Baruch, 4

1. This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law that endureth for ever: all they that keep it shall come to life; but such as leave it shall die.

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. Turn thee, O Jacob, and take hold of it: walk in the presence of the light thereof, that thou mayest be illuminated.

2. Come back, Jacob, and embrace her, walk towards brightness under her light.

3. Give not thine honour to another, nor the things that are profitable unto thee to a strange nation.

3. Do not give up what is your glory or sell your privileges to any strange nation.

4. O Israel, happy are we: for things that are pleasing to God are made known unto us.

4. We are fortunate, O Israel, for we know what pleases the Lord!

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

5. Take courage, my people, you who preserve the memory of Israel.

6. Ye were sold to the nations, not for [your] destruction: but because ye moved God to wrath, ye were delivered unto the enemies.

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 ye provoked him that made you by sacrificing unto devils, and not to God.

7. For you displeased your Creator in sacrificing to demons and not to God.

8. Ye have forgotten the everlasting God, that brought you up; and ye have grieved Jerusalem, that nursed you.

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 when she saw the wrath of God coming upon you, she said, Hearken, O ye that dwell about Sion: God hath brought upon me great mourning;

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

10. I have seen the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal one brought on them.

11. With joy did I nourish them; but sent them away with weeping and mourning.

11. I had nurtured them in joy; with tears and sadness I saw them leave.

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

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 knew not his statutes, nor walked in the ways of his commandments, nor trod in the paths of discipline in his righteousness.

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

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 hath brought a nation upon them from far, a shameless nation, and of a strange language, who neither reverenced old man, nor pitied child.

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. These have carried away the dear beloved children of the widow, and left her that was alone desolate without daughters.

16. they took away the only son of the widow, as well as her daughter, and left her alone.

17. But what can I help you?

17. But as for myself, how can I help you?

18. For he that brought these plagues upon you will deliver you from the hands of your enemies.

18. He who caused these evils to come upon you will deliver you from the hands of your enemies.

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

19. Well, my children, go on your way; as for me, I am left alone.

20. I have put off the clothing of peace, and put upon me the sackcloth of my prayer: I will cry unto the Everlasting in my days.

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. Be of good cheer, O my children, cry unto the Lord, and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemies.

21. Come, take courage, my children, cry out to God. He will deliver you from the violence of the enemy.

22. For my hope is in the Everlasting, that he will save you; and joy is come unto me from the Holy One, because of the mercy which shall soon come unto you from the Everlasting our Saviour.

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. For I sent you out with mourning and weeping: but God will give you to me again with joy and gladness for ever.

23. In tears and mourning, I saw you leave, but in joy and gladness God will bring you back to me forever.

24. Like as now the neighbours of Sion have seen your captivity: so shall they see shortly your salvation from our God which shall come upon you with great glory, and brightness of the Everlasting.

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. My children, suffer patiently the wrath that is come upon you from God: for thine enemy hath persecuted thee; but shortly thou shalt see his destruction, and shalt tread upon his neck.

25. Children, bear patiently this punishment which came on you from God. The enemy has persecuted you, but you will soon see his downfall and you will trample him underfoot.

26. My delicate ones have gone rough ways, and were taken away as a flock caught of the enemies.

26. My well-beloved children have walked by difficult paths, carried off like a herd stolen by enemies.

27. Be of good comfort, O my children, and cry unto God: for ye shall be remembered of him that brought these things upon you.

27. Take courage, my children, cry out to God, for he who sent you into exile will remember you.

28. For as it was your mind to go astray from God: so, being returned, seek him ten times more.

28. Thus, as you distanced yourself from God, return to him and seek him ten times more earnestly.

29. For he that hath brought these plagues upon you shall bring you everlasting joy with your salvation.

29. For he who caused these evils to fall on you will bring you salvation and eternal joy.

30. Take a good heart, O Jerusalem: for he that gave thee that name will comfort thee.

30. Take courage, Jerusalem. He who has named you will console you.

31. Miserable are they that afflicted thee, and rejoiced at thy fall.

31. Cursed be those who did evil to you and rejoiced in your downfall.

32. Miserable are the cities which thy children served: miserable is she that received thy sons.

32. Cursed be those cities in which your children were slaves, cursed the nation in which they had to live.

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

33. Just as that nation rejoiced in your downfall and took pleasure in your destruction so will she be afflicted and destroyed.

34. For I will take away the rejoicing of her great multitude, and her pride shall be turned into mourning.

34. I will take from her the joy of being a numerous people; her pride will be turned into mourning.

35. For fire shall come upon her from the Everlasting, long to endure; and she shall be inhabited of devils for a great time.

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. O Jerusalem, look about thee toward the east, and behold the joy that cometh unto thee from God.

36. Jerusalem, look towards the East, and see the joy which is coming to you from God.

37. Lo, thy sons come, whom thou sentest away, they come gathered together from the east to the west by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.

37. Look, your sons who were scattered are returning. 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.