Baruch

Baruch

And these are the words of the book which Baruch, son of Nerias, son of Maasias, son of Sedekias, son of Asadias, son of Chelkias, wrote in Babylon, in the fifth year, on the seventh day of the month, at the time when the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burned it with fire. And Baruch read the words of this book in the ears of Jeconias, son of Joakim, king of Judah, and in the ears of all the people who came to the book, and in the ears of the mighty and the sons of the kings, and in the ears of the elders, and in the ears of all the people from small to great, all those dwelling in Babylon by the river Soud. And they wept and fasted and prayed before the Lord, and they gathered silver as each one’s hand was able. And they sent to Jerusalem to Joakim, son of Chelkias, son of Salom, the priest, and to the priests and to all the people who were found with him in Jerusalem, when he received the vessels of the house of the Lord that had been brought out from the temple, to return them to the land of Judah, on the tenth of Seiuan, the silver vessels which Sedekias, son of Josias, king of Judah, had made, after Nabouchodonosor, king of Babylon, had deported Jeconias and the rulers and the captives and the mighty and the people of the land from Jerusalem, and had brought him to Babylon.

And they said, "Behold, we have sent you silver, and with the silver buy whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin and frankincense, and prepare manna and offer it upon the altar of the Lord our God, and pray for the life of Nabouchodonosor.

of King of Babylon and for the life of Baltasar his son, that their days may be as the days of the heaven upon the earth. And the Lord will give us strength and will lighten our eyes, and we shall live under the shadow of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon and under the shadow of Baltasar his son, and we shall serve them many days and find favor before them. And pray for us to the Lord our God, because we have sinned against the Lord our God, and the wrath of the Lord and his anger have not turned away from us until this day. And you shall read this book which we have sent to you to declare in the house of the Lord on a feast day and on days of festival, and you shall say to the Lord our God, "Righteousness is his, but shame of face is ours as on this day," to the man of Judah and to those dwelling in Jerusalem, and to our kings and to our rulers and to our priests and to our prophets and to our fathers, against whom we have sinned before the Lord and have disobeyed him, and we have not heeded the voice of the Lord our God to walk according to the ordinances of the Lord which he gave before us, from the day when the Lord led our fathers out of the land of Egypt until this day we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, and we have been heedless so as not to listen to his voice. And the evils and the curse which the Lord appointed to his servant Moses on the day when he led our fathers out to give us a land flowing with milk and honey have clung to us, as on this day.

And we did not heed the voice of the Lord our God according to all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us, and we went each one in the thought of his own evil heart to serve other gods, to do evil before the eyes of the Lord our God.

And the Lord set in place the judgment that he had spoken against us and against our judges who judged Israel, and against our kings and against our rulers.

of us and against the man of Israel and of Judah. It was not done beneath the whole heaven as it was done in Jerusalem, according to what was written in the law of Moses, that we should eat the flesh of a man's son and the flesh of a man's daughter, and he gave them over into the hands of all the kingdoms around us, for reproach, the Lord there. And they became beneath and not above, because we sinned against the Lord our God, by not heeding his voice. To the Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us and to our fathers belongs the shame of our faces as on this day. What the Lord spoke against us, all these evils that have come upon us. And we did not beseech the face of the Lord to turn each one from the thoughts of their evil heart. And the Lord kept watch over the evils, and the Lord brought them upon us, because the Lord is just in all his works which he commanded us. And we did not hear his voice, to walk according to the ordinances of the Lord which he gave before our face. And now, Lord God of Israel, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, with signs and with wonders and with great power and with a high arm, and made for yourself a name as on this day, we have sinned, we have been impious, we have done wrong, Lord our God, against all your ordinances.

Let your anger be turned away from us, for we have been left few among the nations where you scattered us. Hearken, Lord, to our prayer and our supplication, and deliver us for your own sake, and give us grace before the face of those who have deported us, so that the whole earth may know that you are the Lord our God, because your name has been invoked upon Israel and upon his race. Lord, look down from your holy house and consider us; incline your ear, Lord, and listen. Open your eyes and see that the dead

in Hades, whose spirit has been taken from their entrails, they will give glory and justice to the Lord. But his soul, grieving over the greatness, which goes bowed and weak, and the failing eyes and the hungry soul will give glory and righteousness to you, Lord. For it is not upon the judgments of our fathers and our kings that we cast down mercy before your face, Lord our God, for you have sent your wrath and your anger upon us, just as you spoke through the hand of your servants the prophets: Thus said the Lord, Bend your shoulder and labor for the king of Babylon, and sit upon the land which I have given to your fathers; and if you do not hearken to the voice of the Lord to labor for the king of Babylon, I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from outside Jerusalem the voice of gladness and the voice of joy, the voice of a bridegroom and the voice of a bride, and the whole land shall be impassable from its inhabitants. And we did not hearken to your voice to labor for the king of Babylon, and you established your words which you spoke through the hands of your servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones of our fathers be removed from their place. And behold, they are cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night; and they died in grievous pains, by famine and by sword and by exile. And you have set the house upon which your name was called as it is this day, because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

And you have acted toward us, Lord our God, according to all your gentleness and according to all your great compassion, as you spoke through the hand of your servant Moses, on the day you commanded him to write your law before the sons of Israel, saying, “If you do not listen to my voice, then this great and mighty buzzing will turn into a small thing among the nations where I will scatter them.” For I knew that they would not listen.

of me, because the people are stiff-necked; and they will turn in their heart in the land of their exile, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. And I will give them a heart and ears that hear, and they will praise me in the land of their exile, and they will remember my name; and they will turn away from their stiff neck and from their evil deeds, because they will remember the way of their fathers who sinned before the Lord. And I will turn them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and they will rule it; and I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished; and I will establish for them an eternal covenant, that I may be their God, and they will be my people; and I will no longer move my people Israel from the land which I gave to them.

Lord Pantokrator, the God of Israel, a soul in distress and a spirit of despondency has cried out to you. Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you; for you are seated for eternity, and we are perishing for eternity. Lord Pantokrator, the God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of the sons who sin against you, who did not hear your voice, their God, and evils have clung to us. Do not remember the injustices of our fathers, but remember your hand and your name at this time; for you are our Lord God, and we will praise you, Lord. For it is for this reason that you have placed your fear upon our heart and the calling upon your name; and we will praise you in our exile, because we have turned away from our heart every injustice of our fathers who sinned against you. Behold, we are today in our exile, where you have scattered us there for reproach and for curse and for debt on account of all the injustices of our fathers, who departed from our Lord God. Hear, Israel, the commandments of life; give ear to know wisdom.

What is Israel? Why are you in the land of enemies? You have grown old in a foreign land, you have been defiled among the dead, you have been counted among those in Hades, you have abandoned the fountain of wisdom. If you had walked the way of God, you would have dwelt in peace for eternity. Learn where prudence is, where strength is, where understanding is, to know at once where long life and life are, where the light of the eyes and peace are. Who has found her place, and who has entered into her treasuries? Where are the rulers of the nations and those who lord over the beasts of the earth? Those who play with the birds of the sky, and those who amass silver and gold, in which men trusted, and there is no end to their possession. For those who work silver and are anxious, and there is no discovery of their works. They have vanished and gone down to Hades, and others have risen up in their place. Younger ones saw light and dwelt upon the earth, but they did not know the way of knowledge nor understand its paths nor grasp it; their sons became far from their way, nor was it heard in Canaan nor seen in Oiman. And the sons of Hagar who seek understanding upon the earth, the merchants of Merran and Thaiman, and the mythologers and the seekers of understanding, they did not know the way of wisdom nor remember its paths. O Israel, how great is the house of God, and how vast the place of his possession; great and without end, high and immeasurable. There were born the giants, the renowned ones who came into being from the beginning, of great size, skilled in war.

God did not choose these, nor did he give them a path of knowledge; and they perished because they lacked prudence, they perished on account of their thoughtlessness. Who went up into heaven and took her, and brought her down from the clouds? Who crossed over the sea and found her, and will bring her as choice gold? There is no one who knows her way, nor anyone who ponders her path. Another, the one who knows all things, knows her; he discovered her by his understanding; the one who fashioned

He filled the earth for all time with four-footed beasts. He who sends forth the light, and it proceeds; he called it, and it obeyed him with trembling. The stars shone in their watches and rejoiced; he called them, and they said, "We are present"; they shone with gladness for their maker. This is our God; no other shall be compared to him. He discovered every path of knowledge and gave it to Jacob his servant and to Israel, his beloved. After this he appeared upon the earth and lived among men.

This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law that exists for eternity; all who hold fast to it shall live; but those who abandon it shall die. Turn back, Jacob, and take hold of it; journey toward the radiance that stands before its light. Do not give your glory to another, nor your advantages to a foreign nation. We are blessed, Israel, because what is pleasing to God is known to us. Take courage, my people, memorial of Israel. You were sold to the nations not for destruction, but because you provoked God, you were delivered to your adversaries. For you provoked the one who made you by sacrificing to demons and not to God; you forgot the eternal God who nurtured you, and you grieved also Jerusalem, who raised you. For she saw the wrath coming upon you from God, and said, “Hear, you inhabitants of Zion; God has brought great mourning upon me. For I saw the captivity of my sons and my daughters, which the Eternal One brought upon them. For I raised them with joy, but I sent them forth with weeping and mourning. Let no one rejoice over me, the widow, abandoned by many; I have been laid waste because of the sins of my children, because they turned away from the law of God and did not know his ordinances, nor did they walk in the ways of God’s commandments, nor in the paths

e of the light of the living God. For you have provoked the wrath of your Creator by offering sacrifices to demons, and not to God. You have forgotten the true worship of the Lord, and your hearts have turned away from the path of righteousness. Therefore, the Lord has brought upon you the desolation of Zion, and the captivity of your sons and daughters. But if you repent and return to the law, the Lord will again have mercy upon you, and will restore your city and your sanctuary.

of his discipline in righteousness they advanced. Let the inhabitants of Zion come, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal One brought upon them. For he brought against them a nation from afar, a shameless and foreign-speaking nation; because they were not ashamed before an old man nor did they take pity on a child, and they led away the beloved of the widow, and from the daughters they desolated the only one. But what am I able to help you? For the one who brought the evils will deliver you from the hand of your enemies. Go, children, go, for I have been left desolate. I have taken off the garment of peace, and I have put on the sackcloth of my supplication; I will cry out to the Eternal One in my days. Take courage, children, cry out to God, and he will deliver you from oppression, from the hand of enemies. For I have hoped in the Eternal One for your salvation, and joy has come to me from the Holy One on account of the mercy that will come to you quickly from the Eternal One, your savior. For I sent you out with mourning and weeping, and God will return you to me with joy and gladness for eternity. For just as the inhabitants of Zion have now seen your captivity, so they will soon see the salvation from your God, which will come to you with great glory and splendor of the Eternal One. Children, endure the anger that has come upon you from God; the enemy has pursued you, and you will see his destruction quickly, and you will step on their necks. My tender ones have traveled rough roads, they were led away like a flock seized by enemies.

Take courage, children, and cry out to God, for there will be a remembrance of you by the one who brings affliction. For just as your mind was led astray from God, so now turn back and seek him tenfold. For the one who brought upon you

The evils will bring you eternal joy together with your salvation. Take courage, Jerusalem; the one who named you will comfort you. Wretched are those who have harmed you and rejoiced at your fall; wretched are the cities which your children served; wretched is the one who received your sons. For just as she rejoiced at your fall and delighted in your downfall, so will she be grieved at her own desolation. And I will strip away her delight in her multitude, and her pride will turn to mourning. For fire will come upon her from the Eternal One for many days. And she will be inhabited by demons for the greater part of the time. Look to the east, Jerusalem, and see the joy that comes to you from God. Behold, your sons whom you sent forth are coming; they are coming gathered from east to west by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.

Strip off, Jerusalem, your garment of mourning and affliction, and put on the comeliness of the glory from God for eternity. Wrap yourself in the double cloak of righteousness from God, place upon your head the mitre of eternal glory. For God will show your splendor to all under heaven. For your name will be called by God for eternity, peace of righteousness and glory of piety. Arise, Jerusalem, and stand upon the height, and look toward the east and see your children gathered from the setting of the sun to the rising by the word of the holy one, rejoicing in the memory of God. For they went forth from you on foot, led by enemies, but God brings them back to you borne with glory as a royal throne. For God has ordained that every high mountain be humbled, and eternal sand dunes and ravines be filled for the leveling of the earth, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. And the thickets and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel by the command of God. For God will lead Israel with gladness in the light of his glory, with mercy and righteousness from him.

And these are the words of the book which Baruch son of Neriah son of Maasai son of Zedekiah son of Asadiah son of Helkiah wrote in Babylon, in the fifth year on the seventh day of the month, at the time when the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burned it with fire. And Baruch read the words of this book in the ears of Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and in the ear of all the people who came to the book, and in the ears of the mighty and the sons of the kings, and in the ears of the elders, and in the ear of all the people from small to great, of all those dwelling in Babylon on the river Sud. And they wept and fasted and prayed before the Lord, and they gathered silver as each one's hand was able.

And they sent to Jerusalem to Joakim son of Helkiah son of Salom the priest, and to the priests and to all the people who were found with him in Jerusalem, when he received the vessels of the house of the Lord that had been taken out of the temple, to return them to the land of Judah, on the tenth of Seiuan, the silver vessels which Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah had made, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah and the rulers and the captives and the mighty men and the people of the land from Jerusalem, and had brought him to Babylon. And they said, Behold, we have sent silver to you, and with the silver buy burnt offerings and offerings for sin and frankincense, and prepare manna and offer it on the altar of the Lord our God, and pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar.

of the king of Babylon and for the life of Baltasar his son, that their days may be as the days of heaven upon the earth. And the Lord will give us strength and will lighten our eyes, and we shall live under the shadow of Nabouchodonosor king of Babylon and under the shadow of Baltasar his son, and we shall serve them many days and find favor before them. And pray for us to the Lord our God, for we have sinned against the Lord our God, and the anger of the Lord and his wrath have not turned away from us until this day. And you shall read this book which we have sent to you to recite in the house of the Lord on a feast day and on days of festival, and you shall say: to the Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us belongs shame of faces as on this day, to the man of Judah and to those dwelling in Jerusalem, and to our kings and to our rulers and to our priests and to our prophets and to our fathers, for whom we have sinned before the Lord and disobeyed him, and we have not heeded the voice of the Lord our God to walk according to the ordinances of the Lord which he gave before us, from the day when the Lord led our fathers out of the land of Egypt until this day we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, and we have been negligent so as not to hear his voice. And the evils and the curse which the Lord appointed to his servant Moses on the day when he led our fathers out to give us a land flowing with milk and honey have clung to us, as on this day.

and we did not hearken to the voice of the Lord our God according to all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us, and each of us went astray in the thought of his own evil heart to serve other gods, to do evil before the eyes of the Lord our God. And these are the words of the book which Baruch son of Nerias son of Maasias son of Sedekias son of Asadias son of Chelkias wrote in Babylon, in the fifth year on the seventh of the month, at the time when the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burned it with fire. And Baruch read the words of this book in the ears of Jeconias son of Joakim king of Judah, and in the ear of all the people who came to the book, and in the ears of the mighty and the sons of the kings, and in the ears of the elders, and in the ear of all the people from small to great, all those dwelling in Babylon by the river Soud. And they wept and fasted and prayed before the Lord, and they gathered silver as each one’s hand was able. And they sent to Jerusalem to Joakim son of Chelkias son of Salom the priest, and to the priests and to all the people who were found with him in Jerusalem, when he received the vessels of the house of the Lord which had been taken out of the temple to return them to the land of Judah, on the tenth of Seiuan, silver vessels which Sedekias son of Josias king of Judah had made, after Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had deported Jeconias and the rulers and the captives and the mighty and the people of the land from Jerusalem, and brought him to Babylon.

And they said, "Behold, we sent silver to you, and with the silver buy burnt offerings and offerings for sin and frankincense, and prepare manna and offer it upon the altar of the Lord our God, and pray for the life of Nabouchodonosor.

of the king of Babylon and for the life of Baltasar his son, that their days may be as the days of heaven upon the earth. And the Lord will give us strength and will lighten our eyes, and we shall live under the shadow of Nabouchodonosor king of Babylon and under the shadow of Baltasar his son, and we shall serve them many days and find favor before them. And pray for us to the Lord our God, because we have sinned against the Lord our God, and the wrath of the Lord and his anger have not turned away from us until this day. And you shall read this book which we have sent to you to proclaim in the house of the Lord on a feast day and on days of the season, and you shall say: to the Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us shame of faces as this day, to a man of Iouda and to those dwelling in Ierousalem, and to our kings and to our rulers and to our priests and to our prophets and to our fathers, against whom we have sinned before the Lord and have disobeyed him, and we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God to walk according to the ordinances of the Lord which he gave before us, from the day when the Lord led our fathers out of the land of Aigyptos until this day we have been disobedient toward the Lord our God, and we have been heedless so as not to hearken to his voice. And the evils and the curse which the Lord appointed to his servant Moyses on the day when he led our fathers out to give us a land flowing with milk and honey have clung to us, as this day.

and we did not heed the voice of the Lord our God according to all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us, and each of us went away in the thought of his own wicked heart to serve other gods, to do evil deeds before the eyes of the Lord our God. And the Lord established his word which he spoke against us and against our judges who judged Israel and against our kings and against our rulers.

of us and upon the man of Israel and Judah. It was not done beneath the whole heaven as it was done in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the law of Moses, that we should eat the flesh of a man’s son and the flesh of a man’s daughter, and he gave them into the hands of all the kingdoms around us, for reproach, the Lord there. And they became beneath and not above, because we sinned against the Lord our God, by not heeding his voice. To the Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us and to our fathers belongs shame of faces as this day. What the Lord spoke against us, all these evils that have come upon us. And we did not beseech the face of the Lord to turn each one from the thoughts of their own wicked heart. And the Lord watched over the evils, and the Lord brought them upon us, because the Lord is just in all his works which he commanded us. And we did not heed his voice, to walk according to the ordinances of the Lord which he gave before our face. And now, Lord God of Israel, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, with signs and wonders and great power and a high arm, and made for yourself a name as this day, we have sinned, we have been impious, we have done wrong, Lord our God, against all your ordinances.

Let the anger of yours turn away from us, for we have been left few among the nations where you scattered us. Hearken, Lord, to our prayer and our supplication, and deliver us for your own sake, and give us grace before the face of those who carried us away, so that the whole earth may know that you, Lord, are our God, because your name has been invoked upon Israel and upon his race. Lord, look down from your holy house and consider us; incline, Lord, your ear and listen. Open your eyes and see that it is not the dead

in Hades, whose spirit was taken from their entrails, they will give glory and righteousness to the Lord. But his soul, grieving over the greatness, which walks stooping and weak, and the failing eyes and the hungry soul will give glory and righteousness to you, Lord. For it is not upon the ordinances of our fathers and our kings that we cast our supplication before your face, Lord our God, because you have sent your wrath and your anger upon us, just as you spoke through the hand of your servants the prophets: Thus said the Lord, Bend your shoulder and labor for the king of Babylon, and sit upon the land which I have given to your fathers. And if you do not hearken to the voice of the Lord to labor for the king of Babylon, I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from outside Jerusalem the voice of gladness and the voice of joy, the voice of a bridegroom and the voice of a bride, and the whole land will be impassable from inhabitants. And we did not hearken to your voice to labor for the king of Babylon, and you established your words which you spoke through the hands of your servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones of our fathers be removed from their place. And behold, they are cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night; and they died in grievous pains, by famine and by sword and by sending away. And you placed the house upon which your name was called as this day, because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

And you have done to us, Lord our God, according to all your gentleness and according to all your great compassion, as you spoke by the hand of your servant Moses, on the day you commanded him to write your law before the sons of Israel, saying, "If you do not listen to my voice, then this great and abundant buzzing will turn into a small thing among the nations where I will scatter them." For I knew that they would not listen.

of mine, for the people are stiff-necked; and they will turn their hearts in the land of their exile, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. And I will give them a heart and ears that hear, and they will praise me in the land of their exile, and they will remember my name; and they will turn away from their stiff neck and from their evil deeds, because they will remember the way of their fathers who sinned before the Lord. And I will turn them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob, and they will rule over it; and I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished; and I will establish with them an eternal covenant, that I may be their God, and they will be my people; and I will no longer move my people Israel from the land which I gave to them. And the Lord established the word which he spoke concerning us and concerning our judges who judged Israel and concerning our kings and concerning our rulers.

of ours and upon the man of Israel and Judah. It was not done beneath the whole heaven as it was done in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the law of Moses, that we should eat the flesh of a man's son and the flesh of a man's daughter. And he gave them into the hands of all the kingdoms around us, for reproach, the Lord there. And they became beneath and not above, because we sinned against the Lord our God, by not heeding his voice. To the Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us and to our fathers belongs the shame of our faces as on this day. What the Lord spoke against us, all these evils that have come upon us. And we did not beseech the face of the Lord to turn each one from the thoughts of their evil heart. And the Lord kept watch over the evils, and the Lord brought them upon us, because the Lord is just in all his works which he commanded us. And we did not hear his voice, to walk according to the ordinances of the Lord which he gave before our face. And now, Lord God of Israel, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, with signs and wonders and great power and a high arm, and made for yourself a name as on this day, we have sinned, we have been impious, we have done wrong, Lord our God, against all your ordinances.

Let the anger of yours be turned away from us, for we have been left few among the nations where you scattered us. Hearken, Lord, to our prayer and to our supplication, and deliver us for your own sake, and give us grace before the face of those who have deported us, that the whole earth may know that you are our Lord God, that your name has been invoked upon Israel and upon his race. Lord, look down from your holy house and consider us; incline your ear, Lord, and listen. Open your eyes and see that it is not the dead

in Hades, whose spirit has been taken from their entrails, they will give glory and righteousness to the Lord. But his soul, grieving at the greatness, which walks stooping and weak, and the failing eyes and the hungry soul will give glory and righteousness to you, Lord. For it is not upon the ordinances of our fathers and our kings that we cast our supplication before your face, Lord our God, because you have sent your wrath and your anger upon us, as you spoke through the hand of your servants the prophets. Thus said the Lord: Bend your shoulder and work for the king of Babylon, and settle on the land which I have given to your fathers; and if you do not hearken to the voice of the Lord to work for the king of Babylon, I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from outside Jerusalem the voice of gladness and the voice of joy, the voice of a bridegroom and the voice of a bride, and the whole land shall be impassable from inhabitants. And we did not hearken to your voice to work for the king of Babylon, and you established your words which you spoke through the hands of your servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones of our fathers be carried out from their place. And behold, they are cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night; and they died in evil torments, by famine and by sword and by sending away. And you have set the house upon which your name was called as this day, because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

And you have done to us, Lord our God, according to all your gentleness and according to all your great compassion, as you spoke through the hand of your servant Moses, on the day you commanded him to write your law before the sons of Israel, saying, "If you do not listen to my voice, then this great and mighty buzzing will turn into a small thing among the nations where I will scatter them. For I knew that they would not listen.

me, for the people are stiff-necked; and they will turn in their heart in the land of their exile, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. And I will give them a heart and ears that hear, and they will praise me in the land of their exile, and they will remember my name; and they will turn away from their stiff neck and from their evil deeds, for they will remember the way of their fathers who sinned before the Lord. And I will turn them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob, and they will rule over it; and I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished; and I will establish for them an eternal covenant, that I may be to them a god, and they will be to me a people; and I will no longer move my people Israel from the land which I gave to them. Lord Pantokrator, the God of Israel, a soul in distress and a spirit of despair has cried out to you. Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you; for you abide forever, and we perish forever. Lord Pantokrator, the God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of the sons of those who sin against you, who did not hear your voice, their God, and evils have clung to us. Do not remember the injustices of our fathers, but remember your hand and your name at this time; for you are the Lord our God, and we will praise you, Lord. For because of this you have placed your fear upon our heart and the calling upon your name; and we will praise you in our exile, for we have turned away from our heart every injustice of our fathers who sinned against you.

Now we are today in our exile, where you scattered us, there for reproach and for a curse and for a debt on account of all the injustices of our fathers, who revolted from the Lord our God. Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life; give ear to know wisdom.

What is Israel? Why are you in the land of enemies? You have grown old in a foreign land, you have been defiled among the dead, you have been counted among those in Hades, you have abandoned the spring of wisdom. If you had walked the way of God, you would have dwelt in peace forever. Learn where prudence is, where strength is, where understanding is, to know also where long life and life are, where light of the eyes and peace are. Who found her place, and who entered into her treasuries? Where are the rulers of the nations and those who rule over the beasts on the earth? Those who play among the birds of the sky, and those who amass silver and gold, on which men relied, and there is no end to their possessions. For those who work and worry over silver, there is no discovery of their works. They vanished and went down to Hades, and others rose up in their place. Younger ones saw light and dwelt on the earth, but they did not know the way of knowledge nor understand her paths nor grasp her; their sons were far from their way, nor was it heard in Canaan nor seen in Oiman. The sons of Hagar who seek understanding on the earth, the merchants of Merran and Thaiman, and the mythologists and the seekers of understanding, they did not know the way of wisdom nor remember her paths. O Israel, how great is the house of God, and how extensive is the place of his possession; great and without end, high and immeasurable. There were born the giants, the famous ones who came from the beginning, of great size, skilled in war.

God did not choose these, nor did he give them the path of knowledge; and they perished because they had no understanding, they perished because of their folly. Who went up into heaven and took her, and brought her down from the clouds? Who crossed beyond the sea and found her, and will bring her as choice gold? There is no one who knows her way, nor anyone who ponders her path. Another, the one who knows all things, knows her; he discovered her by his understanding; the one who constructed

He filled the earth for all time with four-footed beasts. He who sends forth the light, and it proceeds; he called it, and it obeyed him with trembling. The stars shone in their watches and rejoiced; he called them, and they said, "We are present"; they shone with gladness for their maker. This is our God; no other shall be reckoned beside him. He discovered every path of knowledge and gave it to Jacob, his servant, and to Israel, his beloved. After this he appeared on the earth and lived among men. Lord Almighty, God of Israel, a soul in distress and a spirit in despair cries out to you. Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you; for you abide for eternity, and we perish for eternity. Lord Almighty, God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of the sons of those who sinned against you, who did not hear the voice of you, their God, and evils have clung to us. Do not remember the injustices of our fathers, but remember your hand and your name at this time; for you are Lord, our God, and we will praise you, Lord. For this reason you placed your fear upon our hearts and the invocation of your name; and we will praise you in our exile, because we have turned away from our hearts every injustice of our fathers who sinned against you. Behold, we are today in our exile, where you scattered us, there for reproach and for curse and for debt on account of all the injustices of our fathers, who departed from the Lord our God. Hear, Israel, the commandments of life; give ear to acquire understanding.

What is Israel? Why are you in the land of enemies? You grew old in a foreign land, you were defiled among the dead, you were counted among those in Hades, you abandoned the fountain of wisdom. If you had walked the way of God, you would have dwelt in peace for eternity. Learn where prudence is, where strength is, where understanding is, to know at once where long life and life are, where the light of the eyes and peace are. Who found her place, and who entered into her treasuries? Where are the rulers of the nations and those who rule over the beasts of the earth? Those who play with the birds of the sky, and those who amass silver and gold, in which men trusted, and there is no end to their possession. For those who work silver and are anxious, and there is no discovery of their works. They vanished and went down to Hades, and others rose up in their place. Younger ones saw light and dwelt upon the earth, but they did not know the path of knowledge, nor did they understand her ways, nor did they grasp her; their sons became far from their path, nor was it heard in Canaan nor seen in Oiman. And the sons of Hagar who seek understanding on the earth, the merchants of Merran and Thaiman, and the mythologers and the seekers of understanding, they did not know the way of wisdom nor did they remember her paths. O Israel, how great is the house of God, and how vast is the place of his possession; great and without end, high and immeasurable. There were born the giants, the renowned ones who came into being from the beginning, of great size, skilled in war.

God did not choose these, nor did he give them the way of knowledge; and they perished because they had no prudence, they perished because of their folly. Who went up into heaven and took her, and brought her down from the clouds? Who crossed beyond the sea and found her, and will bring her, of choice gold? There is no one who knows her way, nor anyone who ponders her path. Another, who knows all things, knows her; he discovered her by his understanding; the one who fashioned

...the earth for eternal time, he filled it with four-footed beasts. He who sends forth the light proceeds; he called it, and it obeyed him with trembling. The stars shone in their watches and rejoiced; he called them, and they said, "We are present." They shone with gladness for their maker. This is our God; no other shall be reckoned beside him. He discovered every path of knowledge and gave it to Jacob, his servant, and to Israel, his beloved. After this he appeared on the earth and dwelt among men. This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law that endures forever. All who hold fast to it shall live; but those who abandon it shall die. Return, Jacob, and take hold of it; journey toward the radiance opposite its light. Do not give your glory to another, nor your advantages to a foreign nation. We are blessed, O Israel, because what is pleasing to God is known to us. Take courage, my people, memorial of Israel. You were sold to the nations not for destruction, but because you angered God, you were delivered to your enemies. For you provoked your maker by sacrificing to demons and not to God; you forgot the eternal God who nourished you; you grieved indeed Jerusalem, who reared you. For she saw the wrath coming upon you from God, and she said, "Hear, you inhabitants of Zion; God has brought great mourning upon me." For I saw the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal One brought upon them. For I reared them with joy, but I sent them forth with weeping and mourning.

Let no one rejoice at my widowhood and my abandonment by many. I have been laid waste because of the sins of my children, for they turned aside from the law of God and did not know his ordinances, nor did they walk in the ways of God’s commandments, nor in the paths.

They did not walk in the paths of his righteousness in discipline. Let the inhabitants of Zion come, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal One brought upon them. For he brought upon them a nation from afar, a shameless and foreign-speaking nation; for they were not ashamed before an old man, nor did they take pity on a child, and they led away the beloved ones of the widow, and from the daughters they desolated the only one. But I, what am I able to help you? For the one who brought the evils will deliver you from the hand of your enemies. Go, children, go, for I have been left desolate. I have taken off the garment of peace, I have put on the sackcloth of my supplication; I will cry out to the Eternal One in my days. Take courage, children, cry out to God, and he will deliver you from oppression, from the hand of enemies. For I have hoped in the Eternal One for your salvation, and joy has come to me from the Holy One on account of mercy, which will come to you quickly from the Eternal One, your savior. For I sent you out with mourning and weeping, but God will return you to me with joy and gladness for eternity. For just as the inhabitants of Zion have now seen your captivity, so they will soon see your salvation from God, which will come upon you with great glory and splendor of the Eternal One. Children, endure with patience the anger that has come upon you from God; the enemy has pursued you, and you will see his destruction quickly, and you will step upon their necks. My tender ones have walked on rough roads, they were taken like a flock snatched by enemies.

Take courage, children, and cry out to God, for there will be remembrance of you by the one who brings affliction. For just as your mind was led astray from God, so now, having turned back, seek him tenfold. For the one who brought upon you

The evils will bring you eternal joy along with your salvation. Take courage, Jerusalem; the one who named you will comfort you. Wretched are those who have wronged you and rejoiced at your fall; wretched are the cities which your children served; wretched is the one who received your sons. For just as she rejoiced at your fall and delighted in your downfall, so will she be grieved at her own desolation. And I will strip away her delight in her multitude, and her pride will turn to mourning. For fire will come upon her from the Eternal One for many days, and she will be inhabited by demons for the greater part of the time. Look to the east, Jerusalem, and see the joy coming to you from God. Behold, your sons whom you sent forth are coming; they are coming gathered from east to west by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God. This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law which endures forever; all who hold fast to it will have life, but those who abandon it will die. Return, Jacob, and take hold of it; journey toward the radiance opposite its light. Do not give your glory to another, nor your advantages to a foreign nation. Blessed are we, Israel, because what is pleasing to God is known to us. Take courage, my people, memorial of Israel. You were sold to the nations not for destruction, but because you angered God, you were handed over to your adversaries. For you provoked the one who made you by sacrificing to demons and not to God; you forgot the eternal God who nourished you, and you grieved Jerusalem who raised you.

saw the wrath that was coming upon you from God, and said, Listen, you inhabitants of Zion; God has brought great mourning upon me. For I saw the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal One brought upon them. I raised them with joy, but I sent them forth with weeping and mourning. Let no one rejoice over me, a widow and abandoned by many; I was laid waste because of the sins of my children, for they turned away from the law of God and did not know his ordinances, nor did they walk in the paths of God's commandments, nor in the ways

of his discipline in righteousness they mounted. Let the inhabitants of Zion come, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal One brought upon them. For he brought upon them a nation from afar, a shameless and foreign-speaking nation; for they were not ashamed before an old man nor did they take pity on a child, and they led away the beloved ones of the widow, and from the daughters they desolated the only one. But I, what am I able to help you? For the one who brought the evils will deliver you from the hand of your enemies. Go, children, go, for I have been left desolate. I have taken off the garment of peace, and I have put on the sackcloth of my supplication; I will cry out to the Eternal One in my days. Take courage, children, cry out to God, and he will deliver you from power, from the hand of enemies. For I hoped in the Eternal One for your salvation, and joy came to me from the Holy One on account of mercy, which will come to you quickly from the Eternal One, your savior. For I sent you out with mourning and weeping, but God will return you to me with joy and gladness for eternity. For just as now the inhabitants of Zion have seen your captivity, so they will soon see your salvation from God, which will come upon you with great glory and splendor of the Eternal One. Children, endure the wrath that has come upon you from God; the enemy has pursued you, and you will see his destruction quickly, and you will mount upon their necks. My delicate ones have traveled rough roads; they were taken like a flock snatched by enemies.

Take courage, children, and cry out to God, for there will be remembrance of you by the one who brings affliction. For just as your mind was led astray from God, so now, having turned back, seek him tenfold. For the one who brought upon you

the evils will bring you eternal joy together with your salvation. Take courage, Jerusalem; the one who named you will comfort you. Wretched are those who have wronged you and rejoiced at your fall; wretched are the cities to which your children were enslaved; wretched is the one who received your sons. For just as she rejoiced at your fall and delighted in your downfall, so will she be grieved at her own desolation. And I will strip away her delight in her multitude, and her pride will turn to mourning. For fire will come upon her from the Eternal One for many days, and she will be inhabited by demons for the greater part of the time. Look to the east, Jerusalem, and see the joy that comes to you from God. Behold, your sons whom you sent forth are coming; they come gathered from east to west by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God. Take off, Jerusalem, your garment of mourning and of your affliction, and put on the comeliness of the glory from God for eternity. Wrap yourself in the double cloak of righteousness from God; place the mitre upon your head of the glory of the Eternal One. For God will show your splendor to all under heaven. For your name will be called by God for eternity: peace of righteousness and glory of piety. Arise, Jerusalem, and stand upon the height, and look to the east and see your children gathered from the setting of the sun to the rising by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the memory of God.

For they went out from you on foot, led by enemies, but God brings them back to you, lifted up with glory like a royal throne. For God has ordained that every high mountain be humbled, and that ever-flowing sandbanks and ravines be filled in for the leveling of the earth, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. And the thickets and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel by the command of God. For God will lead Israel with joy in the light of his glory, together with the mercy and righteousness that come from him. Strip off, Jerusalem, your garment of mourning and humiliation, and put on the splendor of the glory that comes from God for eternity. Wrap yourself in the mantle of righteousness from God, place the mitre of eternal glory upon your head. For God will show your radiance to all under heaven. For your name will be called by God for eternity: peace of righteousness and glory of piety.

Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand upon the height, and look about toward the east, and see your children gathered together from the setting of the sun to its rising by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the memory of God. For they went out from you on foot, led by enemies, but God brings them back to you, lifted up with glory like a royal throne. For God has ordained that every high mountain be humbled, and that ever-flowing sandbanks and ravines be filled up for the leveling of the land, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. And the thickets and every fragrant tree have also cast shade for Israel by the command of God. For God will lead Israel with gladness in the light of his glory, together with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.