Second Baruch

And I, Baruch, departed from there

and came to my people,

and called my firstborn son,

and Gedaliah my friend,

and seven of the elders of the people,

and said

to them:

Behold, I go to my fathers

according to the way of all the earth.

You, however, do not depart from the way of the Law,

but instruct and admonish the people who remain,

so that they may not depart from the commandments of the Mighty One.

For you see that he whom we serve is righteous,

and our Creator does not show partiality.

And look at what has happened to Zion,

and what has befallen Jerusalem.

For the judgment of the Mighty One shall be made known, and his ways

which are unsearchable and upright.

For if you endure and abide in his fear,

and do not forget his Law,

the times will be changed for you for good,

and you shall see the consolation of Zion.

For what is now is nothing,

but that which is to come

is very great.

For everything that is corruptible will pass away,

and everything that

dies will depart,

and all the time

that is now will be forgotten,

and there will be no remembrance

of the present time

which is polluted with evils.

For he who runs now runs in vain,

and he who prospers will quickly fall

and be brought low.

For that which is to come is what is sought,

and that which comes

afterward, upon it

we set our hope.

For there is a time that does not pass away,

and that season comes which abides forever,

and a new world,

which, for those

who to its summit

go, does not

turn

them back to corruption;

and upon those

who go

to torment it has no mercy,

and those who live in it it does not lead to destruction.

For these are they who are

to inherit

this

time that was spoken of,

and theirs is the inheritance of the promised time.

those who prepared for themselves storehouses of wisdom,

and treasures

of understanding

with them

were found,

and from mercy they did not depart,

and the truth of the Law they kept.

For to these the coming world is given,

but the dwelling of the rest

of the multitude

in fire

will be.