Baruch

Therefore the Lord has made good his word, which he pronounced against us and against our judges who judged Israel, and against our kings and against our princes and against the men of Israel and Judah,

to bring upon us great plagues, which have never before happened under the whole sky, as has happened in Jerusalem, according to the things that are written in the law of Moses,

that a man would eat the flesh of his own son, and the flesh of his own daughter.

Moreover he has given them to be in subjection to all the kingdoms that are around us, to be a reproach and a desolation among all the surrounding peoples, where the Lord has scattered them.

Thus we were cast down, and not exalted, because we sinned against the Lord our God, and have not obeyed his voice.

To the Lord our God belongs righteousness, but to us and to our fathers, confusion of face, as it is this day.

For all these plagues have come upon us, which the Lord has pronounced against us.

Yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord, that we should each one turn from the thoughts of his wicked heart.

Therefore the Lord watched over the plagues, and the Lord has brought them upon us; for the Lord is righteous in all his works which he has commanded us.

Yet we have not obeyed his voice, to walk in the commandments of the Lord that he has set before us.

And now, O Lord God of Israel, who have brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and with signs and with wonders and with great power and with a high arm, and have made yourself a name, as it is this day;

O Lord our God, we have sinned, we have done ungodly, we have dealt unrighteously in all your ordinances.

Let your wrath turn away from us, for we are left a few among the nations, where you have scattered us.

Hear our prayer, O Lord, and our petitions, and deliver us for your own sake, and give us favor in the sight of those who have led us away captive,

that all the earth may know that you are the Lord our God, because Israel and his posterity is called by your name.

O Lord, look down from your holy house, and consider us. Turn your ear, O Lord, and hear us.

Open your eyes, and see; for the dead who are in Sheol, whose spirit is taken from their bodies, will give to the Lord neither glory nor righteousness;

but the soul who is greatly vexed, who goes bowed down and feeble, and the eyes that fail, and the hungry soul, will give you glory and righteousness, O Lord.

For we do not present our supplication before you because of the righteousness of our fathers, and of our kings.

For you have sent your wrath and your indignation upon us, as you have spoken by your servants the prophets, saying,

'Thus says the Lord, Bow your shoulders to serve the king of Babylon, and you will remain in the land that I gave to your fathers.

But if you will not hear the voice of the Lord, to serve the king of Babylon,

I will cause to cease out of the cities of Judah, and from the region around Jerusalem, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; and the whole land will be desolate without inhabitant.'"

But we did not obey your voice, to serve the king of Babylon; therefore you have confirmed your words, which you spoke by your servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones of our fathers would be taken out of their place.

Behold, they are cast out to the heat of the day and to the frost of the night; and they died in great miseries by famine, by sword, and by pestilence.

You have made the house which is called by your name as it is this day, because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

Yet you have dealt with us, O Lord our God, according to all your goodness, and according to all your great compassion,

as you spoke by your servant Moses in the day that you commanded him to write your law in the presence of the children of Israel, saying,

'If you will not hear my voice, surely this very great multitude will be turned into a small number among the nations, where I will scatter them.

For I know that they will not hear me, because they are a stiff-necked people; but in the land of their captivity they will come to themselves,

and will know that I am the Lord their God; and I will give them a heart and ears to hear.

Then they will praise me in the land of their captivity, and will think about my name,

and will return from their stiff neck and from their wicked deeds; for they will remember the way of their fathers, who sinned against the Lord.

I will bring them again into the land which I promised to their fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and they will rule over it. I will increase them, and they will not be diminished.

And I will make an everlasting covenant with them to be their God, and they will be my people; and I will no more move my people Israel out of the land which I have given them.'"