Third Baruch

And he took me and led me to the west. And when the time came for it to set, I saw again the bird coming before us, and the sun coming with the angels. And as soon as it came, I saw the angels, and they removed the crown from its head.

And the bird stood humbled and folding its wings.

And seeing these things, I said, “Lord, why did they take the crown from the head of the sun, and why is the bird so humbled?”

And the angel said to me, “When the sun completes its course for the day, four angels take its crown and bring it up to heaven and renew it, because it and its rays have been defiled on earth. And so, it is renewed in this way every day.”

And I, Baruch, said, “Lord, and why are its rays defiled on earth?” And the angel said to me, “Seeing the iniquities and injustices of people, that is, acts of prostitution, adultery, thefts, robberies, idolatries, drunken revelries, murders, strife, jealousies, slanders, murmurings, whisperings, divinations, and similar things, which are not pleasing to God; because of these things it is defiled, and for this reason it is renewed.”

“But concerning the bird, how it was humbled: since it restrains the rays of the sun, because of the fire and the burning all day long, it is humbled as if through itself.”

“For if its wings, as we said before, did not cover the sun’s rays, no breath would survive.”