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#Post#: 13466--------------------------------------------------
THE BOOK OF BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:48 am
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Baruch 1 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Baruch and the Jews in Babylon
1 These are the words of the book that Baruch son of Neriah son
of Mahseiah son of Zedekiah son of Hasadiah son of Hilkiah wrote
in Babylon, 2 in the fifth year, on the seventh day of the
month, at the time when the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burned
it with fire.
3 Baruch read the words of this book to Jeconiah son of
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and to all the people who came to hear
the book, 4 and to the nobles and the princes, and to the
elders, and to all the people, small and great, all who lived in
Babylon by the river Sud.
5 Then they wept, and fasted, and prayed before the Lord; 6 they
collected as much money as each could give, 7 and sent it to
Jerusalem to the high priest[a] Jehoiakim son of Hilkiah son of
Shallum, and to the priests, and to all the people who were
present with him in Jerusalem. 8 At the same time, on the tenth
day of Sivan, Baruch[b] took the vessels of the house of the
Lord, which had been carried away from the temple, to return
them to the land of Judah—the silver vessels that Zedekiah son
of Josiah, king of Judah, had made, 9 after King Nebuchadnezzar
of Babylon had carried away from Jerusalem Jeconiah and the
princes and the prisoners and the nobles and the people of the
land, and brought them to Babylon.
A Letter to Jerusalem
10 They said: Here we send you money; so buy with the money
burnt offerings and sin offerings and incense, and prepare a
grain offering, and offer them on the altar of the Lord our God;
11 and pray for the life of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and
for the life of his son Belshazzar, so that their days on earth
may be like the days of heaven. 12 The Lord will give us
strength, and light to our eyes; we shall live under the
protection[c] of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and under the
protection of his son Belshazzar, and we shall serve them many
days and find favor in their sight. 13 Pray also for us to the
Lord our God, for we have sinned against the Lord our God, and
to this day the anger of the Lord and his wrath have not turned
away from us. 14 And you shall read aloud this scroll that we
are sending you, to make your confession in the house of the
Lord on the days of the festivals and at appointed seasons.
Confession of Sins
15 And you shall say: The Lord our God is in the right, but
there is open shame on us today, on the people of Judah, on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, 16 and on our kings, our rulers, our
priests, our prophets, and our ancestors, 17 because we have
sinned before the Lord. 18 We have disobeyed him, and have not
heeded the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in the statutes of
the Lord that he set before us. 19 From the time when the Lord
brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today, we
have been disobedient to the Lord our God, and we have been
negligent, in not heeding his voice. 20 So to this day there
have clung to us the calamities and the curse that the Lord
declared through his servant Moses at the time when he brought
our ancestors out of the land of Egypt to give to us a land
flowing with milk and honey. 21 We did not listen to the voice
of the Lord our God in all the words of the prophets whom he
sent to us, 22 but all of us followed the intent of our own
wicked hearts by serving other gods and doing what is evil in
the sight of the Lord our God.
Footnotes:
Baruch 1:7 Gk the priest
Baruch 1:8 Gk he
Baruch 1:12 Gk in the shadow
#Post#: 13467--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:49 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Baruch 2 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
2 So the Lord carried out the threat he spoke against us:
against our judges who ruled Israel, and against our kings and
our rulers and the people of Israel and Judah. 2 Under the whole
heaven there has not been done the like of what he has done in
Jerusalem, in accordance with the threats that were[a] written
in the law of Moses. 3 Some of us ate the flesh of their sons
and others the flesh of their daughters. 4 He made them subject
to all the kingdoms around us, to be an object of scorn and a
desolation among all the surrounding peoples, where the Lord has
scattered them. 5 They were brought down and not raised up,
because our nation[b] sinned against the Lord our God, in not
heeding his voice.
6 The Lord our God is in the right, but there is open shame on
us and our ancestors this very day. 7 All those calamities with
which the Lord threatened us have come upon us. 8 Yet we have
not entreated the favor of the Lord by turning away, each of us,
from the thoughts of our wicked hearts. 9 And the Lord has kept
the calamities ready, and the Lord has brought them upon us, for
the Lord is just in all the works that he has commanded us to
do. 10 Yet we have not obeyed his voice, to walk in the statutes
of the Lord that he set before us.
Prayer for Deliverance
11 And now, O Lord God of Israel, who brought your people out of
the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and with signs and wonders
and with great power and outstretched arm, and made yourself a
name that continues to this day, 12 we have sinned, we have been
ungodly, we have done wrong, O Lord our God, against all your
ordinances. 13 Let your anger turn away from us, for we are
left, few in number, among the nations where you have scattered
us. 14 Hear, O Lord, our prayer and our supplication, and for
your own sake deliver us, and grant us favor in the sight of
those who have carried us into exile; 15 so that all the earth
may know that you are the Lord our God, for Israel and his
descendants are called by your name.
16 O Lord, look down from your holy dwelling, and consider us.
Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; 17 open your eyes, O Lord,
and see, for the dead who are in Hades, whose spirit has been
taken from their bodies, will not ascribe glory or justice to
the Lord; 18 but the person who is deeply grieved, who walks
bowed and feeble, with failing eyes and famished soul, will
declare your glory and righteousness, O Lord.
19 For it is not because of any righteous deeds of our ancestors
or our kings that we bring before you our prayer for mercy, O
Lord our God. 20 For you have sent your anger and your wrath
upon us, as you declared by your servants the prophets, saying:
21 Thus says the Lord: Bend your shoulders and serve the king of
Babylon, and you will remain in the land that I gave to your
ancestors. 22 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord and
will not serve the king of Babylon, 23 I will make to cease from
the towns of Judah and from the region around Jerusalem the
voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom and the voice of the bride, and the whole land will
be a desolation without inhabitants.
24 But we did not obey your voice, to serve the king of Babylon;
and you have carried out your threats, which you spoke by your
servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones
of our ancestors would be brought out of their resting place; 25
and indeed they have been thrown out to the heat of day and the
frost of night. They perished in great misery, by famine and
sword and pestilence. 26 And the house that is called by your
name you have made as it is today, because of the wickedness of
the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
God’s Promise Recalled
27 Yet you have dealt with us, O Lord our God, in all your
kindness and in all your great compassion, 28 as you spoke by
your servant Moses on the day when you commanded him to write
your law in the presence of the people of Israel, saying, 29 “If
you will not obey my voice, this very great multitude will
surely turn into a small number among the nations, where I will
scatter them. 30 For I know that they will not obey me, for they
are a stiff-necked people. But in the land of their exile they
will come to themselves 31 and know that I am the Lord their
God. I will give them a heart that obeys and ears that hear; 32
they will praise me in the land of their exile, and will
remember my name 33 and turn from their stubbornness and their
wicked deeds; for they will remember the ways of their
ancestors, who sinned before the Lord. 34 I will bring them
again into the land that I swore to give to their ancestors, to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and they will rule over it; and I
will increase them, and they will not be diminished. 35 I will
make an everlasting covenant with them to be their God and they
shall be my people; and I will never again remove my people
Israel from the land that I have given them.”
Footnotes:
Baruch 2:2 Gk in accordance with what is
Baruch 2:5 Gk because we
#Post#: 13468--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:50 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Baruch 3 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
3 O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the
wearied spirit cry out to you. 2 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy,
for we have sinned before you. 3 For you are enthroned forever,
and we are perishing forever. 4 O Lord Almighty, God of Israel,
hear now the prayer of the people[a] of Israel, the children of
those who sinned before you, who did not heed the voice of the
Lord their God, so that calamities have clung to us. 5 Do not
remember the iniquities of our ancestors, but in this crisis
remember your power and your name. 6 For you are the Lord our
God, and it is you, O Lord, whom we will praise. 7 For you have
put the fear of you in our hearts so that we would call upon
your name; and we will praise you in our exile, for we have put
away from our hearts all the iniquity of our ancestors who
sinned against you. 8 See, we are today in our exile where you
have scattered us, to be reproached and cursed and punished for
all the iniquities of our ancestors, who forsook the Lord our
God.
In Praise of Wisdom
9 Hear the commandments of life, O Israel;
give ear, and learn wisdom!
10 Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of
your enemies,
that you are growing old in a foreign country,
that you are defiled with the dead,
11 that you are counted among those in Hades?
12 You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
13 If you had walked in the way of God,
you would be living in peace forever.
14 Learn where there is wisdom,
where there is strength,
where there is understanding,
so that you may at the same time discern
where there is length of days, and life,
where there is light for the eyes, and peace.
15 Who has found her place?
And who has entered her storehouses?
16 Where are the rulers of the nations,
and those who lorded it over the animals on earth;
17 those who made sport of the birds of the air,
and who hoarded up silver and gold
in which people trust,
and there is no end to their getting;
18 those who schemed to get silver, and were anxious,
but there is no trace of their works?
19 They have vanished and gone down to Hades,
and others have arisen in their place.
20 Later generations have seen the light of day,
and have lived upon the earth;
but they have not learned the way to knowledge,
nor understood her paths,
nor laid hold of her.
21 Their descendants have strayed far from her[b] way.
22 She has not been heard of in Canaan,
or seen in Teman;
23 the descendants of Hagar, who seek for understanding on the
earth,
the merchants of Merran and Teman,
the story-tellers and the seekers for understanding,
have not learned the way to wisdom,
or given thought to her paths.
24 O Israel, how great is the house of God,
how vast the territory that he possesses!
25 It is great and has no bounds;
it is high and immeasurable.
26 The giants were born there, who were famous of old,
great in stature, expert in war.
27 God did not choose them,
or give them the way to knowledge;
28 so they perished because they had no wisdom,
they perished through their folly.
29 Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her,
and brought her down from the clouds?
30 Who has gone over the sea, and found her,
and will buy her for pure gold?
31 No one knows the way to her,
or is concerned about the path to her.
32 But the one who knows all things knows her,
he found her by his understanding.
The one who prepared the earth for all time
filled it with four-footed creatures;
33 the one who sends forth the light, and it goes;
he called it, and it obeyed him, trembling;
34 the stars shone in their watches, and were glad;
he called them, and they said, “Here we are!”
They shone with gladness for him who made them.
35 This is our God;
no other can be compared to him.
36 He found the whole way to knowledge,
and gave her to his servant Jacob
and to Israel, whom he loved.
37 Afterward she appeared on earth
and lived with humankind.
Footnotes:
Baruch 3:4 Gk dead
Baruch 3:21 Other ancient authorities read their
#Post#: 13469--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:51 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Baruch 4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
4 She is the book of the commandments of God,
the law that endures forever.
All who hold her fast will live,
and those who forsake her will die.
2 Turn, O Jacob, and take her;
walk toward the shining of her light.
3 Do not give your glory to another,
or your advantages to an alien people.
4 Happy are we, O Israel,
for we know what is pleasing to God.
Encouragement for Israel
5 Take courage, my people,
who perpetuate Israel’s name!
6 It was not for destruction
that you were sold to the nations,
but you were handed over to your enemies
because you angered God.
7 For you provoked the one who made you
by sacrificing to demons and not to God.
8 You forgot the everlasting God, who brought you up,
and you grieved Jerusalem, who reared you.
9 For she saw the wrath that came upon you from God,
and she said:
Listen, you neighbors of Zion,
God has brought great sorrow upon me;
10 for I have seen the exile of my sons and daughters,
which the Everlasting brought upon them.
11 With joy I nurtured them,
but I sent them away with weeping and sorrow.
12 Let no one rejoice over me, a widow
and bereaved of many;
I was left desolate because of the sins of my children,
because they turned away from the law of God.
13 They had no regard for his statutes;
they did not walk in the ways of God’s commandments,
or tread the paths his righteousness showed them.
14 Let the neighbors of Zion come;
remember the capture of my sons and daughters,
which the Everlasting brought upon them.
15 For he brought a distant nation against them,
a nation ruthless and of a strange language,
which had no respect for the aged
and no pity for a child.
16 They led away the widow’s beloved sons,
and bereaved the lonely woman of her daughters.
17 But I, how can I help you?
18 For he who brought these calamities upon you
will deliver you from the hand of your enemies.
19 Go, my children, go;
for I have been left desolate.
20 I have taken off the robe of peace
and put on sackcloth for my supplication;
I will cry to the Everlasting all my days.
21 Take courage, my children, cry to God,
and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the
enemy.
22 For I have put my hope in the Everlasting to save you,
and joy has come to me from the Holy One,
because of the mercy that will soon come to you
from your everlasting savior.[a]
23 For I sent you out with sorrow and weeping,
but God will give you back to me with joy and gladness
forever.
24 For as the neighbors of Zion have now seen your capture,
so they soon will see your salvation by God,
which will come to you with great glory
and with the splendor of the Everlasting.
25 My children, endure with patience the wrath that has come
upon you from God.
Your enemy has overtaken you,
but you will soon see their destruction
and will tread upon their necks.
26 My pampered children have traveled rough roads;
they were taken away like a flock carried off by the enemy.
27 Take courage, my children, and cry to God,
for you will be remembered by the one who brought this upon
you.
28 For just as you were disposed to go astray from God,
return with tenfold zeal to seek him.
29 For the one who brought these calamities upon you
will bring you everlasting joy with your salvation.
Jerusalem Is Assured of Help
30 Take courage, O Jerusalem,
for the one who named you will comfort you.
31 Wretched will be those who mistreated you
and who rejoiced at your fall.
32 Wretched will be the cities that your children served as
slaves;
wretched will be the city that received your offspring.
33 For just as she rejoiced at your fall
and was glad for your ruin,
so she will be grieved at her own desolation.
34 I will take away her pride in her great population,
and her insolence will be turned to grief.
35 For fire will come upon her from the Everlasting for many
days,
and for a long time she will be inhabited by demons.
36 Look toward the east, O Jerusalem,
and see the joy that is coming to you from God.
37 Look, your children are coming, whom you sent away;
they are coming, gathered from east and west,
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing in the glory of God.
Footnotes:
Baruch 4:22 Or from the Everlasting, your savior
#Post#: 13470--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:51 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Baruch 5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
5 Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O
Jerusalem,
and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.
2 Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God;
put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;
3 for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
4 For God will give you evermore the name,
“Righteous Peace, Godly Glory.”
5 Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.
6 For they went out from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.
7 For God has ordered that every high mountain and the
everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
8 The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God’s command.
9 For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.
#Post#: 13471--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:52 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Letter of Jeremiah New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
6 [a] A copy of a letter that Jeremiah sent to those who were to
be taken to Babylon as exiles by the king of the Babylonians, to
give them the message that God had commanded him.
The People Face a Long Captivity
2 Because of the sins that you have committed before God, you
will be taken to Babylon as exiles by Nebuchadnezzar, king of
the Babylonians. 3 Therefore when you have come to Babylon you
will remain there for many years, for a long time, up to seven
generations; after that I will bring you away from there in
peace. 4 Now in Babylon you will see gods made of silver and
gold and wood, which people carry on their shoulders, and which
cause the heathen to fear. 5 So beware of becoming at all like
the foreigners or of letting fear for these gods[b] possess you
6 when you see the multitude before and behind them worshiping
them. But say in your heart, “It is you, O Lord, whom we must
worship.” 7 For my angel is with you, and he is watching over
your lives.
The Helplessness of Idols
8 Their tongues are smoothed by the carpenter, and they
themselves are overlaid with gold and silver; but they are false
and cannot speak. 9 People[c] take gold and make crowns for the
heads of their gods, as they might for a girl who loves
ornaments. 10 Sometimes the priests secretly take gold and
silver from their gods and spend it on themselves, 11 or even
give some of it to the prostitutes on the terrace. They deck
their gods[d] out with garments like human beings—these gods of
silver and gold and wood 12 that cannot save themselves from
rust and corrosion. When they have been dressed in purple robes,
13 their faces are wiped because of the dust from the temple,
which is thick upon them. 14 One of them holds a scepter, like a
district judge, but is unable to destroy anyone who offends it.
15 Another has a dagger in its right hand, and an ax, but cannot
defend itself from war and robbers. 16 From this it is evident
that they are not gods; so do not fear them.
17 For just as someone’s dish is useless when it is broken, 18
so are their gods when they have been set up in the temples.
Their eyes are full of the dust raised by the feet of those who
enter. And just as the gates are shut on every side against
anyone who has offended a king, as though under sentence of
death, so the priests make their temples secure with doors and
locks and bars, in order that they may not be plundered by
robbers. 19 They light more lamps for them than they light for
themselves, though their gods[e] can see none of them. 20 They
are[f] just like a beam of the temple, but their hearts, it is
said, are eaten away when crawling creatures from the earth
devour them and their robes. They do not notice 21 when their
faces have been blackened by the smoke of the temple. 22 Bats,
swallows, and birds alight on their bodies and heads; and so do
cats. 23 From this you will know that they are not gods; so do
not fear them.
24 As for the gold that they wear for beauty—it[g] will not
shine unless someone wipes off the tarnish; for even when they
were being cast, they did not feel it. 25 They are bought
without regard to cost, but there is no breath in them. 26
Having no feet, they are carried on the shoulders of others,
revealing to humankind their worthlessness. And those who serve
them are put to shame 27 because, if any of these gods falls[h]
to the ground, they themselves must pick it up. If anyone sets
it upright, it cannot move itself; and if it is tipped over, it
cannot straighten itself. Gifts are placed before them just as
before the dead. 28 The priests sell the sacrifices that are
offered to these gods[i] and use the money themselves. Likewise
their wives preserve some of the meat[j] with salt, but give
none to the poor or helpless. 29 Sacrifices to them may even be
touched by women in their periods or at childbirth. Since you
know by these things that they are not gods, do not fear them.
30 For how can they be called gods? Women serve meals for gods
of silver and gold and wood; 31 and in their temples the priests
sit with their clothes torn, their heads and beards shaved, and
their heads uncovered. 32 They howl and shout before their gods
as some do at a funeral banquet. 33 The priests take some of the
clothing of their gods[k] to clothe their wives and children. 34
Whether one does evil to them or good, they will not be able to
repay it. They cannot set up a king or depose one. 35 Likewise
they are not able to give either wealth or money; if one makes a
vow to them and does not keep it, they will not require it. 36
They cannot save anyone from death or rescue the weak from the
strong. 37 They cannot restore sight to the blind; they cannot
rescue one who is in distress. 38 They cannot take pity on a
widow or do good to an orphan. 39 These things that are made of
wood and overlaid with gold and silver are like stones from the
mountain, and those who serve them will be put to shame. 40 Why
then must anyone think that they are gods, or call them gods?
The Foolishness of Worshiping Idols
Besides, even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them; for when
they see someone who cannot speak, they bring Bel and pray that
the mute may speak, as though Bel[l] were able to understand! 41
Yet they themselves cannot perceive this and abandon them, for
they have no sense. 42 And the women, with cords around them,
sit along the passageways, burning bran for incense. 43 When one
of them is led off by one of the passers-by and is taken to bed
by him, she derides the woman next to her, because she was not
as attractive as herself and her cord was not broken. 44
Whatever is done for these idols[m] is false. Why then must
anyone think that they are gods, or call them gods?
45 They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths; they can be
nothing but what the artisans wish them to be. 46 Those who make
them will certainly not live very long themselves; 47 how then
can the things that are made by them be gods? They have left
only lies and reproach for those who come after. 48 For when war
or calamity comes upon them, the priests consult together as to
where they can hide themselves and their gods.[n] 49 How then
can one fail to see that these are not gods, for they cannot
save themselves from war or calamity? 50 Since they are made of
wood and overlaid with gold and silver, it will afterward be
known that they are false. 51 It will be manifest to all the
nations and kings that they are not gods but the work of human
hands, and that there is no work of God in them. 52 Who then can
fail to know that they are not gods?[o]
53 For they cannot set up a king over a country or give rain to
people. 54 They cannot judge their own cause or deliver one who
is wronged, for they have no power; 55 they are like crows
between heaven and earth. When fire breaks out in a temple of
wooden gods overlaid with gold or silver, their priests will
flee and escape, but the gods[p] will be burned up like timbers.
56 Besides, they can offer no resistance to king or enemy. Why
then must anyone admit or think that they are gods?
57 Gods made of wood and overlaid with silver and gold are
unable to save themselves from thieves or robbers. 58 Anyone who
can will strip them of their gold and silver and of the robes
they wear, and go off with this booty, and they will not be able
to help themselves. 59 So it is better to be a king who shows
his courage, or a household utensil that serves its owner’s
need, than to be these false gods; better even the door of a
house that protects its contents, than these false gods; better
also a wooden pillar in a palace, than these false gods.
60 For sun and moon and stars are bright, and when sent to do a
service, they are obedient. 61 So also the lightning, when it
flashes, is widely seen; and the wind likewise blows in every
land. 62 When God commands the clouds to go over the whole
world, they carry out his command. 63 And the fire sent from
above to consume mountains and woods does what it is ordered.
But these idols[q] are not to be compared with them in
appearance or power. 64 Therefore one must not think that they
are gods, nor call them gods, for they are not able either to
decide a case or to do good to anyone. 65 Since you know then
that they are not gods, do not fear them.
66 They can neither curse nor bless kings; 67 they cannot show
signs in the heavens for the nations, or shine like the sun or
give light like the moon. 68 The wild animals are better than
they are, for they can flee to shelter and help themselves. 69
So we have no evidence whatever that they are gods; therefore do
not fear them.
70 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber bed, which guards nothing, so
are their gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver. 71 In the
same way, their gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, are
like a thornbush in a garden on which every bird perches; or
like a corpse thrown out in the darkness. 72 From the purple and
linen[r] that rot upon them you will know that they are not
gods; and they will finally be consumed themselves, and be a
reproach in the land. 73 Better, therefore, is someone upright
who has no idols; such a person will be far above reproach.
Footnotes:
Letter of Jeremiah 1:1 The King James Version (like the Latin
Vulgate) prints The Letter of Jeremiah as Chapter 6 of the Book
of Baruch, and the chapter and verse numbers are here retained.
In the Greek Septuagint, the Letter is separated from Baruch by
the Book of Lamentations.
Letter of Jeremiah 1:5 Gk for them
Letter of Jeremiah 1:9 Gk They
Letter of Jeremiah 1:11 Gk them
Letter of Jeremiah 1:19 Gk they
Letter of Jeremiah 1:20 Gk It is
Letter of Jeremiah 1:24 Lat Syr: Gk they
Letter of Jeremiah 1:27 Gk if they fall
Letter of Jeremiah 1:28 Gk to them
Letter of Jeremiah 1:28 Gk of them
Letter of Jeremiah 1:33 Gk some of their clothing
Letter of Jeremiah 1:40 Gk he
Letter of Jeremiah 1:44 Gk them
Letter of Jeremiah 1:48 Gk them
Letter of Jeremiah 1:52 Meaning of Gk uncertain
Letter of Jeremiah 1:55 Gk they
Letter of Jeremiah 1:63 Gk these things
Letter of Jeremiah 1:72 Cn: Gk marble, Syr silk
#Post#: 13472--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:53 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Prayer of Azariah New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
(Additions to Daniel, inserted between 3.23 and 3.24)
The Prayer of Azariah in the Furnace
1 They[a] walked around in the midst of the flames, singing
hymns to God and blessing the Lord. 2 Then Azariah stood still
in the fire and prayed aloud:
3 “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors, and worthy of
praise;
and glorious is your name forever!
4 For you are just in all you have done;
all your works are true and your ways right,
and all your judgments are true.
5 You have executed true judgments in all you have brought upon
us
and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our ancestors;
by a true judgment you have brought all this upon us because
of our sins.
6 For we have sinned and broken your law in turning away from
you;
in all matters we have sinned grievously.
7 We have not obeyed your commandments,
we have not kept them or done what you have commanded us for
our own good.
8 So all that you have brought upon us,
and all that you have done to us,
you have done by a true judgment.
9 You have handed us over to our enemies, lawless and hateful
rebels,
and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the world.
10 And now we cannot open our mouths;
we, your servants who worship you, have become a shame and a
reproach.
11 For your name’s sake do not give us up forever,
and do not annul your covenant.
12 Do not withdraw your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham your beloved
and for the sake of your servant Isaac
and Israel your holy one,
13 to whom you promised
to multiply their descendants like the stars of heaven
and like the sand on the shore of the sea.
14 For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any other nation,
and are brought low this day in all the world because of our
sins.
15 In our day we have no ruler, or prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense,
no place to make an offering before you and to find mercy.
16 Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be
accepted,
17 as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
or with tens of thousands of fat lambs;
such may our sacrifice be in your sight today,
and may we unreservedly follow you,[b]
for no shame will come to those who trust in you.
18 And now with all our heart we follow you;
we fear you and seek your presence.
19 Do not put us to shame,
but deal with us in your patience
and in your abundant mercy.
20 Deliver us in accordance with your marvelous works,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.
21 Let all who do harm to your servants be put to shame;
let them be disgraced and deprived of all power,
and let their strength be broken.
22 Let them know that you alone are the Lord God,
glorious over the whole world.”
The Song of the Three Jews
23 Now the king’s servants who threw them in kept stoking the
furnace with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brushwood. 24 And the
flames poured out above the furnace forty-nine cubits, 25 and
spread out and burned those Chaldeans who were caught near the
furnace. 26 But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace
to be with Azariah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame
out of the furnace, 27 and made the inside of the furnace as
though a moist wind were whistling through it. The fire did not
touch them at all and caused them no pain or distress.
28 Then the three with one voice praised and glorified and
blessed God in the furnace:
29 “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors,
and to be praised and highly exalted forever;
30 And blessed is your glorious, holy name,
and to be highly praised and highly exalted forever.
31 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
and to be extolled and highly glorified forever.
32 Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne on
the cherubim,
and to be praised and highly exalted forever.
33 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
and to be extolled and highly exalted forever.
34 Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
and to be sung and glorified forever.
35 “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
36 Bless the Lord, you heavens;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
37 Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
38 Bless the Lord, all you waters above the heavens;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
39 Bless the Lord, all you powers of the Lord;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
40 Bless the Lord, sun and moon;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
41 Bless the Lord, stars of heaven;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
42 “Bless the Lord, all rain and dew;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
43 Bless the Lord, all you winds;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
44 Bless the Lord, fire and heat;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
45 Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer heat;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
46 Bless the Lord, dews and falling snow;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
47 Bless the Lord, nights and days;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
48 Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
49 Bless the Lord, ice and cold;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
50 Bless the Lord, frosts and snows;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
51 Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
52 “Let the earth bless the Lord;
let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
53 Bless the Lord, mountains and hills;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
54 Bless the Lord, all that grows in the ground;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
55 Bless the Lord, seas and rivers;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
56 Bless the Lord, you springs;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
57 Bless the Lord, you whales and all that swim in the waters;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
58 Bless the Lord, all birds of the air;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
59 Bless the Lord, all wild animals and cattle;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
60 “Bless the Lord, all people on earth;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
61 Bless the Lord, O Israel;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
62 Bless the Lord, you priests of the Lord;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
63 Bless the Lord, you servants of the Lord;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
64 Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
65 Bless the Lord, you who are holy and humble in heart;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
66 “Bless the Lord, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
For he has rescued us from Hades and saved us from the power[c]
of death,
and delivered us from the midst of the burning fiery
furnace;
from the midst of the fire he has delivered us.
67 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
68 All who worship the Lord, bless the God of gods,
sing praise to him and give thanks to him,
for his mercy endures forever.”
Footnotes:
Prayer of Azariah 1:1 That is, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
(Dan 2.17), the original names of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego (Dan 1.6–7)
Prayer of Azariah 1:17 Meaning of Gk uncertain
Prayer of Azariah 1:66 Gk hand
#Post#: 13473--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:54 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Susanna New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Susanna’s Beauty Attracts Two Elders
1 There was a man living in Babylon whose name was Joakim. 2 He
married the daughter of Hilkiah, named Susanna, a very beautiful
woman and one who feared the Lord. 3 Her parents were righteous,
and had trained their daughter according to the law of Moses. 4
Joakim was very rich, and had a fine garden adjoining his house;
the Jews used to come to him because he was the most honored of
them all.
5 That year two elders from the people were appointed as judges.
Concerning them the Lord had said: “Wickedness came forth from
Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to
govern the people.” 6 These men were frequently at Joakim’s
house, and all who had a case to be tried came to them there.
7 When the people left at noon, Susanna would go into her
husband’s garden to walk. 8 Every day the two elders used to see
her, going in and walking about, and they began to lust for her.
9 They suppressed their consciences and turned away their eyes
from looking to Heaven or remembering their duty to administer
justice. 10 Both were overwhelmed with passion for her, but they
did not tell each other of their distress, 11 for they were
ashamed to disclose their lustful desire to seduce her. 12 Day
after day they watched eagerly to see her.
13 One day they said to each other, “Let us go home, for it is
time for lunch.” So they both left and parted from each other.
14 But turning back, they met again; and when each pressed the
other for the reason, they confessed their lust. Then together
they arranged for a time when they could find her alone.
The Elders Attempt to Seduce Susanna
15 Once, while they were watching for an opportune day, she went
in as before with only two maids, and wished to bathe in the
garden, for it was a hot day. 16 No one was there except the two
elders, who had hidden themselves and were watching her. 17 She
said to her maids, “Bring me olive oil and ointments, and shut
the garden doors so that I can bathe.” 18 They did as she told
them: they shut the doors of the garden and went out by the side
doors to bring what they had been commanded; they did not see
the elders, because they were hiding.
19 When the maids had gone out, the two elders got up and ran to
her. 20 They said, “Look, the garden doors are shut, and no one
can see us. We are burning with desire for you; so give your
consent, and lie with us. 21 If you refuse, we will testify
against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you
sent your maids away.”
22 Susanna groaned and said, “I am completely trapped. For if I
do this, it will mean death for me; if I do not, I cannot escape
your hands. 23 I choose not to do it; I will fall into your
hands, rather than sin in the sight of the Lord.”
24 Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two elders
shouted against her. 25 And one of them ran and opened the
garden doors. 26 When the people in the house heard the shouting
in the garden, they rushed in at the side door to see what had
happened to her. 27 And when the elders told their story, the
servants felt very much ashamed, for nothing like this had ever
been said about Susanna.
The Elders Testify against Susanna
28 The next day, when the people gathered at the house of her
husband Joakim, the two elders came, full of their wicked plot
to have Susanna put to death. In the presence of the people they
said, 29 “Send for Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, the wife of
Joakim.” 30 So they sent for her. And she came with her parents,
her children, and all her relatives.
31 Now Susanna was a woman of great refinement and beautiful in
appearance. 32 As she was veiled, the scoundrels ordered her to
be unveiled, so that they might feast their eyes on her beauty.
33 Those who were with her and all who saw her were weeping.
34 Then the two elders stood up before the people and laid their
hands on her head. 35 Through her tears she looked up toward
Heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord. 36 The elders said,
“While we were walking in the garden alone, this woman came in
with two maids, shut the garden doors, and dismissed the maids.
37 Then a young man, who was hiding there, came to her and lay
with her. 38 We were in a corner of the garden, and when we saw
this wickedness we ran to them. 39 Although we saw them
embracing, we could not hold the man, because he was stronger
than we, and he opened the doors and got away. 40 We did,
however, seize this woman and asked who the young man was, 41
but she would not tell us. These things we testify.”
Because they were elders of the people and judges, the assembly
believed them and condemned her to death.
42 Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, “O
eternal God, you know what is secret and are aware of all things
before they come to be; 43 you know that these men have given
false evidence against me. And now I am to die, though I have
done none of the wicked things that they have charged against
me!”
44 The Lord heard her cry. 45 Just as she was being led off to
execution, God stirred up the holy spirit of a young lad named
Daniel, 46 and he shouted with a loud voice, “I want no part in
shedding this woman’s blood!”
Daniel Rescues Susanna
47 All the people turned to him and asked, “What is this you are
saying?” 48 Taking his stand among them he said, “Are you such
fools, O Israelites, as to condemn a daughter of Israel without
examination and without learning the facts? 49 Return to court,
for these men have given false evidence against her.”
50 So all the people hurried back. And the rest of the[a] elders
said to him, “Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has
given you the standing of an elder.” 51 Daniel said to them,
“Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.”
52 When they were separated from each other, he summoned one of
them and said to him, “You old relic of wicked days, your sins
have now come home, which you have committed in the past, 53
pronouncing unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and
acquitting the guilty, though the Lord said, ‘You shall not put
an innocent and righteous person to death.’ 54 Now then, if you
really saw this woman, tell me this: Under what tree did you see
them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under a
mastic tree.”[b] 55 And Daniel said, “Very well! This lie has
cost you your head, for the angel of God has received the
sentence from God and will immediately cut[c] you in two.”
56 Then, putting him to one side, he ordered them to bring the
other. And he said to him, “You offspring of Canaan and not of
Judah, beauty has beguiled you and lust has perverted your
heart. 57 This is how you have been treating the daughters of
Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear; but a
daughter of Judah would not tolerate your wickedness. 58 Now
then, tell me: Under what tree did you catch them being intimate
with each other?” He answered, “Under an evergreen oak.”[d] 59
Daniel said to him, “Very well! This lie has cost you also your
head, for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to split[e]
you in two, so as to destroy you both.”
60 Then the whole assembly raised a great shout and blessed God,
who saves those who hope in him. 61 And they took action against
the two elders, because out of their own mouths Daniel had
convicted them of bearing false witness; they did to them as
they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbor. 62 Acting in
accordance with the law of Moses, they put them to death. Thus
innocent blood was spared that day.
63 Hilkiah and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna,
and so did her husband Joakim and all her relatives, because she
was found innocent of a shameful deed. 64 And from that day
onward Daniel had a great reputation among the people.
Footnotes:
Susanna 1:50 Gk lacks rest of the
Susanna 1:54 The Greek words for mastic tree and cut are
similar, thus forming an ironic wordplay
Susanna 1:55 The Greek words for mastic tree and cut are
similar, thus forming an ironic wordplay
Susanna 1:58 The Greek words for evergreen oak and split are
similar, thus forming an ironic wordplay
Susanna 1:59 The Greek words for evergreen oak and split are
similar, thus forming an ironic wordplay
#Post#: 13474--------------------------------------------------
Re: BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:55 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Bel and the Dragon New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Daniel and the Priests of Bel
1 When King Astyages was laid to rest with his ancestors, Cyrus
the Persian succeeded to his kingdom. 2 Daniel was a companion
of the king, and was the most honored of all his Friends.
3 Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day they
provided for it twelve bushels of choice flour and forty sheep
and six measures[a] of wine. 4 The king revered it and went
every day to worship it. But Daniel worshiped his own God.
So the king said to him, “Why do you not worship Bel?” 5 He
answered, “Because I do not revere idols made with hands, but
the living God, who created heaven and earth and has dominion
over all living creatures.”
6 The king said to him, “Do you not think that Bel is a living
god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?” 7
And Daniel laughed, and said, “Do not be deceived, O king, for
this thing is only clay inside and bronze outside, and it never
ate or drank anything.”
8 Then the king was angry and called the priests of Bel[b] and
said to them, “If you do not tell me who is eating these
provisions, you shall die. 9 But if you prove that Bel is eating
them, Daniel shall die, because he has spoken blasphemy against
Bel.” Daniel said to the king, “Let it be done as you have
said.”
10 Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives
and children. So the king went with Daniel into the temple of
Bel. 11 The priests of Bel said, “See, we are now going outside;
you yourself, O king, set out the food and prepare the wine, and
shut the door and seal it with your signet. 12 When you return
in the morning, if you do not find that Bel has eaten it all, we
will die; otherwise Daniel will, who is telling lies about us.”
13 They were unconcerned, for beneath the table they had made a
hidden entrance, through which they used to go in regularly and
consume the provisions. 14 After they had gone out, the king set
out the food for Bel. Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring
ashes, and they scattered them throughout the whole temple in
the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the
door and sealed it with the king’s signet, and departed. 15
During the night the priests came as usual, with their wives and
children, and they ate and drank everything.
16 Early in the morning the king rose and came, and Daniel with
him. 17 The king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” He
answered, “They are unbroken, O king.” 18 As soon as the doors
were opened, the king looked at the table, and shouted in a loud
voice, “You are great, O Bel, and in you there is no deceit at
all!”
19 But Daniel laughed and restrained the king from going in.
“Look at the floor,” he said, “and notice whose footprints these
are.” 20 The king said, “I see the footprints of men and women
and children.”
21 Then the king was enraged, and he arrested the priests and
their wives and children. They showed him the secret doors
through which they used to enter to consume what was on the
table. 22 Therefore the king put them to death, and gave Bel
over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.
Daniel Kills the Dragon
23 Now in that place[c] there was a great dragon, which the
Babylonians revered. 24 The king said to Daniel, “You cannot
deny that this is a living god; so worship him.” 25 Daniel said,
“I worship the Lord my God, for he is the living God. 26 But
give me permission, O king, and I will kill the dragon without
sword or club.” The king said, “I give you permission.”
27 Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them
together and made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon
ate them, and burst open. Then Daniel said, “See what you have
been worshiping!”
28 When the Babylonians heard about it, they were very indignant
and conspired against the king, saying, “The king has become a
Jew; he has destroyed Bel, and killed the dragon, and
slaughtered the priests.” 29 Going to the king, they said, “Hand
Daniel over to us, or else we will kill you and your household.”
30 The king saw that they were pressing him hard, and under
compulsion he handed Daniel over to them.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
31 They threw Daniel into the lions’ den, and he was there for
six days. 32 There were seven lions in the den, and every day
they had been given two human bodies and two sheep; but now they
were given nothing, so that they would devour Daniel.
33 Now the prophet Habakkuk was in Judea; he had made a stew and
had broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field to
take it to the reapers. 34 But the angel of the Lord said to
Habakkuk, “Take the food that you have to Babylon, to Daniel, in
the lions’ den.” 35 Habakkuk said, “Sir, I have never seen
Babylon, and I know nothing about the den.” 36 Then the angel of
the Lord took him by the crown of his head and carried him by
his hair; with the speed of the wind[d] he set him down in
Babylon, right over the den.
37 Then Habakkuk shouted, “Daniel, Daniel! Take the food that
God has sent you.” 38 Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O
God, and have not forsaken those who love you.” 39 So Daniel got
up and ate. And the angel of God immediately returned Habakkuk
to his own place.
40 On the seventh day the king came to mourn for Daniel. When he
came to the den he looked in, and there sat Daniel! 41 The king
shouted with a loud voice, “You are great, O Lord, the God of
Daniel, and there is no other besides you!” 42 Then he pulled
Daniel[e] out, and threw into the den those who had attempted
his destruction, and they were instantly eaten before his eyes.
Footnotes:
Bel and the Dragon 1:3 A little more than fifty gallons
Bel and the Dragon 1:8 Gk his priests
Bel and the Dragon 1:23 Other ancient authorities lack in that
place
Bel and the Dragon 1:36 Or by the power of his spirit
Bel and the Dragon 1:42 Gk him
#Post#: 16564--------------------------------------------------
Re: THE BOOK OF BARUCH
By: patrick jane Date: August 22, 2020, 10:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
good
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