LUX VERITAS

Apocrypha · Chapter 4 of 9

IV Baruch 4

Paraleipomena of Jeremiah

And when morning came, behold the host of the Chaldeans surrounded the city.

2And the great angel trumpeted, saying: Enter the city, host of the Chaldeans; for behold, the gate is opened for you.

3Therefore let the king enter, with his multitudes, and let him take all the people captive.

4But taking the keys of the temple, Jeremiah went outside the city and threw them away in the presence of the sun, saying: I say to you, Sun, take the keys of the temple of God and guard them until the day in which the Lord asks you for them.

5For we have not been found worthy to keep them, for we have become unfaithful guardians.

6While Jeremiah was still weeping for the people, they brought him out with the people and dragged them into Babylon.

7But Baruch put dust on his head and sat and wailed this lamentation, saying: Why has Jerusalem been devastated? Because of the sins of the beloved people she was delivered into the hands of enemies -- because of our sins and those of the people.

8But let not the lawless ones boast and say: "We were strong enough to take the city of God by our might;" but it was delivered to you because of our sins.

9And God will pity us and cause us to return to our city, but you will not survive!

10Blessed are our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they departed from this world and did not see the destruction of this city.

11When he had said this, Baruch departed from the city, weeping and saying: Grieving because of you, Jerusalem, I went out from you.

12And he remained sitting in a tomb, while the angels came to him and explained to him everything that the Lord revealed to him through them.

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About IV Baruch

An apocryphal or pseudepigraphal text — outside the canon of the Western churches, yet widely circulated among ancient Jews and Christians. Published here from a public-domain translation, edited for continuous reading.