Baruk 3

¹Ey her şeye egemen Rab, İsrail'in Tanrısı! Sıkıntılar içindeki can ve bıkkınlık dolu ruh sana feryat ediyor.

²Dinle ey Rab ve merhamet et, çünkü senin huzurunda günah işledik.

³Çünkü sen sonsuza dek varlığını sürdürürsün, biz ise sonsuza dek yok olmaktayız.

⁴Ey her şeye egemen Rab, İsrail'in Tanrısı! İsrail'in ölmüş olanlarının ve senin huzurunda günah işleyenlerin çocuklarının duasını işit; onlar Tanrıları Rab'bin sesini dinlemediler ve bu yüzden felaketler yakamıza yapıştı.

⁵Atalarımızın haksızlıklarını hatırlama, aksine bu zamanda gücünü ve adını hatırla.

⁶Çünkü sen Tanrımız Rab'sin ve seni öveceğiz ey Rab.

⁷İşte bu yüzden, adını yakarmamız için yüreğimize senin korkunu koydun; sürgünümüzde seni öveceğiz, çünkü senin huzurunda günah işlemiş olan atalarımızın tüm haksızlığını yüreğimizden uzaklaştırdık.

⁸İşte bugün, bizi utanç, lanet ve ceza bedeli olalım diye dağıttığın sürgün yerimizdeyiz; Tanrımız Rab'den sapan atalarımızın bütün haksızlıklarının bedeliyle karşı karşıyayız.

⁹Dinle ey İsrail, yaşam veren buyrukları; bilgeliği kavramak için kulak verin.

¹⁰Bu nedir ey İsrail? Neden düşmanlarının ülkesindesin? Yabancı bir ülkede yaşlandın, ölülerle kirlendin.

¹¹Ölüler diyarına inenlerle bir mi sayıldın?

¹²Bilgeliğin pınarını terk ettin.

¹³Eğer Tanrı'nın yolunda yürüseydin, sonsuza dek esenlik içinde yaşardın.

¹⁴Öğren bilgeliğin nerede olduğunu, gücün nerede olduğunu, anlayışın nerede olduğunu; böylece uzun ömrün ve yaşamın, gözlerin ışığının ve esenliğin nerede olduğunu da bilesin.

¹⁵Kim buldu onun yerini? Kim girdi onun hazinelerine?

¹⁶Nerede ulusların önderleri ve yeryüzündeki yabanıl hayvanlara egemen olanlar?

¹⁷Gökteki kuşlarla eğlenenler, insanların güvendiği gümüşü ve altını biriktirenler ve mülklerinin sonu gelmeyenler nerede?

¹⁸Gümüşü işleyenler, kaygıyla didinenler ve yaptıkları işlerin hiçbir izi kalmayanlar nerede?

¹⁹Yok olup ölüler diyarına indiler, yerlerine başkaları geçti.

²⁰Daha genç olanlar ışığı gördü ve yeryüzünde yaşadı, ama bilginin yolunu öğrenemediler.

²¹Onun patikalarını anlamadılar, onu kavrayamadılar; çocukları da kendi yollarından çok uzaklaştı.

²²Kenan'da ondan söz edildiği duyulmadı, Teman'da da o görülmedi.

²³Yeryüzünde anlayış arayan Hacer'in oğulları, Merran ve Teman tüccarları, masalcılar ve anlayış peşinde koşanlar bile bilgeliğin yolunu öğrenemediler, onun patikalarını hatırlamadılar.

²⁴Ey İsrail, Tanrı'nın evi ne kadar büyük, mülkünün sınırları ne kadar geniş!

²⁵Büyüktür ve sonu yoktur, yücedir ve ölçülemez.

²⁶Başlangıçtan beri ünlü olan, devasa boylu ve savaşta usta devler orada doğdu.

²⁷Ama Tanrı onları seçmedi, bilginin yolunu onlara göstermedi.

²⁸Bilgelikten yoksun oldukları için yok olup gittiler, kendi düşüncesizlikleri yüzünden mahvoldular.

²⁹Kim göğe çıkıp onu aldı ve bulutlardan aşağı indirdi?

³⁰Kim denizin ötesine geçip onu buldu ve saf altın karşılığında getirecek?

³¹Onun yolunu bilen yoktur, onun patikasını düşünen de bulunmaz.

³²Ancak her şeyi bilen O'dur, onu kendi anlayışıyla buldu; yeryüzünü sonsuza dek kalacak şekilde kuran O, dünyayı dört ayaklı hayvanlarla doldurdu.

³³Işığı gönderen O'dur ve ışık gider; onu çağırır ve ışık titreyerek O'na boyun eğer.

³⁴Yıldızlar nöbet yerlerinde parıldadı ve sevindiler.

³⁵Onları çağırdığında, "Buradayız!" dediler; kendilerini Yaratan için sevinçle parıldadılar.

³⁶Tanrımız O'dur, O'nunla kıyaslanabilecek başka biri yoktur.

³⁷Bilginin her yolunu buldu ve onu kulu Yakup'a, sevdiği İsrail'e verdi.

³⁸Bundan sonra yeryüzünde göründü ve insanların arasında yaşadı.

¹ΚΥΡΙΕ παντοκράτωρ ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ, ψυχὴ ἐν στενοῖς καὶ πνεῦμα ἀκηδιῶν κέκραγε πρός σε.

²ἄκουσον, Κύριε, καὶ ἐλέησον, ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν ἐναντίον σου,

³ὅτι σὺ καθήμενος τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπολλύμενοι τὸν αἰῶνα.

⁴Κύριε παντοκράτωρ ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ, ἄκουσον δὴ τῆς προσευχῆς τῶν τεθνηκότων ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ υἱῶν τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἐναντίον σου, οἳ οὐκ ἤκουσαν τῆς φωνῆς Κυρίου Θεοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκολλήθη ἡμῖν τὰ κακά.

⁵μὴ μνησθῇς ἀδικιῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ μνήσθητι χειρός σου καὶ ὀνόματός σου ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ·

⁶ὅτι σὺ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ αἰνέσομέν σε, Κύριε.

⁷ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἔδωκας τὸν φόβον σου ἐπί καρδίαν ἡμῶν τοῦ ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομά σου. καὶ αἰνέσομέν σε ἐν τῇ ἀποικίᾳ ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἀπεστρέψαμεν ἀπὸ καρδίας ἡμῶν πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν πατέρων ἡμῶν τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων ἐναντίον σου.

⁸ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἐν τῇ ἀποικίᾳ ἡμῶν, οὗ διέσπειρας ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ εἰς ἀρὰν καὶ εἰς ὄφλησιν κατὰ πάσας τὰς ἀδικίας πατέρων ἡμῶν, οἳ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ Κυρίου Θεοῦ ἡμῶν.

⁹῎Ακουε ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐντολὰς ζωῆς, ἐνωτίσασθε γνῶναι φρόνησιν.

¹⁰τί ἐστιν ᾿Ισραήλ; τί ὅτι ἐν γῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν εἶ; ἐπαλαιώθης ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ, συνεμιάνθης τοῖς νεκροῖς,

¹¹προσελογίσθης μετὰ τῶν εἰς ᾅδου;

¹²ἐγκατέλιπες τὴν πηγὴν τῆς σοφίας.

¹³τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰ ἐπορεύθης, κατῴκεις ἂν ἐν εἰρήνῃ τὸν αἰῶνα.

¹⁴μάθε ποῦ ἐστι φρόνησις, ποῦ ἐστιν ἰσχύς, ποῦ ἐστι σύνεσις τοῦ γνῶναι ἅμα ποῦ ἐστι μακροβίωσις καὶ ζωή, ποῦ ἐστι φῶς ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ εἰρήνη. -

¹⁵Τίς εὗρε τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς καὶ τίς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῆς;

¹⁶ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ οἱ κυριεύοντες τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς,

¹⁷οἱ ἐν τοῖς ὀρνέοις τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐμπαίζοντες καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον θησαυρίζοντες καὶ τὸ χρυσίον, ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν ἄνθρωποι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι τέλος τῆς κτήσεως αὐτῶν,

¹⁸οἱ τὸ ἀργύριον τεκταίνοντες καὶ μεριμνῶντες, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξεύρεσις τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν;

¹⁹ἠφανίσθησαν καὶ εἰς ᾅδου κατέβησαν, καὶ ἄλλοι ἀντανέστησαν ἀντ᾿ αὐτῶν.

²⁰νεώτεροι εἶδον φῶς καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὁδὸν δὲ ἐπιστήμης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν,

²¹οὐδὲ συνῆκαν τρίβους αὐτῆς, οὐδὲ ἀντελάβοντο αὐτῆς· οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτῶν πόρρω ἐγενήθησαν,

²²οὐδὲ ἠκούσθη ἐν Χαναάν, οὐδὲ ὤφθη ἐν Θαιμάν,

²³οὔτε υἱοὶ ῎Αγαρ, οἱ ἐκζητοῦντες τὴν σύνεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς Μερρὰν καὶ Θαιμάν, οἱ μυθολόγοι καὶ οἱ ἐκζητηταὶ τῆς συνέσεως, ὁδὸν τῆς σοφίας οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, οὐδὲ ἐμνήσθησαν τὰς τρίβους αὐτῆς. -

²⁴῏Ω ᾿Ισραήλ, ὡς μέγας ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐπιμήκης ὁ τόπος τῆς κτήσεως αὐτοῦ·

²⁵μέγας καὶ οὐκ ἔχει τελευτήν, ὑψηλὸς καὶ ἀμέτρητος.

²⁶ἐκεῖ ἐγεννήθησαν οἱ γίγαντες οἱ ὀνομαστοὶ οἱ ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς, γενόμενοι εὐμεγέθεις, ἐπιστάμενοι πόλεμον.

²⁷οὐ τούτους ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεὸς οὐδὲ ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς·

²⁸καὶ ἀπώλοντο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν φρόνησιν, ἀπώλοντο διὰ τὴν ἀβουλίαν αὐτῶν. -

²⁹Τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν καὶ κατεβίβασεν αὐτὴν ἐκ τῶν νεφελῶν;

³⁰τίς διέβη πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὴν καὶ οἴσει αὐτὴν χρυσίου ἐκλεκτοῦ;

³¹οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ γινώσκων τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῆς οὐδὲ ὁ ἐνθυμούμενος τὴν τρίβον αὐτῆς·

³²ἀλλ᾿ ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα γινώσκει αὐτήν, ἐξεῦρεν αὐτὴν τῇ συνέσει αὐτοῦ· ὁ κατασκευάσας τὴν γῆν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον, ἐνέπλησεν αὐτὴν κτηνῶν τετραπόδων·

³³ὁ ἀποστέλλων τὸ φῶς, καὶ πορεύεται, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτό, καὶ ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῷ τρόμῳ·

³⁴οἱ δὲ ἀστέρες ἔλαμψαν ἐν ταῖς φυλακαῖς αὐτῶν καὶ εὐφράνθησαν.

³⁵ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εἶπον· πάρεσμεν, ἔλαμψαν μετ᾿ εὐφροσύνης τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτούς.

³⁶οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν.

³⁷ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν ᾿Ιακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ·

³⁸μετὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ γῆς ὤφθη καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη. * Delendum defined by Herb Swanson; the phrase is not present in the Greek original.

¹O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, the soul in anguish the troubled spirit, crieth unto thee.

²Hear, O Lord, and have mercy; [for thou art merciful: and have pity upon us,]* because we have sinned before thee.

³For thou endurest for ever, and we perish utterly.

⁴O Lord Almighty, thou God of Israel, hear now the prayers of the dead Israelites, and of their children, which have sinned before thee, and not hearkened unto the voice of thee their God: for the which cause these plagues cleave unto us.

⁵Remember not the iniquities of our forefathers: but think upon thy power and thy name now at this time.

⁶For thou art the Lord our God, and thee, O Lord, will we praise.

⁷And for this cause thou hast put thy fear in our hearts, to the intent that we should call upon thy name, and praise thee in our captivity: for we have called to mind all the iniquity of our forefathers, that sinned before thee.

⁸Behold, we are yet this day in our captivity, where thou hast scattered us, for a reproach and a curse, and to be subject to payments, according to all the iniquities of our fathers, which departed from the Lord our God.

⁹Hear, Israel, the commandments of life: give ear to understand wisdom.

¹⁰How happeneth it Israel, that thou art in thine enemies’ land, that thou art waxen old in a strange country, that thou art defiled with the dead,

¹¹That thou art counted with them that go down into the grave?

¹²Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom.

¹³For if thou hadst walked in the way of God, thou shouldest have dwelled in peace for ever.

¹⁴Learn where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding; that thou mayest know also where is length of days, and life, where is the light of the eyes, and peace.

¹⁵Who hath found out her place? or who hath come into her treasures?

¹⁶Where are the princes of the heathen become, and such as ruled the beasts upon the earth;

¹⁷They that had their pastime with the fowls of the air, and they that hoarded up silver and gold, wherein men trust, and made no end of their getting?

¹⁸For they that wrought in silver, and were so careful, and whose works are unsearchable,

¹⁹They are vanished and gone down to the grave, and others are come up in their steads.

²⁰Young men have seen light, and dwelt upon the earth: but the way of knowledge have they not known,

²¹Nor understood the paths thereof, nor laid hold of it: their children were far off from that way.

²²It hath not been heard of in Chanaan, neither hath it been seen in Theman.

²³The Agarenes that seek wisdom upon earth, the merchants of Meran and of Theman, the authors of fables, and searchers out of understanding; none of these have known the way of wisdom, or remember her paths.

²⁴O Israel, how great is the house of God! and how large is the place of his possession!

²⁵Great, and hath none end; high, and unmeasurable.

²⁶There were the giants famous from the beginning, that were of so great stature, and so expert in war.

²⁷Those did not the Lord choose, neither gave he the way of knowledge unto them:

²⁸But they were destroyed, because they had no wisdom, and perished through their own foolishness.

²⁹Who hath gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds?

³⁰Who hath gone over the sea, and found her, and will bring her for pure gold?

³¹No man knoweth her way, nor thinketh of her path.

³²But he that knoweth all things knoweth her, and hath found her out with his understanding: he that prepared the earth for evermore hath filled it with fourfooted beasts:

³³He that sendeth forth light, and it goeth, calleth it again, and it obeyeth him with fear.

³⁴The stars shined in their watches, and rejoiced: when he calleth them, they say, Here we be; and so with cheerfulness they shewed light unto him that made them.

³⁵This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him

³⁶He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved.

³⁷Afterward did he shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men.