Liber Baruch, 3

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

1. And now, O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, the soul in anguish, and the troubled spirit crieth to thee:

2. audi Domine et miserere quia Deus es misericors et miserere nostri quia peccavimus ante te

2. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for thou art a merciful God, and have pity on us: for we have sinned before thee.

3. quia tu sedes in sempiternum et nos peribimus in ævum

3. For thou remainest for ever, and shall we perish everlastingly?

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 adglutinata sunt nobis mala

4. O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead of Israel, and of their children, that have sinned before thee, and have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord their God, wherefore evils have cleaved fast to us.

5. noli meminisse iniquitates patrum nostrorum sed memento manus tuæ et nominis tui in tempore isto

5. Remember not the iniquities of our fathers, but think upon thy hand, and upon thy name at this time:

6. quia tu es Dominus Deus noster et laudabimus te Domine

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

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

7. Because for this end 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 are converted from the iniquity of our fathers, who sinned before thee.

8. et ecce nos hodie in captivitate nostra sumus quo nos dispersisti in inproperium et in maledictum et in peccatum secundum omnes iniquitates patrum nostrorum qui discesserunt a te Domine Deus noster

8. And behold we are at this day in our captivity, whereby thou hast scattered us to be a reproach, and a curse, and an offence, according to all the iniquities of our fathers, who departed from thee, O Lord our God.

9. audi Israël mandata vitæ auribus percipite ut scias prudentiam

9. Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life: give ear, that thou mayst learn wisdom.

10. quid est Israël quid est quod in terra es inimicorum

10. How happeneth it, O Israel, that thou art in thy enemies' land?

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

11. Thou art grown old in a strange country, thou art defiled with the dead: thou art counted with them that go down into hell.

12. dereliquisti fontem sapientiæ

12. Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom :

13. si in via Dei ambulasses habitasses in pace sempiterna

13. For if thou hadst walked in the way of God, thou hadst surely dwelt in peace for ever.

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

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

15. quis invenit locum ejus et quis intravit in thesauros ejus

15. Who hath found out her place? and who hath gone in to her treasures?

16. ubi sunt principes gentium et qui dominantur super bestias quæ sunt super terram

16. Where are the princes of the nations, and they that rule over the beasts that are upon the earth?

17. qui in avibus cæli inludunt

17. That take their diversion with the birds of the air.

18. qui argentum thesaurizant et aurum in quo confidebant homines et non est finis adquisitionis eorum qui argentum fabricant et solliciti sunt nec est inventio operum illorum

18. That hoard up silver and gold, wherein men trust, and there is no end of their getting? who work in silver and are solicitous, and their works are unsearchable.

19. exterminati sunt et ad inferos descenderunt et alii loco eorum exsurrexerunt

19. They are cut off, and are gone down to hell, and others are risen up in their place.

20. juvenes viderunt lumen et habitaverunt super terram viam autem disciplinæ ignoraverunt

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

21. neque intellexerunt semitas ejus neque filii eorum susceperunt eam a facie ipsorum longe facta est

21. Nor have they understood the paths thereof, neither have their children received it, it is far from their face.

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

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

23. filii quoque Agar qui exquirunt prudentiam quæ de terra est negotiatores Merræ et Theman et fabulatores et exquisitores intellegentiæ viam autem sapientiæ nescierunt neque commemorati sunt semitas ejus

23. The children of Agar also, that search after the wisdom that is of the earth, the merchants of Merrha, and of Theman, and the tellers of fables, and searchers of prudence and understanding: but the way of wisdom they have not known, neither have they remembered her paths.

24. o Israël quam magna est domus Dei et ingens locus possessionis ejus

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

25. magnus et non habet finem excelsus et inmensus

25. It is great, and hath no end: it is high and immense.

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

26. There were the giants, those renowned men that were from the beginning, of great stature, expert in war.

27. non hos elegit Deus neque viam disciplinæ dedit illis et perierunt

27. The Lord chose not them, neither did they find the way of knowledge: therefore did they perish.

28. eo quod non haberent sapientiam et perierunt propter insipientiam suam

28. And because they had not wisdom, they perished through their folly.

29. quis ascendit in cælum et accepit eam et deduxit eam de nubibus

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

30. quis transfretavit mare et invenit illam et adtulit illam super aurum electum

30. Who hath passed over the sea, and found her, and brought her preferably to chosen gold?

31. non est qui possit scire viam ejus neque qui exquirat semitas ejus

31. There is none that is able to know her ways, nor that can search out her paths :

32. sed qui scit universa novit eam et invenit eam prudentia sua qui præparavit terram in æterno tempore et replevit eam pecudibus et quadrupedibus

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

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

33. He that sendeth forth light, and it goeth: and hath called it, and it obeyeth him with trembling.

34. stellæ autem lumen dederunt in custodiis suis et lætatæ sunt

34. And the stars have given light in their watches, and rejoiced:

35. vocatæ sunt et dixerunt adsumus et luxerunt ei cum jucunditate qui fecit illas

35. They were called, and they said: Here we are: and with cheerfuIness they have shined forth to him that made them.

36. hic Deus noster non æstimabitur alius adversus eum

36. This is our God, and there shall no other be accounted of in comparison of him.

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

37. He found out all the way of knowledge, and gave it to Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved.

38. post hæc in terris visus est et cum hominibus conversatus est

38. Afterwards he was seen upon earth, and conversed with men.