Chapter 7

7:2 - And the eagle said to him in a human voice: Hail, Baruch, steward of the faith.

7:3 - And Baruch said to him: You who speak are chosen from among all the birds of heaven, for this is clear from the gleam of your eyes; tell me, then, what are you doing here?

7:4 - And the eagle said to him: I was sent here so that you might through me send whatever message you want.

7:5 - And Baruch said to him: Can you carry this message to Jeremiah in Babylon?

7:6 - And the eagle said to him: Indeed, it was for this reason I was sent.

7:7 - And Baruch took the letter, and 15 figs from Abimelech's basket, and tied them to the eagle's neck and said to him: I say to you, king of the birds, go in peace with good health and carry the message for me.

7:8 - Do not be like the raven which Noah sent out and which never came back to him in the ark; but be like the dove which, the third time, brought a report to the righteous one.

7:9 - So you also, take this good message to Jeremiah and to those in bondage with him, that it may be well with you-take this papyrus to the people and to the chosen one of God.

7:10 - Even if all the birds of heaven surround you and want to fight with you, struggle -- the Lord will give you strength.

7:11 - And do not turn aside to the right or to the left, but straight as a speeding arrow, go in the power of God, and the glory of the Lord will be with you the entire way.

7:12 - Then the eagle took flight and went away to Babylon, having the letter tied to his neck; and when he arrived he rested on a post outside the city in a desert place.

7:13 - And he kept silent until Jeremiah came along, for he and some of the people were coming out to bury a corpse outside the city.

7:14 - (For Jeremiah had petitioned king Nebuchadnezzar, saying: "Give me a place where I may bury those of my people who have died;" and the king gave it to him.)

7:15 - And as they were coming out with the body, and weeping, they came to where the eagle was.

7:16 - And the eagle cried out in a loud voice, saying: I say to you, Jeremiah the chosen one of God, go and gather together the people and come here so that they may hear a letter which I have brought to you from Baruch and Abimelech.

7:17 - And when Jeremiah heard this, he glorified God; and he went and gathered together the people along with their wives and children, and he came to where the eagle was.

7:18 - And the eagle came down on the corpse, and it revived.

7:19 - (Now this took place so that they might believe.)

7:20 - And all the people were astounded at what had happened, and said: This is the God who appeared to our fathers in the wilderness through Moses, and now he has appeared to us through the eagle.

7:21 - And the eagle said: I say to you, Jeremiah, come, untie this letter and read it to the people -- So he untied the letter and read it to the people.

7:22 - And when the people heard it, they wept and put dust on their heads, and they said to Jeremiah: Deliver us and tell us what to do that we may once again enter our city.

7:23 - And Jeremiah answered and said to them: Do whatever you heard from the letter, and the Lord will lead us into our city.

7:24 - And Jeremiah wrote a letter to Baruch, saying thus: My beloved son, do not be negligent in your prayers, beseeching God on our behalf, that he might direct our way until we come out of the jurisdiction of this lawless king.

7:25 - For you have been found righteous before God, and he did not let you come here, lest you see the affliction which has come upon the people at the hands of the Babylonians.

7:26 - For it is like a father with an only son, who is given over for punishment; and those who see his father and console him cover his face, lest he see how his son is being punished, and be even more ravaged by grief.

7:27 - For thus God took pity on you and did not let you enter Babylon lest you see the affliction of the people.

7:28 - For since we came here, grief has not left us, for 66 years today.

7:29 - For many times when I went out I found some of the people hung up by king Nebuchadnezzar, crying and saying: "Have mercy on us, God-ZAR!"

7:30 - When I heard this, I grieved and cried with two-fold mourning, not only because they were hung up, but because they were calling on a foreign God, saying "Have mercy on us."

7:31 - But I remembered days of festivity which we celebrated in Jerusalem before our captivity; and when I remembered, I groaned, and returned to my house wailing and weeping.

7:32 - Now, then, pray in the place where you are -- you and Abimelech -- for this people, that they may listen to my voice and to the decrees of my mouth, so that we may depart from here.

7:33 - For I tell you that the entire time that we have spent here they have kept us in subjection, saying: Recite for us a song from the songs of Zion [see Ps 136.3c/4] -- the song of your God.

7:34 - And we reply to them: How shall we sing for you since we are in a foreign land? [Ps 136.4]

7:35 - And after this, Jeremiah tied the letter to the eagle's neck, saying: Go in peace, and may the Lord watch over both of us.

7:36 - And the eagle took flight and came to Jerusalem and gave the letter to Baruch; and when he had untied it he read it and kissed it and wept when he heard about the distresses and afflictions of the people.