Baruch 4

This is the book of God’s commandments and the law that endures forever. All those who hold it fast will live, but those who leave it will die.

Turn, O Jacob, and take hold of it. Walk toward the shining of its light.

Don’t give your glory to another, nor the things that are to your advantage to a foreign nation.

O Israel, we are happy; for the things that are pleasing to God are made known to us.

Be of good cheer, my people, the memorial of Israel.

You were not sold to the nations for destruction, but because you moved God to wrath, you were delivered to your adversaries.

For you provoked him who made you by sacrificing to demons and not to God.

You forgot the everlasting God who brought you up. You also grieved Jerusalem, who nursed you.

For she saw the wrath that came upon you from God, and said, “Listen, you who dwell near Zion; for God has brought upon me great mourning.

For I have seen the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting has brought upon them.

For with joy I nourished them, but sent them away with weeping and mourning.

Let no man rejoice over me, a widow and forsaken by many. For the sins of my children, I am left desolate, because they turned away from the law of God

and had no regard for his statutes. They didn’t walk in the ways of God’s commandments or tread in the paths of discipline in his righteousness.

Let those who dwell near Zion come and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting has brought upon them.

For he has brought a nation upon them from afar, a shameless nation with a strange language, who didn’t respect old men or pity children.

They have carried away the dear beloved sons of the widow, and left her who was alone desolate of her daughters.”

But I—how can I help you?

For he who brought these calamities upon you will deliver you from the hand of your enemies.

Go your way, O my children. Go your way, for I am left desolate.

I have put off the garment of peace, and put on the sackcloth of my petition. I will cry to the Everlasting as long as I live.

Take courage, my children. Cry to God, and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemies.

For I have trusted in the Everlasting, that he will save you; and joy has come to me from the Holy One, because of the mercy that will soon come to you from your Everlasting Savior.

For I sent you out with mourning and weeping, but God will give you to me again with joy and gladness forever.

For as now those who dwell near Zion have seen your captivity, so they will shortly see your salvation from our God which will come upon you with great glory and brightness of the Everlasting.

My children, suffer patiently the wrath that has come upon you from God, for your enemy has persecuted you; but shortly you will see his destruction and will tread upon their necks.

My delicate ones have traveled rough roads. They were taken away like a flock carried off by enemies.

Take courage, my children, and cry to God; for you will be remembered by him who has brought this upon you.

For as it was your decision to go astray from God, return and seek him ten times more.

For he who brought these calamities upon you will bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation.

Take courage, O Jerusalem, for he who called you by name will comfort you.

Miserable are those who afflicted you and rejoiced at your fall.

Miserable are the cities which your children served. Miserable is she who received your sons.

For as she rejoiced at your fall and was glad of your ruin, so she will be grieved at her own desolation.

And I will take away her pride in her great multitude and her boasting will be turned into mourning.

For fire will come upon her from the Everlasting for many days; and she will be inhabited by demons for a long time.

O Jerusalem, look around you toward the east, and behold the joy that comes to you from God.

Behold, your sons come, whom you sent away. They come gathered together from the east to the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.