Fourth Baruch

Now Jeremiah’s people remained rejoicing and offering sacrifices on behalf of the people for nine days.

On the tenth day, Jeremiah alone offered a sacrifice.

And he prayed a prayer, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, the incense of the living trees, the true light that enlightens me until I am taken up to you,”

“for your mercy, I entreat, for the sweet voice of the two Seraphim, I entreat, for another fragrant incense.”

“And my meditation is Michael, the archangel of righteousness, who opens the gates for the righteous until he brings in the righteous.”

“I entreat you, Lord Almighty, of all creation, the unbegotten and incomprehensible, to whom all judgment is hidden in him before these things came to be.”

While Jeremiah was saying these things, and standing at the altar with Baruch and Abimelech, it happened as if one was giving up his soul.

And Baruch and Abimelech remained weeping and crying out with a loud voice, “Woe to us, for our father Jeremiah, the priest of God, has left us and gone away!”

And all the people heard their weeping, and all ran to them, and saw Jeremiah lying on the ground as if dead.

And they tore their garments, and put dust upon their heads, and wept bitterly.

And after these things, they prepared themselves to bury him.

And behold, a voice came, saying, “Do not bury him who is still living, for his soul will enter his body again.”

And hearing the voice, they did not bury him, but remained around his dwelling for three days, saying, “At what hour will he rise?”

But after three days, his soul entered his body, and he raised his voice among all and said, “Glorify God with one voice; all of you, glorify God and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who awakens us, the light of all ages, the unquenchable lamp, the life of faith.”

And after these times, another four hundred and seventy-seven years pass, and he comes to the earth.

And the tree of life, which was planted in the midst of Paradise, will cause all barren trees to bear fruit, and they will grow and sprout.

And the trees that have sprouted, and boast mightily, and say, “We have given our produce to the air,” he will cause them to wither with the height of their branches, and he will cause them to be judged, the tree that was established.

And crimson will become like white wool; snow will turn black; sweet waters will become salty, and salty waters will become sweet in the great light of the joy of God.

And he will bless the islands to bear fruit by the word of the mouth of his Christ.

For he himself will come, and he will go forth and choose for himself twelve apostles, that they may preach the gospel among the nations, whom I saw adorned by his Father and coming into the world upon the Mount of Olives; and he will fill the hungry souls.

While Jeremiah was saying these things about the Son of God, that he is coming into the world, the people became angry and said, “These are again the words spoken by Isaiah, the son of Amos, saying, ‘I saw God and the Son of God.’”

“Come then, and let us not kill him with his death, but let us stone him with stones.”

So Baruch and Abimelech were greatly distressed, because they wanted to hear fully the mysteries which he saw.

But Jeremiah said to them, “Be silent and do not weep, for they will not kill me until I have related to you all that I saw.”

And he said to them, “Bring me a stone here.”

And he set it up and said, “O Light of the ages, cause this stone to become like me until I have related all that I saw to Baruch and Abimelech.”

Then the stone, by God’s command, took on the likeness of Jeremiah.

And they stoned the stone, thinking that it was Jeremiah.

But Jeremiah delivered all the mysteries which he saw to Baruch and Abimelech, and then he stood in the midst of the people, wishing to complete his appointed task.

Then the stone cried out, saying, “O foolish children of Israel, why do you stone me, thinking that I am Jeremiah? Behold, Jeremiah stands in your midst.”

And when they saw him, they immediately ran to him with many stones, and his appointed task was completed.

And Baruch and Abimelech came and buried him, and taking the stone, they placed it upon his tomb, inscribing upon it thus: “This is the stone that helped Jeremiah.”