Baruch

The Captives' Confession.-Wherefore the Lord our God II. 1-5. hath made good His word, that He spoke to us, and to our judges that have judged Israel, and to our kings, and to our princes, and to all Israel and Juda: that the Lord would bring upon us great evils, such as never happened under heaven, as they have come to pass in Jerusalem, according to the things that are written in the law of Moses: that a man should eat the flesh of his own son, and the flesh of his own daughter.* And He hath delivered them up to be under the hand of all the kings that are round about us, to be a reproach and desolation among all the people among whom the Lord hath scattered us. And we are brought under, and are not uppermost because we have sinned against the Lord our God, by not obeying His voice.

Baruch Their Prayer. And now, O Lord Almighty, the God of III. 1-38. Israel, the soul in anguish and the troubled spirit crieth to Thee. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for Thou art a merciful God, and have pity on us for we have sinned before Thee. For Thou remainest for ever, and shall we perish everlastingly?

O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead of Israel, and of their children, that have sinned before Thee, and have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord their God, wherefore evils have cleaved fast to us. Remember not the iniquities of our fathers, but think upon Thy hand and upon Thy name at this time: for Thou art the Lord our God, and we will praise Thee, O Lord: because for this end 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 are converted from the iniquity of our fathers, who sinned before Thee. And behold we are at this day in our captivity, whereby Thou hast scattered us to be a reproach, and a curse, and an offence, according to all the iniquities of our fathers, who departed from Thee, O Lord our God.

Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life: give ear, that thou mayest learn wisdom. How happeneth it, O Israel, that thou art in thy enemies' land? Thou art grown old in a strange country, thou art defiled with the dead: thou art counted with them that go down into hell. Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom for if thou hadst walked in the way of God thou hadst surely dwelt in peace for ever.

Learn where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding that thou mayest know also where is length of days

*This had happened during the siege of Jerusalem.

and life, where is the light of the eyes and peace. Who hath found out her place? and who hath gone in to her treasures?

Where are the princes of the nations and they that rule over the beasts that are upon the earth? that take their diversion with the birds of the air? that hoard up silver and gold, wherein men trust, and there is no end of their getting? who work in silver and are solicitous, and their works are unsearchable? They are cut off, and are gone down to hell, and others. are risen up in their place.

Young men have seen the light, and dwelt upon the earth: but the way of knowledge they have not known, nor have they understood the paths thereof, neither have their children received it, it is far from their face. It hath not been heard of in the land of Chanaan, neither hath it been seen in Theman. The children of Agar also, that search after the wisdom that is of the earth, the merchants of Merrha and of Theman, and the tellers of fables and searchers of prudence and understanding: but the way of wisdom they have not known, neither have they remembered her paths.

O Israel, how great is the house of God, and how vast is the place of His possession! It is great and hath no end it is high and immense.

There were the giants, those renowned men that were from the beginning, of great stature, expert in war. The Lord chose not them, neither did they find the way of knowledge: therefore did they perish. And because they had not wisdom they perished through their folly.

Who hath gone up into heaven and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds? Who hath passed over the sea, and found her, and brought her preferably to chosen gold? There is none that is able to know her ways, nor that can search out her paths: but He that knoweth all things knoweth her, and hath found her out with His understanding: He that prepared the earth for evermore, and filled it with cattle and four-footed beasts: He that sendeth forth light, and it goeth: and hath called it, and it obeyeth Him with trembling. And the stars have given light in their watches, and rejoiced: they were called, and they said: Here we are: and with cheerfulness they have shined forth to Him that made them.

This is our God, and there shall no other be accounted of in comparison of Him. He found out all the way of knowledge, and gave it to Jacob His servant, and to Israel His beloved. Afterwards He was seen upon earth, and conversed with men. *This is interpreted as a prophecy of the Incarnation.

Ezekiel 1. 1-28.

THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL.

Ezekiel, who is numbered third of the four greater prophets, was of the priestly race, and was carried captive to Babylon with Jechoniah, or Jehoiakim, king of Jada, about the year B C. 598 or 597. Thus he prophesied in the land of his captivity like Daniel, and at the same time, though Daniel outlived him. He is supposed to have ended his days by martyrdom.

SECT. CLXXV, EZEKIEL'S VISION OF THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES.

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year,* in the fourth mouth, on the fifth day of the mouth, when I was B.C. 593. in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar,† the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God. On the fifth day of the month, the same was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joachin, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

Ezekiel's Vision.—And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber and in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them. Every one had four faces, and every one four wings. Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they had faces and wings on the four sides. And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward. And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four. And their faces and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies: and every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went and they turned not when they went. And as for

* Of the life of Ezekiel, or perhaps of the reign of the king of Babylon. It is thought to be the river Chebar, which runs into the Euphrates.

In the book of Ecclesiasticus, which refers to this vision, they are called cherubim. St. John, in the Apocalypse (chap. iv.), gives an account of a similar vision he had of four living creatures. According to the common tradition of the Church they refer to the four Evangelists.

the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire. And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

The

Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces. And the appearance of the wheels and the work of them was like the appearance of the sea: and the four had all one likeness and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel. When they went, they went by their four parts: and they turned not when they went. wheels had also a size, and a height, and a dreadful appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about all the four. And when the living creatures went, the wheels also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them. Whithersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels. When those went, these went, and when those stood, these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up together and followed them for the spirit of life was in the wheels. And over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of the firmament, as the appearance of crystal, terrible to behold, and stretched out over their heads above. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other, every one with two wings covered his body, and the other was covered in like manner. And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army; and when they stood, their wings were let down. For when a voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads they stood, and let down their wings. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of the sapphire-stone, and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as of the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber, as the appearance of fire within it round about: from his loins and upward, and from his loins downward, I saw as it were the resemblance of fire shining round about. As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about.

Ezekiel
II. 1-9.

Ezekiel

SECT. CLXXVI. EZEKIEL'S COMMISSION TO THE CHILDREN OF THE
CAPTIVITY..

Ezekiel's Commission.—This was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And I saw, and I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one that spoke. And He said to me: Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak to thee: and the spirit entered into me after that He spoke to me, and He set me upon my feet: and I heard Him speaking to me, and saying:

Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious people that hath revolted from Me: they and their fathers have transgressed My covenant even unto this day. And they to whom I send thee are children of a hard face and of an obstinate heart: and thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: If so be they at least will hear, and if so be they will forbear, for they are a provoking house and they shall know that there hath been a prophet in the midst of them.

And thou, O son of man, fear not, neither be thou afraid of their words: for thou art among unbelievers and destroyers, and thou dwellest with scorpions. Fear not their words, neither be thou dismayed at their looks: for they are a provoking house. And thou shalt speak My words to them, if perhaps they will hear and forbear: for they provoke Me to anger. But thou, O son of man, hear all that I say to thee: and do not thou provoke Me, as that house provoketh Me: open thy mouth, and eat what I give thee. And I looked, and behold, a hand was sent to me, wherein was a book rolled up: and He spread it before me, and it was written within and without: and there were written in it lamentations, and canticles, and woe.

And He said to me: Son of man, eat all that thou shalt find : IL 1-27. eat this book, and go speak to the children of Israel.

And I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that book: and He said to me: Son of man, thy belly shall eat, and thy bowels shall be filled with this book, which I give thee. And I did eat it and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

And He said to me: Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and thou shalt speak My words to them. For thou art not sent to a people of a profound speech and of an unknown tongue, but to the house of Israel: nor to many nations of a strange speech and of an unknown tongue, whose words thou canst not understand and if thou wert sent to them, they would hearken

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*The books of ancient times were sheets of parchment or other material, generally written on one side only, and rolled up when not in use. The vision of eating the book signified its being received and laid up in the heart.