Yahchanan.com Book of Love  
Welcome to Yahchanan.com


Baruch




BARUK / Baruch

Chapter 1
1 These are the words of the book which Baruch, the son of Nerias, the son of Maasias, the son of Sedecias, the son of Asadias, the son of Chelcias, wrote in Babylon.
2 In the fifth year, and in the seventh day of the month, the Chaldeans took Yerusalem, and burned it with fire.
3 Baruch read the words of this book in the hearing of Jechonias the son of Joachim king of Yahudah, and in the ears of all the people that came to hear the book.
4 Baruch read the words in the hearing of the nobles, of the king's sons, in the hearing of the elders, and of all the people, from the lowest to the highest, even of all those who dwelt at Babylon by the river Sud.
5 Then they wept, fasted, and prayed before Yahwah.
6 They made a collection of money according to every man's power.
7 They sent it to Yerusalem to Joachim the high priest, the son of Chelcias, son of Salom, and to the priests, and to all the people who were found with him at Yerusalem.
8 At the same time he received the vessels of the house of Yahwah, that were carried out of the temple, to return them into the land of Yahudah, the tenth day of the month Sivan, namely, silver vessels which Sedecias the son of Josias king of Yahudah had made.
9 After that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away from Yerusalem Jechonias, the princes, the captives, the mighty men, and the people of the land, and brought them into Babylon.
10 They said: Behold, we sent you money to buy you burnt offerings, sin offerings, incense, and prepare you manna, to offer upon the altar of Yahwah our Father.
11 Pray for the life of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his son, that their days may be upon earth as the days of heaven.
12 Yahwah will give us strength, and lighten our eyes. We shall live under the shadow of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and under the shadow of Balthasar his son.
13 We will serve them many days, and find favor in their sight.
14 Pray for us to Yahwah our Father, for we sinned against Yahwah our Father.
15 Unto this day the fury of Yahwah and His wrath is not turned from us.
16 You will read this book which we send to you, to make confession in the house of Yahwah, upon the feasts and solemn days. You will say: To Yahwah our Father belongs righteousness, but to us the confusion of faces, as it is come to pass this day, to those of Yahudah, to the inhabitants of Yerusalem, to our kings, to our princes, to our priests, to our prophets, and to our fathers.
17 We sinned before Yahwah.
18 We disobeyed Him, and did not hearken to the voice of Yahwah our Father, to walk in the commandments that He gave us openly.
19 Since the day Yahwah brought our forefathers out of the land of Egypt, to this present day, we have been disobedient to Yahwah our Father, we have been negligent in not hearing His voice.
20 So the evils cleaved to us, and the curse, which Yahwah appointed by Moshe His servant at the time that He brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, to give us a land that flows with milk and honey, like as it is to see today.
21 Nevertheless we did not hearken to the voice of Yahwah our Father, according to all the words of the prophets, whom He sent to us.
22 Every man followed the imagination of his own wicked heart, to serve strange gods, and to do evil in the sight of Yahwah our Father.

Chapter 2
1 Therefore Yahwah made good His word which He pronounced against us, and against our judges that judged Yisrayah, against our kings, against our princes, against the men of Yisrayah and Yahudah, to bring upon us great plagues, such as never happened under the whole heaven.
2 It came to pass in Yerusalem, according to things written in the law of Moshe: a man would eat the flesh of his own son, and the flesh of his own daughter.
3 He delivered them to be in subjection to all the kingdoms that are round about us, to be as a reproach and desolation among all the people round about, where Yahwah scattered them.
4 We were cast down, and not exalted, because we sinned against Yahwah our Father, and were not obedient to His voice.
5 To Yahwah our Father appertains righteousness.
6 Unto us and to our fathers appertains open shame, as appears today.
7 All these plagues are come upon us, which Yahwah pronounced against us [Deuteronomy].
8 Yet we have not prayed before Yahwah, that we might turn everyone from the imaginations of his wicked heart.
9 So Yahwah watched over us for evil, and Yahwah brought it upon us. Yahwah is righteous in all His works which He commanded us.
10 Yet we did not hearken to His voice, to walk in the commandments of Yahwah, that He set before us.
11 O Yahwah Father of Yisrayah, you brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, a high arm, with signs, with wonders, with great power, and got yourself a Name, as appears this day.
12 O Yahwah our Father, we sinned, we did unrighteously, we dealt unrighteously in all your ordinances.
13 Let your wrath turn from us, for we are but a few left among the heathen, where you scattered us.
14 Hear our prayers, O Yahwah, and our petitions. Deliver us for your own sake.
15 Give us favor in the sight of those who led us away, that all the earth may know that you are Yahwah our Father, because Yisrayah and his posterity is called by your Name.
16 O Yahwah, look down from your holy house, and consider us.
17 Bow down your ear, O Yahwah, to hear us.
18 Open your eyes, and behold.
19 The dead that are in the graves, whose souls are taken from their bodies, will give to Yahwah neither praise nor righteousness.
20 But the soul that is greatly vexed, which goes stooping and feeble, the eyes that fail, and the hungry soul, will give you praise and righteousness, O Yahwah.
21 Therefore we do not make our humble supplication before you, O Yahwah our Father, for the righteousness of our fathers, and of our kings.
22 You sent out your wrath and indignation upon us, as you spoke by your servants the prophets, saying: Thus says Yahwah: Bow down your shoulders to serve the king of Babylon, so you shall remain in the land that I gave to your fathers.
23 If you will not hear the voice of Yahwah, to serve the king of Babylon, I will cause to cease out of the cites of Yahudah, and from Yerusalem, the voice of mirth, the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. The whole land will be desolate of inhabitants.
24 But we would not hearken to your voice, to serve the king of Babylon.
25 Therefore you made good the words you spoke by your servants the prophets, namely: the bones of our kings, and the bones of our fathers, should be taken out of their place.
26 Lo, they are cast out to the heat of the day, and to the frost of the night, they died in great miseries by famine, by sword, and by pestilence.
27 You laid waste the house which is called by your Name, as it is to be seen today, for the wickedness of the house of Yisrayah and the house of Yahudah.
28 O Yahwah our Father, you dealt with us after all your goodness, and according to all that great mercy of yours.
29 You spoke by your servant Moshe in the day when you commanded him to write the law before the children of Yisrayah, saying: If you will not hear my voice, surely this very great multitude will be turned into a small number among the nations, where I will scatter them.
30 I knew they would not hear me, because it is a stiffnecked people. In the land of their captivities they will remember themselves.
31 They will know I am Yahwah their Father. I will give them a heart, and ears to hear.
32 They will praise me in the land of their captivity, and think upon my Name.
33 They will return from their stiff neck, and from their wicked deeds. They will remember the way of their fathers, who sinned before Yahwah.
34 I will bring them again into the land which I promised with an oath to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Yaacob, and they will be lords of it. I will increase them, they will not be diminished.
35 I will make an everlasting covenant with them to be their Father, and they will be my people. I will not drive my people of Yisrayah out of the land that I give them.

Chapter 3
1 O Yahwah Almighty, Father of Yisrayah, the soul in anguish, the troubled spirit, cries to you.
2 Hear, O Yahwah, and have mercy, as you are merciful. Have pity upon us, we sinned before you.
3 You endure forever, we perish utterly.
4 O Yahwah Almighty, Father of Yisrayah, hear the prayers of the dead Yisrayahites, and of their children, who sinned before you. They did not hearken to the voice of you their Father, for the which cause these plagues do cling to us.
5 Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers, think upon your power and your Name now at this time.
6 You are Yahwah our Father, we praise you, O Yahwah.
7 For this cause you put your fear in our hearts, to the intent that we call upon your Name, and praise you in our captivity. We call to mind all the iniquity of our forefathers, who sinned before you.
8 Behold, we are yet this day in our captivity where you scattered us (for a reproach and a curse, and to be subject to payments), according to all the iniquities of our fathers who departed from Yahwah our Father.
9 Hear, Yisrayah, the commandments of life.
10 Give ear to understand wisdom.
11 How did it happen Yisrayah, that you are in your enemy's land, that you are getting old in a strange country, that you are defiled with the dead, that you are counted with those who go down into the grave?
12 You forgot the fountain of wisdom.
13 If you had walked in the way of Yahwah, you would have dwelled in peace forever.
14 Learn where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding. You may also know where is length of days, life, the light of the eyes, and peace.
15 Who found out her place? Or who came into her treasures?
16 Where are the princes of the heathen, and such as ruled the beasts upon the earth?
17 They had their pastime with the fowls of the air. They hoarded up silver and gold, in which men trust, and made no end of their getting.
18 They wrought in silver, and were so careful, whose works are unsearchable, they are vanished and gone down to the grave.
19 Others are come up instead of them.
20 Young men see light, and dwell upon the earth. But the way of knowledge they do not know, nor understood the paths of it, nor laid hold of it.
21 Their children were far off from that way.
22 It has not been heard of in Canaan, neither has 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 know the way of wisdom, or remember her paths.
24 O Yisrayah, how great is the house of Yahwah! How large is the place of His possession!
25 Great, with no end, high and unmeasurable.
26 There were the giants famous from the beginning, who were of so great stature, and so expert in war.
27 Those Yahwah did not choose, neither did He give the way of knowledge to them.
28 They were destroyed because they had no wisdom, and perished through their own foolishness.
29 Who went up into heaven, took her, and brought her down from the clouds?
30 Who went over the sea, found her, and will bring her for pure gold?
31 No man knows her way, nor thinks of her path.
32 He who knows all things knows her, and found her out with His understanding. He who prepared the earth for evermore filled it with fourfooted beasts.
33 He sends forth light, and it goes; calls it again, and it obeys Him with fear.
34 The stars shined in their watches, and rejoiced. When He calls them, they say: Here we are. With cheerfulness they showed light to Him who made them.
35 This is our Father, there will no other be accounted of in comparison of Him.
36 He found out all the way of knowledge, gave it to Yaacob His servant, and to Yisrayah His beloved.
37 Afterward He showed Himself upon earth, and conversed with men.

Chapter 4
1 This is the book of the commandments of Yahwah, and the law that endures forever. All those who keep it will come to life, such as leave it will die.
2 Turn, O Yaacob, and take hold of it. Walk in the presence of the light, that you may be illuminated.
3 Do not give your honor to another, nor things that are profitable to a strange nation.
4 O Yisrayah, happy are we. Things that are pleasing to Yahwah are made known to us.
5 Be of good cheer, my people, the memorial of Yisrayah.
6 You were sold to the nations, you were delivered to the enemies. Not for destruction, but because you moved Yahwah to wrath.
7 You provoked Him who made you by sacrificing to devils, not to Yahwah.
8 You forgot the everlasting Father, who brought you up. You grieved Yerusalem, that nursed you.
9 When she saw the wrath of Yahwah coming upon you, she said: Hearken, O you who dwell about Zion. Yahwah brings great mourning upon me.
10 I saw the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting brought upon them.
11 With joy I nourished them, but sent them away with weeping and mourning.
12 Let no man rejoice over me, a widow, and forsaken of many. My children departed from the law of Yahwah, I am left desolate for their sins.
13 They did not know His statutes, walk in the ways of His commandments, nor tread in the paths of discipline in His righteousness.
14 Let those who dwell about Zion come, remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting brought upon them.
15 He brought a nation upon them from far, a shameless nation, of a strange language, who neither reverenced old man, nor pitied child.
16 These carried away the dear beloved children of the widow, and left her alone, desolate, without daughters.
17 How can I help you?
18 He who brought these plagues upon you will deliver you from the hands of your enemies.
19 Go your way, O my children, go your way, for I am left desolate.
20 I put off the clothing of peace, and put upon me the sackcloth of my prayer. I will cry to the Everlasting in my days.
21 Be of good cheer, O my children, cry to Yahwah. He will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemies.
22 My hope is in the Everlasting, that He will save you. Joy is come to me from the Holy One, because of the mercy which shall soon come to you from the Everlasting our Savior.
23 I sent you out with mourning and weeping, but Yahwah will give you to me again with joy and gladness forever.
24 Like as now the neighbors of Zion have seen your captivity, so they will shortly see your salvation from our Father which comes upon you with great glory, and brightness of the Everlasting.
25 My children, suffer patiently the wrath that is come upon you from Yahwah. Your enemy persecutes you, but shortly you will see his destruction, and will tread upon his neck.
26 My delicate ones have gone rough ways, and were taken away as a flock caught of the enemies.
27 Be of good comfort, O my children, and cry to Yahwah. You shall be remembered of Him that brought these things upon you.
28 It was your mind to go astray from Yahwah. So, being returned, seek Him ten times more.
29 He that brought these plagues upon you shall bring you everlasting joy with your salvation.
30 Take a good heart, O Yerusalem. He that gave you that name will comfort you.
31 Miserable are those who afflict you, and rejoice at your fall.
32 Miserable are the cities which your children served, miserable is she that received your sons.
33 For as she rejoiced at your ruin, and was glad of your fall, so she shall be grieved for her own desolation.
34 I will take away the rejoicing of her great multitude, her pride shall be turned into mourning.
35 Fire from the Everlasting will come upon her, long to endure, and she will be inhabited by devils for a great time.
36 O Yerusalem, look about you toward the east, behold the joy that comes to you from Yahwah.
37 Lo, your sons come, whom you sent away, they come gathered together from the east to the west by the Word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of Yahwah.

Chapter 5
1 Put off the garment of mourning and affliction, O Yerusalem, put on the comeliness of the glory that comes from Yahwah forever.
2 Cast about you a double garment of the righteousness which comes from Yahwah, set a diadem on your head of the glory of the Everlasting.
3 Yahwah will show your brightness to every country under heaven.
4 Your name will be called The Peace of Righteousness of Yahwah forever, the glory of Yahwah's worship.
5 Arise, O Yerusalem, stand on high, look about toward the east. Behold, your children gathered from the west to the east by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the remembrance of Yahwah.
6 They departed from you on foot, and were led away of their enemies. But Yahwah brings them to you exalted with glory, as children of the kingdom.
7 Yahwah appointed that every high hill (and banks of long continuance) should be cast down, and valleys filled up, to make the ground even, that Yisrayah may go safely in the glory of Yahwah.
8 Moreover even the woods and every sweet-smelling tree will overshadow Yisrayah by the commandment of Yahwah.
9 Yahwah will lead Yisrayah with joy in the light of His glory with the mercy and righteousness that comes from Him.
 




SEFER YIRMEYAHU / Epistle of Yermeyah
One of the four deutero-canonical books found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is usually given as Baruch Chapter 6.

1 A copy of an epistle, which Yeremy [Jeremy, Jeremiah, Yeremyah] sent to those who were to be led captives into Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to certify them, as it was commanded him of Yahwah.
2 Because of the sins which you committed before Yahwah, you shall be led away captives into Babylon by Nabuchodonosor king of the Babylonians.
3 When you come to Babylon, you shall remain there many years, for a long season, namely, seven generations. After that I will bring you away peaceably from there.
4 In Babylon you shall see gods of silver, of gold, and of wood, borne upon shoulders, which cause the nations to fear.
5 Beware therefore that you be in no way like to strangers, neither be you of them, when you see the multitude before them and behind them, worshipping them.
6 Say in your hearts: O Yahwah, we must worship you.
7 My malak is with you, I myself caring for your souls.
8 As for their tongue, it is polished by the workman. They themselves are gilded, laid over with silver, yet they are false, and cannot speak.
9 Taking gold, as it were for a virgin that loves to go gay, they make crowns for the heads of their gods.
10 Sometimes also the priests convey from their gods gold and silver, and bestow it upon themselves.
11 Yea, they will give it to the common harlots, and deck them as men with garments, [being] gods of silver, gods of gold, and wood.
12 Yet these gods cannot save themselves from rust and moth, though they are covered with purple garments.
13 They wipe their [idol's] faces because of the dust of the temple, when there is much upon them.
14 He that cannot put to death one that offends him holds a sceptre, as though he were a judge of the country.
15 He has in his right hand a dagger and an ax, but cannot deliver himself from war and thieves.
16 By this they are known to not be gods, therefore do not fear them.
17 Like as a vessel that a man uses is worth nothing when it is broken, even so it is with their gods. When they are set up in the temple, their eyes are full of dust through the feet of those who come in.
18 The doors are made sure on every side upon him who offends the king, as being committed to suffer death. Even so the priests make fast their temples with doors, locks, and bars, unless their gods are spoiled with robbers.
19 They light candles, yea, more than for themselves, so they cannot see one.
20 They are as one of the beams of the temple, yet they say their hearts are gnawed upon by things creeping out of the earth. When they eat them and their clothes, they do not feel it.
21 Their faces are blacked through the smoke that comes out of the temple.
22 Upon their bodies and heads sit bats, swallows, birds, and the cats also.
23 By this you know they are not gods, do not fear them.
24 Notwithstanding the gold that is about them to make them beautiful, except they wipe off the rust, they will not shine. When they were molten they did not feel it.
25 The things in which there is no breath are bought for a most high price.
26 They are borne upon shoulders, having no feet, so they declare to men that they are worth nothing.
27 Those who serve them are ashamed. If they fall to the ground at any time, they cannot rise up again of themselves. If one set them upright, they can not move of themselves. If they be bowed down, they can not make themselves straight, but they set gifts before them as to dead men.
28 Their priests sell and abuse the things that are sacrificed to them, their wives lay up part of it in salt, but to the poor and impotent they give nothing of it.
29 Menstruous women and women in childbed eat their sacrifices. By these things you know they are not gods. Do not fear them.
30 How can they be called gods? Because women set meat before gods of silver, gold, and wood.
31 The priests sit in their temples, having their clothes torn, their heads and beards shaven, and nothing upon their heads.
32 They roar and cry before their gods, as men do at the feast when one is dead.
33 The priests also take off their garments, and clothe their wives and children.
34 Whether it be evil that one does to them, or good, they are not able to recompense it. They can not set up a king, nor put him down.
35 In like manner, they can not give riches nor money. If a man make a vow to them, and not keep it, they will not require it.
36 They can save no man from death, nor deliver the weak from the mighty.
37 They cannot restore sight to a blind man, nor help any man in his distress.
38 They can show no mercy to the widow, nor do good to the fatherless.
39 Their gods of wood, which are overlaid with gold and silver, are like stones hewn out of the mountain. Those who worship them shall be confounded.
40 How should a man think and say that they are gods, when even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them?
41 Who would bring one dumb, who cannot speak, and intreat Bel that he may [be able to] speak, as though Bel were able to understand?
42 They cannot understand this themselves, and leave them, for they have no knowledge.
43 The women, sitting in the ways with cords about them, burn bran for perfume. If any of them lie with one that passes by, she reproaches her fellow, that she was thought not as worthy as herself, nor her cord broken.
44 Whatsoever is done among them is false, how may it then be thought or said that they are gods?
45 They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths, they can be nothing else than the workmen will have them to be.
46 Those who made them can never continue long, how should the things that are made of them be gods?
47 They left lies and reproaches to those who come after.
48 When there comes any war or plague upon them, the priests consult with themselves, where they may be hidden with them.
49 How can men not perceive that they can not be gods, which neither save themselves from war, nor from plague?
50 Seeing they are but of wood, overlaid with silver and gold, it shall be known forever that they are false.
51 It shall appear manifest to all nations and kings that they are not gods, but the works of men's hands, there is no work of Yahwah in them.
52 Who then may not know that they are not gods?
53 Neither can they set up a king in the land, nor give rain to men.
54 Neither can they judge their own cause, nor redress a wrong, being unable. They are as crows between heaven and earth.
55 When fire falls upon the house of gods of wood, laid over with gold or silver, their priests will flee away, and escape. They themselves will be burned like beams.
56 Moreover they cannot withstand any king or enemies. How can it be thought or said that they be gods?
57 Neither are those gods of wood, laid over with silver or gold, able to escape either from thieves or robbers.
58 Those who are strong take the gold, silver, and garments with which they are clothed, and go away with them. They are not able to help themselves.
59 Therefore it is better to be a king that shows his power, or else a profitable vessel in a house, which the owner shall have use of, than such false gods. Or to be a door in a house, to keep such things there, than such false gods. Or a pillar of wood in a palace, than such false gods.
60 For sun, moon, and stars, being bright and sent to do their offices, are obedient.
61 In like manner the lightning when it breaks forth is easy to be seen, after the same manner the wind blows in every country.
62 When Yahwah commands the clouds to go over the whole world, they do as they are bidden.
63 The fire sent from above to consume hills and woods does as it is commanded, but these are like to them neither in show nor power.
64 So it is not to be supposed nor said that they are gods, seeing they are not able to judge causes, nor to do good to men.
65 Knowing they are not gods, do not fear them.
66 They can not curse nor bless kings.
67 Neither can they show signs in the heavens among the heathen, nor shine as the sun, nor give light as the moon.
68 The beasts are better than they, for they can get under a cover and help themselves.
69 It is then by no means manifest to us that they are gods. Do not fear them.
70 As a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers keeps nothing, so are their gods of wood, laid over with silver and gold.
71 And likewise their gods of wood, laid over with silver and gold, are like to a white thorn in an orchard, that every bird sits upon. As also to a dead body, that is cast into the dark.
72 You shall know them to not be gods by the bright purple that rots upon them. They themselves will be eaten afterward, and will be a reproach in the country.
73 Better is the just man that has no idols, he shall be far from reproach.


Next Book

Top Of The Page