The Lost Books of the Bible: The Great Rejected Texts

by Joseph B. Lumpkin

  5 What will become of them or how will the last time receive them?

  6 Or perhaps the time of these will certainly be weighed, and as the beam inclines will they be judged accordingly?

  Chapter 42

  1 And He answered and said to me: “I will show you these things also.

  2 To whom will these things be, and how many will they be?"

  3 To those who have believed there will be the good which was spoken of before, and to those who despise there will be the contrary.

  4 And regarding those who have drawn near (to Me) and those who have withdrawn (from Me) this is the word. As for those who were before subject (to Me), and afterwards withdrew and mingled themselves with the seed of mingled peoples, the time of these was the former, and was accounted as something exalted.

  5 As for those who before knew (Me) not but afterwards knew life, and mingled (only) with the seed of the people which had separated itself the time of these (is) the latter, and is accounted as something exalted.

  6 Time will succeed to (advance) time and season to season, and one will receive from another, and then with a view to the conclusion everything will be compared according to the measure of the times and the hours of the seasons.

  7 Corruption will take those that belong to it, and life will take those that belong to it.

  8 And the dust will be called, and there will be said to it: Give back that which is not yours, and raise up all that you have kept until its time.

  Chapter 43

  1 But, do you, Baruch, direct your heart to that which has been said to you, and understand those things which have been shown to you? For there are many eternal comforts for you.

  2 You will leave this place, and you will pass from the regions which you see now, and you will forget whatever is corruptible, and will not again recall those things which happen among mortals.

  3 Go and command your people, and come to this place, and afterwards fast seven days, and then I will come to you and speak with you.

  Chapter 44

  1 And I, Baruch, went from that place and came to my people, and I called my first-born son and the Gedaliahs my friends, and seven of the elders of the people, and I said to them:

  2 I go to my fathers according to the way of all the earth.

  3 But you should not withdraw from the way of the law, but guard and admonish the people which remain;

  4 that they should not withdraw from the commandments of the Mighty One, for you see that He whom we serve is just, and our Creator is no respecter of persons.

  5 And see what has happened to Zion, and what has happened to Jerusalem.

  6 For the judgment of the Mighty One will be made known, and His ways, which, though past finding out, are right.

  7 For if you endure and persevere in fear (respect / awe) of Him, and do not forget His law, the times will change over you for good. And you will see the consolation (reward) of Zion.

  8 Because whatever exists now is nothing, but that which will be is very great. For everything that is corruptible will pass away, and everything that dies will depart, and all the present time will be forgotten, nor will there be any remembrance of the present time, which is defiled with evil.

  9 That which runs now runs to vanity, and that which prospers will quickly fall and be humiliated.

  10 That which is to come will be the object of desire, and for that which comes afterwards will we hope.

  11 For it is a time that will not pass, and the hour comes which abides for ever.

  12 And the new world (comes) which is blessedness and does not turn to corruption for those who depart to it, but it has no mercy on those who depart to torment, and it leads to perdition those who live in it.

  13 For these are they who will inherit that time which has been spoken of, and theirs is the inheritance of the promised time.

  14 These are they who have acquired for themselves treasures of wisdom, and with them are found stores of understanding, and they have not withdrawn from mercy and the truth of the law have they preserved.

  15 For to them will be given the world to come, but the dwelling of the rest, who are many, will be in the fire.”

  Chapter 45

  1 Instruct the people as far as you are able, for that labor is ours. For if you teach them, you will quicken them.

  Chapter 46

  1 And my son and the elders of the people answered and said to me: Has the Mighty One humiliated us to such a degree as to take you from us quickly?

  2 We will truly be in darkness, and there will be no light to the people who are left For where again will we seek the law, or who will distinguish for us between death and life?

  3 And I said to them: I cannot resist the throne of the Mighty One; nevertheless, there will not be wanting in Israel for a wise man, nor a son of the law to the race of Jacob.

  4 But only prepare your hearts, that you may obey the law, and be subject to those who in fear are wise and understanding;

  5 And prepare your souls that you may not leave them.

  6 For if you do these things, good things will come to you., which I before told you of; nor will you fall into the torment, of which I testified to you before.

  7 But with regard to the word that I was to be taken I did not make it known to them or to my son.

  Chapter 47

  1 And when I had gone out and dismissed them, I went from there and said to them:

  2 I go to Hebron: for that is where the Mighty One has sent me. And I came to that place where the word had been spoken to me, and I sat there, and fasted seven days.

  Chapter 48

  1 And it came to pass after the seventh day, that I prayed before the Mighty One and said, O my Lord, You summon the advent of the times and they stand before You;

  2 You cause the power of the ages to pass away, and they do not resist You; You arrange the method (progress / procedures) of the seasons, and they obey You.

  3 You alone know the duration of the generations, and You do not reveal Your mysteries to many.

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

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

  6 You care for the number which pass away that they may be preserved and You prepare an habitation (abode) for those that are to be.

  7 You remember the beginning which You have made, and the destruction that is to be You do not forget.

  8 With 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 has not yet come.

  9 You instruct created things in the understanding of You, and You make wise the spheres (orbs / heavenly bodies) so as to minister in their orders.

  10 Armies innumerable stand before You and minister in their orders quietly at Your nod.

  11 Hear Your servant and give ear to my petition.

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

  13 But with You hours are as a time (an age / eon) , and days as generations.

  14 Be not angry with man; for he is nothing and take not account of our works; for what are we?

  15 For by Your gift we come into the world, and we depart not of our own will.

  16 For we said not to our parents, Beget us, Nor did we send to Sheol (place of the dead) and say, Receive us.

  17 What therefore is our strength that we should bear Your rage or what are we that we should endure Your judgment?

  18 Protect us in Your compassions, and in Your mercy help us.

  19 Behold the little ones that are subject to You, and save all that draw near to You: Do not destroy the hope of our people, and do not cut short the times (occurrences) of our aid.

  20 For this is the nation which You have chosen, and these are the people, to whom You find no equal.

  21 But I will speak now before You, and I will say as my heart thinks.

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nbsp; 22 In You do we trust, for Your law is with us and we know that we will not fall so long as we keep Your statutes.

  23 To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the Gentiles.

  24 For we are all one celebrated people, who have received one law from One:

  25 And the law which is among us will aid us, and the surpassing wisdom which is in us will help us.

  26 And when I had prayed and said these things, I was greatly weakened. And He answered and said to me: You have prayed simply, O Baruch, and all your words have been heard.

  27 But My judgment exacts its own and My law exacts its rights.

  28 For from your words I will answer you, and from your prayer I will speak to you.

  29 For this is as follows: he that is corrupted is not at all (is as though he does not exist);

  30 He has acted sinfully in any way he could and has not remembered my goodness, and has not remembered My goodness, nor accepted My long-suffering.

  31 Therefore you will surely be taken up, as I before told you.

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

  33 And it will come to pass in those days that all the inhabitants of the earth will be moved one against another, because they do not know that My judgment has drawn near.

  34 For there will not be found many wise at that time, and the intelligent will be but a few. Moreover, even those who know will most of all be silent.

  35 And there will be many rumors and tidings, not just a few. And the actions and deeds of spirits (phantoms) will be manifest, and many promises will be recounted. Some of them (will prove) idle, and some of them will be confirmed.

  36 And honor will be turned into shame, and strength will be humiliated into contempt, and decency will be destroyed, and beauty will become ugliness.

  37 And many will say to many at that time: "Where has the multitude of intelligence hidden itself, and to what place has the multitude of wisdom removed itself?"

  38 And while they are thinking on these things, envy will arise in those who had not thought highly of themselves, and passion will seize him that is peaceful, and many will be stirred up in anger to injure many, and they will rouse up armies in order to shed blood, and in the end they will perish together with them.

  39 And it will come to pass at the same time, that a change of times will manifestly appear 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.

  40 Therefore a fire will consume their thoughts, and in flame will the control of their thoughts be tested; for the Judge will come and will not tarry, because each of the inhabitants of the earth knew when he was transgressing. But because of their pride they did not know My Law.

  41 But many will certainly weep over the living more than over the dead.

  42 And I answered and said: O Adam, what have you done to all those who are born from you? And what will be said to the first Eve who hearkened to the serpent?

  43 For all this multitude are going to corruption, nor is there any numbering of those whom the fire will devour.

  44 But again I will speak in Your presence.

  45 You, O LORD, my Lord, know what is in Your creature.

  46 Long ago You command the dust to produce Adam, and You know the number of those who are born from him, and how far they have sinned before You, who have existed and not confessed You as their Creator.

  47 Their end will convict all of them, and Your law which they have transgressed will reward (revenge) them on Your day.

  48 But now let us dismiss the wicked and inquire about the righteous.

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

  50 This transitory world which you live, has made you endured much labor in a short time, so in that world to which there is no end you will receive great light.

  Chapter 49

  1 Nevertheless, I will again ask mercy from You, O Mighty One, who made all things.

  2 In what shape will those live who live in Your day? Or how will the splendor of those who are after that time continue?

  3 Will they then resume this form of the present, and put on these members which hold us back, impeded us, and are now involved in evils, and in which evils are consummated, or will You possibly change these things which have been in the world as You also change the world?

  Chapter 50

  1 And He answered and said to me: “Hear, Baruch, this word, and write the remembrance of all that you will learn in your heart.

  2 The earth will certainly return the dead, which it now receives in order to preserve them. It will not change their form, but it will return them in the same form it received them, and as I delivered them to it, so will it raise them.

  3 Then it will be necessary to show the living that the dead have come to life again, and that those who had departed have returned again.

  4 And when they have recognized those whom they now know, then judgment will grow strong, and those things which were spoken of prior will come to be.

  Chapter 51

  1 When that appointed day has passed, the appearance of those who are condemned will be changed and the glory of those who are justified will be shown.

  2 For the appearance of those who act wickedly will become worse because they will suffer torment.

  3 But the glory of those who have now been justified in My law, who have had understanding in their life, and who have planted the root of wisdom in their heart, their splendor for their face will be changed and glorified. Their face will be turned into the light of their beauty, that they may be able to take and receive the world which does not die, which is promised to them at that time.

  4 Those that rejected My law, and stopped their ears that they might not hear wisdom or receive understanding will lament their actions over and above all things.

  5 When they see those they were exalted over but who will be exalted and glorified more than they, they will both be transformed, the latter into the splendor of angels, and the former will waste away more as they wonder at the visions when they see the angelic forms.

  6 For they will first see these things and afterwards depart to be tormented.

  7 But those who have been saved by their works, and to whom the law has been a hope and understanding, and an expectation, and wisdom, and a confidence, will have wonders appear in their time.

  8 For they will behold the world which is now invisible to them, and they will behold the time which is now hidden from them:

  9 And time will no longer cause them to age.

  10 For they will dwell in the high places of that world and they will be made like the angels and they will be made equal to the stars, and they will be changed into every form they desire from beauty to loveliness and from light to glorious splendor.

  11 Before them the borders of Paradise will be spread out, and the beauty and majesty of the living creatures which are beneath the throne will be shown to them. They will see the armies of the angels who are held fast by My word, lest they should appear and are held fast by a command, that they may stand in their places until the time of their appearance comes.

  12 There will be righteous excellence surpassing that of the angels.

  13 For the first will receive the last. Those who have passed away will receive whom they were expecting. Those who had passed away and who we had head of we should expect to see.

  14 For they have been delivered from the tribulation of this world and laid down their burden of anguish.

  15 For what have men lost their life, and for what have those who were on the earth exchanged their soul?

  16 They did not choose the time which is beyond the reach of anguish. But they chose that time whose results are full of lamentations and evils, and they
denied the world which does make those who come to it grow old, but they rejected the time of glory. Thus that they will not have the honor of which I told you before.”

  Chapter 52

  1 And I asked: How can we forget those whom are destined for sorrow?

  2 Why do we mourn for those who die? Why do we weep for those who depart to Sheol?

  3 Lamentations should be reserved for the beginning of the torment to come. Let tears be stored up for the time of destruction.

  4 But even in the face of these things will I speak. What will the righteous do now?

  5 Rejoice in the suffering which you now suffer. Why do you look for the decline of your enemies?

  6 Make your soul ready for what is reserved for you, and prepare your souls for the reward which is stored up for you.

  Chapter 53

  1 And when I had said these things I fell asleep and I saw a vision. A cloud was ascending from a very large sea, and I kept looking at it and I saw it was full of black and white waters, and there were many colors in those same waters, and it looked like powerful lightning as seen from a summit.

  2 And I saw the cloud passing quickly in short courses, and it covered all the earth.

  3 Then, after these things that cloud began to pour all the waters that were in it upon the earth.

  4 And I saw that all the waters which fell from it looked different.

  5 To begin with, the waters were black and there was a lot for a time, and afterwards I saw that the waters became bright, but they were not as much, and after that I again saw black waters, and after these things again bright, and again black and again bright how this was done twelve times, but the black were always more numerous than the bright.

  6 At the end of the cloud it rained black waters, and they were darker than had been all those waters that were before, and fire was mingled with them, and where those waters descended, they work devastation and destruction.