Baruch 3:15–4:4

15 Who has found her place?

And who has entered her storehouses?

16 Where are the princes of the nations,

and those who rule over the beasts on earth;

17 those who have sport with the birds of the air,

and who hoard up silver and gold,

in which men trust,

and there is no end to their getting;

18 those who scheme to get silver, and are anxious,

whose labors are beyond measure?

19 They have vanished and gone down to Hades,

and others have arisen in their place.

20 Young men have seen the light of day,

and have dwelt upon the earth;

but they have not learned the way to knowledge,

nor understood her paths,

nor laid hold of her.

21 Their sons have strayed far from her way.

22 She has not been heard of in Canaan,

nor seen in Teman;

23 the sons of Hagar, who seek for understanding on the earth,

the merchants of Merran and Teman,

the story-tellers and the seekers for understanding,

have not learned the way to wisdom,

nor given thought to her paths.

24 O Israel, how great is the house of God!

And how vast the territory that he possesses!

25 It is great and has no bounds;

it is high and immeasurable.

26 The giants were born there, who were famous of old,

great in stature, expert in war.

27 God did not choose them,

nor give them the way to knowledge;

28 so they perished because they had no wisdom,

they perished through their folly.

29 Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her,

and brought her down from the clouds?

30 Who has gone over the sea, and found her,

and will buy her for pure gold?

31 No one knows the way to her,

or is concerned about the path to her.

32 But he who knows all things knows her,

he found her by his understanding.

He who prepared the earth for all time

filled it with four-footed creatures;

33 he who sends forth the light, and it goes,

called it, and it obeyed him in fear;

34 the stars shone in their watches, and were glad;

he called them, and they said, “Here we are!”

They shone with gladness for him who made them.

35 This is our God;

no other can be compared to him!

36 He found the whole way to knowledge,

and gave her to Jacob his servant

and to Israel whom he loved.

37 Afterward she appeared upon earth

and lived among men.

Chapter 4

1 She is the book of the commandments of God,

and the law that endures for ever.

All who hold her fast will live,

and those who forsake her will die.

2 Turn, O Jacob, and take her;

walk toward the shining of her light.

3 Do not give your glory to another,

or your advantages to an alien people.

4 Happy are we, O Israel,

for we know what is pleasing to God.