Second Baruch

And I answered and said:

“Behold, you have made known to me the course

of the times,

and that which is to happen after

these things,

and you told me that the retribution comes upon the nations

that was spoken

by you.

And now I know that many are those who have sinned,

and lived in prosperity,

and departed from the world.

And yet only a few nations will remain in those times,

those to whom

are spoken

the words which you have spoken.

For what advantage is there in this,

or what is worse than these things which we have seen

happening, that we should expect to see?

Yet again I will speak before you.

What have they gained

who possessed knowledge

before you, and did not walk

in vanity like the rest of the nations,

and did not say to the dead, 'Give us life,'

but always feared you,

and did not forsake your ways?

And behold,

they have exerted themselves,

and not even on their account did you have mercy on Zion.

And if others acted wickedly, it was fitting

for Zion that by the works of those

who wrought good things she should be spared,

and not be overwhelmed because of the works of the doers of iniquity.

But who, O Lord, my Lord, can comprehend your judgment?

Or who can search out the depth of your way?

Or who can weigh the gravity of your path?

Or who is able to comprehend your incomprehensible thought?

Or who ever of those born

has found the beginning or the end of your wisdom?

For we have all been made like a breath.

For just as a breath rises involuntarily and turns back to vanish,

so is the nature of human beings,

who depart not by their own will,

and what will happen to them

in the end

they do not know.

For the righteous

rightly

look forward to the end,

and without fear they depart from this habitation,

because they have with you a store

of works

which is preserved in treasuries.

Because of this, they also without

fear leave this world,

and being confident, with joy they expect to receive the world which you promised them.

But as for us, woe to those who are now disgraced,

and in that time look forward to evils!

But you know rightly what you have made of your works.

Because we are not able to understand what is good,

as you, our Creator, do.

Moreover, I will speak before you, O Lord, my Lord.

When the world did not yet exist from the beginning with its inhabitants,

you devised and spoke with a word, and immediately

the works

of the creations

stood

before you.

And you said that you would make for your world a human being as a steward over your works,

so that it might be known that he was not made

on account of the world, but the world on account of him.

And now I see that the world which was made

on our account,

behold, it remains, but we, on whose account it came to be, pass away.