Two men stood in the ashes of the world. Baruch and Jeremiah — the scribe and the prophet — whose hearts had been found pure from sin, who had not been captured when the city fell. They tore their garments. They wept. They mourned. They fasted for seven days.
On the seventh day, the word of God came to Baruch with a command that split the two men apart forever. "Tell Jeremiah to go with the captives to Babylon," God said. "But you — remain here amid the desolation of Zion. I will show you what will befall at the end of days."
Jeremiah departed with the people. Baruch returned alone to the gates of the ruined Temple and sat down in the wreckage. And from the depths of his grief, he composed the most devastating lament in all of Jewish apocalyptic literature.
<i>"Blessed is he who was not born. Or he who, having been born, has died. But as for us who live — woe unto us, because we see the afflictions of Zion."</i>
He called every dark creature to join his mourning. Sirens from the sea. Lilin — the night demons — from the desert. Shedim (demons) and dragons from the forests. "Awake and gird yourselves for mourning! Take up the dirges with me! Make lamentation with me!"
Then he turned his grief outward, commanding the entire natural world to stop:
<i>"Farmers, sow no more! Earth, why do you give your harvest? Keep your sustenance within you. Vine, why do you give your wine? No offering will ever again be made in Zion. Heavens, withhold your dew. Open not the treasuries of rain. Sun, withhold your light. Moon, extinguish yourself — for why should light rise again where the light of Zion is darkened?"</i>
He forbade joy itself. Bridegrooms, do not enter. Brides, do not adorn yourselves. Women, do not pray for children — for the barren shall rejoice above all others, and those who have sons shall have only anguish. Why bear children in pain, only to bury them in grief?
Then came the most searing image of all. Baruch turned to the priests: "Take the keys of the sanctuary and cast them into the height of heaven. Give them to God and say: <i>'Guard Your house Yourself — for we are found to be false stewards.'</i>" And to the virgins who wove the Temple's fine linen and silk with gold of Ophir: "Take everything and cast it into the fire. Let the flames carry it back to the One who made it — lest the enemy get possession of it."
Finally, Baruch turned his fury on Babylon itself. "If you had prospered while Zion still stood in her glory, the grief would have been great enough. But now? The grief is infinite. The lamentation is measureless. You prosper while Zion lies desolate."
He wished the earth had ears and the dust had a heart — so they could descend to Sheol and announce to the dead: <i>"Blessed are you more than we who live."</i>
But even as his lament reached its darkest depth, a warning threaded through it like a blade. He turned to Babylon: "Do not expect to always prosper. The noonday does not always burn. The rays of the sun do not constantly give light. For assuredly, in its own season, divine wrath shall awaken against you — wrath that is now restrained by long-suffering, as if held back by reins."
The reins would not hold forever.
And I, Baruch, came, and Jeremiah, whose heart was
found pure from sins, who had not been captured in the seizure of the City. And we rent our garments, we wept, and mourned, and fasted seven days.
Chapter 10
And it came to pass after seven days, that the word of God carne to me, and said unto me: 'Tell Jeremiah to go and support the captivity of the people unto Babylon. But do you remain here amid the desolation of Zion, and I will show to you after these
days 'what will befall at the end of days.' And I said to Jeremiah as the Lord commanded me. And he, indeed, departed with the people, but I, Baruch, returned and sat before the gates
of the temple, and I lamented with the following lamentation over Zion and said: Blessed is he who was not born,
Or he, who having been born, has died. But as for us who live, woe unto us,
Because we see the afflictions of Zion,
And what has befallen Jerusalem. I will call the Sirens from the sea,
And you Lilin, come you from the desert,
And you Shedim and dragons from the forests:
Awake and gird up your loins unto mourning,
And take up with me the dirges,
And make lamentation with me. Ye husbandmen, sow not again;
And, O earth, wherefore give; you your harvest fruits?
Keep within you the sweets of your sustenance. And thou, vine, why further do you give your wine;
For an offering will not again be made from there in Zion,
Nor will first-fruits again be offered. And do ye, O heavens, 'withhold your dew,
And open not the treasuries of rain: And do thou, O sun withhold the light of your rays.
And do thou, O moon, extinguish the multitude of your light;
For why should light rise again
Where the light of Zion is darkened? And you, you bridegrooms, enter not in,
And let not the brides adorn themselves with garlands;
And, you women, pray not that you may bear. For the barren shall above all rejoice,
And those who have no sons shall be glad,
And those who have sons shall have anguish. For why should they bear in pain,
Only to bury in grief? Or why, again, should mankind have sons?
Or why should the seed of their kind again be named,
Where this mother is desolate,
And her sons are led into captivity? From this time forward speak not of beauty,
And discourse not of gracefulness. Moreover, (you priests) take you the keys of the sanctuary,
And cast them into the height of heaven,
And give them to the Lord and say:
"Guard Your house Thyself,
For lo! we are found false stewards. And you, you virgins; who weave fine linen
And silk with gold of Ophir,
Take with haste all (these) things
And cast (them) into the fire,
That it may bear them to Him who made them,
And the flame send them to Him who created them,
Lest the enemy get possession of them.
Chapter 11
Moreover, I, Baruch, say this against you, Babylon:
'If you had prospered,
And Zion had dwelt in her glory,
Yet the grief to us had been great
That you should be equal to Zion. But now, lo! the grief is infinite,
And the lamentation measureless,
For lo! you are prospered
And Zion desolate. Who will be judge regarding these things?
Or to whom shall we complain regarding that which has befallen us?
O Lord, how have you borne (it)? Our fathers went to rest without grief,
And lo! the righteous sleep in the earth in tranquility; For they knew not this anguish,
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Nor yet had they heard of that which had befallen us. Would that you had ears, O earth,
And that you had a heart, O dust:
That you might go and announce in Sheol,
And say to the dead: "Blessed are you more than we who live."
Chapter 12
OXYRHYNCHUS GREEK FRAGMENT
from Grenfell and Hunt's Oxyrhynchus Papyri vol. iii. 3-7, 1903. Verso.
Chapter 12a
But I will say this as I think.
And I will speak against you, O land, which art prospering.
1a
But I will say this as 1 think,
And speak against you, the land that is prospering. The noonday does not always burn.
Nor do the rays of the sun constantly give light.
2a
Not always does the noonday burn,
Nor do the rays of the sun constantly give light. Do not expect [and hope] that you will always be prosperous and rejoicing.
And be not greatly up lifted and boastful.
3a
And do not you expect to rejoice,
Nor condemn greatly. For assuredly in its own season shall the (divine) wrath awake against you.
Which now in long-suffering is held in as it were by reins.
4a
For assuredly in its season shall the (divine) wrath be awakened against you,
Which is now restrained by long-suffering as it were by a rein.
12:5-13. Second Fast. Revelation as to the coming judgment on the Heathen.
Chapter 13
Chapter 13a
