The Shorter Version was translated by William Newby and edited for electronic publication by Robert Kraft.
THAT WHICH THE LORD SPOKE TO JEREMIAH BEFORE THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM AND HOW THE CAPTURE HAPPENED
1 In those days the Lord spoke to Jeremiah, saying: Arise, depart from this city with Baruch, since I am going to destroy it because of the multitude of the sins of those who dwell in it.
2 For your prayers are like solid pillars in its midst, and like an indestructible wall surrounding it.
3 Now, then, depart from it before the host of the Chaldeans surrounds it.
4 And Jeremiah spoke, saying: I beseech you, Lord, permit me, your servant, to speak in your presence.
5 And the Lord said: Speak.
6 And Jeremiah said: Lord, would you deliver this city into the hands of the Chaldeans, so that they might boast that they had prevailed against it?
7 My Lord, if it is your will, rather let it be destroyed by your hands and not by the Chaldeans.
8 And God said: You, arise, depart.
9 But they will not boast. Unless I open (the gates), they are not able to enter.
10 Therefore go to Baruch and tell him.
11 And at the sixth hour of the night go up on the city walls and see that unless I open (the gates), they are not able to enter.
12 And when he had said these things he departed from him.
1 And Jeremiah departed and told Baruch; and as they went into the temple they tore their garments and mourned much.
1 And at the sixth hour when they had gone up on the city walls, they heard the sound of trumpets.
2 And the angels came from heaven, holding torches in their hands, and they set them on the walls of the city.
3 And when they saw them they wept and said: Now we know that the word that God spoke is true.
4 And they besought the angels, saying: We beseech (you) not to destroy the city until we speak to God.
6 Then Jeremiah spoke, saying: I beg you, Lord, bid me to speak in your presence.
7 And the Lord said: Speak.
8 And Jeremiah said: Behold, Lord, we know that you are delivering the city into the hands of its enemies, and your people depart for Babylon.
9 What then will we do with your holy vessels?
10 And God said: Consign them to the earth, saying: Hear, earth, the voice of your creator, who founded you upon the waters, who sealed you with seven seals for seven epochs, and after this you will receive your ornaments.
11 Guard the vessels of the temple service until the gathering of the beloved.
12 And Jeremiah spoke again, saying: I beseech you, Lord, what should I do for Abimelech the Ethiopian, for he has done many kindnesses to your servant?
13 For he drew me up out of the miry pit where they threw me, and I do not wish that he should see the destruction and spoiling of the city because he is little-souled.
14 And the Lord said to Jeremiah: Send him to the vineyard of Agrippa, and I will hide him in the shadow of the mountain until the people are about to return from the captivity.
15 And you, Jeremiah, go with your people into Babylon and stay with them, preaching to them, until I cause them to return.
16 But leave Baruch here.
18 Then they went into the temple, and taking the vessels of the temple service, they consigned them to the earth as the Lord had told them.
21 And at morning, Jeremiah said to Abimelech: Take a basket, child, and go to the estate of Agrippa by the mountain road, and bring back figs to the sick of the people; for their favor is on you, and glory is on your head.
22 And immediately he went to the field.
1 And when he had departed and the sun had appeared at dawn, behold, the host of the Chaldeans, having arrived, had surrounded the city of Jerusalem.
2 And the great angel trumpeted, saying: Enter the city, the entire host of the Chaldeans; for behold, the gates are opened for you.
4 Then Jeremiah, taking the keys of the temple, went outside the city and throwing them away in the presence of the sun, said: Take them and guard (them) until the day in which the Lord asks you for them.
5 For we have not been found worthy to keep them.
6 And Jeremiah went with the people into captivity in Babylon. But Baruch departed from the city and remained sitting in a tomb.
1 And Abimelech, taking the figs in the burning heat and coming upon a tree, sat under its shade to rest a bit.
2 And leaning his head on the basket, he fell asleep for seventy times. And this happened according to the commandment of God because of the word which he spoke to Jeremiah: I will hide him.
3 And after awakening he said: I slept sweetly for a little while, and because of this my head is heavy because I did not get enough sleep.
4 And uncovering the figs, he found them dripping milk, as if he had gathered them shortly before.
5 And he said: I would like to sleep a little longer, but since Jeremiah sent me in much haste, if I do this I will be late and he will be distressed.
6 For isn’t there toil and heat every day? Rather, I should leave quickly, and I will heal him and then I can sleep.
7 And taking the figs, he went into Jerusalem and he did not recognize either his house or that of his relatives or of his friends.
8 And he said: The Lord be blessed, a trance came over me today!
9 This is not the city. Lacking sleep, I have gone astray. And he departed from (the city) and searching for the landmarks he said: Indeed, this is the city; I went astray.
12 And entering again and searching, he found no one of his relatives or of his friends; and he said: The Lord be blessed, a great trance has come over me!
13 And going out, he stayed there grieving, not knowing what he should do.
14 And putting down the basket, he said: I must sit here until the Lord takes the trance from me.
15 And as he was sitting, behold, an old man was coming from the field, and he said to him: I say to you, old man, what city is this?
16 And he said: It is Jerusalem, child.
17 And Abimelech said: And where is Jeremiah the priest of God, and Baruch the secretary, and all the people of the city, for I could not find them?
18 And the old man said to him: Are you not from this city? Today you remembered Jeremiah and asked about him.
19 Jeremiah has been in Babylon with the people since they were made captives by Nebuchadnezzar the king seventy times ago; and how is it that you, being a young man and never having been (old), then, are asking about the things which I have never seen?
20 And when he had heard these things, Abimelech said to him: If you were not an old man, and if it were not for the fact that it is not lawful for a man of God to upbraid one older than himself, I would laugh at you and say that you are out of your mind for saying that the people went captive into Babylon.
21 Even if the heavenly torrents had opened, and the angels of God came to take them with power and authority, not yet would they have (time) to go into Babylon!
22 For how much time has passed since my father Jeremiah sent me to the estate of Agrippa because of a few (figs), so that I might give them to the sick of the people?
23 And coming to a tree from out of the heat, I fell asleep for a little bit.
24 Supposing that I was late, I uncovered the figs and found them dripping milk just as I had collected (them).
25 And you say that the people were taken captive into Babylon.
26 But that you might know, and not account me a liar, take the figs and see.
28 And when the old man saw these things he said: O child, you are the son of a righteous man, and God did not want to show you the desolation of this city and he brought this trance upon you.
29 Behold, it is seventy times (since) the people were taken captive into Babylon with Jeremiah from this day.
30 But so that you may learn, my child, that what I tell you is true, look into the field and see that the ripening of the crops has not yet appeared.
31 And notice that the figs are not in season, and be enlightened and be persuaded that I am telling the truth.
32 Then Abimelech, just as from great sobriety and observing the land accurately, and the trees in it, said: Blessed be the God of heaven and earth, the Rest of the souls of the righteous.
33 And he said to the old man: What month is this?
34 And the old man said: The twelfth.
35 And giving some figs to the old man, he departed when he had blessed him.
1 And rising up, Abimelech prayed that it might be revealed to him what he should do.
2 And behold, an angel of the Lord came and took him by the right hand and brought him safely to the tomb in which Baruch was sitting.
3 And seeing one another, they wept much, and then they prayed to God and rejoiced, glorifying and praising him.
4 And Baruch, seeing the figs which were picked seventy times before still dripping milk, was astonished, and said:
11 Let us pray to God that the Lord may make known to us how, then, we will give knowledge to Jeremiah concerning the shelter made for you, and now (your) incredible awakening.
15 And while they were doing this, they heard an angel which was sent to them:
16 Write a letter to Jeremiah (saying) what he must do unto the people as I say to you. And he told them everything that they should write, and he also delivered over this: Behold, in a few days God will lead you out of Babylon into Jerusalem. And early tomorrow when an eagle comes, bind the letter and a few figs on its neck so that it may carry these things to Jeremiah in Babylon.
18 And when he had said these things he departed from them.
19 And immediately taking papyrus Baruch sat down and wrote the things which he heard from the angel.
1 And coming early, the eagle cried out. And going out, they praised God.
7 And when they had prayed they bound the letter and ten figs on its neck.
8 And when they had prayed for it they sent it away, having commanded it to return to them again.
12 And it went away to Babylon (and having arrived) it sat on a pillar outside the city.
13 And according to the stewardship of God, Jeremiah was going out of the city with all the people to bury a corpse. And they were mourning and were about to bury it in the place which Jeremiah received from Nebuchadnezzar which he yielded for the burying of dead Jews.
16 And the eagle cried out with the voice of a man and said: I say to you Jeremiah, take the letter which I have brought to you from Baruch and Abimelech and let all the people of Jerusalem hear it.
17 And when Jeremiah heard, he glorified God.
18 And the eagle sat on the corpse and immediately it arose.
20 Everyone seeing this knew that the letter was sent from God. And when all had glorified God at what had happened,
21 Jeremiah untied the letter and read it before all.
22 And when they heard it they shouted out and rejoiced greatly.
24 And Jeremiah also wrote on papyrus of all the tribulations and misfortunes that had happened to them.
35 And he tied it to the neck of the eagle and blessing it, he sent it off.
36 And again it took this letter to Baruch and Abimelech, and when they had read it they wept and with thanks they glorified God because they had not been tested with such tribulations.
37 But Jeremiah gave the figs to the sick of the people, and they were all healed, as many as ate of them.
1 And when the appointed day had been attained,
2 God said to Jeremiah: Take the entire night and go out of Babylon and come to the Jordan.
3 And there you will separate the rulers of the Babylonians who took wives from your nation and the women of the Babylonians who joined together with your people. And those who do not hear you the Jordan will separate. They will not cross with you.
4 And Jeremiah did as God commanded him.
5 And in separating them at the Jordan, most of those who had joined (with the Babylonians) did not wish to listen to Jeremiah, but said: It is better for us to return to Babylon than to forsake our wives.
8 And they departed for Babylon.
9 But they were not welcomed by the Babylonians who said: Because you left us and departed secretly,
10 We have sworn an oath among ourselves not to receive you or your children.
11 But these who were not received, either by Jeremiah or by the Babylonians departed into a desert place some distance from Jerusalem and built for themselves a city which is called Samaria, which is what they named it.
1 And Jeremiah with the people went into Jerusalem and they rejoiced, bringing up their sacrifices for nine days.
2 And on the tenth day Jeremiah offered his sacrifice to God.
3 And he prayed
7 until his soul went up and his body fell down dead in the altar-area.
8 Then Baruch and Abimelech came to mourn Jeremiah.
9 And when all the people heard they ran to them and saw Jeremiah lying on the ground dead.
10 And they tore their garments and put dust on their heads and they all wept bitterly.
11 And after this they prepared to bury him.
12 And behold, there was a voice from heaven saying: Do not bury the one who yet lives.
13 And when they heard the voice they stayed beside him, praying for three days.
14 And after three days his soul came back into his body and he raised his voice in the midst of them all, saying: With one voice all of you glorify God and his son who awakens us, messiah Jesus, the light of all the ages, the inextinguishable lamp, the life of our nature.
15 For after these times there shall be 377 years more.
21 And as he preached the good news of the messiah to them as he saw and heard enigmatically when his soul went up, all the people shouted: These are the words which Isaiah of old spoke to our fathers: I saw God and his son.
22 And they killed him with a wooden saw, sawing him asunder. Come then, let us stone him.
23 And when they heard these things, Baruch and Abimelech were greatly grieved because of the death of Jeremiah and had not heard in full the mysteries which the prophet who had gone up had seen and heard.
24 And he, knowing their thoughts, said: Be silent; they will not kill me until everything which I saw and heard I describe for you.
25 And he said to them: Bring a great stone to me. And they brought it to him.
26 And the prophet said: Lord, make this stone like me in appearance so that the people will stone it until I tell my brothers the things which I saw and heard.
27 Then, by the commandment of God, the stone took on the appearance of the prophet,
28 And they stoned it instead of him.
29 And he told them everything that he saw and heard. Desiring to complete his ministry, he went into the midst of the people.
30 And by the command of God the stone went up and cried out in the voice of a man, saying: O foolish children of Israel, why do you stone me, supposing that I am Jeremiah, who is standing in your midst?
31 Then, out of great sobriety, they saw the holy one, and taking up stones they killed him. And he was stoned by his fellow captives of Jerusalem who owed him much good, and he did not speak against them neither was he angry, but thus he received the overpowering of the stones, as through them he went up into heaven.
32 And when Baruch and Abimelech came, they buried him, and taking the stone they placed it on his tomb, inscribing on it: This is the stone that was the ally of Jeremiah.
33 And the sacred vessels Jeremiah laid away according to the command of God, sealed in this stone by his finger in the name of God. Through the writing of iron, the imprint has become on the stone a shadowy cloud, because it is indistinguishable. And the stone is in the desert where formerly the ark was prepared with the others. And this Jeremiah spoke: The Lord went up to heaven from Zion, but he will come again to visit Zion, and the coming of the messiah will be the sign whenever every nation worships the cross, glorifying and praising God, to whom becomes all glory forever and ever, Amen.