2 Baruch

Historical printed page 507

II BARUCH 48. 37-50 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 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. 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. 490 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 : “Ὁ 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 ? 43 For all this multitude are going to corruption, Nor is there any numbering of those whom the fire devours. 45 But again I will speak in Thy presence. Thou, O LorpD, my Lord, knowest what is in Thy 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 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.’ XLVIII. 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. 5° © 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.’ 37. Cf. lxx. 6. 38. walked every man, ἄς. Cf. 4 Ezra iii. 8. the law of the Mighty One. Cf. xliv. 3, 7. 40. knew when he was transgressing. Cf. Ep. Barn. v. 4, and see xv. 6 note, where Israel is referred to as knowing the law. Here all men know when they do wrong. Cf. Rom. ii. 14, 15. My Law they knew not by reason of their pride. The Talmud says the Gentiles rejected the law, which was designed for all nations. See, too, 4 Ezra vii. 72, 73. 41. The load of sin increases with time, and so will its penalty. 42-50. What havoc Adam and Eve have wrought by the spiritual death and torments they brought upon their 7 posterity! Yet God, as Creator, knows what is in man; the number of men that are to be, and their sins (42-6). The law and the judgement will give all their due, so let us inquire rather about the blessedness to come for the righteous who now awhile endure labour. 42. The mention of fire shows that spiritual death is here traced to Adam and Eve, whereas in xvii. 3, &c., it is only physical death that is so traced. In 4 Ezra both are always traced to Adam (e.g. iii. 21, 22). But this spiritual death 15 not due to the incapacity of man for-righteousness after the fall, but to his following of his own choice in the steps ᾿ of Adam. 46. command the dust to produce Adam. 4 Ezra iii. 4, 5; vii. 116. “ the number... born. See xxiii. 5, note. ’ 48-50. A fragment of an address delivered by Baruch to the people, as verse 50 shows, and not to God. Another δ fragment of this same address, originally preceding 48-50 here, is given in liv. 16-18, and yet another, following 48-50, in lii. 5-7. "αι ; 49. be silent in celebrating. A Hebrew idiom. 50. Cf. xv. 8. ὃ 5°97