The Rest of Jeremiah the Prophet
(aka Things Omitted from Jeremiah the Prophet, or 4 Baruch)

Translated by Jacques Issaverdens, 1901

<sup>Read: The Book of Enoch
Messianic Prophecy Edition

“Time-Capsule to the Last Generation”</sup>

It is by God's Hand Jerusalem Will be Destroyed

1 And it came to pass when the children of Israel were made captives by the king of the Chaldeans, God spake unto Jeremiah, saying: "Jeremiah, My chosen one! arise and get thee out of this city, thou and Baruch, for I am about to destroy it on account of the multitude of the sins of them that dwell in it. 2Because your prayers remain among them like a pillar, and surround them like a wall, 3arise! and go out, before the troops of the Chaldeans shall encompass it."

4And thus spake Jeremiah: "I entreat Thee, O Lord, permit Thy servant to speak before Thee."

5And the Lord said: "Speak, Jeremiah, my chosen."

6And Jeremiah spake, saying: "O Lord, Almighty! Thou deliverest up this Thy chosen city, into the hands of the Chaldeans! and the king that prides himself upon the multitude of his troops, shall say: 'I have overcome the holy city of God.' 7Not so, O Lord, but let it be Thy will to destroy it with Thine own hand!"

8And the Lord said unto Jeremiah: "Because thou art my chosen one, arise and go thy way out of this city, thou and Baruch, for I am about to destroy it on account of the multitude of the sins of them that dwell in it. 9But neither the king, nor his troops can enter into it, unless I open its doors. 10Arise and go unto Baruch and tell him this thing; 11and in the sixth watch of the night, go ye up to the wall of the city, and I will shew you, that unless I destroy that city, no one can enter into it."

12And the Lord, having said this unto Jeremiah, departed from him.      {Top}

Jeremiah and Baruch Lament the Coming Destruction of Jerusalem

2 And Jeremiah ran and told the words to Baruch; and they went into the temple of God. And Jeremiah rent his garments, and put ashes upon his head. 2And when Baruch saw that he had put ashes upon his head, and had rent his garments, he cried out with a loud voice, saying: "Jeremiah, my father, what has happened unto thee, or what sin have the people committed?" 3For it was the custom of Jeremiah, when the people had committed a sin, to put ashes upon his head, and to offer up prayer for the sake of the people, until their sin was pardoned.

4And Baruch added, saying: 5Let us rend our hearts and not our garments, and instead of water let our tears come down and give us drink; for God is unwilling to have mercy upon His people.

7And Jeremiah said: "God is about to deliver up this city into the hands of the king of the Chaldeans, and will lead the people captive unto Babylon."

8And when Baruch heard this, he rent his garments and said: "Jeremiah, my father! who has told thee so?"

9And Jeremiah said: "Remain with me until the sixth watch of the night, and thou shalt know that this thing is true."

10And they remained together before the altar and wept, and their clothes were rent.       {Top}

"Keep the Furniture of the Altar until the Coming of the Beloved One!"

3 And it came to pass about the sixth watch, as the Lord had commanded Jeremiah, they, together, Jeremiah and Baruch, went up to the wall of the city. 2And lo, a voice was heard like the sound of a flute, and angels came down from heaven, and in their hands were lamps, and they placed them upon the wall of the city. 3When Jeremiah and Baruch saw them, they wept, saying: "Now we understand that this thing is true."

4And Jeremiah entreated the angel, saying: "Destroy not this city, until I speak unto the Lord."

5And the Lord commanded the angel, saying: "Destroy not this city, until Jeremiah, my chosen, has spoken."

6Then Jeremiah spake, saying: "I entreat Thee, O Lord, permit me to speak before Thee."

7And God said: "Speak, Jeremiah, my chosen."

8And Jeremiah said: "O Lord, I know that Thou art about to deliver up this city into the hands of its enemies, and they shall carry the people unto Babylon. Tell me I pray Thee, what is Thy pleasure concerning the furniture of Thy holy altar?"

10The Lord said unto him : "Take it and bury it under the earth, and say unto her: 'Hearken, thou earth, unto the voice of thy Creator, -and let the water, which has sealed up the seventh epoch, and thereafter shall take away thine ornament -be a witness, 11-keep the furniture of the altar until the coming of the Beloved One.'"1

12And Jeremiah spake, saying: "I beseech Thee, O Lord, make me to know what I shall do with Abimelech the Ethiopian for his kindness towards me, Thy servant? 13It is he that has brought me out of the miry pit, and I am grieved that he should see the destruction of this city and its defilement. Have pity upon him that he be not grieved."

14And the Lord said unto Jeremiah: "Send him away, unto the village of Agrippa, and I will hide him under the shadow of the mountain, until the time that I shall make the people to return to this city. 15And thou, go thy way with the people into Babylon, and remain with them and preach unto them My words, until I cause them to return into this city. 16But let Baruch remain here until I speak with him."

17Then the Lord, having spoken thus to Jeremiah, returned into heaven.

18And Jeremiah and Baruch went into the sanctuary, and they took the furniture of the altar and buried it under the earth, as the Lord spake unto them, 19and the earth swallowed it up, 20and they sat down together and wept.

Abimelech the Ethiopian is Spared

21And on the next day Jeremiah sent unto Abimelech saying: "Take a basket and go thy way into the village of Agrippa by the road of the mountain, and bring some figs for the use of the sick among the people, that suffer from redness, and may the glory of the Lord be upon thy head."

22And having said this, he sent him away.      {Top}

4 And upon the next day the troops of the Chaldeans came down upon the city of Jerusalem and made a circle round about it. 2And an angel sounded a trumpet, saying: "Ye strong ones of the Chaldeans, behold the doors of the town are open unto you. 3Go ye into it, O great army, and make captive all them who dwell in it."

4And Jeremiah took the key of the temple and went out of the city, and threw it upon the ground in the sight of the Sun, and buried it, saying: "I say unto thee, O earth, take the key of the temple of God, and keep it until the day that the Lord shall ask thee for it."

6And Jeremiah wept and went after the people, whom the king of the Babylonians carried into Babylon.

The Lamentation of Baruch

7And Baruch also put ashes upon his head and wept, and went his way sighing and saying:

11Then Baruch went out of the city, weeping and crying: "On account of thy sin, O Jerusalem, I leave thee."

12And he sat upon a tomb and there he remained, and the angels came to tell him the Lord's command concerning him.      {Top}

The Long Sleep of Abimelech

5 Now while Abimelech carried the figs and went on his way, he was overcome by the great heat and stopped under a tree to rest awhile under its shadow; 2and he leaned his head upon the basket, in which the figs were, and fell asleep. And there he remained asleep sixty-six years.

3And after this he awoke out of his sleep and said: "I sweetly slept a while, but my head is heavy, for my sleep has not refreshed me." 4Then he beheld the figs, the milk of which was dropping down, 5and said: "I would sleep yet a little more; but I fear if I be late to go on, Jeremiah, my father, may chide me. 6So let me arise and depart from this excessive heat. Neither today's heat, nor my judgment, shall hinder me."

Abimelech Returns to Jerusalem

7And he arose and took the basket with the figs, and put it upon his shoulders, and entered into Jerusalem, but he knew it not; neither his house, nor the place where it stood; neither could he find any of his kinsfolk. 8Then he said: "Blessed be the Lord! I am greatly astonished this day. 9This is not the city. I have gone astray. I came by the road of the mountain, and as my head was still heavy with sleep, for I had not taken my fill of it, perchance I went astray and lost the road; 10how shall I confess to Jeremiah that I went astray?"

12And again he entered the city and sought for his kinsfolk, but he was not able to find any of them, and said: "Blessed be God, I feel greatly afraid."

13Then he departed from the city, grieved in his heart, and not knowing which way to go, 14he put down the basket, saying: "I will sit down here until this fear shall depart from me."

15And while he sat, he saw an old man coming up from the field, and Abimelech said unto him: "Tell me, thou old man, what city this is?"

16And the old man said unto him: "This is Jerusalem."

17And Abimelech said unto him: "Where is Jeremiah, the priest, and Baruch the scribe, and all the people which dwelt in this city? For I find none of them."

18And the old man said unto Abimelech "Art thou one of this city, and dost thou remember Jeremiah, that thou inquirest for him after so many years have passed by? 19Jeremiah is in Babylon with the people that the king Nebuchadnezzar earned away captive. He dwells there with them, and preaches, and teaches them the word of God."

20When Abimelech heard the old man thus speak, he said: "If thou wert not an old man, and if it were not that I should insult a man of God, I would greatly laugh at thee for thy saying that Jeremiah is in Babylon with the people. 21Even if the windows of heaven were opened upon this town, they could not carry away captive them that dwell therein. And how sayest thou that the people have been taken captive into Babylon? 22For it is but one watch since Jeremiah my father sent me into the village of Agrippa to bring a few figs for the sick among the people, 23and while I was bringing them, because of the great heat, I sat down under the shadow of a tree to rest a little, and leaning my head upon the basket of iigs I slept! 24I think I can only be a little late, for the milk of the figs drops down just as when I gathered them. 25And how sayest thou that in that time the people have been carried captive into Babylon? 26Behold the figs, how the milk is still dropping!"

27And he shewed unto the old man the figs in the basket. 28And the old man observed it and said: "My son! it may be that because thou art the son of a righteous man, God was not pleased that thou shouldest see the destruction of this city, and therefore brought upon thee this fear. 29"Behold, for sixty-six years the people have been captive in Babylon; 30and believe me, my son, that what I say unto thee is true, 31go back to the village and observe the fig trees and see that the time of figs is not yet."

32Then Abimelech cried with a loud voice saying: "We give thanks unto Thee, O God of heaven and earth, that givest rest to the sons of the righteous in all places."

33Then he said unto the old man: "What month is this?"

34The old man said: "It is Nisan, the first month."

6 And after this Abimelech went out of the city and offered up prayer unto the Lord.

Baruch and Abimelech Reunited

The Song of Baruch

4And Baruch looked and saw with his own eyes the green figs in Abimelech's basket, 5and lifting up his eyes unto heaven, he said: 6"Thou art the God that rewardest Thy beloved ones. Awake, my heart! rejoice and exult in thy dwelling-place, and say unto thine earthly home, thy grief shall be changed into joy when the Almighty shall come and take thee out of thy dwelling-place, for there has not been found sin in thee. 7Come out of thy dwelling-place, and in the purity of thy faith, believe and thou shalt be saved. 8Examine this basket of figs, behold! it is sixty-six years since they were plucked, and they are neither shrivelled nor corrupt, and their milk still drops from them. 9So shall it be with thy body if thou fulfillest the command of the angel of righteousness, 10who kept this basket of figs and also will preserve thee through his power."

11And Abimelech said unto him: "Let us arise and pray, that the Lord may shew us how to send this good news unto Jeremiah in Babylon, that he may know how the Lord has hidden us on our way."

12Then Baruch and Abimelech gave themselves unto prayer, saying: "My strength, O Lord God, Elect light, that proceedeth from Thy mouth, 13we pray Thee and beseech Thy mercy for the sake of Thy great name, which no one is able to know. Hearken to our voice, and grant wisdom unto our hearts, 14that we may know what to do, and how to send this good news unto Jeremiah in Babylon."

"An Eagle Shall Come to You"

15And while Baruch was praying and saying, all these things, the Counsellor of light provided the means for sending to Jeremiah. And He said unto them: "At the break of day, an eagle shall come unto you: go and meet him. and he shall carry the good news for you unto Jeremiah. 16And write unto the children of Israel and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord: Separate yourselves from the strangers that are among you for it shall come to pass that after sixty-fire days I will restore you to your towns: 17and they that will not depart from the Babylonians, shall not return to their towns: but command them not to mix with the Babylonians.'"

18And the angel, having thus spoken unto Baruch, departed from him.

The Epistle of Baruch to the Diaspora

19And Baruch, the servant of God, sent to the dispersed among the Gentiles, and caused paper to be brought to him that he might write thus unto Jeremiah, who had gone into captivity in Babylon.

20Through the will of the Lord, be glad and rejoice that God did not deprive us of our wise men. We were grieved on account of the city that had been destroyed and despised. 21Wherefore the Lord had pity upon us and connidered our tears, and remembered the covenant that He had made with our fathers, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 22He sent unto me his angel aud told me this thing which I now write unto thee. 23The Lord God of Israel, who took us out of the Furnace of Egypt, saith: Because ye kept not My commandments and became proud in your heart, and obstinate before Me, I, in My anger and wrath, delivered you up to the fire of Babylon. 24But if ye hear My voice, saith the Lord, when I speak through the mouth of Jeremiah, my servant, whosoever hearkeneth unto him, I will remove from Babylon; and whosoever hearkeneth not, I will estrange him from Jerusalem; 25and thus, through the water of Jordan, I will prove them that listen not. The sign of the large seal shall declare it.      {Top}

The Letter is Sent

7 And Baruch got up from the tomb and saw an eagle come out of it. 2And the eagle said unto him with a man's voice: "Rejoice, Baruch, that thou art the supporter of the Faith."

3And Baruch said unto him: "Among all the birds of heaven thou art the only one that can speak; the brightness of thine eyes shows it: tell me, what dost thou here?"

4The eagle said unto him: "The Lord has sent me that I should carry thy good news into Babylon."

5Baruch said unto him : "Art thou able to carry these good tidings to Jeremiah in Babylon?"

6The eagle said unto him: "For that purpose was I sent."

7And Baruch took the paper and fifteen figs from the basket of Abimelech, and fastened them round the neck of the eagle, saying: "I bid thee, thou that art the king of birds, go in peace and safety, and carry these good tidings, and then return unto me. 8And be not like the raven who was sent out by Noah, and came not back unto him into the ark; but be like the dove, who three times brought good news unto the righteous man. 9In like manner thou also shalt carry this good news unto Jeremiah, and unto them that are in bonds with him, and mayest thou be happy in bringing joy unto the people and unto the chosen of God.

10"And if all the birds of heaven make a ring about thee, and desire to fight with thee, do thou fight against them; the Lord shall give thee strength. 11Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left: but its an arrow flieth to the mark, in like manner go thy way through the power of God; and may the glory of the Lord be with thee in the way that thou art going."

The Eagle Comes to Jeremiah

12Then the eagle took his flight, having the letter tied upon his neck, and went unto Babylon. And there he rested upon a pillar which was outside the city, in the desert, 13and kept silence, while Jeremiah was passing by him. For some of the people had come out to bury their dead; 14for Jeremiah had asked from king Nebuchadnezzar a place for them to bury their dead, and the king had granted it. 15So while they were going and weeping, they came before the eagle.

16Then the eagle cried in a loud voice: "I say unto thee, Jeremiah, the chosen of God: go and gather thy people, and return here and read this letter that I have carried unto thee from Baruch and Abimelech."

17When Jeremiah heard this, he gave praise unto God, and went and gathered the people together, and the women, and the children, and came to the place where the eagle rested. 18And the eagle sat upon the dead, and the dead returned to life again. 19And this took place that they who saw it might believe. 20And all the people wondered at the sign, and they said: "This is the God of our fathers, who through Moses appeared in the wilderness, and now He hath appeared unto us."

21And the eagle said: "I bid thee, Jeremiah, come and untie this letter and read it before the people."

The Epistle of Jeremiah and the Dispersed to Baruch and Abimelech

22And he untied the letter and read it to the people; and the people heard and wept. And they took ashes and put them upon their heads, and said unto Jeremiah: "Tell us how we may be delivered and return to our city." 24And Jeremiah wrote before all the people to Baruch and to Abimelech concerning all the tribulations which they had suffered and how the king of the Babylonians had taken them, 26and how the fathers suffered and were comforted by their children, and how the children suffered, and their fathers on seeing their sufferings covered their faces; 27but God, saith he, "has hidden you, and you have not seen our sufferings. 31And I remembered these things and sighed, and returned to my home and my heart was grieved. 32And now thou and Abimelech, pray there in the place where ye are, for this people, that our prayers may be heard before the Lord and that we may depart from here, 33for we declare unto you that all the time we live here they make us to suffer, saying: Sing us one of your songs of Sion. 34And we answer them: 'How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?'"

35And after this Jeremiah fastened the letter upon the neck of the eagle, saying: "Go thy way in peace, and may the Lord take care of us and of you."

36And the eagle took his flight and came into Jerusalem, and gave the letter to Baruch; and he read the letter and kissed it, when he heard of the sufferings of the people.

37And Jeremiah took the figs and gave them to the sick among the people; and he preached unto them to beware of an alliance with the seed of the Babylonians.      {Top}

A Remnant Return to Jerusalem

8 And a day came when the Lord brought the people up out of Babylon. 2And God spoke unto Jeremiah, saying: "Arise, thou and the people, and come unto Jordan, and say unto the people: Who is willing to abandon his alliance with the Babylonians? 3And the men that have taken wives from among them, and the women that have taken husbands from among them, and who listen unto thee and pass over Jordan, bring them unto Jerusalem. And those that listen not unto thee and pass not over Jordan, bring them not thither."

4And Jeremiah spake these things unto the people, and they arose and came unto Jordan to pass over it. 5And Jeremiah made known unto them the word of the Lord. And some of them who had taken wives, would not listen unto Jeremiah, but they said unto him: "We will never leave our wives, but we will return with them into Babylon."

6So they passed over Jordan and came into Jerusalem.

7And Jeremiah, and Baruch, and Abimelech stood among them, saying: "No man who has an alliance with the Babylonians, shall enter unto this city."

Yet Some Turn Back to Babylon

8And some of the people said: "Come, let us return into our places, in Babylon." So they went away, 9and on their return into Babylon, the Babylonians came out against them, saying: "Ye shall not enter into Babylon our city, for ye have hated us and ye have departed from us secretly; wherefore ye shall not dwell with us. 10We have sworn unto each other in the name of our gods, to let neither you, nor your children into our city, because ye have departed from us secretly."

11Then they returned and came unto a place in the desert, far off from Jerusalem ; and there they built a city and called its name 'Samaria'.

12And Jeremiah sent unto them, saying: "Repent! lest the angel of righteousness come and remove you from your high place." But they did not listen unto him.      {Top}

Jeremiah Offers Sacrifice in Jerusalem

9 And during nine days Jeremiah offered sacrifices for the people. 2And it came to pass in the tenth day, Jeremiah alone offered up sacrifices and prayers. 3And during the time of his offering, his heart was lifted up unto God, and he said: "Holy, Holy, Holy, is this incense of the living trees! True Light that hast enlightened me and made my heart rise up unto Thee. 4In Thy mercy, I beseech Thee, let the sweet-singing holy Seraphim, and 5Michael, the archangel of justice, remove me into the place of the righteous. 6I beseech Thee, O Lord of justice. Preserver of all creatures, Who art increate and incomprehensible, in Whom all judgment is secret, and Who wast before all beings."

The Apparent Death of Jeremiah

7Thus spake Jeremiah while he stood before the altar with Baruch and Abimelech. 8And they wept and cried aloud, saying: "Jeremiah, the father, the priest, the man of God, has left us and is gone from us."

9And all the people heard their weeping, and ran unto them: and Jeremiah was lying like a dead. 10And they rent their clothes, and put ashes upon their heads, and wept bitterly. 11And afterwards they prepared to bury him. 12And while he lay thus, Baruch and Abimelech came near unto him, and, lo, a voice spake, saying: "Bury him not, for he is still living, and the soul is coming back into his body."

13And they heard and did not bury him; but they remained three days near his body and waited for the day when he should rise. 14And after three days his soul returned into his body, and he cried aloud in the midst of all the people, saying: "Give praise unto God, and unto His Son Jesus Christ, Who brought me to life again, Who is Eternal Light, Who is the inextinguishable Lamp for every man and the Seal of faith. 15And after three hundred and seventy-five years more, He shall come upon the earth, 16He, Who is the Tree of life, planted in the midst of the Garden, Who shall cause all the trees that are unfruitful to bloom, to grow, and to become fruitful. 17And the trees that had flourished and had become haughty and said, 'We caused our tops to reach the clouds', He shall smite them and bring down their lofty branches, He, the everlasting Tree! 18The crimson He shall make white like wool, and destroy the whiteness of the snow, and cause sweet water to become salt by His divine power. 19He shall bring blessing upon the isles, and shall make them fruitful through the Word of God, the Anointed One, 20Who shall go in and out with His twelve apostles, and bring the good news unto the Gentiles; according as it hath been foreknown and prepared of His Father, He shall come to the Mount of Olives and shall satisfy the hungry souls."

Jeremiah's Message is Rejected

21When Jeremiah spake this concerning Christ, that He should come upon earth, the people were provoked to anger, and said: "These are the words pronounced by Isaiah, the son of Amos, who said, 'I saw God and His Son.' 22Come and let us not slay him, as we did Isaiah, but let us stone him."

23And Baruch and Abimelech were grieved, for they were desirous to hear the mysteries that Jeremiah had seen. 24Then Jeremiah said to Abimelech and to Baruch: "Keep silence, weep not, for I shall not die, but I will yet tell you what I have seen."

25Then he said: "Bring hither a stone and set it up." 26And he prayed: "Eternal Light, command this stone to become like unto mine image, until I have told to Baruch and to Abimelech the vision that I have seen.

27Then the stone, through the command of God, became the image of Jeremiah, 28and the people, supposing that it was Jeremiah himself, stoned it.

29And Jeremiah told to Baruch and to Abimelech the vision that he had seen; and afterwards he stopped in the midst of the people, that they might do as they would unto him. 30Then the stone cried out, saying: "Ye foolish ones, children of Israel, ye stone me thinking that I am Jeremiah! Behold, Jeremiah stands in the midst of you." 31And when the people saw him, they rushed upon him with many stones, and did as they desired.

32And Baruch and Abimelech came and buried him. And they took the stone and put it upon his tomb, and wrote upon it: "This is the likeness of Jeremiah."      {Top}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Translations of The Rest of Jeremiah 3:10-11:

"And the Lord said to him: Take them and consign them to the earth, saying: 'Hear, Earth, the voice of your creator who formed you in the abundance of waters, who sealed you with seven seals for seven epochs, and after this you will receive your ornaments -Guard the vessels of the temple service until the gathering of the Beloved.'" -R. Kraft

"And the Lord said to him: Take them and consign them to the earth, saying, 'Listen O earth, to the voice of him who created you in the abundance of the waters, who sealed you with seven seals in seven periods of time, and who will afterwards receive your beauty: guard the vessels of the service till the coming of the Beloved One.'" -R. Thornhill