2 Baruch 48

¹ And it came to pass after the seventh day, that I prayed before the Mighty One and said (2BA) ² 'O my Lord, Thou summonest the advent of the times, And they stand before Thee; Thou causest the power of the ages to pass away, And they do not resist Thee; Thou arrangest the method of the seasons, And they obey Thee. (2BA) ³ Thou alone knowest the duration of the generations, And Thou revealest not Thy mysteries to many. (2BA) ⁴ Thou makest known the multitude of the fire, And Thou weighest the lightness of the wind. (2BA) ⁵ Thou explorest the limit of the heights, And Thou scrutinizest the depths of the darkness. (2BA) ⁶ Thou carest for the number which pass away that they may be preserved And Thou preparest an abode for those that are to be. (2BA) ⁷ Thou rememberest the beginning which Thou hast made, And the destruction that is to be Thou forgettest not. (2BA) ⁸ With nods of fear and indignation Thou commandest the flames, And they change into spirits, And with a word Thou quickenest that which was not, And with mighty power Thou holdest that which has not yet come. (2BA) ⁹ Thou instructest created things in the understanding of Thee, And Thou makest wise the spheres so as to minister in their orders. (2BA) ¹⁰ Armies innumerable stand before Thee And minister in their orders quietly at Thy nod. (2BA) ¹¹ Hear Thy servant And give ear to my petition. (2BA) ¹² For in a little time are we born, And in a little time do we return. (2BA) ¹³ But with Thee hours are as a time, And days as generations. (2BA) ¹⁴ Be not therefore wroth with man; for he is nothing (2BA) ¹⁵ And take not account of our works; For what are we? For lo! by Thy gift do we come into the world, And we depart not of our own will. (2BA) ¹⁶ For we said not to our parents, "Beget us," Nor did we send to Sheol and say, "Receive us." (2BA) ¹⁷ What therefore is our strength that we should bear Thy wrath Or what are we that we should endure Thy judgement? (2BA) ¹⁸ Protect us in Thy compassions, And in Thy mercy help us. (2BA) ¹⁹ Behold the little ones that are subject unto Thee, And save all that draw nigh unto Thee: And destroy not the hope of our people, And cut not short 'the times of our aid. (2BA) ²⁰ For this is the nation which Thou hast chosen, And these are the people, to whom Thou findest no equal. (2BA) ²¹ But I will speak now before Thee, And I will say as my heart thinketh. (2BA) ²² 'In Thee do we trust, for lo! Thy law is with us, And we know that we shall not fall so long as we keep Thy statutes. (2BA) ²³ [To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the Gentiles.] (2BA) 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.' (2BA) ²⁵ And when I had prayed and said these things, I was greatly weakened. And He answered and said unto me: Thou hast prayed simply, O Baruch, And all thy words have been heard. (2BA) ²⁷ But My judgement exacts its own And My law exacts its rights.' (2BA) ²⁸ For from thy words I will answer thee, And from thy prayer I will speak to thee. (2BA) ²⁹ For this is as follows: he that is corrupted is not at all; he has both wrought iniquity so far as he (2BA) ³⁰ could do anything, and has not remembered My goodness, nor accepted My long-suffering. Therefore (2BA) ³¹ thou shalt surely be taken up, as I before told thee. 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 (2BA) ³² the heat of indignation. 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 judgement has drawn nigh. (2BA) 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. (2BA) ³⁴ And there shall be many rumours and tidings not a few, And the doings of phantasmata shall be manifest, And promises not a few be recounted. Some of them (shall prove) idle, And some of them shall be confirmed. (2BA) ³⁵ And honour shall be turned into shame, And strength humiliated into contempt, And probity destroyed, And beauty shall become ugliness. (2BA) 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?" (2BA) 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. (2BA) ³⁸ And it shall come to pass at the self-same time, That a change of times shall manifestly appear to every man, Because in all those times they polluted themselves And they practised oppression, And walked every man in his own works, And remembered not the law of the Mighty One. (2BA) 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. (2BA) 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. (2BA) ⁴¹ But many shall then assuredly weep, Yea, over the living more than over the dead.' (2BA) ⁴² And I answered and said: 'O Adam, what hast thou done to all those who are born from thee? And what will be said to the first Eve who hearkened to the serpent? (2BA) ⁴³ For all this multitude are going to corruption, Nor is there any numbering of those whom the fire devours. (2BA) ⁴⁴ But again I will speak in Thy presence. Thou, O LORD, my Lord, knowest what is in Thy (2BA) ⁴⁶ creature. For Thou didst of old command the dust to produce Adam, and Thou knowest the number of those who are born from him, and how far they have sinned before Thee, who have (2BA) ⁴⁷ existed and not confessed Thee as their Creator. And as regards all these their end shall convict them, and Thy law which they have transgressed shall requite them on Thy day.' (2BA) ⁴⁸ ['But now let us dismiss the wicked and inquire about the righteous. (2BA) ⁴⁹ And I will recount their blessedness And not be silent in celebrating their glory, which is reserved for them. (2BA) ⁵⁰ For assuredly as in a little time in this transitory world in which ye live, ye have endured much labour, So in that world to which there is no end, ye shall receive great light.'] (2BA)