Baruch Mourns Jerusalem
1 Truly, I, Baruch, was weeping in my mind and grieving over the people, and because King Nebuchadnezzar was permitted by God to destroy His city, saying: 2 Lord, why did You set fire to Your vineyard and devastate it? Why did You do this? And why, Lord, did You not punish us in some other way, instead of handing us over to nations like these, so that they taunt us and say, Where is their God? 3 And look, as I was weeping and saying such things, I saw an angel of the Lord coming and saying to me: Understand, dearly loved man, and do not worry so much about the salvation of Jerusalem, for this is what the Lord God says, the Almighty. 4 For He sent me to you, to explain and show you all (the things) of God. 5 For your prayer was heard in His presence, and reached the ears of the Lord God. 6 And when he had told me this, I was silent. And the angel said to me: Stop provoking God, and I will show you other mysteries greater than these. 7 And I, Baruch, said, As the Lord God lives, if you show me, and I hear a word from you, I will not speak any longer. God will increase my punishment on the day of judgment if I speak again. 8 And the angel of the powers said to me, Come, and I will show you the mysteries of God.
The First Heaven
1 And he took me and led me where the vault of heaven is firmly fixed, and where there was a river which no one can cross, not even any foreign wind of all those which God created. 2 And he took me and led me to the first heaven, and showed me a very large door. And he said to me, Let us enter through it, and we entered as though carried on wings, a distance of about thirty days' journey. 3 And he showed me a plain in heaven; and there were men living on it, with the faces of oxen, and the horns of stags and the feet of goats, and the hindquarters of lambs.
The Dimensions of Heaven
4 And I, Baruch, asked the angel, Tell me, I beg you, what is the thickness of the heaven we traveled through, or what is its extent, or what is the plain, so that I can also tell people? 5 And the angel whose name is Phamael said to me: This door which you see is the door of heaven, and its thickness is as great as the distance from earth to heaven; and the length of the plain you saw is as great as the distance (from North to South). 6 And again the angel of the powers said to me, Come, and I will show you greater mysteries. 7 But I said, I beg you, show me who these men are. And he said to me, These are the men who built the tower of rebellion against God, and the Lord banished them.
The Second Heaven
1 And the angel of the Lord took me and led me to a second heaven. And he showed me there also a door like the first and said, Let us enter through it. 2 And we entered, being carried on wings a distance of about sixty days' journey. 3 And he showed me there also a plain, and it was full of men, whose appearance was like that of dogs, and whose feet were like those of stags. 4 And I asked the angel: I beg you, Lord, tell me who these are.
The Builders of the Tower
5 And he said, These are the people who planned to build the tower, for the people you see drove large numbers of both men and women out to make bricks; among them, a woman making bricks was not allowed to stop work when she went into labor, but gave birth while she was making bricks, and carried her child in her apron, and continued to make bricks. 6 And the Lord appeared to them and confused their speech, when they had built the tower to the height of four hundred and sixty-three cubits. 7 And they took a drill, and tried to drill through heaven, saying, Let us see (whether) the heaven is made of clay, or of copper, or of iron. 8 When God saw this He did not permit them, but struck them with blindness and confusion of speech, and made them as you see them.
The Serpent and Hades
1 And I, Baruch, said, Look, Lord, You showed me great and wonderful things; and now show me everything for the sake of the Lord. 2 And the angel said to me, Come, let us go on. (And I went on) with the angel from that place about one hundred and eighty-five days' journey. 3 And he showed me a plain and a serpent, which looked like rock. And he showed me Hades, and its appearance was dark and repulsive. 4 And I said, Who is this dragon, and who is this monster around him? 5 And the angel said, The dragon is the one who eats the bodies of those who live wickedly, and they feed him.
The Sea and Its Rivers
6 And this is Hades, which also closely resembles him because it too drinks about a cubit from the sea, whose level does not fall at all. 7 Baruch said, And how (does this happen)? And the angel said, Listen, the Lord God made three hundred and sixty rivers, the main ones being Alphias, Abyrus, and the Gericus; and because of these the sea level does not fall.
Adam and the Vine
8 And I said, I beg you, show me which tree led Adam astray. And the angel said to me, It is the vine, which the angel Sammael planted, which angered the Lord God, and He cursed him and his plant, and for this reason He did not allow Adam to touch it, and so the envious devil deceived him through his vine.
Noah and the Vine
9 [And I, Baruch, said, Since the vine has also caused such great evil, and is under the judgment of God's curse, and destroyed the first human, how is it now so useful? 10 And the angel said, That is a fair question. When God sent the flood over the earth, and destroyed all flesh, and four hundred and nine thousand giants, and the water rose fifteen cubits above the highest mountains, then the water entered into paradise and destroyed every flower; but it tore out the vine shoot and threw it outside the boundary. 11 And when the earth appeared out of the water, and Noah came out of the ark, he began planting some of the plants he found. 12 But he also found the shoot of the vine; and he took it, and was thinking to himself, What then is it? And I came and told him about it. 13 And he said, Shall I plant it, or what shall I do? Since Adam was destroyed because of it, may I not also face God's anger because of it. And as he said this, he prayed that God would reveal to him what he should do about it. 14 And after he had finished praying for forty days, begging for many things and weeping, he said: Lord, I beg you to reveal to me what I shall do about this plant. 15 But God sent his angel Sarasael, and said to him, Get up, Noah, and plant the shoot of the vine, for this is what the Lord says: Its bitterness will turn to sweetness, and its curse will become a blessing, and what it produces will become the blood of God; and just as the human race was condemned through it, so through Jesus Christ the Immanuel they will again receive in Him the call to heaven, and entry into paradise]. 16 So understand, Baruch, that just as Adam was condemned through this very tree and stripped of the glory of God, the people who now drink the wine made from it without restraint sin worse than Adam, and are far from the glory of God, and are surrendering themselves to the eternal fire. For (no) good comes through it. 17 For those who drink it to excess do these things: a brother does not pity his brother, nor a father his son, nor children their parents, but from the drinking of wine come all evils, such as murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, false oaths, thefts, and similar things. And nothing good is established by it.
The Depths of Hades
1 And I, Baruch, said to the angel, Let me ask you one thing, Lord. 2 Since you said to me that the dragon drinks one cubit out of the sea, also tell me: how big is his belly? 3 And the angel said, His belly is Hades; and his belly stretches as far as a lead weight thrown (by) three hundred men. Come, then, so that I can show you works even greater than these.
The Sun and the Phoenix
1 And he took me and led me where the sun rises. 2 And he showed me a chariot with four horses, with a fire burning underneath, and a man was sitting in the chariot, wearing a crown of fire, (and) the chariot (was) drawn by forty angels. And look, a bird was circling in front of the sun, about nine cubits away. 3 And I said to the angel, What is this bird? And he said to me, This is the guardian of the earth. 4 And I said, Lord, how is he the guardian of the earth? Teach me. 5 And the angel said to me, This bird flies alongside the sun and spreads his wings to catch its fiery rays. 6 For if he did not catch them, the human race would not survive, nor would any other living creature. But God appointed this bird for this purpose. 7 And he spread his wings, and I saw on his right wing very large letters, as large as a threshing floor, the size of about four thousand modii; and the letters were of gold. 8 And the angel said to me, Read them. And I read and this is what they said: Neither earth nor heaven gave me birth, but wings of fire gave me birth. 9 And I said, Lord, what is this bird, and what is his name? 10 And the angel said to me, His name is Phoenix. 11 (And I said), And what does he eat? And he said to me, The manna of heaven and the dew of earth. 12 And I said, Does the bird excrete? And he said to me, He excretes a worm, and the excrement of the worm is cinnamon, which kings and princes use. But wait and you will see the glory of God.
Sunrise and the Call of the Bird
13 And while he was talking with me, there was a sound like a thunderclap, and the place where we were standing shook. And I asked the angel, My Lord, what is this sound? And the angel said to me, The angels are now opening the three hundred and sixty-five gates of heaven, and the light is being separated from the darkness. 14 And a voice came which said, Light giver, give radiance to the world. 15 And when I heard the noise of the bird, I said, Lord, what is this noise? 16 And he said, This is the bird who wakes the roosters on earth from sleep. For just as people communicate with their mouths, the rooster too signals to those in the world in his own language. For the sun is made ready by the angels, and the rooster crows.
The Path of the Sun
1 And I said, And where does the sun begin its work, after the rooster crows? 2 And the angel said to me, Listen, Baruch: All things that I showed you are in the first and second heaven, and in the third heaven the sun passes through and gives light to the world. But wait, and you will see the glory of God. 3 And while I was talking with him, I saw the bird, and he appeared in front, and grew little by little and returned to his full size. 4 And behind him I saw the shining sun, and the angels who pull it, and a crown on its head, which was too bright for us to look at or see clearly. 5 And as soon as the sun shone, the Phoenix also stretched out his wings. But when I saw such great glory, I was overwhelmed with fear, and I fled and hid in the wings of the angel. 6 And the angel said to me, Do not be afraid, Baruch, but wait and you will also see them set.
Sunset and Human Wrongdoing
1 And he took me and led me toward the west; and when sunset came, I saw again the bird coming in front of the sun, and the sun coming with the angels, and as soon as he came I saw the angels, and they lifted the crown from its head. 2 But the bird stood exhausted, with his wings folded. 3 And seeing these things, I said, Lord, why did they lift the crown from the head of the sun, and why is the bird so exhausted? 4 And the angel said to me, When the sun has completed its day, four angels take its crown, carry it up to heaven, and renew it, because it and its rays have been defiled on earth; it is renewed in this way each day. 5 And I, Baruch, said, Lord, and why are its beams defiled on earth? And the angel said to me, Because it sees the lawlessness and unrighteousness of men, namely sexual immorality, adultery, theft, extortion, idol worship, drunkenness, murders, conflict, jealousy, slander, grumbling, gossip, fortune-telling, and similar things, which are not pleasing to God. Because of these things it is defiled, and therefore it is renewed. 6 But you ask why the bird is exhausted. It is exhausted from holding back the sun's rays through the fire and burning heat of the whole day. 7 For, as we said before, if his wings did not block the sun's rays, no living creature would survive.
The Moon and Its Punishment
1 And when they had withdrawn, the night also fell, and the moon's chariot arrived at the same time, along with the stars. 2 And I, Baruch, said, Lord, I beg you, show me this too: how it comes out, where it goes, and what form it takes as it moves. 3 And the angel said, Wait, and you will see it also shortly. And on the next day I also saw it in the form of a woman, and sitting on a wheeled chariot. And in front of it there were oxen and lambs in the chariot, and many angels too. 4 And I said, Lord, what are the oxen and the lambs? And he said to me, They also are angels. 5 And again I asked, Why does it grow larger at one time and smaller at another? 6 And (he said to me), Listen, Baruch: What you see was painted by God with unmatched beauty. 7 And when the first Adam sinned, it gave light to Sammael when he took the serpent as a garment. And it did not hide itself but increased, and God was angry with it, and afflicted it, and shortened its days. 8 And I said, And why does it not shine all the time, but only at night? And the angel said, Listen: as in the presence of a king, the courtiers cannot speak freely, so the moon and the stars cannot shine in the presence of the sun; for the stars are always suspended, but the sun hides them, and the moon, although it is uninjured, is consumed by the heat of the sun.
The Fourth Heaven and Its Birds
1 And when I had learned all these things from the archangel, he took me and led me into a fourth heaven. 2 And I saw a level plain, and in the middle of it a pool of water. 3 And there were large numbers of birds of all kinds in it, but not like those here on earth. But I saw a crane as big as large oxen; and all the birds were bigger than those in the world. 4 And I asked the angel, What is the plain, what is the pool, and what are the large numbers of birds around it? 5 And the angel said, Listen, Baruch: The plain with the pool and other wonders is the place where the souls of the righteous come, when they gather, living together in choirs. 6 But this is the water the clouds receive and pour as rain onto the earth, making the fruit grow. 7 And I said again to the angel of the Lord, But (what) are these birds? And he said to me, They are those which continually sing praise to the Lord.
Rain and the Dew of Heaven
8 And I said, Lord, and why do people say that rainwater comes from the sea? 9 And the angel said, Rainwater also comes from the sea and from the waters on earth; but the water that makes fruit grow comes (only) from here. So understand from now on that what is called the dew of heaven comes from here.
The Fifth Heaven
1 And the angel took me and led me from there to a fifth heaven. 2 And the gate was closed. And I said, Lord, will this gateway not open so that we can enter? And the angel said to me, We cannot enter until Michael comes, who holds the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; but wait and you will see the glory of God. 3 And there was a great sound, like thunder. And I said, Lord, what is this sound?
Michael Receives Human Prayers
4 And he said to me, Michael, the commander of the angels, is now coming down to receive the people's prayers. 5 And a voice called out, Let the gates be opened. And they opened them, and there was a roar like thunder. 6 And Michael came, and the angel who was with me went to meet him and bowed to him and said, Greetings, my commander and commander of our whole order. 7 And the commander Michael said, Greetings to you too, our brother, who explains revelations to those who live virtuously. 8 And after greeting each other in this way, they stood still. And I saw the commander Michael, holding an extremely large vessel; its depth was as great as the distance from heaven to earth, and its width as great as the distance from north to south. And I said, Lord, what is it that Michael the archangel is holding? 9 And he said to me, This is where the merits of the righteous enter, and the good works they do, which are brought into the presence of the heavenly God.
Flowers from the Righteous
1 And as I was talking with them, look, angels came carrying baskets full of flowers. 2 And they gave them to Michael. And I asked the angel, Lord, who are these, and what are they bringing here? 3 And he said to me, These are angels (who) watch over the powers. 4 And the archangel took the baskets, and threw them into the vessel. 5 And the angel said to me, These flowers are the merits of the righteous.
The Incomplete Offerings
6 And I saw other angels carrying baskets which were (neither) empty nor full. And they began to mourn and did not dare to approach, because they did not have the full rewards. 7 And Michael called out and said, You angels, come here too, bring what you have brought. 8 And Michael was deeply saddened, as was the angel who was with me, because they did not fill the vessel.
The Angels of the Wicked
1 And then other angels also came, weeping and mourning, and saying fearfully, Look how dark we have become, Lord, for we were assigned to evil men, and we want to leave them. 2 And Michael said, You cannot leave them, so that the enemy does not win in the end; but tell me what you are asking for. 3 And they said, We beg you, Michael our commander, reassign us away from them, for we cannot stay with wicked and foolish men, for there is nothing good in them, but every kind of unrighteousness and greed. 4 For we do not see them taking part [in Church at all, nor going to spiritual fathers, nor] doing any good work. But where there is murder, they are there in the middle of it, and where there is sexual immorality, adultery, theft, slander, false oaths, jealousies, drunkenness, conflict, envy, grumbling, gossip, idol worship, fortune-telling, and similar things, they do those things and even worse ones. Therefore we beg to be allowed to leave them. 5 And Michael said to the angels, Wait until I learn from the Lord what will happen.
Michael Presents the Offerings
1 And at that very moment Michael left, and the doors were closed. And there was a sound like thunder. 2 And I asked the angel, What is the sound? And he said to me, Michael is now presenting people's merits to God.
Oil as a Reward
1 And at that very moment Michael came down, and the gate was opened; and he brought oil. 2 And as for the angels who brought the full baskets, he filled them with oil, saying, Take it away, reward our friends a hundred times over, and those who have worked hard at doing good works. For those who planted what is good also harvest what is good.
Rewards for the Remaining Offerings
3 And he said also to those bringing the half-empty baskets, You too, come here; take away the reward according to what you brought, and give it to people. 4 [Then he said also to those who brought the full and to those who brought the half-empty baskets: Go and bless our friends, and tell them this is what the Lord says, You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Lord's joy.]
Punishment for the Wicked
1 And turning he said also to those who brought nothing: This is what the Lord says, Do not look sad, and do not weep, and do not leave people alone. 2 But since they angered me by their deeds, go and make them jealous, angry, and bitter toward a people who are not a nation, a people with no understanding. 3 Besides these things, send the caterpillar and the unwinged locust, and the mildew, and the common locust (and) hail with lightning and anger, and punish them severely with the sword and with death, and their children with demons. 4 For they did not listen to my voice, nor did they observe my commandments, nor do them, but despised my commandments and my assemblies and insulted the priests who proclaimed my words to them.
Baruch Returns to Earth
1 And while he was still speaking, the door was closed, and we withdrew. 2 And the angel took me and returned me to the place where I was at the beginning. 3 And when I came to my senses, I gave glory to God, who counted me worthy of such honor. 4 So you too, brothers, who have received such a revelation, glorify God yourselves, so that He also may glorify you, now and forever, for all eternity. Amen.