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1 This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law that endureth for ever: all they that hold it fast are appointed to life; but such as leave it shall die. 2 Turn thee, O Jacob, and take hold of it: walk towards her shining in the presence of the light thereof. 3 Give not thy glory to another, nor the things that are profitable unto thee to a strange nation. 4 O Israel, happy are we: for the things that are pleasing to God are made known unto us. 5 Be of good cheer, my people, the memorial of Israel. 6 Ye were sold to the nations, but not for destruction: because ye moved God to wrath, ye were delivered unto your adversaries. 7 For ye provoked him that made you by sacrificing unto demons, and not to God. 8 Ye forgat the everlasting God, that brought you up; ye grieved also Jerusalem, that nursed you. 9 For she saw the wrath that is come upon you from God, and said, Hearken, ye women that dwell about Sion: for God hath brought upon me great mourning; 10 for I have seen the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting hath brought upon them. 11 For with joy did I nourish them; but sent them away with weeping and mourning. 12 Let no man rejoice over me, a widow, and forsaken of many: for the sins of my children am I left desolate; because they turned aside from the law of God, 13 and had no regard to his statutes, neither walked they in the ways of God’s commandments, nor trod in the paths of discipline in his righteousness. 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. 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. 16 And they have carried away the dear beloved sons of the widow, and left her that was alone desolate of her daughters. 17 But I, what can I help you? 18 For he that brought these plagues upon you will deliver you from the hand of your enemies. 19 Go your way, O my children, go your way: for I am left desolate. 20 I have put off the garment of peace, and put upon me the sackcloth of my petition: I will cry unto the Everlasting as long as I live. 21 Be of good cheer, O my children, cry unto God, and he shall deliver you from the power and hand of the enemies. 22 For I have trusted 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 your Saviour. 23 For I sent you out with mourning and weeping: but God will give you to me again with joy and gladness for ever. 24 For like as now they that dwell about 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. 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 their necks. 26 My delicate ones have gone rough ways; they were taken away as a flock carried off by the enemies. 27 Be of good cheer, O my children, and cry unto God: for ye shall be remembered of him that hath brought these things upon you. 28 For as it was your mind to go astray from God: so, return and seek him ten times more. 29 For he that brought these plagues upon you shall bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation. 30 Be of good cheer, O Jerusalem: for he that called thee by name will comfort thee. 31 Miserable are they that afflicted thee, and rejoiced at thy fall. 32 Miserable are the cities which thy children served: miserable is she that received thy sons. 33 For as she rejoiced at thy fall, and was glad of thy ruin: so shall she be grieved for her own desolation. 34 And I will take away her exultation in her great multitude, and her boasting shall 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.
36 O Jerusalem, look about thee toward the east, and behold the joy that cometh unto thee from God. 37 Lo, thy sons come, whom thou sentest away, they come gathered together from the east to the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.
* 4:15 Another reading is, for they. † 4:22 Or, from your everlasting Saviour ‡ 4:24 Another reading is, your. § 4:35 Gr. demons.