2 Baruch

Historical printed page 509

Il BARUCH 51. 7—52. 7 But those who have been saved by their works, And to whom the law has been now a hope, And understanding an expectation, And wisdom a confidence, Shall wonders appear in their time. For they shall behold the world which is now invisible to them, And they shall behold the time which is now hidden from them : And time shall no longer age them. το For in the heights of that world shall they dwell, And they shall be made like unto the angels, And be made equal to the stars, And they shall be changed into every form they desire, From beauty into loveliness, And from light into the splendour of glory. For there shall be spread before them the extents of Paradise, and there shall be shown to them the beauty of the majesty of the living creatures which are beneath the throne, and all the armies of the angels, who [are now held fast by My word, lest they should appear, and] are held fast by a 12 command, that they may stand in their places till their advent comes. Moreover, there shall then be 13 excellency in the righteous surpassing that in the angels. For the first shall receive the last, those _ whom they were expecting, and the last those of whom they used to hear that they had passed away. 14 For they have been delivered from this world of tribulation, And laid down the burthen of anguish. τι For what then have men lost their life, And for what have those who were on the earth exchanged their soul ? 16 For then they chose (not) for themselves this time, Which, beyond the reach of anguish, could not pass away: But they chose for themselves that time, Whose issues are full of lamentations and evils, And they denied the world which ages not those who come to it, And they rejected the time of glory, So that they shall not come to the honour of which I told thee before.’ 2x And I answered and said: ‘How can we forget those for whom woe is then reserved ? 2 And why therefore do we again mourn for those who die? Or why do we weep for those who depart to Sheol ? 3 Let lamentations be reserved for the beginning of that coming torment, And let tears be laid up for the advent of the destruction of that time. But even in the face of these things will I speak. nd as for the righteous, what will they do now? Rejoice ye in the suffering which ye now suffer : For why do ye look for the decline of your enemies ? 7 Make ready your soul for that which is reserved for you, And prepare your souls for the reward which is laid up for you.’] ans 9. After this verse read probably verses 13 and 14, then 10, 11, and 12 as climax. io. Note spiritual conception. The risen righteous live in the heights of the invisible world (8, 10), and their glory is more than that of the angels (12). ual to the stars. 4 Ezra vii. 97, 125. ic ving creatures ... beneath the throne. Rev. iv. 6. armies of the angels. Cf. 2 Enoch xvii; Test. Lev. iii. 3. The brackets indicate a gloss or dittograph. 13. Cf. 4 Ezra v. 42; also Matt. xix. 30. 15. Cf. Matt. xvi. 26. 16. I have added a negative in the first clause, as the sense requires it—an addition accepted by Ryssel. So too in Ivi. 14, where Ceriani also inserts it. of glory. So Ryssel has emended text which reads ‘and glory’. 1.11.1. we. Text reads ‘I’ which Ryssel has emended. 2, 3. We should weep rather for those destined to torments than those who depart to Sheol. 5-7. See note on xlviii. 48-50. 6. Cf. Ixxxviii.6; James i. 2. The sentiment looks Christian. 5°9