1
In the thirtieth year after the ruin of the city I was in Babylon, and lay troubled upon my bed, and my thoughts came up over my heart:
2
For I saw the desolation of Sion, and the wealth of them that dwelt at Babylon.
3
And my spirit was sore moved, so that I began to speak words full of fear to the most High, and said,
4
O Lord, who bearest rule, thou spakest at the beginning, when thou didst plant the earth, and that thyself alone, and commandedst the people,
5
And gavest a body unto Adam without soul, which was the workmanship of thine hands, and didst breathe into him the breath of life, and he was made living before thee.
6
And thou leadest him into paradise, which thy right hand had planted, before ever the earth came forward.
7
And unto him thou gavest commandment to love thy way: which he transgressed, and immediately thou appointedst death in him and in his generations, of whom came nations, tribes, people, and kindreds, out of number.
8
And every people walked after their own will, and did wonderful things before thee, and despised thy commandments.
9
And again in process of time thou broughtest the flood upon those that dwelt in the world, and destroyedst them.
10
And it came to pass in every of them, that as death was to Adam, so was the flood to these.
11
Nevertheless one of them thou leftest, namely, Noah with his household, of whom came all righteous men.