1It happened, when the sons of Israel were taken away into captivity by the king of the Chaldeans, that God spoke to Jeremiah: “Jeremiah, my elect, rise, go out of this city, you and Baruch, because I am about to destroy it on account of the many sins of those who dwell in it. 2 For your prayers are like a solid pillar within it, and like an adamantine wall surrounding her. 3 Now rise and go out, before the host of the Chaldeans surrounds it.” 4 And Jeremiah answered, saying: “I implore you, Lord, permit me, your servant, to speak before you.” And the Lord said: “Speak, my elect Jeremiah.” 5 And Jeremiah spoke, saying, “Lord Almighty, are you handing over the elect city into the hands of the Chaldeans, so that the king, along with the multitudes of his people, might boast and say, ‘I prevailed over the holy city of God’? 6 May it not be, Lord! But if it is your will, let it be destroyed by your own hands.” 7 And the Lord said to Jeremiah: “Because you are my elect, rise and go out of this city, you and Baruch, because I am about to destroy it on account of the many sins of those who dwell in it. 8 For neither the king nor his host will be able to enter into it unless I first open its gates. 9 Rise then and go to Baruch and speak to him these words. 10 And you two, arising at the sixth hour of the night, go up onto the walls of the city, and I will show you that, unless I first destroy the city, it is not possible (for them) to enter it.” 11 Having said these things, the Lord departed from Jeremiah.
2Jeremiah tore his garments and put dust on his head, and he went into the sanctuary of God. 2 And when Baruch saw him with dust sprinkled on his head and with his garments rent, he cried out in a great voice, saying, “Father Jeremiah, what is (going on) with you, or what sort of sin have the people committed?” 3 (For whenever the people sinned, Jeremiah would sprinkle dust on his head, and he would pray for the people until the sin was forgiven them.) 4 And Baruch asked him, saying, “Father, what is this (about)?” 5 Jeremiah said to him: “Guard against rending your garments; rather let us rend our hearts. Likewise let us not draw from the places of water; rather let us cry and fill them with tears. For the Lord will not have mercy upon this people.” 6 And Baruch said, “Father Jeremiah, what has happened?” 7 And Jeremiah said, “God is delivering the city into the hands of the King of the Chaldeans, to carry the people captive to Babylon.” 8 When he heard these things, Baruch also tore his garments, and he said, “Father Jeremiah, who revealed this to you?” 9 And Jeremiah said to him, “Wait with me a little while, until the sixth hour of the night, so that you may know that this word is true.” 10 So both of them remained at the altar, weeping.
3When the hour of the night arrived, Jeremiah and Baruch went together, as the Lord had said to Jeremiah, onto the walls of the city. 2 And behold, there was the sound of a trumpet, and angels went forth from heaven, holding torches in their hands, and they stood on the walls of the city. 3 Seeing them, Jeremiah and Baruch wept, saying, “Now we know that the word is true.” 4 Jeremiah implored the angels, saying: “I implore you not to destroy the city just yet, (but wait) until I (first) speak a word to the Lord.” And the Lord spoke to the angels, saying: “Do not destroy the city before I speak with my elect Jeremiah.” And he (Jeremiah) said, “I beg you, Lord, please allow me to speak before you.” 5 And the Lord said, “Speak, my elect Jeremiah.” 6 And Jeremiah said, “Behold now, Lord, we know that you are handing over your city into the hands of its enemies, and that they will take the people away to Babylon. 7 What should we do with your sacred things, or with the equipment for your (temple) service? What do you want us to do with them?” 8 And the Lord said to him, “Take these, and hand them over to the earth and the altar, saying, ‘Hear, O earth, the voice of the one creating you in the superabundance of the waters, the one sealing you with seven seals in seven ages; and after these things you will receive your beauty. Guard then the vessels of the service until the gathering of the beloved.’” 9 And Jeremiah said, “I implore you, Lord, show me what I should do with Abimelech the Ethiopian, for he did many good deeds for the people and for your servant Jeremiah. For he pulled me up out of the pit of mire, and I do not want him to see the destruction and desolation of the city, but rather (want him) not to be grieved.” 10 And the Lord said to Jeremiah: “Send him to the vineyard of Agrippa by way of the mountain, and I will protect him until I return the people to the city. 11 But you, Jeremiah, go with your people to Babylon and remain with them, bringing good news to them until I return them to the city. 12 But leave Baruch here, until I speak to him.” 13 Having said these things, the Lord departed from Jeremiah, (going) up into heaven. 14 Jeremiah and Baruch, however, went into the sanctuary, and they committed to the earth the equipment for the (temple) service, as the Lord had spoken to them. And instantly the earth swallowed them. And the two sat, and they cried. 15 And when it was morning, Jeremiah sent Abimelech, saying, “Take the basket, and go to the estate of Agrippa by way of the mountain road; and carry a few figs and give them to the sick among the people, for the Lord is delighted with you, and (his) glory is on your head.” 16 And he went away as he had told him.
4And when morning came, behold, the host of the Chaldeans encircled the city. And the great angel sounded his trumpet and said: “Enter the city, host of the Chaldeans. For behold! the gate has been opened to you.” 2 Then the king entered with his hordes, and they took all the people into exile. 3 And Jeremiah, taking the keys of the temple, went outside of the city, and he threw them before the sun, saying, “I say to you, O sun, take the keys of the temple of God, and guard them until the day on which the Lord asks you for them. 4 For we have not been found worthy to guard them, for we have become false stewards.” 5 While Jeremiah was yet weeping for the people, they were dragged off to Babylon. 6 But Baruch put dust on his head, and he sat, and he cried this lamentation: “Why has Jerusalem become desolate? It has, because of the sins of the beloved people, been delivered into the hands of enemies, for our sins and those of the people. 7 But let not the lawless boast and say, ‘We had the power to take the city of God by means of our own strength.’ You were powerless against it. Yet we were (in truth) handed over because of our sins. 8 And our God will have mercy upon us, and he will return us to our city. You, however, will not have life. 9 Blessed are our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they went out of this world without seeing see the destruction of this city.” 10 Having said these things, Baruch went out of the city and wept, and he said, “Grieving because of you, Jerusalem, I went out from you.” 11 And he remained sitting in a tomb while the angels came and spoke to him in detail about everything.
5Now Abimelech carried the figs in the heat, and coming upon a tree, he sat under its shadow in order to rest for a bit. And inclining his head on the basket of figs, he fell asleep, and he slumbered for sixty-six years. And he did not wake up from his sleep. 2 And afterward he rose up from his sleep and said, “Would that I had slept sweetly a little longer; and my head is heavy, for I did not get enough sleep to satisfy me.” 3 Then, uncovering the basket of figs, he found them dripping with sap. 4 And he said: “I wish that I could sleep a little longer because my head is heavy. 5 I am, however, afraid, lest I (go back to) sleep and fail to wake up in time, so that my father Jeremiah will think less of me. For if he were not in a hurry, he would not have sent me today at daybreak. 6 So I will get up and go in the heat of the day, and I will go to where there is no heat … 7 Then getting up he took the basket of figs, and he put it on his shoulders, and he went to Jerusalem. Yet he did not know it (the city), nor his house nor his place nor his family, and he said: 8 “Blessed is the Lord, for a great ecstasy has fallen upon me. This is not the city. 9 And I have lost my way, for when I got up from my sleep, I came by way of the mountain road, 10 and with my head heavy since I failed to get enough sleep, I have lost my way. 11 To say this, that I became lost, will astonish Jeremiah.” 12 And he left the city, and observing (further) he saw the characteristic signs of the city, and he said: “This is the city. Nonetheless, I have lost my way.” 13 And again he returned to the city, and he searched about, and he did not find any of his own people. 14 And he said: “Blessed is the Lord, for a great ecstasy has fallen upon me.” 15 And again he went out of the city. And he continued grieving, not knowing where he should go. 16 And he put the basket down, saying, “I will sit here until the Lord takes away from me this ecstasy.” 17 While he was sitting there, he saw an aged man approaching from a field, and Abimelech said to him, “I say to you, old man, what city is this?” And he said to him, “It is Jerusalem.” 18 And Abimelech said to him, “Where is Jeremiah the priest, and Baruch the public reader, and all the people of this city, for I have not found them?” 19 And the old man said to him, “Are you not of this city 20 (seeing that) today you remember Jeremiah, that you ask about him after such a long time has passed? 21 For Jeremiah is in Babylon with the people. For they were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar the king, and with them is Jeremiah, who brings good news to them and instructs them in the word.” 22 Now Abimelech, upon hearing this from the old man, immediately said, 23 “If you were not an old man, and one were allowed to upbraid his elder, I would have ridiculed you and said that you have taken leave of your senses since you have said, ‘The people were taken captive to Babylon.’ 24 Even if the cataracts of heaven had rained down upon them, there has not been enough time (for them) to go to Babylon. 25 For how much time has passed since my father Jeremiah sent me to the estate of Agrippa, in order (for me) to bring (back) a few figs so that I might give (them) to the sick of the people? 26 And going away I carried them, and coming upon a certain tree in the heat of the day, I sat down in order to rest a bit, and I laid my head on the basket and slept. And when I woke up, I uncovered the basket of figs, supposing that I was late, and I found the figs dripping with sap, just as I had gathered them. Yet you say, ‘The people have been exiled to Babylon.’ 27 And that you might know (the truth), take the figs and look (at them).” 28 And he uncovered the basket of figs for the old man, 29 and he saw them dripping with sap. 30 And when he saw them, the old man said, “O my son, you are a righteous man, and God did not want to show you the desolation of the city. For he brought upon you an ecstasy, for behold, it is indeed sixty-six years today since the people were taken away as captives to Babylon. 31 And in order that you might know, young man, that this is true, look up at the field, and observe that the growth of the produce is not yet visible. Observe also the figs, that it is not yet their season. And understand.” 32 Then Abimelech cried out in a great voice, saying, “Blessed are you, God of heaven and earth, the rest of the souls of the just in every place.” 33 And he said to the old man, “What month is this?” He said, “Nisan, and it is the twelfth day.” 34 And taking one of the figs, he handed it to the old man and said to him, “May God light your way to the upper city, Jerusalem.”
6After these things, Abimelech went out of the city, and he prayed to the Lord. And behold, an angel of the Lord came and returned him to the place where Baruch was. And he found him sitting in a tomb. 2 And when they saw each other, they both cried and kissed each other. Then looking, Baruch saw the figs sheltered in the basket. And raising his eyes to heaven, he prayed, saying, “God is the one who rewards his saints. 3 Make ready, my heart, and be glad, and rejoice in your body, that is, in your house of flesh. Your grief has been turned into joy, for the Self-sufficient comes, and he will take you from your tent. For you have not sinned. 4 Be cheered in your tent, my virgin faith, and believe that you will live. 5 Pay close attention to this basket of figs. For behold, they are sixty-six years old, and they have neither shriveled up nor begun to smell bad, but they are (still) dripping with sap. 6 Thus will it be with you, my flesh, if you keep the things commanded by the righteous angel. 7 The one preserving the basket of figs, he will also preserve you by his power.” 8 After Baruch said these things, he said to Abimelech: “Let us arise and pray that, on account of your preservation, the Lord might make known to us how we will be able to send news to Jeremiah in Babylon.” 9 And Baruch prayed, saying: “Our power, O God our Lord, the elect light, which goes forth from your mouth, I implore and entreat your goodness; O great name, which no one is able to know, 10 hear the voice of your servant and let knowledge come into my heart. What do you want us to do? How shall I send this news to Jeremiah in Babylon?” 11 While Baruch was praying, behold, an angel of the Lord came, and he said to Baruch: 12 “Baruch, counselor of the light, do not worry about how you will send (news) to Jeremiah. For at the hour when light dawns tomorrow, an eagle will come to you, and (through him) you will send (news) to Jeremiah. 13 Write then in a letter: ‘Speak to the sons of Israel: “Let the alien who is among you be removed, and let fifteen days go by; and after that I shall lead you to your city,” says the Lord. 14 “The one who does not separate himself from Babylon, O Jeremiah, will not enter the city. And I shall punish them, so that they will not be welcomed in turn by the Babylonians,” says the Lord.’” 15 And after the angel said these things, he departed from Baruch. 16 And Baruch sent (Abimelech) to the marketplace of the Gentiles, and he brought (to him) papyrus and ink, and he wrote a letter containing this: 17 “Baruch, the servant of God, writes to Jeremiah, who is in the captivity in Babylon: Greetings. Be glad, because God has not abandoned us so that we will depart from the body (still) grieving on account of the city being desolate and having suffered outrages. 18 For this reason the Lord had mercy upon our tears, and remembered the covenant he established with our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 19 For he sent to me his angel, and he spoke to me these words, which I have sent to you. 20 These then are the words which the Lord, the God of Israel, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, out of the great furnace, has spoken: 21 ‘Because you did not keep my statutes, but your heart was arrogantly exalted, and you were stiff-necked before me, I became angry, and in wrath I handed you over to the furnace in Babylon. 22 If then you heed my voice, says the Lord, from the mouth of Jeremiah my servant—the one who heeds I will bring him back from Babylon. But the one who does not heed will become a stranger to both Jerusalem and Babylon. 23 You will test them by the water of the Jordan. The one not heeding will become manifest. This is the sign of the great seal.’”
7And Baruch arose, and he went out of the tomb. 2 And he found the eagle sitting outside of the tomb. And the eagle, responding in a human voice, said to him: “Hail, Baruch, faithful steward.” 3 And Baruch said to him, “You, who of all the birds of heaven speaks, are elect, for this is manifest from the ray (streaming) from your eyes. 4 Reveal to me, then: What are you doing here?” 5 And the eagle said to him, “I was sent here so that whatever message you wish (to send), you might send (it) through me.” 6 And Baruch said to him, “Are you able to carry this message to Jeremiah in Babylon?” 7 And the eagle said to him, “For this (purpose) indeed was I sent.” 8 And Baruch, taking the letter and fifteen figs from Abimelech’s basket, tied them around the neck of the eagle and said to him: 9 “I say to you, king of birds, go in peace with health, and transport the message for me. 10 Do not be like the raven which Noah sent forth and which did not return to him on the ark. Instead be like the dove which, on its third trip, brought news to the righteous one. 11 You, in like fashion, take this good message to Jeremiah and those with him, that it might be well with you. Take this papyrus to the elect people of God. 12 Even if all the birds of heaven surround you and seek to fight with you, persevere! May the Lord give you strength! And do not turn to the right or to the left, but go straight as an arrow. Go in the might of God, and the glory of the Lord will be with you in every path you take.” [1] 13 Then the eagle flew off, having the letter around his neck, and he went away to Babylon; and he came to rest upon a wooden post outside of the city, in a deserted place. But he remained silent until Jeremiah and others of the people (of Israel) came along. 14 For they were going forth to bury a dead man outside of the city. For Jeremiah had requested of Nebuchadnezzer, “Grant me a place, where I might bury the dead of my people.” And he gave it to him. 15 As they were coming out with the dead man and wailing, they passed in front of the eagle, and the eagle cried out in a loud voice, saying: “I say to you, Jeremiah, the elect of God: Depart (and) gather the people, that they might come to this place in order to hear the letter which I have brought to you from Baruch and Abimelech.” 16 When Jeremiah heard (this), he glorified God. And going away he gathered the people, including women and children, and he came to where the eagle was. 17 And the eagle descended upon the dead man, and he came back to life. This happened in order that they might believe. 18 And all the people marveled at what had happened, saying, “Is this not the God who appeared to our fathers in the wilderness through Moses, and who now has appeared to us through this eagle?” 19 And the eagle said, “I say to you, Jeremiah, come and unfasten this letter, and read it to the people.” Then unfastening the letter, he read it to the people. 20 When all the people heard it, they wept and threw dust on their heads and said to Jeremiah: 21 “Deliver us and tell us what we should do, so that we might enter our city again.” 22 Jeremiah answered and said to them: “Act in conformity with all that you have heard in this letter, and the Lord will bring us to our city.” 23 And Jeremiah wrote a letter to Baruch, as follows: “My beloved son, do not be negligent in your prayers, (but) pray for us that he (God) might successfully direct our way until we come forth from the jurisdiction of this lawless king. For you were found righteous before God, and he did not allow you to come here with us, lest you see the mistreatment that has befallen the people under the Babylonians. 24 For it is like when a father’s only son is handed over to punishment. Those who see his father and console him protect his father, so that he will not see how his son is punished and be all the more devastated by grief. For in like manner God had mercy upon you and did not allow you to go to Babylon, so that you would not behold the mistreatment that has befallen the people. For ever since we arrived here, our grief has, these sixty-six years, not ceased. 25 For often when I left (the city) I found some of the people who had been hung up by Nebuchadnezzar the king weeping and saying, ‘Have mercy upon us, O God Sabaoth.’ 26 When I heard these things, I would grieve and cry a double lamentation, not only because they were hung up, but because they called upon a foreign God, saying, ‘Have mercy upon us.’ And I would remember feast days which we celebrated in Jerusalem before we were exiled; 27 and when I remembered, I would groan, and I would return to my house in agony and in tears. 28 Now then pray in the place where you are, you and Abimelech, for this people, that they might give heed to my voice and to the injunctions of my mouth, and that we might come forth from here. 29 For I say to you that the entire time we have spent here, they have held us fast, saying, ‘Recite for us a song from the songs of Zion, and the song of your God.’ And we have said to them, ‘How shall we sing to you (since we are) in a foreign land?’” 30 And after these things, he (Jeremiah) tied the letter around the neck of the eagle and said: “Go in peace. May the Lord take care of us both.” 31 And the eagle flew off, and he went to Jerusalem, and he carried the letter and delivered it to Baruch. And, after untying it, he read and kissed it, and he cried when he heard of the grief and the mistreatment of the people. 32 But Jeremiah, taking the figs, gave them to the sick among the people. And he continued to teach them to keep their distance from the defilements of the Gentiles of Babylon.
8Now the day came when God led the people out of Babylon. 2 And the Lord said to Jeremiah, “Arise, you and the people, and come to the Jordan, and (there) say to the people, ‘Let the one who wants the Lord leave behind the practices of Babylon, even the men who took from them (the Babylonians) wives and the women who took from them (the Babylonians) husbands.’ 3 And let those who heed you cross over, and bring them up to Jerusalem. But those who do not heed you, do not lead them to it.” 4 And Jeremiah spoke these words to the people, and arising they went to the Jordan to cross, and he continued to speak to them the words which the Lord had said to him. But half of those who were married did not want to obey Jeremiah but said to him: “We will never leave our wives behind, but we will bring them back with us to our city.” 5 They then crossed the Jordan and came to Jerusalem. And Jeremiah and Baruch and Abimelech stood firm, saying, “None who is joined to the Babylonians will enter this place.” 6 And they said to each other: “Let us arise and return to Babylon, to our city.” And they departed. 7 But when they arrived at Babylon, the Babylonians went out to meet them and said: “You cannot enter our city because you hate us, and (because) you secretly departed from us. Therefore you will not come in among us. For we took an oath with one another in the name of our god, to welcome neither you nor your children, because you secretly departed from us.” 8 Upon learning this, they turned away, and they went to a deserted place far from Jerusalem, and they built for themselves a city, and they named it Samaria. 9 And Jeremiah sent (a message) to them, saying: “Repent. For the righteous angel comes, and he will lead you to your exalted place.”
9Those with Jeremiah remained, rejoicing and offering sacrifices on behalf of the people for nine days. 2 On the tenth day, Jeremiah alone offered sacrifice, and he prayed a prayer, saying, 3 “Holy, holy, holy, the incense of the living trees, the true light that enlightens me until I am taken up to you. For your mercy I pray, for the sweet voice of the two Seraphim 4 I pray, for another sweet-smelling incense (I pray). 5 And my meditation is Michael, the righteous archangel, the one opening the gates to the righteous, until he gathers in the righteous. 6 (For all this) I pray you, Lord, Almighty over all creation, the unbegotten and incomprehensible, in whom every judgment has been hidden before it comes to pass.” 7 After saying these things, and while standing in the area of the altar with Baruch and Abimelech, he became like one of those handing over his soul. 8 And Baruch and Abimelech remained weeping and crying with a great voice, “Woe to us because our father Jeremiah, the priest of God, has left us and gone away.” 9 All the people heard their weeping, and they all ran to them, and they saw Jeremiah lying on the ground as though dead. And they tore their garments and put dust on their heads and wept most bitterly. 10 And after these things, they prepared themselves to bury him. 11 And behold! a voice came, saying, “Do not bury one who yet lives, because his soul is returning to his body again.” 12 And when they heard the voice, they did not bury him, but for three days they remained in a circle around his body, talking (with each other) and being perplexed as to what time he was going to stand up. 13 After three days, his soul re-entered his body, and he raised his voice in the midst of all and said, “Glorify God with one voice, all (of you) glorify God and the Son of God who awakens us, Jesus Christ the light of all the ages, the unquenchable light, the life of faith. 14 And it will happen after these times that there will be another 477 years, and he will come to earth. And the tree of life, which is planted in the middle of paradise, will make all the unfruitful trees bear fruit, and grow, and send forth shoots. 15 And it will make the trees that had (earlier) sprouted and grown great and said, ‘We have sent our top to the sky,’ together with their high branches, to shrivel up; and that firmly rooted tree will cause them to be condemned. And it will make that which is scarlet to become white as wool. 16 The snow will be turned black, the sweet waters will become salty, and the salty will become sweet in the great light of the joy of God. 17 And he will bless the islands so that they produce fruit by the word from the mouth of his Christ. 18 For he will come, and he will go out, and he will choose for himself twelve apostles, so that they might preach the good news among the nations. He whom I have seen has been adorned by his Father, and he is coming into the world upon the Mount of Olives; and he will fill the hungry souls.” 19 While Jeremiah was saying these things concerning the Son of God, that he is coming into the world, the people became furious and said, 20 “These are once again the words spoken by Isaiah the son of Amos when he said, ‘I saw God and the Son of God.’ 21 Come then, and let us not kill him by the death (with which we killed) that one, but let us stone him with stones.” 22 Then Baruch and Abimelech grieved greatly over this madness, because they wanted to hear in full the mysteries that he had seen. 23 Jeremiah, however, said to them, “Be quiet, and do not weep. For they will not kill me until I have fully divulged to you all that I saw.” 24 He said to them, “Bring me a stone.” 25 And he set it up and said, “Light of the ages, transform this stone into my likeness until I have fully divulged to Baruch and Abimelech all that I saw.” 26 And the stone, through the command of God, took on the likeness of Jeremiah. 27 And they stoned the stone, supposing that it was Jeremiah. 28 And Jeremiah entrusted all the mysteries which he had seen to Baruch and Abimelech. 29 And then he, desiring to complete his stewardship, stood in the midst of the people. 30 Then the stone cried out, saying, “O foolish sons of Israel, why do you stone me, supposing that I am Jeremiah? Behold, Jeremiah stands in your midst.” 31 When they saw him, they immediately ran toward him with many stones. And his stewardship was fulfilled. 32 And Baruch and Abimelech came and buried him, and taking the stone they set it up on his tomb, writing this (on it): This is the stone (that was) the helper of Jeremiah.