2 BARUCH 48
Prayer of Baruch
48:1 And it happened after seven days that I prayed before YAHWEH the Mighty One and said:
48:2 O YAHWEH, YOU summon the coming of the times, and they stand before YOU. YOU cause the display of power of the worlds to pass away and they do not resist YOU. YOU arrange the course of the periods, and they obey YOU.
48:3 Only YOU know the length of the generations, and YOU do not reveal YOUR secrets to many.
48:4 YOU make known the multitude of the fire, and YOU weigh the lightness of the wind.
48:5 YOU investigate the end of the heights, and YOU scrutinize the depths of darkness.
48:6 YOU command the number which will pass away, and which will be preserved. And YOU prepare a house for those who will be.
48:7 YOU remember the beginning which YOU created, and YOU do not forget that destruction which will come.
48:8 With signs of fear and threat YOU command the flames, and they change into winds. And with the Word YOU bring to Life that which does not exist, and with great Power YOU hold that which has not yet come.
48:9 YOU instruct the creation with YOUR understanding, and YOU give wisdom to the spheres so that they minister according to their positions.
48:10 Innumerable hosts stand before YOU, and serve peacefully YOUR sign according to their positions.
48:11 Hear YOUR servant, and regard my appeal.
48:12 For we are born in a short time, and in a short time we return.
48:13 With YOU, however, the hours are like times, and the days like generations.
48:14 Be, therefore, not angry at man because he is nothing; and do not take count of our works; for what are we?
48:15 For behold, by YOUR gift we come into the world, and we do go not of our own will.
48:16 For we did not say to our parents: "Beget us," nor have we sent to the realm of death saying: "Receive us."
48:17 What therefore is our strength that we can bear YOUR wrath, or what are we that we can endure YOUR judgment?
48:18 Protect us in YOUR free unmerited favor and pardon, and in YOUR mercy help us.
48:19 Look at the small ones who submit to YOU, and deliver all those who come to YOU. And do not take away the hope of our people, and do not make short the times of our help.
48:20 For these are the people whom YOU have elected, and this is the nation of which YOU found no equal.
48:21 But I shall speak to YOU now, and I shall say as my heart thinks.
48:22 In YOU we have put our trust, because, behold, YOUR Torah is with us, and we know that we do not fall as long as we keep YOUR statutes.
48:23 We shall always be blessed; at least, we did not mingle with the nations. For we are all a people of the NAME; we, who received one Torah from YAHWEH the One.
48:24 And that Torah that is among us will help us, and that excellent wisdom which is in us will support us.
48:25 And when I had prayed these things I became very weak.
48:26 And HE answered and said to me: You have prayed honestly, Baruch, and all your words have been heard.
48:27 But MY judgment asks for its own, and MY Torah demands its right.
48:28 For from your words I shall answer you, and from your prayer I shall speak with you.
48:29 Because it is as follows: There is nothing that will be destroyed unless it acted wickedly, if it had been able to do something without remembering MY goodness and accepting MY long-suffering.
48:30 For this reason surely you will be taken up, as I said to you before.
48:31 And the time will come of which I spoke to you and that true is appearing which brings affliction. For it will come and pass away with enormous vehemence; and arriving in the heat of indignation, it will be turbulent.
48:32 And it will be in those days that all inhabitants of the earth will live with each other in shalom, because they do not know that MY judgment has come near.
48:33 For in that time there will not be found many wise men and there will also be not many intelligent ones, but, in addition, they who know will be silent more and more.
48:34 And there will be many tidings and not a few rumors, and the works of the phantoms will be visible, and not a few promises will be told, some idle and others affirmed.
48:35 And honor will change itself into shame, and strength will be humiliated to contempt, and the strong one will be broken down, and beauty will become contemptible.
48:36 And many will say to many in that time, "Where did the multitude of intelligence hide itself and where did the multitude of wisdom depart?"
48:37 And when one thinks about these things, jealousy will arise in those who did not think much of themselves; and passion will take hold of those who were peaceful; and many will be agitated by wrath to injure many; and they will raise armies to shed blood; and they will perish with those in the end.
48:38 And it will happen in that time that a change of times will reveal itself openly for the eyes of everyone because they polluted themselves in all those times and caused oppression, and each one walked in his own works and did not remember the Torah of YAHWEH the Mighty One.
48:39 Therefore, a fire will consume their thoughts, and with a flame the meditations of their kidneys will be examined. For the Judge will come and will not hesitate.
48:40 For each of the inhabitants of the earth knew when he acted unrighteously, and they did not know MY Torah because of their pride.
48:41 But many will surely weep at that time-more, however, because of the living ones than of the dead.
48:42 And I answered and said: O Adam, what did you do to all who were born after you? And what will be said of the first Eve who obeyed the serpent,
48:43 so that this whole multitude is going to corruption? And countless are those whom the fire devours.
48:44 But again I shall speak before YOU.
48:45 YOU, O YAHWEH, Sovereign Master, YOU know that which is in YOUR creation,
48:46 for YOU commanded the dust one day to produce Adam; and YOU knew the number of those who are born from him and how they sinned before YOU, those who existed and who did not recognize YOU as their Creator.
48:47 And concerning all of those, their end will put them to shame, and YOUR Torah which they transgressed will repay them on YOUR day.
48:48 And HE answered and said to me: But now, let us cease talking about the wicked and inquire about the righteous.
48:49 And I will tell about their blessedness and I shall not be silent about their splendor which is kept for them.
48:50 For surely, as you endured much labor in the short time in which you live in this passing world, so you will receive great Light in that world which has no end.