Baruch

1This 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.

2Return, O Jacob, and take hold of it, walk in the way by its brightness, in the presence of the light thereof.

3Give not thy honour to another, nor thy dignity to a strange nation.

4We are happy, O Israel: because the things that are pleasing to God, are made known to us.

5Be of good comfort, O people of God, the memorial of Israel:

6You have been sold to the Gentiles, not for your destruction: but because you provoked God to wrath, you are delivered to your adversaries.

7For you have provoked him who made you, the eternal God, offering sacrifice to devils, and not to God.

8For you have forgotten God, who brought you up, and you have grieved Jerusalem that nursed you.

9For 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:

10For I have seen the captivity of my people, of my sons, and my daughters, which the Eternal hath brought upon them.

11For I nourished them with joy: but I sent them away with weeping and mourning.

12Let 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.

13And 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.

14Let them that dwell about Sion come, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal hath brought upon them.

15For he hath brought a nation upon them from afar, a wicked nation, and of a strange tongue:

16Who 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.

17But as for me, what help can I give you?

18But he that hath brought the evils upon you, he will deliver you out of the hands of your enemies.

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

20I 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.

21Be of good comfort, my children, cry to the Lord, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the princes your enemies.

22For 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.

23For I sent you forth with mourning and weeping: but the Lord will bring you back to me with joy and gladness for ever.

24For 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.

25My 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.

26My delicate ones have walked rough ways, for they were taken away as a flock made a prey by the enemies.

27Be of good comfort, my children, and cry to the Lord: for you shall be remembered by him that hath led you away.

28For as it was your mind to go astray from God; so when you return again you shall seek him ten times as much.

29For he that hath brought evils upon you, shall bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation.

30Be of good heart, O Jerusalem: for he exhorteth thee, that named thee.

31The wicked that have afflicted thee, shall perish: and they that have rejoiced at thy ruin, shall be punished.

32The cities which thy children have served, shall be punished: and she that received thy sons.

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

34And the joy of her multitude shall be cut off: and her gladness shall be turned to mourning.

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

36Look about thee, O Jerusalem, towards the east, and behold the joy that cometh to thee from God.

37For 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.

1còn ai lìa bỏ ắt sẽ phải chết.

2mà tiến bước về chốn huy hoàng !

3đặc ân của ngươi, đừng trao cho dân ngoại.

4vì được biết những gì làm đẹp lòng Thiên Chúa !

5Hỡi những kẻ mang danh Ít-ra-en !

6âu cũng vì đã chọc giận Thiên Chúa.

7các ngươi đã khiêu khích Đấng tạo dựng nên mình.

8các ngươi làm cho mẹ phải buồn sầu ;

9Thiên Chúa đã giáng xuống trên tôi một nỗi buồn thê thảm.

10Đấng Vĩnh Hằng giáng xuống trên con trai con gái của tôi.

11nay đành phải buồn sầu ứa lệ để cho chúng ra đi.

12chỉ vì con cái tôi phạm tội, lìa bỏ Lề Luật của Thiên Chúa :

13phù hợp với sự công chính của Thiên Chúa.

14Đấng Vĩnh Hằng giáng xuống trên con trai, con gái của tôi.

15già không nể, trẻ không thương.

16bà chỉ còn trơ trọi một mình, mất luôn cả con gái.

17Các con ơi, làm sao mẹ giúp các con bây giờ ?

18chính Người sẽ cứu các con khỏi tay thù địch.

19Đi đi các con, đi đi thôi, mẹ đành phải ở lại một mình !

20mẹ sẽ gào lên Đấng Vĩnh Hằng.

21khỏi quân bạo tàn, khỏi tay thù địch.

22sắp đem đến cho chúng con.

23mẹ con mình sẽ mãi mãi vui sướng hân hoan.

24Đấng Vĩnh Hằng sẽ ban ơn cứu độ cho chúng con.

25nó sẽ bị ngươi đạp đầu đạp cổ–.

26bị quân thù đánh cướp, bắt đem đi.

27vì Đấng đã giáng hoạ sẽ lại nhớ đến các con.

28các con phải nỗ lực gấp mười mà tìm kiếm Chúa.

29chính Người sẽ giải thoát mà ban cho các con niềm vui vĩnh cửu.

30Đấng đã đặt tên cho ngươi sẽ mang lại cho ngươi niềm an ủi.

31và vui sướng vì ngươi sụp đổ !

32Khốn cho thành cướp đoạt con cái ngươi !

33khi chính nó trở nên đống hoang tàn.

34thì rồi ra phải ủ dột buồn sầu.

35nó sẽ thành sào huyệt của quỷ ma.

36niềm vui Thiên Chúa gửi cho ngươi.

37hân hoan vì được vinh quang Thiên Chúa ở cùng.