Baruch 3

Apo

1 O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, the soul in anguish the troubled spirit, crieth unto thee.

2 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy; ar thou art merciful: and have pity upon us, because we have sinned before thee.

3 For thou endurest for ever, and we perish utterly.

4 O Lord Almighty, thou God of Israel, hear now the prayers of the dead Israelites, and of their children, which have sinned before thee, and not hearkened unto the voice of thee their God: for the which cause these plagues cleave unto us.

5 Remember not the iniquities of our forefathers: but think upon thy power and thy name now at this time.

6 For thou art the Lord our God, and thee, O Lord, will we praise.

7 And for this cause thou hast put thy fear in our hearts, to the intent that we should call upon thy name, and praise thee in our captivity: for we have called to mind all the iniquity of our forefathers, that sinned before thee.

8 Behold, we are yet this day in our captivity, where thou hast scattered us, for a reproach and a curse, and to be subject to payments, according to all the iniquities of our fathers, which departed from the Lord our God.

9 Hear, Israel, the commandments of life: give ear to understand wisdom.

10 How happeneth it Israel, that thou art in thine enemies' land, that thou art waxen old in a strange country, that thou art defiled with the dead,

11 That thou art counted with them that go down into the grave?

12 Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom.

13 For if thou hadst walked in the way of God, thou shouldest have dwelled in peace for ever.

14 Learn where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding; that thou mayest know also where is length of days, and life, where is the light of the eyes, and peace.

15 Who hath found out her place? or who hath come into her treasures ?

16 Where are the princes of the heathen become, and such as ruled the beasts upon the earth;

17 They that had their pastime with the fowls of the air, and they that hoarded up silver and gold, wherein men trust, and made no end of their getting?

18 For they that wrought in silver, and were so careful, and whose works are unsearchable,

19 They are vanished and gone down to the grave, and others are come up in their steads.

20 Young men have seen light, and dwelt upon the earth: but the way of knowledge have they not known,

21 Nor understood the paths thereof, nor laid hold of it: their children were far off from that way.

22 It hath not been heard of in Chanaan, neither hath it been seen in Theman.

23 The Agarenes that seek wisdom upon earth, the merchants of Meran and of Theman, the authors of fables, and searchers out of understanding; none of these have known the way of wisdom, or remember her paths.

24 O Israel, how great is the house of God! and how large is the place of his possession!

25 Great, and hath none end; high, and unmeasurable.

26 There were the giants famous from the beginning, that were of so great stature, and so expert in war.

27 Those did not the Lord choose, neither gave he the way of knowledge unto them:

28 But they were destroyed, because they had no wisdom, and perished through their own foolishness.

29 Who hath gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds?

30 Who hath gone over the sea, and found her, and will bring her for pure gold?

31 No man knoweth her way, nor thinketh of her path.

32 But he that knoweth all things knoweth her, and hath found her out with his understanding: he that prepared the earth for evermore hath filled it with fourfooted beasts:

33 He that sendeth forth light, and it goeth, calleth it again, and it obeyeth him with fear.

34 The stars shined in their watches, and rejoiced: when he calleth them, they say, Here we be; and so with cheerfulness they shewed light unto him that made them.

35 This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him

36 He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved.

37 Afterward did he shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men.

Sep

1 κύριε παντοκράτωρ ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ψυχὴ ἐν στενοῖς καὶ πνεῦμα ἀκηδιῶν κέκραγεν πρὸς σέ

2 ἄκουσον κύριε καὶ ἐλέησον ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν ἐναντίον σου

3 ὅτι σὺ καθήμενος τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπολλύμενοι τὸν αἰῶνα

4 κύριε παντοκράτωρ ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἄκουσον δὴ τῆς προσευχῆς τῶν τεθνηκότων Ισραηλ καὶ υἱῶν τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἐναντίον σου οἳ οὐκ ἤκουσαν τῆς φωνῆς κυρίου θεοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκολλήθη ἡμῖν τὰ κακά

5 μὴ μνησθῇς ἀδικιῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ μνήσθητι χειρός σου καὶ ὀνόματός σου ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ

6 ὅτι σὺ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν καὶ αἰνέσομέν σε κύριε

7 ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἔδωκας τὸν φόβον σου ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἡμῶν τοῦ ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομά σου καὶ αἰνέσομέν σε ἐν τῇ ἀποικίᾳ ἡμῶν ὅτι ἀπεστρέψαμεν ἀπὸ καρδίας ἡμῶν πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν πατέρων ἡμῶν τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων ἐναντίον σου

8 ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἐν τῇ ἀποικίᾳ ἡμῶν οὗ διέσπειρας ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ εἰς ἀρὰν καὶ εἰς ὄφλησιν κατὰ πάσας τὰς ἀδικίας πατέρων ἡμῶν οἳ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ κυρίου θεοῦ ἡμῶν

9 ἄκουε Ισραηλ ἐντολὰς ζωῆς ἐνωτίσασθε γνῶναι φρόνησιν

10 τί ἐστιν Ισραηλ τί ὅτι ἐν γῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν εἶ ἐπαλαιώθης ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ

11 συνεμιάνθης τοῖς νεκροῖς προσελογίσθης μετὰ τῶν εἰς ᾅδου

12 ἐγκατέλιπες τὴν πηγὴν τῆς σοφίας

13 τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰ ἐπορεύθης κατῴκεις ἂν ἐν εἰρήνῃ τὸν αἰῶνα

14 μάθε ποῦ ἐστιν φρόνησις ποῦ ἐστιν ἰσχύς ποῦ ἐστιν σύνεσις τοῦ γνῶναι ἅμα ποῦ ἐστιν μακροβίωσις καὶ ζωή ποῦ ἐστιν φῶς ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ εἰρήνη

15 τίς εὗρεν τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς καὶ τίς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῆς

16 ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ οἱ κυριεύοντες τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

17 οἱ ἐν τοῖς ὀρνέοις τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐμπαίζοντες καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον θησαυρίζοντες καὶ τὸ χρυσίον ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν ἄνθρωποι καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν τέλος τῆς κτήσεως αὐτῶν

18 οἱ τὸ ἀργύριον τεκταίνοντες καὶ μεριμνῶντες καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξεύρεσις τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν

19 ἠφανίσθησαν καὶ εἰς ᾅδου κατέβησαν καὶ ἄλλοι ἀντανέστησαν ἀντ᾽ αὐτῶν

20 νεώτεροι εἶδον φῶς καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὁδὸν δὲ ἐπιστήμης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν

21 οὐδὲ συνῆκαν τρίβους αὐτῆς οὐδὲ ἀντελάβοντο αὐτῆς οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτῶν πόρρω ἐγενήθησαν

22 οὐδὲ ἠκούσθη ἐν Χανααν οὐδὲ ὤφθη ἐν Θαιμαν

23 οὔτε υἱοὶ Αγαρ οἱ ἐκζητοῦντες τὴν σύνεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς Μερραν καὶ Θαιμαν οἱ μυθολόγοι καὶ οἱ ἐκζητηταὶ τῆς συνέσεως ὁδὸν τῆς σοφίας οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οὐδὲ ἐμνήσθησαν τὰς τρίβους αὐτῆς

24 ὦ Ισραηλ ὡς μέγας ὁ οἶκος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπιμήκης ὁ τόπος τῆς κτήσεως αὐτοῦ

25 μέγας καὶ οὐκ ἔχει τελευτήν ὑψηλὸς καὶ ἀμέτρητος

26 ἐκεῖ ἐγεννήθησαν οἱ γίγαντες οἱ ὀνομαστοὶ οἱ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς γενόμενοι εὐμεγέθεις ἐπιστάμενοι πόλεμον

27 οὐ τούτους ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς οὐδὲ ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς

28 καὶ ἀπώλοντο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν φρόνησιν ἀπώλοντο διὰ τὴν ἀβουλίαν αὐτῶν

29 τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν καὶ κατεβίβασεν αὐτὴν ἐκ τῶν νεφελῶν

30 τίς διέβη πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὴν καὶ οἴσει αὐτὴν χρυσίου ἐκλεκτοῦ

31 οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ γινώσκων τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῆς οὐδὲ ὁ ἐνθυμούμενος τὴν τρίβον αὐτῆς

32 ἀλλὰ ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα γινώσκει αὐτήν ἐξεῦρεν αὐτὴν τῇ συνέσει αὐτοῦ ὁ κατασκευάσας τὴν γῆν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον ἐνέπλησεν αὐτὴν κτηνῶν τετραπόδων

33 ὁ ἀποστέλλων τὸ φῶς καὶ πορεύεται ἐκάλεσεν αὐτό καὶ ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῷ τρόμῳ

34 οἱ δὲ ἀστέρες ἔλαμψαν ἐν ταῖς φυλακαῖς αὐτῶν καὶ εὐφράνθησαν

35 ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εἶπον πάρεσμεν ἔλαμψαν μετ᾽ εὐφροσύνης τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτούς

36 οὗτος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν

37 ἐξεῦρεν πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ιακωβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Ισραηλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ

38 μετὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη

Vul

1 [Et nunc, Domine omnipotens, Deus Israël,
anima in angustiis, et spiritus anxius clamat ad te.

2 Audi, Domine, et miserere,
quia Deus es misericors:
et miserere nostri, quia peccavimus ante te:

3 quia tu sedes in sempiternum,
et nos, peribimus in ævum?

4 Domine omnipotens, Deus Israël,
audi nunc orationem mortuorum Israël,
et filiorum ipsorum qui peccaverunt ante te,
et non audierunt vocem Domini Dei sui,
et agglutinata sunt nobis mala.

5 Noli meminisse iniquitatum patrum nostrorum,
sed memento manus tuæ et nominis tui in tempore isto:

6 quia tu es Dominus Deus noster,
et laudabimus te, Domine:

7 quia propter hoc dedisti timorem tuum in cordibus nostris,
et ut invocemus nomen tuum,
et laudemus te in captivitate nostra,
quia convertimur ab iniquitate patrum nostrorum,
qui peccaverunt ante te.

8 Et ecce nos in captivitate nostra sumus hodie,
qua nos dispersisti in improperium,
et in maledictum, et in peccatum,
secundum omnes iniquitates patrum nostrorum,
qui recesserunt a te, Domine Deus noster.]

9 [Audi, Israël, mandata vitæ:
auribus percipe, ut scias prudentiam.

10 Quid est, Israël, quod in terra inimicorum es,

11 inveterasti in terra aliena,
coinquinatus es cum mortuis,
deputatus es cum descendentibus in infernum?

12 Dereliquisti fontem sapientiæ:

13 nam si in via Dei ambulasses,
habitasses utique in pace sempiterna.

14 Disce ubi sit prudentia,
ubi sit virtus, ubi sit intellectus,
ut scias simul ubi sit longiturnitas vitæ et victus,
ubi sit lumen oculorum, et pax.

15 Quis invenit locum ejus?
et quis intravit in thesauros ejus?

16 Ubi sunt principes gentium,
et qui dominantur super bestias quæ sunt super terram?

17 qui in avibus cæli ludunt,

18 qui argentum thesaurizant, et aurum,
in quo confidunt homines,
et non est finis acquisitionis eorum?
qui argentum fabricant, et solliciti sunt,
nec est inventio operum illorum?

19 Exterminati sunt, et ad inferos descenderunt,
et alii loco eorum surrexerunt.

20 Juvenes viderunt lumen, et habitaverunt super terram,
viam autem disciplinæ ignoraverunt,

21 neque intellexerunt semitas ejus,
neque filii eorum susceperunt eam:
a facie ipsorum longe facta est;

22 non est audita in terra Chanaan,
neque visa est in Theman.

23 Filii quoque Agar, qui exquirunt prudentiam quæ de terra est,
negotiatores Merrhæ et Theman,
et fabulatores, et exquisitores prudentiæ et intelligentiæ:
viam autem sapientiæ nescierunt,
neque commemorati sunt semitas ejus.

24 O Israël, quam magna est domus Dei,
et ingens locus possessionis ejus!

25 magnus est, et non habet finem:
excelsus, et immensus.

26 Ibi fuerunt gigantes nominati illi, qui ab initio fuerunt,
statura magna, scientes bellum.

27 Non hos elegit Dominus,
neque viam disciplinæ invenerunt:
propterea perierunt,

28 et quoniam non habuerunt sapientiam,
interierunt propter suam insipientiam.

29 Quis ascendit in cælum, et accepit eam,
et eduxit eam de nubibus?

30 Quis transfretavit mare, et invenit illam, et attulit illam super aurum electum?

31 Non est qui possit scire vias ejus,
neque qui exquirat semitas ejus:

32 sed qui scit universa novit eam,
et adinvenit eam prudentia sua
qui præparavit terram in æterno tempore:
et replevit eam pecudibus et quadrupedibus

33 qui emittit lumen, et vadit,
et vocavit illud, et obedit illi in tremore.

34 Stellæ autem dederunt lumen in custodiis suis,
et lætatæ sunt:

35 vocatæ sunt, et dixerunt: Adsumus,
et luxerunt ei cum jucunditate, qui fecit illas.

36 Hic est Deus noster,
et non æstimabitur alius adversus eum.

37 Hic adinvenit omnem viam disciplinæ,
et tradidit illam Jacob puero suo,
et Israël dilecto suo.

38 Post hæc in terris visus est,
et cum hominibus conversatus est.]