Baruch 3

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 “ ‘And now, O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the troubled spirit cry out to you.	1 "LORD Almighty, God of Israel, afflicted souls and dismayed spirits call to you.
2 Listen, O Lord, and be merciful, for you are a merciful God, and so be merciful to us, for we have sinned before you.	2 Hear, O LORD, for you are a God of mercy; and have mercy on us, who have sinned against you:
3 For you are enthroned in eternity, but we will pass away in time.	3 for you are enthroned forever, while we are perishing forever.
4 O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, listen now to the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their sons, who have sinned before you and have not listened to the voice of the Lord their God, and have joined themselves to evil.	4 LORD Almighty, God of Israel, hear the prayer of Israel's few, the sons of those who sinned against you; they did not heed the voice of the LORD, their God, and the evils cling to us.
5 Remember not the iniquities of our fathers, but remember your hand and your name at this time.	5 Remember at this time not the misdeeds of our fathers, but your own hand and name:
6 For you are the Lord our God, and we will praise you, O Lord.	6 for you are the LORD our God; and you, O LORD, we will praise!
7 And for this reason, you have imparted your fear into our hearts, and also, so that we may call upon your name and may praise you in our captivity, for we are converted from the iniquity of our fathers, who sinned before you.	7 For this, you put into our hearts the fear of you: that we may call upon your name, and praise you in our captivity, when we have removed from our hearts all the wickedness of our fathers who sinned against you.
8 And, behold, we are still in our captivity on this day, where you have scattered us into disgrace, and into slander, and into sin, according to all the iniquities of our fathers, who withdrew from you, O Lord our God.	8 Behold us today in our captivity, where you scattered us, a reproach, a curse, and a requital for all the misdeeds of our fathers, who withdrew from the LORD, our God."
9 Listen, O Israel, to the commandments of life! Pay attention, so that you may learn prudence!	9 Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life: listen, and know prudence!
10 How is it, O Israel, that you are in the land of your enemies,	10 How is it, Israel, that you are in the land of your foes, grown old in a foreign land, Defiled with the dead,
11 that you have grown old in a foreign land, that you are defiled with the dead, that you are regarded as among those who are descending into hell?	11 accounted with those destined for the nether world?
12 You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.	12 You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom!
13 For if you had walked in the way of God, you would certainly have lived in everlasting peace.	13 Had you walked in the way of God, you would have dwelt in enduring peace.
14 Learn where prudence is, where virtue is, where understanding is, so that you may know at the same time where long life and prosperity are, where the light of the eyes and peace are.	14 Learn where prudence is, where strength, where understanding; That you may know also where are length of days, and life, where light of the eyes, and peace.
15 Who has discovered its place? And who has entered its treasure chamber?	15 Who has found the place of wisdom, who has entered into her treasuries?
16 Where are the leaders of the peoples, and those who rule over the beasts that are upon the earth,	16 Where are the rulers of the nations, they who lorded it over the wild beasts of the earth,
17 who play among the birds of the air,	17 and made sport of the birds of the heavens: They who heaped up the silver and the gold in which men trust; of whose possessions there was no end?
18 who store up treasures of silver and gold, in which men trust, and with whom there is no end to their acquiring, who work with silver and are anxious about it, and whose works are inexplicable?	18 They schemed anxiously for money, but there is no trace of their work:
19 They have been banished and have descended to hell, and others are risen up in their place.	19 They have vanished down into the nether world, and others have risen up in their stead.
20 The youth have seen the light and have dwelt upon the earth, yet they are ignorant of the way of instruction.	20 Later generations have seen the light, have dwelt in the land, But the way to understanding they have not known,
21 They have neither understood the paths of it, nor have their sons accepted it. It is far from their face.	21 they have not perceived her paths, or reached her; their offspring were far from the way to her.
22 It has not been heard of in the land of Canaan, nor has it been seen in Teman.	22 She has not been heard of in Canaan, nor seen in Teman.
23 It is likewise with the sons of Hagar, who search for the practicality that is of the earth, the negotiators of Merran and Teman, and the storytellers, and the searchers of discretion and intelligence. Yet the way of wisdom they have not known, nor have they called to mind its paths.	23 The sons of Hagar who seek knowledge on earth, the merchants of Midian and Teman, the phrasemakers seeking knowledge, These have not known the way to wisdom, nor have they her paths in mind.
24 O Israel, how great is the house of God, and how vast is the place of his possession!	24 O Israel, how vast is the house of God, how broad the scope of his dominion:
25 It is great and has no end! It is exalted and immense!	25 Vast and endless, high and immeasurable!
26 There were those who were called giants, who existed from the beginning, of great stature, expert in war.	26 In it were born the giants, renowned at the first, stalwarts, skilled in war.
27 The Lord did not choose them, nor did they discover the way of instruction; for this reason they perished,	27 Not these did God choose, nor did he give them the way of understanding;
28 and, because they did not have wisdom, they passed away as a result of their foolishness.	28 They perished for lack of prudence, perished through their folly.
29 Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds?	29 Who has gone up to the heavens and taken her, or brought her down from the clouds?
30 Who has crossed the sea, and found her, and brought her, chosen instead of gold?	30 Who has crossed the sea and found her, bearing her away rather than choice gold?
31 There is no one who is able to know her ways, nor any who can search out her paths.	31 None knows the way to her, nor has any understood her paths.
32 Yet he who knows the universe is familiar with her, and in his foresight he invented her, he who prepared the earth for time without end, and filled it with cattle and four-footed beasts,	32 Yet he who knows all things knows her; he has probed her by his knowledge-- He who established the earth for all time, and filled it with four-footed beasts;
33 who sends out the light, and it goes, and who summoned it, and it obeyed him in fear.	33 He who dismisses the light, and it departs, calls it, and it obeys him trembling;
34 Yet the stars have given light from their posts, and they rejoiced.	34 Before whom the stars at their posts shine and rejoice;
35 They were called, and so they said, “Here we are,” and they shined with cheerfulness to him who made them.	35 When he calls them, they answer, "Here we are!" shining with joy for their Maker.
36 This is our God, and no other can compare to him.	36 Such is our God; no other is to be compared to him:
37 He invented the way of all instruction, and delivered it to Jacob his child, and to Israel his beloved.	37 He has traced out all the way of understanding, and has given her to Jacob, his servant, to Israel, his beloved son.
38 After this, he was seen on earth, and he conversed with men.	38 Since then she has appeared on earth, and moved among men.