1 She herself is the book of the commands of God, the law which endures forever.
All who hold fast to her will have life
but those who abandon her will die.
2 Come back, Jacob, and embrace her, walk towards brightness under her light.
3 Do not give up what is your glory or sell your privileges to any strange nation.
4 We are fortunate, O Israel, for we know what pleases the Lord!
Consolation for Jerusalem
5 Take courage, my people, you who preserve the memory of Israel.
6 You have been sold to the nations but not for your destruction; because you had aroused the anger of God, you were delivered to your enemies.
7 For you displeased your Creator in sacrificing to demons and not to God.
8 You have forgotten the Eternal God, the one who nourished you. You have filled Jerusalem with sadness, she who brought you up.
9 For she saw the anger of God fall on you and she said, “Listen, you neighboring cities of Zion, God has sent me a great sorrow.
10 I have seen the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal one brought on them.
11 I had nurtured them in joy; with tears and sadness I saw them leave.
12 Let no one rejoice on seeing me a widow and abandoned by all. Because of the sins of my children I am now alone, because they have turned away from the law of God.
13 They have not remembered its precepts; nor have they walked in the ways of his commandments, and followed the discipline which leads to uprightness.
14 Let them come, the neighbors of Zion, and remember the captivity which the Eternal One laid on my sons and daughters.
15 For he caused a distant nation to come against them, a ruthless nation with an unknown language.
They had no respect for the old, and no pity for the infant;
16 they took away the only son of the widow, as well as her daughter, and left her alone.
17 But as for myself, how can I help you?
18 He who caused these evils to come upon you will deliver you from the hands of your enemies.
19 Well, my children, go on your way; as for me, I am left alone.
20 I have taken off the garment of peace and put on again the sackcloth of penance and prayer. I will cry out to the Eternal One all the rest of my days.
21 Come, take courage, my children, cry out to God. He will deliver you from the violence of the enemy.
22 Because I hoped for your salvation from the Eternal One, joy has come to me from the Holy One, because of the mercy that will come to you soon from the Eternal One, our Savior.
23 In tears and mourning, I saw you leave, but in joy and gladness God will bring you back to me forever.
24 As the neighbors of Zion have seen your captivity so they will soon see your salvation from God, when he manifests to you the great glory and the splendor of the Eternal God.
25 Children, bear patiently this punishment which came on you from God. The enemy has persecuted you, but you will soon see his down fall and you will trample him underfoot.
26 My well-beloved children have walked by difficult paths, carried off like a herd stolen by enemies.
27 Take courage, my children, cry out to God, for he who sent you into exile will re member you.
28 Thus, as you distanced yourself from God, return to him and seek him ten times more earnestly.
29 For he who caused these evils to fall on you will bring you salvation and eternal joy.
30 Take courage, Jerusalem. He who has named you will console you.
31 Cursed be those who did evil to you and rejoiced in your downfall.
32 Cursed be those cities in which your children were slaves, cursed the nation in which they had to live.
33 Just as that nation rejoiced in your downfall and took pleasure in your destruction so will she be afflicted and destroyed.
34 I will take from her the joy of being a numerous people; her pride will be turned into mourning.
35 A fire will descend on her from the Eternal One and burn for many days. She will be inhabited by demons for a long time.
36 Jerusalem, look towards the East, and see the joy which is coming to you from God.
37 Look, your children who were scattered are re turning. They are assembling, coming together, from the East and from the West, at the voice of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.
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Comments Baruch, Chapter 4
• 4.35 Following the laments of verses 5-35, note the ending filled with hope and joy (4:36 –5:9) which resembles chapters 60–62 of Isaiah.