby lon, - th en I will silence the

7

0 1 6:2 1· 22

12 8 13 14

J r 27:12

Jr 7;34

shouts of rejoicing and mirth and the voices of bridegroom and bride in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and the whole land will be reduced to desert, without inhabitants.' - But we did not listen to yo u r vo ice an d subm it to the k ing of Ba by lon, a nd so you carried out what you had prom ised thro ugh yo ur se rva nts th e prop hets: that th e bo nes of our kings and of o ur a nces tors woul d be d ragged Jr 8;1 -2 from th eir resting plac es. - T hey wer e indeed tossed out to the heat of the day J r 36;30 and the fro st of the night. And peopl e died in dr eadful ago ny, from famine, Jr 14;12 swo rd a nd plague. -A nd so, becau se of the wicke dn ess o f the House of Isr ae l a nd th e Ho use o f Judah , yo u have made t his Ho use, t hat bea rs your na me, what it is today. A nd yet, Lord o ur G o d, you ha ve treated us in a way wort hy of a ll yo ur good nes s a nd boundless tenderness, -ju st a s yo u had pro m ised through yo u r serva nt Moses, th e day you to ld him to wr ite yo ur Law in the presence of the so ns of Israel, a nd sa id this, -'If you do not listen to my voic e, this great and L v 26:39 innu merabl e mult it ude will certainly be reduced to a tiny few a mo ng th e nations amon g which I sha ll d isperse t hem , -a nd I know very well th a t th is peopl e wi ll not list en, it is so stubborn . But in th e co unt ry of their exile they will take D I9;1 3+ a ll t his to hea rt -a nd ac know ledge th a t I am the Lo rd their God. I will give Lv 26: 44f r 4:4 + them a hea rt and a n attent ive ear. -T hey will sing my pr aises in the cou ntry JEzk 36;26 + o f their ex ile, they will remember my name ; - t hey will no t be st ubborn an y Ot 30; 1.9f mo re, bu t, remem ber ing what became o f th eir a nces to rs wh o sinned in t he sight o f the Lo rd, will turn from their evil dee ds . -The n I will brin g them bac k to the lan d I prom ised o n oath to A bra ha m, Isaac a nd Jaco b, and mak e th em ma sters in it. I will increa se their num ber: they sha ll not dwindl e. -A nd I will J r 3 1;3 1 mak e a n everlastin g cove na nt wit h them ; I will be th eir God a nd th ey shall be my peop le. A nd I will never a ga in dr ive my peop le Israe l o ut of t he lan d th a t I hav e given t hem .' A lmig hty Lo rd , God of Israel, a so ul in ang uish, a tr ou bled hear t now eri es 2; 18 to yo u: - Liste n and hav e pity, Lor d, for we ha ve sinned in yo ur sight. - Y ou sit ent hro ned fo r ever , wh ile we perish con tinua lly. -Alrnighty Lor d, G od of Israel, hear t he prayer o f the dead o f Israel." o f the sons o f tho se w ho ha ve L m 5:19 sin ned against you a nd ha ve not listen ed to the vo ice of the Lo rd t heir G od, hence the di saster s th a t ha ve seized on us. - Do not ca ll to mind the mi sdeeds of our ance stors, but reme m ber instead yo u r pow er and your name. - Y ou a re inde ed the Lord ou r G od and we lon g to pr a ise yo u, Lord, -sinc e you have put respec t fo r you in our hearts to en cou rage us to ca ll on yo ur na me. We Jr 31;33 lon g to pra ise yo u in our exile, fo r we ha ve em ptied o ur hea rts of th e ev il inclin a tion s of o ur a ncestors who sinned agai nst you. - Loo k on us today, still in ex ile whe re you ha ve di spersed us as so mething exec ra ble, accursed, co ndem ned , in }~ 3:4 puni shme nt for a ll t he m isd eed s o f our a ncesto rs w ho had a ba ndo ned t he Lo rd our God .

3

9

The prayer Dn 9: 15- 16

3:10

BARUC H

pslnt

15 I"

III. WISDOM, THE PREROGATIVE OF ISRA E L

Si 24

w

[ll 17

Pr 4;20 -22

Lis ten, Isra el, to co mma nds th a t bring life ; hear, and learn wha t knowled ge mean s. W hy, Israel, why a re yo u in th e co u ntry of yo ur enemies, grow ing older a nd old er in an a lien land ,

18 10

;5

19 20

i. h as ty' 2 a. cf. Zo

' we have bee n di sloyal ' co rr . , ' we ha ve bee n C odex Al ex . Thi s passage refe rs to the reli gio n o f ' the poo r' , 3 a . T he Is raeli te s bro ugh t near to dea th, 2:3 -r . Lm 3:6 ; Ezk 37:1 If.

cr. Is 59:10;

I) 3: II

I Sl 1:5 Jr 2: 13 Is 48: 18

Jb 28: 12.20

Jdt 11:7 Jr 27:6

I

I I'

Si 1:4

Ez ~

28:4-5 Zc 9:2

J r 49: 7 EX2:15 ~

J b 2: 11.....

G n 6:4 DI 2:1O ·· w« 14:6 I S 16:7

Ws9:4 Si 24 :4

Jb 28:13. 14

Jb 28:21

BARUCH sharing defilement with the dead , recko ned with those who go to Sheol? Because you have forsaken the founta in of wisdom. Had you walked in the way of God, you would have lived in peace for ever. Lea rn where knowledge is, where strength, where understanding, and so learn where length of days is, where life, where the light of the eyes and where peace. But who has found out where she lives, who has entered her treasure house?" Where now are the leaders of the nations and those who ru led even the beasts of earth, who had the birds of heaven at their beck and call, who accumulated silver and gold on which ma nkind relies, a nd whose possessions had no limits, those who displayed such artistry in silver that their masterpieces beggar imag ina tion? They have vanished, gone down to Sheol, Others have risen to their places, mo re recent generations have seen the da y and peopled the ea rt h in thei r turn: but the way of knowledge is something they have not known, they have not recognised the paths she treads. Nor have their sons had any grasp of her, rema ining far from her way.' Nothing has been hea rd of her in Canaan, nothing has been seen cf her in Te ma n; the so ns of Haga r in search of world ly wisdom , the merchants of M id ian« a nd Tema, the tale-spinners and the philosop hers have none of them found the way to wisdom , or discovered the paths she treads. How great , Israel, is the house of G od,' how wide his doma in, immeasurably wide, infinitely lofty! In it were born the giants, fam ous to us from ant iquit y, immensely ta ll, exper t in war; G od' s choice d id not fall on these, he did not revea l the way to know ledge to them; they per ished for lack of wisdo m, perished in their own folly. Who has ever clim bed the sky and caught her to br ing her do wn from the clo uds? Who has ever crosse d the ocean and foun d her to bring her back in exchange for the finest gold? No one knows the way to her, no one ca n disco ver the path she tr eads. But the One who knows a ll knows her, he has grasped her with his own inte llect, he has set the eart h firm for ever a nd filled it wit h four -footed beasts,

1356

1357 II

34

13

35

14

36

37

15 38 16

l?

14

18

19

20

This is the book of the commandments of God, the Law that stands for ever; those who keep her live, those who desert her die. Turn back , Jacob, seize her, in her radiance mak e your way to light: do not yield your glory to another, your privilege to a people not you r own. Israel , blessed are we: what pleases God has been revealed to us.

Gn 1:14

Jb 38:7 Jd t 9:6 Jb 38:35 Ps 147: 4 I s 40:2 6

Ps 147: 19 Si 24: 8, lOf P c 8:31 Ws9: 10

In 1:14

Si 24:23 Pc 1:32 -33 : 8:35-36

P c 6:23

D t 4:8.32-37 Ws9:18

IV. T H E COMP L A I NT S AN D H O PE S O F JERUSA L E M "

21

Take courage, my peopl e, constant reminder of Israel. b You were sold to the nations. but not for extermination. You provoked God ; and so were delivered to your enem ies, since you had angered you r creator by offering sacrifices to demons , not to God. You had forgotte n the eternal God who reared you. You had also grieved Jer usalem who nursed you, for when she saw the anger fall on you from God, she said:

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10

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12

30

4:12

he sends the light- and it goes, he recalls it--and trembling it obeys ; the stars shine jo yfully at their set tim es: when he calls them , they answer , 'Here we are; they gladl y shine for their creat or. It is he who is ou r God, no othe r can com pare with him. He has gras ped the whole way of knowledge, and confided it to his servant Jacob, to Israel his well-beloved ; so causing her to app ear on ear th and move among men.

33

12

BARUC H

Listen, you neighbours of Zion: God has sent me great sorrow. I have seen my sons and daug hters taken into captivity, to which they have been sentenced by the Eternal. I had reared them joyfully; in tears, in sorrow, I watched them go away. Do not, any of you, exult over me, a widow, deserted by so many; I suffer loneliness because of the sins of my own childre n, who turned away from the Law of God,

Is 50: I ; 52:3

Dt 32:17 Ps 106:37 Dr 32:5, 10. 15 Is 1:2

Lml 'I-2

w

f1j

31

32

b. As in Jb 28:13-28. th is Questi on Is first an swered ne gat ively; man ca nnot ach ieve wisdo m of him self. 3:16-3 1; the posi tive answer follows: wisdo m is God's possession. he ha s enric hed Israel wit h it by his gift of the Law , 3:32-4:4. c. 'h er way' Svr .: ' t heir way' G reek. d . 'Midian' corr. : ' Merr a n' Greek. e. The un ivers e.


4 a. After th e int rodu ctory vers es, 5·9a. personified Jeru salem addresses the neigh bouring towns a nd her ow n sca tt ered childre n. vv. 9b·29; the poe t the n rep lies with a pro m ise of reco very in messiani c days. 4:30-5:9. b. The race in which Jacob's God-given name is perpetuated .

o

II

I

4: 13

I

D t 28:49- 50 Jr 5: 15: 6: 22 ,23

Ps 126 :5 Jr 31: 12. 13

Is 60: 1-3

Is 51:23

Lm 2:22 : 4:5

Is4O:1

T b 13:1 2

Is 34:9 , 10. 14

BARUCH

[3 58

who did not want to know his injunctions, a nd would not follow the ways of his precepts, or tread the paths of discipline as his justice directed . Let them come here, those neighbours of Zion. Let me remind you of the captivity of my so ns a nd da ughters to which they have been sentenced by the Etern a l: how he bro ught a distant nat ion down on them , a ru thl ess natio n spea king a fo reign la nguage, having neither respect for the aged, nor pity for the child ; they ca rried off the widow's cherished sons, they left her qui te a lo ne, bereft of her daughters. For my part, how can I help you ? He who brought those disasters down on you , he is the one to deliver you from the hands of your enemies. G o, my children, go your way! I must stay bereft and lonely; I have taken ofT the clothes of peacetime, a nd put on the sackcloth of entreaty; I will cry to the Eternal all my life. Take courage, my children, call on God: he will deliver you from tyranny, from t he hands of your enemies ; for I look to the Eternal for your rescue, and joy has come to me from the Ho ly One at th e mercy soon to reach you from yo ur sa vio ur, the Eternal. In sor ro w a nd tears I watched you go away, but God will give you back to me in joy and gladness fo r ever. As the neighbours of Zi on now witness your ca ptivity, so will th ey so o n see you rescued by God, who will intervene, in the great glo ry and splendou r o f the Eternal. My child ren, patiently bea r the anger brought on yo u by God. Yo ur enemy ha s persecuted you, but soo n you will witness his destruction a nd set you r foot on his neck . My favourite ch ildren have travelled by rough roads, ca rried off like a flock by a marauding enemy. Take co urage, my children, ca!l on God: he who brought disaster on you will remember you. As by yo ur will you first strayed away from God, so now turn back a nd search for him ten times as hard; for as he brought down those disasters on you, so will he rescue you and give you eternal joy. Ta ke co ura ge, Jerusalem: he who gave you that names will console you . Trouble will come to all who have ill-treated you a nd gloated over your fall. T ro uble will come to the cities where your children were slaves; trouble will come to the city wh ich received you r son s, for just as she rejoiced at your fall a nd was happy to see you ruined, so sha ll she grieve over her own desolation. I will deprive her of t ha t joy known to populous cities, her boasting sha ll be turned into mourning, firt~ fro m the Eterna l will burn in her for many a da y

BA RU CH

L359 13 36 14

37

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5

2 16

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6:10

and dem ons will dwell in her for ages. Jerusalem, tu rn yo ur eyes to the ea st, see the joy th a t is co ming to yo u fro m God. Loo k, the so ns you wa tched go away are on their way hom e : reasse m bled fro m east a nd west, they are on thei r way ho me at t he co m ma nd of the Hol y O ne, jubi lant a t the glory of God .

Lv 16:8+: 17:7 +

Jerusalem, ta ke off you r d ress of so rrow a nd d istress, put o n th e beauty o f t he glory of God for ever, wra p t he cloak of the integri ty of God a rou nd yo u, put the diadem o f the glor y of t he Ete rna l on your hea d: since God means to show you r splendour to every nation und er heaven, since the name G od gives yo u for eve r will be, 'Peace through integrity, a nd honou r throu gh devot edness' ." Arise, Jerusal em , stand on the heights a nd turn you r eyes to the eas t: see yo ur son s reassembled from west a nd eas t at the command of the Ho ly O ne, j ubilant th at God has rem embered them. T ho ugh the y left you on foot , with enemies for an esco rt, now G od brings them back to you like royal princes" carri ed back in glo ry. F or God has decreed the flattening of each high mo unta in, of th e eve rlast ing hills, the filling o f the valleys to ma ke t he grou nd level so that Israe l ca n walk in sa fety under the glory o f God. An d the for ests and every fragrant tree will pro vide shade for Israel at t he command o f God; fo r G od will guide Israel in joy by the light of his glor y with his mercy an d integrit y for esco rt.

Tb 13:16 Is 52: 1

Is 60:4-5

Is 6 1:10

Is49: 22: 60:4 Is 40:3.4

Is 4 1:19

25

V. 26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

THE LETTE R OF JE RE M IAH

A copy of the letter which Jeremiah se nt to tho se about to be led captive to Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to inf orm them of the instructions which God had given him . I Because of the sin s yo u ha ve co mmitte d be fore G od you a re to be dep orted to Babylon by Ne buc had nezza r kin g o f the Babylonian s. -O nce you ha ve reac hed Babylon yo u will stay ther e for man y years, as lon g as seve n generations ; .\ a fter which I sha ll bring yo u ho me in peace. • No w in Babyl on you will see gods made of silver, o f go ld, of wood, bein g car ried sho ulde r-high," a nd filling .J the pagans with fea r. • Be o n yo ur gua rd . Do not imit at e th e for eigners, do not 5 have an y fear of th eir gods 'as yo u watch thei r wo rshippe rs flock ing befo re a nd behind them . In stead, say in your heart s, ' Master , it is you that we ha ve to to worship ' . •F o r my angel is with you ; yo ur lives will be in his care . Plated with gold and silver, th eir ton gue s polish ed smooth by a cr a ftsman, H they a re counterfeit and hav e no power to spea k.• As th ou gh fo r a girl fo nd of finer y, the se pagans tak e gold and mak e cro wns for th e head s of th eir god s. 9 Sometimes, th e prie st s actually filch gold and silver from thei r go ds to spend 10 themselves, even using it on pr esent s for the temple prosti tutes. h • They

Jr 29:1

6

c . Thus mak in g the ci ty h is own , Ps 46:4 ; Is 60:14 . 5 a. For o ther m ess ia nic names Rive n to Je ru salem, d. Is 1:26 + ; 60: 14 +- ; Jr 33: 16: Ez k 4S:35. b . Lit. 's o ns of the kin gd om ' Vu IR. a nd so me G re ek MSS ; ' as (on ) a roy a l thro ne ' Gr eek . On thi s seco nd

Exo dus. cf. Is 40:3'+ , 6 a . F or r ellaious pro cessions in Bab ylon the ima ges o f the aods b. Lit. prostitute s Babyl oni an

were ca rr ied fr om t he: temples. cf. al so v, 5. 't he pr ost itut es o n t he r oof' ; the sacred a p pare nt ly o cc up ied the up per story o f templ es.

Is 40:20 J r 10:1- 16

Ex 23:20- ,-

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Ps 115:5

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BARUCH

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dre ss up these gods of silver, gold and wood, in clothes, like human beings, alt hough they ca nnot protect t hemselves either fro m tarnis h or wood worm, in spite of th e purple cloaks t hey drape them in. Their faces even have to be II du sted, owin g to the du st of the temple wh ich settles thick on them . -On e hold s 12 a sceptre like th e gove rnor of a province, yet is pow erless to pu t a nyo ne who offends him to death ; -anot her hold s swo rd an d axe in his rig ht hand, yet is 13 power less to defe nd himself aga inst wa r or thie ves. - Fro m thi s it is evident that 14 they are not gods ; do no t be a fra id of them . Just as a pot in co mmo n use become s useless o nce it is brok en , so a re th ese 15 god s enshrined inside th eir tem ples. -T heir eyes are full of du st raised by th e 16 feet of th ose who enter. -Just as the doors are locked on all sides on th e man 17 wh o has offended th e king and is under sen tence of death , so the priest s secure the temp les of t hese gods with gates and bolt s and bar s for fear of burglary. T hey light mo re lamps than for t hemsel ves, and the god s cannot see one of them . I X The y ar e like one of the temp le beam s, gna wed awa y from within, so the y say, 19 by ter mites which creep out of the gro und and eat them, and their fine clothes too . T hey ar e unaware - that t heir face s are blackened by the smo ke that rises 20 from the temp le. - Bats, swa llows, birds of every kind !lutter over thei r bodi es 21 and heads , and cat s prowl ther e. - From all this you can see for yoursel ves that 22 they are not gods: do not be afraid of them. The gold with which they are plated is fine eno ugh to look at, but if someone 23 does not ru b off th e ta rn ish, t hese gods will not do mu ch shini ng on their own. T hey felt nothi ng while t hey were being cast. - However much was pa id for them, 24 Is 46 :7 the re is st ill no breath of life in them. • Being una ble to wa lk, they have to be carried 2 5 on men's sho ulders, which shows how fut ile t hey are. It is humiliating for their Ws 13:16 wors hippe rs, too , who have to sta nd the m up aga in if they fall over. -O nce the y 26 have been stood up, they can not mo ve on their own; if t hey tilt askew , th ey ca nnot right themselves ; offe r ing s mad e to them might as well be made to dead men . -Whatever is sacr ificed to th em, the priests re-sell and pocket the profit ; 2 7 while their wives salt down part of it, but give noth ing to the poor or to the Lv 12:4 ; 15: help less. As to the sacrifices themselves, why, wo men d uring their periods and 191': 20:1 8 women in childbed are no t afraid to touc h t hem ! -As you ca n see from t hese 28 exa mp les that they a re not gods, do no t be af rai d of them . Indee d, how ca n t hey even be ca lled gods, when wo men do th e offering' 29 to these gods of silver, gold and wood? -I n t heir tem ples, the pr iests sta y sitti ng 30 down, th eir gar me nts to rn, heads and bea rd shaved a nd wit h head s uncovered; they roar and shriek before th eir gods as peo ple do at funeral feasts." -T he H priests ta ke the robes of t he gods to clot he their own wives and children. - Whether 33 t hese gods a re treat ed badly o r well, the y a re incapable of payi ng back either t reatment ; as inca pa ble too of maki ng o r unm ak ing kings, -equ ally inca pa ble 34 of distr ibuting wea lt h or mo ney. If anyo ne fa ils to hon our a vow he has made Ps I46 :7- X to t hem , they ca nno t ca ll him to account. -T hey ca n neither save a man fro m 35 death no r rescue the wea k from t he st ro ng, - no r restore sight to the blind , nor 36 Ps 68: 5 save someone in tro uble, • no r tak e pity on a widow , nor be genero us to an 37 orphan. -T hese woo de n gods plated with gold a nd silver are a bou t as much 38 use as rocks cut out of the mo unta in side. Hum iliati on awaits their wors hippe rs. So how ca n anyone t hink or say tha t th ey are gods ? 39 T he C haldaeans th emselves do them no ho nour; if they find so meo ne who 40 is d umb and ca nno t spea k, the y present him to Bel, entr eat ing him for the gift of speech, as if he co uld hea r them ! -An d they are incap abl e of dr awi ng th e 4 1 co nclusion a nd a bando ning t hose gods-such is their lack of com monsense. Wo men wit h str ings round th eir wa ists sit in the streets, burni ng bra n like incense ; 42 when o ne of these has been picked up by a passer-by a nd been to bed with him, 43 she then twits her neighbour for no t being singled out a nd fo r not having her string bro ken," - Everything go ing o n anywhere nea r! these gods is spurious. 44 So ho w ca n anyo ne think or say that th ey are god s?

BARUCH

6:72

Made by woodworkers and gold smiths, they are only what those workmen decide to make them. -T he makers have not lon g to live themselves, so how can ·17 the things they make be god s? -Their legacy to their descendants is nothing but 4X illusion and disappointment. - If war or disas ter s occur, t he priests discuss where .\ '1 best to hide themsel ves and these gods ; • how can an yone fail to realise that they are not gods , if they cannot save themselves from war or from disasters? so And since in any case th ey are only made of wood plated with gold or silver, it must be obvious fro m a ll this that they are spurious; and plain to everyone, to nations as to kings, that they are not gods but the work of human hands, and .\ 1 that t here is no divine activity in the m. -Can th ere be anyone still unconvinced« that they are no t gods? 52 They can neit her appoint a king over a country, nor give rain to manki nd, 5 .\ nor regulate their o wn affai rs, nor rescue anyone who suffers a wron g; th ey are 54 as helpless as crows between sky and gro und . -If fire falls on the temple of these wooden gods plated with gold or silver , th eir pr iests fly to safety while they for 55 the ir part stay there like beams, to be burnt. -They ca nnot put up any resista nce 5" to a king o r to enemies . -So how can anyone think o r say that t hey ar e gods? 57 T hese wooden gods plated with gold or silver can not evade thieves or marauders ; violent men may rob them of their gold and silver a nd make off with the robes they are dressed in; yet they are powerless to help even themselves. 5X Better to be a king displaying his prowess, a household pot of use to its owner, than to be these false gods ; or merely t he door of a house, protecting what is inside, than these false gods; or a wooden pillar in a palace than these false gods. 5~ The sun, the moon an d the sta rs, which shine an d have been given work to do, f,n are obe dient; -simila rly, t he light ning, as it flashes, is a fine sight ; in th e same hi way, the wind blows across eve ry count ry, -the clouds execute the order God gives them to pass over the who le eart h, an d the fire, sent from above to consume 102 moun tain and forest , ca rries out its or ders . -Now t hese gods are not their f, .\ equal, either in bea uty o r in power. -So, no one can think or say tha t they are gods, powerless as th ey are to admi nister ju stice or to do men any good . /,·1 Therefore, knowi ng th at they a re not gods, do not be afraid of t hem . l:i. Th ey can neith er curse nor bless kings, - nor prod uce signs in heaven for the " 7 nati ons, nor shine like th e sun , no r shed ligh t like the moo n. -T he a nimals are better off than they are, being a ble to ma ke for cover and look after t hemselves. ox T here is not the slight est sh red of evidence tha t they are gods ; do not be afraid of them ! t" , T heir wooden gods plated wit h gold and silver are like a scarecrow in a melon II patch- protecting no thin g. -Agai n, the ir wooden gods plat ed with gold an d silver are like a t horn bush in a garden -any bird may perc h on it-or like 1 I a co rpse thr own into the dark . - Fr o m the purple and fine linen " ro ttin g on their backs you will recog nise th at they are no t god s ; and in the end, eaten away 11 themselves, they will be a disgrace to the co untry. - Bette r, th en , a virtu ou s man who has no idols; disgrace will never come nea r him.

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T his was fo rb idd en by Je w ish Law . d. Referr ing to th e worshi p of gods tha t die a nd C'.

lillie agai n.

e. T his cus to m was associ a ted w it h sac red pr ost it · uu on .

f. ' a nyw here near' Codex Alex. g. Lit. ' To whom will it not be clea r' ; variant

readina : ' . . . will it be'. b. ' fine line n' corr. ; ' ma r ble ' Greek.