2 Baruch

Historical printed page 525

: IT-BARUE€H 85. 2-ι2} And they interceded for us with Him who made us, isa share ἢ ἐπ re Because they trusted in their works], a: nd the Mighty One heard their prayer and forgave us. vs oe 3 But now the righteous have been gathered And the prophets have fallen asleep, And we also have gone forth from the land, And Zion has been taken from us, : And we have nothing now save the Mighty One and His law. 4 If therefore we direct and dispose our hearts, We shall receive everything that we lost, And much better things than we lost by many times. 5 For what we have lost was subject to corruption, _ And what we shall receive shall not be corruptible. 6 [Moreover, also, I have written thus to our brethren to Babylon, that to them also I may attest these very things. ] ah 7 And let all those things aforesaid be always before your eyes, Because we are still in the spirit and the power of our liberty. 8 Again, moreover, the Most High also is long-suffering towards us here, And He hath shown to us that which is to be, And hath not concealed from us what will befall in the end. 9 Before therefore judgement exact its own, - And truth that which is its due, Let us prepare our soul That we may possess, and not be taken possession of, And that we may hope and not be put toshame, And that we may rest with our fathers, and not be tormented with our enemies. 1o © For the youth of the world is past, ‘ And the strength of the creation already exhausted, And the advent of the times is very short, cae Yea, they have passed by ; And the pitcher is near to the cistern, And the ship to the port, And the course of the journey to the city, And life to (its) consummation. ir And again prepare your souls, so that when ye sail and ascend from the ship ye may have rest 12 ae not be condemned when ye depart. For lo! when the Most High will bring to pass all these ings, There shall not there be again [a place of repentance, nor] a limit to the times, Nor a duration for the hours, Nor a change of ways, Nor place for prayer, Nor sending of petitions, Nor receiving of knowledge, Nor giving of love, trusted in their works. The dead righteous avail not, only the living. See xiv. 7, note; Ixiii. 3. 3. we have nothing now save the Mighty One and His law. The law was Israel’s everlasting and unconditional possession. Cf. Josephus, c. Apion. ii. 38. The land, the sanctuary, and the kingdom of David were conditional (Mechilta, 68»). Cf. xlviii. 22. With the law Israel could not fall. 6. This verse is due to the final editor. 3 7. the power of our liberty, i.e. enjoy free-will. Cf. 4 Ezra ix. 11 ; 1 Cor. vii. 37; Actsi.7; ν. 4; Pss. Sol. 1x. 7. On the doctrine see liv. 15, note. 8. hath shown to us. In B* Baruch does not use the plural ‘ we’ and ‘us’ in this connexion. See Ixxviii. 3 note. 9. that we may possess, ἄς. Probably corrupt. rest with our fathers. Cf. xi. 4. to. the youth of the world is past. Cf. 4 Ezra xiv. 10, 16 ; v. 50-66. 12. [a place of repentance nor]. This phrase is a dittograph of what follows later. The idea is here in its wrong context, whereas it is in its right context later. Finally it is against the parallelism. 525