2 Baruch

Historical printed page 512

Il BARUCH 54. 19—56. 5 19 Adam is therefore not the cause, save only of his own soul, But each of us has been the Adam of his own soul. 20 But do Thou, O Lord, expound to me regarding those things which Thou hast revealed to me, And inform me regarding that which I besought Thee. 21 For atthe consummation of the world vengeance shall be taken upon those who have done wickedness according to their wickedness, And Thou wilt glorify the faithful according to their faithfulness. 22 For those who are amongst Thine own Thou rulest, _ And those who sin Thou blottest out from amongst Thine own.’ 551 And it came to pass when I had finished speaking the words of this prayer, that I sat there under 2 ἃ tree, that I might rest in the shade of the branches. And I wondered and was astonied, and pondered in my thoughts regarding the multitude of goodness which sinners who are upon the earth have rejected, and regarding the great torment which they have despised, though they knew that 3 they should be tormented because of the sin they had committed. And when I was pondering on these things and the like, lo! the angel Ramiel who presides over true visions was sent to me, and he said unto me: 4 ‘Why does thy heart trouble thee, Baruch, and why does thy thought disturb thee ? 5 For if owing to the report which thou hast only heard of judgement thou art so moved, What (wilt thou be) when thou shalt see it manifestly with thine eyes ? 6 And if with the expectation wherewith thou dost expect the day of the Mighty One thou art so overcome, What (wilt thou be) when thou shalt come to its advent? 7 And, if at the word of the announcement of the torment of those who have done foolishly thou art so wholly distraught, How much more when the event will reveal marvellous things ? And if thou hast heard tidings of the good and evil things which are then coming and art grieved, What (wilt thou be) when thou shalt behold what the majesty will reveal, Which shall convict these and cause those to rejoice.’ 8 LVI-LXXIV. Jnterpretation of the Vision. The black and bright Waters symbolize the World's : History from Adam to the Advent of the Messiah. 561 ‘Nevertheless, because thou hast besought the Most High to reveal to thee the interpretation 2 of the vision which thou hast seen, I have been sent to tell thee. And the Mighty One hath assuredly made known to thee the methods of the times that have passed, and of those that are destined to pass in His world from the beginning of its creation even unto its consummation, 3 of those things which (are) deceit and of those which (are) in truth. For as thou didst see a great cloud which ascended from the sea, and went and covered the earth, this is the duration of the world (= αἰών) which the Mighty One made when he took counsel to make the world. 4 And it came to pass when the word had gone forth from His presence, that the duration of the world had come into being in a small degree, and was established according to the multitude of 5 the intelligence of Him who sent it. And as thou didst previously see on the summit of the cloud black waters which descended previously on the earth, this is the transgression wherewith Adam the first man transgressed. 19. See verse 15, note. Man’s guilt and sin are due to his own action, and are not derived from Adam. The evil impulse is not sin unless obeyed. It is placed in man, say the Talmudists, to be overcome (Weber, 217 =: 21. the faithful according to their faithfulness. Here ‘faithfulness’ is contrasted with ‘ wickedness’, so it = ‘righteousness’ or ‘fidelity to the law’; but elsewhere in this work ‘faith’ = ‘ belief’. Cf. 4 Ezra vi. 5 for the former sense. LV. 3. Ramiel. Cf. Ixiii. 6; 1 En. xx. 7 (Greek); 4 Ezra iv. 36 (Syriac); Sibyll. Or. ii. 215-17. In 4 Ezra Ramiel answers a question, as here. Elsewhere he has charge of souls for judgement. 5. owing ... which The text is defective. I have added @© after +a, and ? before Kosa. Ceriani aac 49. after sax,. With the latter reading we should render ‘if when thou hast only heard a rumour of His judgement’. LVI. 3. a great cloud .. . this is the duration of the world. The twelve alternate black and bright waters, and the last black water, symbolize the thirteen periods of the world’s history prior to the Messiah’s kingdom, which is foreshadowed by the lightning that shone on the cloud’s summit. 4. was established. So Ceriani has emended. 512