2 BARUCH 54
Prayer of Baruch
54:1 And I asked YAHWEH the Mighty One and said: YOU alone, O YAHWEH, knew the heights of the world beforehand and that which will happen in the times which YOU bring about by YOUR Word. And against the works of the inhabitants of the earth YOU hasten the beginnings of the times. And the ends of the periods YOU alone know.
54:2 YOU are the one for whom nothing is hard; but YOU are, however, the one who easily accomplishes all by a sign.
54:3 YOU are the one to whom both the depths and the heights come together, and whose Word the beginnings of the periods serve.
54:4 YOU are the one who reveals to those who fear that which is prepared for them so that YOU may comfort them.
54:5 YOU show YOUR mighty works to those who do not know. YOU pull down the enclosure for those who have no experience and enlighten the darknesses, and reveal the secrets to those who are spotless, to those who subjected themselves to YOU and YOUR Torah in faith.
54:6 YOU showed this vision to YOUR servant; open to me its exposition also.
54:7 For I know that I have received the answer regarding the subjects about which I asked YOU, and that YOU gave me a revelation about that which I asked, and that YOU have let me know with what voice I should honor YOU or from which members I should cause honor and praise to go up to YOU.
54:8 For if my members should be mouths and the hairs of my head voices, even so I should not be able to honor YOU properly; and I should not be able to utter YOUR splendor or to express the excellence of YOUR beauty.
54:9 For who am I among men or what is my significance among those who are more excellent than I that I have heard all these marvelous things from YAHWEH the Most High and innumerable promises from HIM who created me?
54:10 Blessed is my mother among those who bear, and praised among women is she who bore me.
54:11 For I shall not be silent in honoring YAHWEH the Mighty One but with the voice of reverence I shall narrate HIS marvelous works.
54:12 For who is able to imitate YOUR miracles, O YAHWEH, or who understands YOUR deep thoughts of Life?
54:13 For with YOUR counsel, YOU reign over all creation which YOUR right hand has created, and YOU have established the whole fountain of Light with YOURSELF, and YOU have prepared under YOUR throne the treasures of wisdom.
54:14 And those who do not love YOUR Torah are justly perishing. And the torment of judgment will fall upon those who have not subjected themselves to YOUR Power.
54:15 For, although Adam sinned first and has brought death upon all who were not in his own time, yet each of them who has been born from him has prepared for himself the coming torment. And further, each of them has chosen for himself the coming splendor.
54:16 For truly, the one who believes will receive reward.
54:17 But now, turn yourselves to destruction, you unrighteous ones who are living now, for you will be visited suddenly, since you have once rejected the understanding of YAHWEH the Most High.
54:18 For HIS works have not taught you, nor has the artful work of HIS creation which has existed always persuaded you.
54:19 Adam is, therefore, not the cause, except only for himself, but each of us has become our own Adam.
54:20 YOU, however, O YAHWEH, explain to me what YOU have revealed to me. And inform me about that which I asked YOU.
54:21 For at the end of the world, a retribution will be demanded with regard to those who have done wickedly in accordance with their wickedness, and YOU will honor the faithful ones in accordance with their faith.
54:22 For those who are among YOUR own, YOU rule; and those who sin, YOU blot out among YOUR own.