Baruch 6
Douay-Rheims Bible

1For the sins that you have committed before God, you shall be carried away captives into Babylon by Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon.

2And when you are come into Babylon, you shall be there many years, and for a long time, even to seven generations: and after that I will bring you away from thence with peace.

3But now, you shall see in Babylon gods of gold, and of silver, and of stone, and of wood borne upon shoulders, causing fear to the Gentiles.

4Beware therefore that you imitate not the doings of others, and be afraid, and the fear of them should seize upon you.

5But when you see the multitude behind, and before, adoring them, say you in your hearts: Thou oughtest to be adored, O Lord.

6For my angel is with you: And I myself will demand an account of your souls.

7For their tongue that is polished by the craftsman, and themselves laid over with gold and silver, are false things, and they cannot speak.

8And as if it were for a maiden that loveth to go gay: so do they take gold and make them up.

9Their gods have golden crowns upon their heads: whereof the priests secretly convey away from them gold, and silver, and bestow it on themselves.

10Yea and they give thereof to prostitutes, and they dress out harlots: and again when they receive it of the harlots, they adorn their gods.

11And these gods cannot defend themselves from the rust, and the moth.

12But when they have covered them with a purple garment, they wipe their face because of the dust of the house, which is very much among them.

13This holdeth a sceptre as a man, as a judge of the country, but cannot put to death one that offendeth him.

14And this hath in his hand a sword, or an axe, but cannot save himself from war, or from robbers, whereby be it known to you, that they are not gods.

15Therefore fear them not. For as a vessel that a man uses when it is broken becometh useless, even so are their gods:

16When they are placed in the house, their eyes are full of dust by the feet of them that go in.

17And as the gates are made sure on every side upon one that hath offended the king, or like a dead man carried to the grave, so do the priests secure the doors with bars and locks, lest they be stripped by thieves.

18They light candles to them, and in great number, of which they cannot see one: but they are like beams in the house.

19And they say that the creeping things which are of the earth, gnaw their hearts, while they eat them and their garments, and they feel it not.

20Their faces are black with the smoke that is made in the house.

21Owls, and swallows, and other birds fly upon their bodies, and upon their heads, and cats in like manner.

22Whereby you may know that they are no gods. Therefore fear them not.

23The gold also which they have, is for shew, but except a man wipe off the rust, they will not shine: for neither when they were molten, did they feel it.

24Men buy them at a high price, whereas there is no breath in them.

25And having not the use of feet they are carried upon shoulders, declaring to men how vile they are. Be they confounded also that worship them.

26Therefore if they fall to the ground, they rise not up again of themselves, nor if a man set them upright, will they stand by themselves, but their gifts shall be set before them, as to the dead.

27The things that are sacrificed to them, their priests sell and abuse: in like manner also their wives take part of them, but give nothing of it either to the sick, or to the poor.

28The childbearing and menstruous women touch their sacrifices: knowing, therefore, by these things that they are not gods, fear them not.

29For how can they be called gods? because women set offerings before the gods of silver, and of gold, and of wood:

30And priests sit in their temples, having their garments rent, and their heads and beards shaven, and nothing upon their heads.

31And they roar and cry before their gods, as men do at the feast when one is dead.

32The priests take away their garments, and clothe their wives and their children.

33And whether it be evil that one doth unto them, or good, they are not able to recompense it: neither can they set up a king, nor put him down:

34In like manner they can neither give riches, nor requite evil. If a man make a vow to them, and perform it not: they cannot require it.

35They cannot deliver a man from death, nor save the weak from the mighty.

36They cannot restore the blind man to his sight: nor deliver a man from distress.

37They shall not pity the widow, nor do good to the fatherless.

38Their gods, of wood, and of stone, and of gold, and of silver, are like the stones that are hewn out of the mountains: and they that worship them shall be confounded.

39How then is it to be supposed, or to be said, that they are gods?

40Even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them: who when they hear of one dumb that cannot speak, they present him to Bel, entreating him, that he may speak.

41As though they could be sensible that have no motion themselves: and they, when they shall perceive this, will leave them: for their gods themselves have no sense.

42The women also, with cords about them, sit in the ways, burning olive-stones.

43And when any one of them, drawn away by some passenger, lieth with him, she upbraideth her neighbor, that she was not thought as worthy as herself, nor her cord broken.

44But all things that are done about them, are false: how is it then to be thought, or to be said, that they are gods?

45And they are made by workmen, and by goldsmiths. They shall be nothing else but what the priests will have them to be.

46For the artificers themselves that make them, are of no long continuance. Can those things then that are made by them, be gods?

47But they have left false things and reproach to them that come after.

48For when war cometh upon them , or evils: the priests consult with themselves, where they may hide themselves with them.

49How then can they be thought to be gods, that can neither deliver themselves from war, nor save themselves from evils?

50For seeing they are but of wood, and laid over with gold, and with silver, it shall be known hereafter that they are false things, by all nations, and kings: and it shall be manifest that they are no gods, but the work of men's hands, and that there is no work of God in them.

51Whence, therefore, is it known that they are not gods, but the work of men's hands, and no work of God is in them?

52They cannot set up a king over the land, nor give rain to men.

53They determine no causes, nor deliver countries from oppression: because they can do nothing, and are as daws between heaven and earth.

54For when fire shall fall upon the house of these gods of wood, and of silver, and of gold, their priests indeed will flee away, and be saved: but they themselves shall be burnt in the midst like beams.

55And they cannot withstand a king and war. How then can it be supposed, or admitted, that they are gods?

56Neither are these gods of wood, and of stone, and laid over with gold, and with silver, able to deliver themselves from thieves or robbers: they that are stronger than them,

57Shall take from them the gold, and silver, and the raiment wherewith they are clothed, and shall go their way, neither shall they help themselves.

58Therefore it is better to be a king that sheweth his power: or else a profitable vessel in the house, with which the owner thereof will be well satisfied: or a door in the house, to keep things safe that are therein, than such false gods.

59The sun, and the moon, and the stars being bright, and sent forth for profitable uses, are obedient.

60In like manner the lightning, when it breaketh forth, is easy to be seen: and after the same manner the wind bloweth in every country.

61And the clouds, when God commandeth them to go over the whole world, do that which is commanded them.

62The fire also being sent from above to consume mountains, and woods, doth as it is commanded. But these neither in shew, nor in power, are alike to any one of them.

63Wherefore it is neither to be thought, nor to be said, that they are gods: since they are neither able to judge causes, nor to do any good to men.

64Knowing, therefore, that they are not gods, fear them not.

65For neither can they curse kings, nor bless them.

66Neither do they shew signs in the heaven to the nations, nor shine as the sun, nor give light as the moon.

67Beasts are better than they, which can fly under a covert, and help themselves.

68Therefore there is no manner of appearance that they are gods: so fear them not.

69For as a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers keepeth nothing, so are their gods of wood, and of silver, and laid over with gold.

70They are no better than a white thorn in a garden, upon which every bird sitteth. In like manner also their gods of wood, and laid over with gold, and with silver, are like to a dead body cast forth in the dark.

71By the purple also and the scarlet which are motheaten upon them, you shall know that they are not gods. And they themselves at last are consumed, and shall be a reproach in the country.

72Better, therefore, is the just man that hath no idols: for he shall be far from reproach.

Ezekiel 1 Douay-Rheims Bible
Ezekiel 1
Douay-Rheims Bible

Ezekiel's Prophecy at Kebar

(Psalm 137:1-9)

1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God. 2On the fifth day of the month, the same was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joachin, 3The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest the son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

Vision of Four Cherubim

4And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber: 5And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them. 6Every one had four faces, and every one four wings. 7Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass. 8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they had faces, and wings on the four sides, 9And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward. 10And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four. 11And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies: 12And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went. 13And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire. 14And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

Vision of the Four Wheels

15Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces. 16And the appearance of the wheels, and the work of them was like the appearance of the sea: and the four had all one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel. 17When they went, they went by their four parts: and they turned not when they went. 18The wheels had also a size, and a height, and a dreadful appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about all the four. 19And, when the living creatures went, the wheels also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them. 20Withersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels. 21When those went these went, and when those stood these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together, and followed them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

Vision of the Divine Glory

22And over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of the firmament, the appearance of crystal terrible to behold, and stretched out over their heads above. 23And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other, every one with two wings covered his body, and the other was covered in like manner. 24And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army, and when they stood, their wings were let down. 25For when a voice came from above the firmament, that was over their heads, they stood, and let down their wings.

26And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of the sapphire stone, and upon the likeness of the throne, was the likeness of the appearance of a man above upon it. 27And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber as the appearance of fire within it round about: from his loins and upward, and from his loins downward, I saw as it were the resemblance of fire shining round about. 28As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about.

Douay Rheims Version - Bishop Challoner Revision

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