The Book of Baruch

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

The prophet exhorts to the keeping of the law of wisdom, and encourages the people to be patient, and to hope for their deliverance.

This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law, that is for ever: all they that keep it, shall come to life: but they that have forsaken it, to death.

Return, O Jacob, and take hold of it, walk in the way by its brightness, in the presence of the light thereof.

Give not thy honour to another, nor thy dignity to a strange nation.

We are happy, O Israel: because the things that are pleasing to God, are made known to us.

Be of good comfort, O people of God, the memorial of Israel:

You have been sold to the Gentiles, not for your destruction: but because you provoked God to wrath, you are delivered to your adversaries.

For you have provoked him who made you, the eternal God, offering sacrifice to devils, and not to God.

For you have forgotten God, who brought you up, and you have grieved Jerusalem that nursed you.

For she saw the wrath of God coming upon you, and she said: Give ear, all you that dwell near Sion, for God hath brought upon me great mourning:

For I have seen the captivity of my people, of my sons, and my daughters, which the Eternal hath brought upon them.

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

Let no man rejoice over me, a widow, and desolate: I am forsaken of many for the sins of my children, because they departed from the law of God.

And they have not known his justices, nor walked by the ways of God’s commandments, neither have they entered by the paths of his truth and justice.

Let them that dwell about Sion come, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal hath brought upon them.

For he hath brought a nation upon them from afar, a wicked nation, and of a strange tongue:

Who have neither reverenced the ancient, nor pitied children, and have carried away the beloved of the widow, and have left me all alone without children.

But as for me, what help can I give you?

But he that hath brought the evils upon you, he will deliver you out of the hands of your enemies.

Go your way, my children, go your way: for I am left alone.

I have put off the robe of peace, and have put upon me the sackcloth of supplication, and I will cry to the most High in my days.

Be of good comfort, my children, cry to the Lord, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the princes your enemies.

For my hope is in the Eternal that he will save you: and joy is come upon me from the Holy One, because of the mercy which shall come to you from our everlasting Saviour.

For I sent you forth with mourning and weeping: but the Lord will bring you back to me with joy and gladness for ever.

For as the neighbours of Sion have now seen your captivity from God: so shall they also shortly see your salvation from God, which shall come upon you with great honour, and everlasting glory.

My children, suffer patiently the wrath that is come upon you: for thy enemy hath persecuted thee, but thou shalt quickly see his destruction: and thou shalt get up upon his neck.

My delicate ones have walked rough ways, for they were taken away as a flock made a prey by the enemies.

Be of good comfort, my children, and cry to the Lord: for you shall be remembered by him that hath led you away.

For as it was your mind to go astray from God; so when you return again you shall seek him ten times as much.

For he that hath brought evils upon you, shall bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation.

Be of good heart, O Jerusalem: for he exhorteth thee, that named thee.

The wicked that have afflicted thee, shall perish: and they that have rejoiced at thy ruin, shall be punished.

The cities which thy children have served, shall be punished: and she that received thy sons.

For as she rejoiced at thy ruin, and was glad of thy fall: so shall she be grieved for her own desolation.

And the joy of her multitude shall be cut off: and her gladness shall be turned to mourning.

For fire shall come upon her from the Eternal, long to endure, and she shall be inhabited by devils for a great time.

Look about thee, O Jerusalem, towards the east, and behold the joy that cometh to thee from God.

For behold thy children come, whom thou sentest away scattered, they come gathered together from the east even to the west, at the word of the Holy One rejoicing for the honour of God.

The prophet exhorts to the keeping of the law of wisdom, and encourages the people to be patient, and to hope for their deliverance.

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.