Baruch 6

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Propter peccata quæ peccastis ante Deum, abducemini in Babyloniam captivi a Nabuchodonosor rege Babylonis.	1 A copy of the letter which Jeremiah sent to those who were being led captive to Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to convey to them what God had commanded him:
2 Ingressi itaque in Babylonem, eritis ibi annis plurimis, et temporibus longis, usque ad generationes septem : post hoc autem educam vos inde cum pace.	2 When you reach Babylon you will be there many years, a period seven generations long; after which I will bring you back from there in peace.
3 Nunc autem videbitis in Babylonia deos aureos et argenteos, et lapideos et ligneos, in humeris portari, ostentantes metum gentibus.	3 And now in Babylon you will see borne upon men's shoulders gods of silver and gold and wood, which cast fear upon the pagans.
4 Videte ergo ne et vos similes efficiamini factis alienis, et metuatis, et metus vos capiat in ipsis.	4 Take care that you yourselves do not imitate their alien example and stand in fear of them,
5 Visa itaque turba de retro et ab ante, adorantes dicite in cordibus vestris : Te oportet adorari, Domine.	5 when you see the crowd before them and behind worshiping them. Rather, say in your hearts, "You, O LORD, are to be worshiped!";
6 Angelus enim meus vobiscum est : ipse autem exquiram animas vestras.	6 for my angel is with you, and he is the custodian of your lives.
7 Nam lingua ipsorum polita a fabro ; ipsa etiam inaurata et inargentata : falsa sunt, et non possunt loqui.	7 Their tongues are smoothed by woodworkers; they are covered with gold and silver-but they are a fraud, and cannot speak.
8 Et sicut virgini amanti ornamenta, ita accepto auro fabricati sunt.	8 People bring gold, as to a maiden in love with ornament,
9 Coronas certe aureas habent super capita sua dii illorum : unde subtrahunt sacerdotes ab eis aurum et argentum, et erogant illud in semetipsos.	9 and furnish crowns for the heads of their gods. Then sometimes the priests take the silver and gold from their gods and spend it on themselves,
10 Dant autem et ex ipso prostitutis, et meretrices ornant : et iterum cum receperint illud a meretricibus, ornant deos suos.	10 or give part of it to the harlots on the terrace. They trick them out in garments like men, these gods of silver and gold and wood;
11 Hi autem non liberantur ab ærugine et tinea.	11 but though they are wrapped in purple clothing, they are not safe from corrosion or insects.
12 Opertis autem illis veste purpurea, extergunt faciem ipsorum propter pulverem domus qui est plurimus inter eos.	12 They wipe their faces clean of the house dust which is thick upon them.
13 Sceptrum autem habet ut homo, sicut judex regionis, qui in se peccantem non interficit.	13 Each has a scepter, like the human ruler of a district; but none does away with those that offend against it.
14 Habet etiam in manu gladium et securim, se autem de bello et a latronibus non liberat. Unde vobis notum sit quia non sunt dii :	14 Each has in its right hand an axe or dagger, but it cannot save itself from war or pillage. Thus it is known they are not gods; do not fear them.
15 non ergo timueritis eos. Sicut enim vas hominis confractum inutile efficitur, tales sunt et dii illorum.	15 As useless as one's broken tools
16 Constitutis illis in domo, oculi eorum pleni sunt pulvere a pedibus introëuntium.	16 are their gods, set up in their houses; their eyes are full of dust from the feet of those who enter.
17 Et sicut alicui qui regem offendit circumseptæ sunt januæ, aut sicut ad sepulchrum adductum mortuum : ita tutantur sacerdotes ostia clausuris et seris, ne a latronibus expolientur.	17 Their courtyards are walled in like those of a man brought to execution for a crime against the king; the priests reinforce their houses with gates and bars and bolts, lest they be carried off by robbers.
18 Lucernas accendunt illis, et quidem multas, ex quibus nullam videre possunt : sunt autem sicut trabes in domo.	18 They light more lamps for them than for themselves, yet not one of these can they see.
19 Corda vero eorum dicunt elingere serpentes qui de terra sunt, dum comedunt eos, et vestimentum ipsorum, et non sentiunt.	19 They are like any beam in the house; it is said their hearts are eaten away. Though the insects out of the ground consume them and their garments, they do not feel it.
20 Nigræ fiunt facies eorum a fumo qui in domo fit.	20 Their faces are blackened by the smoke of the house.
21 Supra corpus eorum et supra caput eorum volant noctuæ, et hirundines, et aves etiam, similiter et cattæ.	21 Bats and swallows alight on their bodies and on their heads; and cats as well as birds.
22 Unde sciatis quia non sunt dii : ne ergo timueritis eos.	22 Know, therefore, that they are not gods, and do not fear them.
23 Aurum etiam quod habent ad speciem est : nisi aliquis exterserit æruginem, non fulgebunt : neque enim dum conflarentur, sentiebant.	23 Despite the gold that covers them for adornment, unless someone wipes away the corrosion, they do not shine; nor did they feel anything when they were molded.
24 Ex omni pretio empta sunt, in quibus spiritus non inest ipsis.	24 They are bought at any price, and there is no spirit in them.
25 Sine pedibus, in humeris portantur, ostentantes ignobilitatem suam hominibus : confundantur etiam qui colunt ea.	25 Having no feet, they are carried on men's shoulders, displaying their shame to all; and those who worship them are put to confusion
26 Propterea si ceciderint in terram, a semetipsis non consurgunt : neque si quis eum statuerit rectum, per semetipsum stabit : sed sicut mortuis munera eorum illis apponentur.	26 because, if they fall to the ground, the worshipers must raise them up. They neither move of themselves if one sets them upright, nor come upright if they fall; but one puts gifts beside them as beside the dead.
27 Hostias illorum vendunt sacerdotes ipsorum, et abutuntur : similiter et mulieres eorum decerpentes, neque infirmo, neque mendicanti, aliquid impertiunt.	27 Their priests resell their sacrifices for their own advantage. Even their wives cure parts of the meat, but do not share it with the poor and the weak;
28 De sacrificiis eorum fœtæ et menstruatæ contingunt. Sciens itaque ex his quia non sunt dii, ne timeatis eos.	28 the menstruous and women in childbed handle their sacrifices. Knowing from this that they are not gods, do not fear them.
29 Unde enim vocantur dii ? quia mulieres apponunt diis argenteis, et aureis, et ligneis :	29 How can they be called gods? For women bring the offerings to these gods of silver and gold and wood;
30 et in domibus eorum sacerdotes sedent habentes tunicas scissas, et capita et barbam rasam, quorum capita nuda sunt.	30 and in their temples the priests squat with torn tunic and with shaven hair and beard, and with their heads uncovered.
31 Rugiunt autem clamantes contra deos suos sicut in cœna mortui.	31 They shout and wail before their gods as others do at a funeral banquet.
32 Vestimenta eorum auferunt sacerdotes, et vestiunt uxores suas et filios suos.	32 The priests take some of their clothing and put it on their wives and children.
33 Neque si quid mali patiuntur ab aliquo, neque si quid boni, poterunt retribuere : neque regem constituere possunt, neque auferre.	33 Whether they are treated well or ill by anyone, they cannot requite it; they can neither set up a king nor remove him.
34 Similiter neque dare divitias possunt, neque malum retribuere. Si quis illis votum voverit et non reddiderit, neque hoc requirunt.	34 Similarly, they cannot give anyone riches or coppers; if one fails to fulfill a vow to them, they cannot exact it of him.
35 Hominem a morte non liberant, neque infirmum a potentiori eripiunt.	35 They neither save a man from death, nor deliver the weak from the strong.
36 Hominem cæcum ad visum non restituunt ; de necessitate hominem non liberabunt.	36 To no blind man do they restore his sight, nor do they save any man in an emergency.
37 Viduæ non miserebuntur, neque orphanis benefacient.	37 They neither pity the widow nor benefit the orphan.
38 Lapidibus de monte similes sunt dii illorum, lignei, et lapidei, et aurei, et argentei : qui autem colunt ea, confundentur.	38 These gilded and silvered wooden statues are like stones from the mountains; and their worshipers will be put to shame.
39 Quomodo ergo æstimandum est aut dicendum illos esse deos ?	39 How then can it be thought or claimed that they are gods?
40 Adhuc enim ipsis Chaldæis non honorantibus ea : qui cum audierint mutum non posse loqui, offerunt illud ad Bel, postulantes ab eo loqui :	40 Even the Chaldeans themselves have no respect for them; for when they see a deaf mute, incapable of speech, they bring forward Bel and ask the god to make noise, as though the man could understand;
41 quasi possint sentire qui non habent motum ! Et ipsi, cum intellexerint, relinquent ea : sensum enim non habent ipsi dii illorum.	41 and they are themselves unable to reflect and abandon these gods, for they have no sense.
42 Mulieres autem circumdatæ funibus in viis sedent, succendentes ossa olivarum :	42 And their women, girt with cords, sit by the roads, burning chaff for incense;
43 cum autem aliqua ex ipsis, attracta ab aliquo transeunte, dormierit cum eo, proximæ suæ exprobrat quod ea non sit digna habita, sicut ipsa, neque funis ejus diruptus sit.	43 and whenever one of them is drawn aside by some passer-by who lies with her, she mocks her neighbor who has not been dignified as she has, and has not had her cord broken.
44 Omnia autem quæ illi fiunt, falsa sunt : quomodo æstimandum aut dicendum est illos esse deos ?	44 All that takes place around these gods is a fraud: how then can it be thought or claimed that they are gods?
45 A fabris autem et ab aurificibus facta sunt : nihil aliud erunt, nisi id quod volunt esse sacerdotes.	45 They are produced by woodworkers and goldsmiths, and they are nothing else than what these craftsmen wish them to be.
46 Artifices etiam ipsi, qui ea faciunt, non sunt multi temporis : numquid ergo possunt ea, quæ fabricata sunt ab ipsis, esse dii ?	46 Even those who produce them are not long-lived;
47 Reliquerunt autem falsa et opprobrium postea futuris.	47 how then can what they have produced be gods? They have left frauds and opprobrium to their successors.
48 Nam cum supervenerit illis prælium et mala, cogitant sacerdotes apud se ubi se abscondant cum illis.	48 For when war or disaster comes upon them, the priests deliberate among themselves where they can hide with them.
49 Quomodo ergo sentiri debeant quoniam dii sunt, qui nec de bello se liberant, neque de malis se eripiunt ?	49 How then can one not know that these are no-gods, which do not save themselves either from war or from disaster?
50 Nam cum sint lignea, inaurata et inargentata, scietur postea quia falsa sunt ab universis gentibus et regibus : quæ manifesta sunt quia non sunt dii, sed opera manuum hominum, et nullum Dei opus cum illis.	50 They are wooden, gilded and silvered; they will later be known for frauds. To all peoples and kings it will be clear that they are not gods, but human handiwork; and that God's work is not in them.
51 Unde ergo notum est quia non sunt dii, sed opera manuum hominum, et nullum Dei opus in ipsis est.	51 Who does not know that they are not gods?
52 Regem regioni non suscitant, neque pluviam hominibus dabunt.	52 They set no king over the land, nor do they give men rain.
53 Judicium quoque non discernent, neque regiones liberabunt ab injuria, quia nihil possunt, sicut corniculæ inter medium cæli et terræ.	53 They neither vindicate their own rights, nor do they recover what is unjustly taken, for they are unable;
54 Etenim cum inciderit ignis in domum deorum ligneorum, argenteorum et aureorum, sacerdotes quidem ipsorum fugient, et liberabuntur : ipsi vero sicut trabes in medio comburentur.	54 they are like crows between heaven and earth. For when fire breaks out in the temple of these wooden or gilded or silvered gods, though the priests flee and are safe, they themselves are burnt up in the fire like beams.
55 Regi autem et bello non resistent. Quomodo ergo æstimandum est aut recipiendum quia dii sunt ?	55 They cannot resist a king, or enemy forces.
56 Non a furibus, neque a latronibus se liberabunt dii lignei, et lapidei, et inaurati, et inargentati : quibus hi qui fortiores sunt,	56 How then can it be admitted or thought that they are gods? are safe from neither thieves nor bandits, these wooden and silvered and gilded gods;
57 aurum et argentum, et vestimentum quo operti sunt, auferent illis, et abibunt, nec sibi auxilium ferent.	57 those who seize them strip off the gold and the silver, and go away with the clothing that was on them, and they cannot help themselves.
58 Itaque melius est esse regem ostentantem virtutem suam, aut vas in domo utile, in quo gloriabitur qui possidet illud, vel ostium in domo, quod custodit quæ in ipsa sunt, quam falsi dii.	58 How much better to be a king displaying his valor, or a handy tool in a house, the joy of its owner, than these false gods; or the door of a house, that keeps safe those who are within, rather than these false gods; or a wooden post in a palace, rather than these false gods!
59 Sol quidem et luna ac sidera, cum sint splendida et emissa ad utilitates, obaudiunt :	59 The sun and moon and stars are bright, and obedient in the service for which they are sent.
60 similiter et fulgur cum apparuerit, perspicuum est : idipsum autem et spiritus in omni regione spirat :	60 Likewise the lightning, when it flashes, is a goodly sight; and the same wind blows over all the land.
61 et nubes, quibus cum imperatum fuerit a Deo perambulare universum orbem, perficiunt quod imperatum est eis :	61 The clouds, too, when commanded by God to proceed across the whole world, fulfill the order;
62 ignis etiam missus desuper, ut consumat montes et silvas, facit quod præceptum est ei : hæc autem neque speciebus, neque virtutibus, uni eorum similia sunt.	62 and fire, sent from on high to burn up the mountains and the forests, does what has been commanded. But these false gods are not their equal, whether in beauty or in power;
63 Unde neque existimandum est, neque dicendum illos esse deos, quando non possunt neque judicium judicare, neque quidquam facere hominibus.	63 so that it is unthinkable, and cannot be claimed, that they are gods. They can neither execute judgment, nor benefit man.
64 Scientes itaque quia non sunt dii, ne ergo timueritis eos.	64 Know, therefore, that they are not gods, and do not fear them.
65 Neque enim regibus maledicent, neque benedicent.	65 Kings they neither curse nor bless.
66 Signa etiam in cælo gentibus non ostendunt : neque ut sol lucebunt, neque illuminabunt ut luna.	66 They show the nations no signs in the heavens, nor are they brilliant like the sun, nor shining like the moon.
67 Bestiæ meliores sunt illis, quæ possunt fugere sub tectum ac prodesse sibi.	67 The beasts which can help themselves by fleeing to shelter are better than they are.
68 Nullo itaque modo nobis est manifestum quia sunt dii : propter quod ne timeatis eos.	68 Thus in no way is it clear to us that they are gods; so do not fear them.
69 Nam sicut in cucumerario formido nihil custodit, ita sunt dii illorum lignei, et argentei, et inaurati.	69 For like a scarecrow in a cucumber patch, that is no protection, are their wooden, gilded, silvered gods.
70 Eodem modo et in horto spina alba, supra quam omnis avis sedet, similiter et mortuo projecto in tenebris, similes sunt dii illorum lignei, et inaurati, et inargentati.	70 Just like a thornbush in a garden on which perches every kind of bird, or like a corpse hurled into darkness, are their silvered and gilded wooden gods.
71 A purpura quoque et murice, quæ supra illos tineant, scietis itaque quia non sunt dii : ipsi etiam postremo comeduntur, et erunt opprobrium in regione.	71 From the rotting of the purple and the linen upon them, it can be known that they are not gods; they themselves will in the end be comsumed, and be a disgrace in the land.
72 Melior est homo justus qui non habet simulacra, nam erit longe ab opprobriis.	72 The better for the just man who has no idols: he shall be far from disgrace!