¹And it came to pass after the seventh day, that I prayed before the Mighty One and said:

²'O my Lord, you summon the advent of the times, And they stand before thee; You cause the power of the ages to pass away, And they do not resist you; You arrange the method of the seasons, And they obey you.

³You alone know the duration of the generations, And you reveal not Thy mysteries to many.

⁴You make known the multitude of the fire, And you weigh the lightness of the wind.

⁵You explore the limit of the heights, And you scrutinize the depths of the darkness.

⁶You care for the number which pass away that they may be preserved, And you prepare an abode for those that are to be.

⁷You remember the beginning which thou hast made, And the destruction that is to be You forget not.

⁸With nods of fear and indignation You command the flames, And they change into spirits, And with a word you quicken that which was not, And with mighty power you hold that which hath not yet come.

⁹You instruct created things in the understanding of you, And thou makest wise the spheres so as to minister in their orders.

¹⁰Armies innumerable stand before thee And minister in their orders quietly at Thy nod.

¹¹Hear Thy servant And give ear to my petition.

¹²For in a little time are we born, And in a little time do we return.

¹³But with thee hours are as a time, And days as generations.

¹⁴Be not therefore wroth with man; for he is nothing

¹⁵And take not account of our works; For what are we? For lo! by Thy gift do we come into the world, And we depart not of our own will.

¹⁶For we said not to our parents, "Beget us, Nor did we send to Sheol and say, "Receive us."

¹⁷What therefore is our strength that we should bear Thy wrath, Or what are we that we should endure Thy judgment?

¹⁸Protect us in Thy compassions, And in Thy mercy help us.

¹⁹Behold the little ones that are subject unto you, And save all that draw near unto you: And destroy not the hope of our people, And cut not short the times of our aid.

²⁰For this is the nation which thou hast chosen, And these are the people, to whom you find no equal.

²¹But I will speak now before thee, And I will say as my heart thinks.

²²In thou dost we trust, for lo! Thy law is with us, And we know that we shall not fall so long as we keep Thy statutes. 23 [To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the Gentiles.]

²³For we are all one celebrated people, Who have received one law from One: And the law which is amongst us will aid us, And the surpassing wisdom which is in us will help us.'

²⁴And when I had prayed and said these things, I was greatly weakened.

²⁵And He answered and said unto me: 'Thou hast prayed simply, O Baruch, And all thy words have been heard.

²⁶But My judgment exacts its own And My law exacts its rights.

²⁷For from thy words I will answer you, And from thy prayer I will speak unto thee.

²⁸For this is as follows: he that is corrupted is not at all; he hath both wrought iniquity so far as lie could do anything, and has not remembered My goodness, nor accepted My long-suffering.

²⁹Therefore thou shalt surely be taken up, as I before told thee.

³⁰For that time shall arise which bringeth affliction; for it shall come and pass by with quick vehemence, and it shall be turbulent coming in the heat of indignation.

³¹And it shall come to pass in those days that all the inhabitants of the earth shall be moved one against another, for they know not that My judgment has drawn nigh.

³²For there shall not be found many wise at that time, And the intelligent shall be but a few: Moreover, even those who know shall most of all be silent.

³³And there shall be many rumors and tidings not a few, And the doing of phantasms shall be manifest, And promises not a few be recounted, Some of them (shall prove) idle, And some of them shall be confirmed.

³⁴And honor shall be turned into shame, And strength humiliated into contempt, And probity destroyed, And beauty shall become ugliness.

³⁵And many shall say to many at that time: Where hath the multitude of intelligence hidden itself, And whither hath the multitude of wisdom removed itself?"

³⁶And whilst they are meditating these things, Then envy shall arise in those who had not thought aught of themselves (?) And passion shall seize him that is peaceful, And many shall be stirred up in wrath to injure many, And they shall rouse up armies that shed blood, And in the end they shall perish together with them.

³⁷And it shall come to pass at the self-same time, That a change of times shall manifestly appeal to every man, Because in all those times they polluted themselves And they practiced oppression, And walked every man in his own works, And remembered not the law of the Mighty One.

³⁸Therefore a fire shall consume their thoughts, And in flame shall the meditations of their reins be tried; For the Judge shall come and will not tarry.

³⁹Because each of the inhabitants of the earth knew when he was transgressing. But My Law they knew not by reason of their pride.

⁴⁰But many shall then assuredly weep, Yea, over the living more than over the dead.'

⁴¹And I answered and said: 'O Adam, what hast thou done to all those who are born from thee? And what will be said unto the first Eve who hearkened to the serpent?

⁴²For all this multitude are going to corruption, Nor is there any numbering of those whom the fire devours.

⁴³But again I will speak in Thy presence.

⁴⁴You, O LORD, my Lord, know what is in Thy creature.

⁴⁵For you did of old command the dust to produce Adam, and thou knowest the number of those who are born from him, and how far they have sinned before thee, who have existed and not confessed you as their Creator.

⁴⁶And as regards all these their end shall convict them, and Thy law which they have transgressed shall requite them on Thy day.' 48 ['But now let us dismiss the wicked and inquire about the righteous.

⁴⁷And I will recount their blessedness And not be silent in celebrating their glory, which is reserved for them.

⁴⁸For assuredly as in a little time in this transitory world in which you live, thou hast endured much labor, So in that world to which there is no end, thou shalt receive great light.']