Read & explore together
The prayer acknowledges the rejected warning about Babylon
This prayer speaks directly to God without claiming honour from earlier generations. It admits that the warning about Babylon was refused and that the judgement announced through the prophets has now taken effect.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
Baruch belongs to the Catholic additional books. In this part of the prayer, the speaker addresses the Lord, recalls words spoken through the prophets, quotes the command to serve the king of Babylon, and then confesses that the people did not listen and now bear the announced consequences.
Baruch 2:19–26Main takeaway
This prayer confesses that the Lord’s warning was ignored and that his spoken judgement has proved true.
Explore the prayer
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01No appeal to family meritThe prayer begins by saying the supplication is not presented because of “the righteousness of our fathers and of our kings”.
Explanation
The prayer begins by saying the supplication is not presented because of “the righteousness of our fathers and of our kings”. That means the speaker is not resting the request on the goodness of earlier generations or rulers. The prayer starts with humility rather than family honour or inherited standing.
02God had spoken through the prophetsThe next lines say wrath and indignation came as God had spoken by his servants the prophets.
Explanation
The next lines say wrath and indignation came as God had spoken by his servants the prophets. The quoted message is clear: they were to bow their shoulders, serve the king of Babylon, and remain in the land given to their fathers. The prayer treats this message as the Lord’s own word.
03The warning if they would not listenThe passage then gives the condition. If they would not hear the voice of the Lord to serve the king of Babylon, joy would cease from the cities of Judah and the region near Jerusalem.
Explanation
The passage then gives the condition. If they would not hear the voice of the Lord to serve the king of Babylon, joy would cease from the cities of Judah and the region near Jerusalem. Mirth, gladness, bridegroom, and bride would be gone, and the land would become desolate without inhabitant.
04The prayer admits the warning came trueThe speaker openly confesses, “we wouldn’t listen to your voice”. Because of that refusal, God has made good the words spoken by the prophets.
Explanation
The speaker openly confesses, “we wouldn’t listen to your voice”. Because of that refusal, God has made good the words spoken by the prophets. The prayer names bones taken from their places, exposure to heat and frost, deaths by famine, sword, and pestilence, and the condition of the house called by God’s name.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What does the prayer refuse to use as the basis for its supplication?
Read Baruch 2:19 closely and notice whose righteousness the prayer does not appeal to.
02What instruction about Babylon is quoted before the warning of judgement?
Look at Baruch 2:21 for the command, then Baruch 2:22 for the consequence if the Lord’s voice was not heard.
03Which details show that the spoken warning had come to pass?
Name the ceased voices and desolation in Baruch 2:23, the bones in Baruch 2:24, the deaths and exposure in Baruch 2:25, and the condition of the house called by God’s name in Baruch 2:26.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Baruch 2:19–26
19For we do not present our supplication before you, O Lord our God, for the righteousness of our fathers and of our kings.
20For you have sent your wrath and your indignation upon us, as you have spoken by your servants the prophets, saying,
21“The Lord says, ‘Bow your shoulders to serve the king of Babylon, and remain in the land that I gave to your fathers.
22But if you won’t hear the voice of the Lord to serve the king of Babylon,
23I will cause to cease out of the cities of Judah and from the region near Jerusalem the voice of mirth, the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. The whole land will be desolate without inhabitant.’ ”
24But we wouldn’t listen to your voice, to serve the king of Babylon. Therefore you have made good your words that you spoke by your servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones of our fathers would be taken out of their places.
25Behold, they are cast out to the heat by day and to the frost by night. They died in great miseries by famine, by sword, and by pestilence.
26You have made the house that is called by your name as it is today because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Judah.