1 hic liber mandatorum Dei et lex quae est in aeternum
omnes qui tenent eam ad vitam
qui autem dereliquerint eam in mortem
2 convertere Iacob et adprehende eam
ambula per viam ad splendorem eius contra lumen eius
3 ne tradas altero gloriam tuam
et dignitatem tuam genti alienae
4 beati sumus Israhel
quoniam quae Deo placent nobis manifesta sunt
5 animaequior esto populus Dei memorabilis Israhel
6 venundati estis gentibus non in perditionem
sed propter quod in ira ad iracundiam provocastis Deum
traditi estis adversariis
7 exacerbastis enim eum qui fecit vos Deum aeternum
immolantes daemoniis et non Deo
8 obliti autem estis eum qui nutrivit vos
et contristastis nutricem vestram Hierusalem
9 vidit enim iracundiam a Deo venientem vobis
et dixit audite confines Sion
adduxit enim mihi Deus luctum magnum
10 vidi enim captivitatem populi mei filiorum meorum et filiarum
quam superduxit illis Aeternus
11 nutrivi enim illos cum iucunditate
dimisi autem illos cum fletu et luctu
12 nemo gaudeat super me viduam et desolatam a multis
derelicta sum propter peccata filiorum meorum
quia declinaverunt a lege Dei
13 iustitias autem ipsius nescierunt
nec ambulaverunt per vias mandatorum Dei
neque per semitas veritatis eius cum iustitias ingressi sunt
14 veniant confines Sion
et memorentur captivitatem filiorum et filiarum mearum
quam superduxit illis Aeternus
15 adduxit enim super illos gentem de longinquo
gentem inprobam et alterius linguae
16 qui non sunt reveriti senem neque puerorum miserti sunt
et abduxerunt dilectos viduae et a filiis unicam desolaverunt
17 ego autem quid possum adiuvare vos
18 qui enim adduxit super vos mala
ipse vos eripiet de manibus inimicorum vestrorum
19 ambulate filii ambulate ego enim derelicta sum sola
20 exui me stola pacis indui autem me sacco obsecrationis
et clamabo ad Altissimum in diebus meis
21 animaequiores estote filii clamate ad Dominum
et eripiet vos de manu principum inimicorum
22 ego enim speravi in Aeternum salutem vestram
et venit mihi gaudium a Sancto
super misericordia quae veniet vobis ab Aeterno salutari nostro
23 emisi enim vos cum luctu et ploratu
reducet autem vos mihi Deus
cum gaudio et iucunditate in sempiternum
24 sicut enim viderunt vicinae Sion captivitatem vestram
sic videbunt et in celeritate salutem vestram a Deo
quae superveniet vobis cum honore magno et splendore aeterno
25 filii patienter sustinete iram quae supervenit vobis
persecutus est enim te inimicus tuus
sed cito videbis perditionem ipsius et super cervices ipsius ascendes
26 delicati mei ambulaverunt vias asperas
ducti sunt enim ut grex direptus ab inimicis
27 animaequiores estote filii et proclamate ad Deum
erit enim memoria vestra ab eo qui ducit vos
28 sicut enim fuit sensus vester ut erraretis a Deo
decies tantum iterum convertentes requiretis eum
29 qui enim induxit vobis mala
ipse rursum adducet vobis sempiternam iucunditatem
cum salute vestra
30 animaequior esto Hierusalem exhortatur enim te qui te nominavit
31 nocentes parebunt qui te vexaverunt
et qui gratulati sunt in tua ruina
punientur
32 civitates quibus servierunt filii tui
punietur quae accepit filios tuos
33 sicut enim gavisa est in tua ruina et laetata est in tuo casu
sic contristabitur in sua desolatione
34 et amputabitur exultatio multitudinis eius
et gaudimonium eius erit in luctum
35 ignis enim superveniet ei ab Aeterno in longiturnis diebus
et habitabitur a daemoniis in multitudinem temporis
36 circumspice Hierusalem ad orientem
et vide iucunditatem a Deo tibi venientem
37 ecce enim veniunt filii tui quos dimisisti dispersos
veniunt collecti ab oriente usque ad occidentem in verbo Sancti
gaudentes in honorem Dei
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.
2 Turn thee, O Jacob, and take hold of it: walk in the presence of the light thereof, that thou mayest be illuminated.
3 Give not thine honour to another, nor the things that are profitable unto thee to a strange nation.
4 O Israel, happy are we: for 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, not for your destruction: but because ye moved God to wrath, ye were delivered unto the enemies.
7 For ye provoked him that made you by sacrificing unto devils, and not to God.
8 Ye have forgotten the everlasting God, that brought you up; and ye have grieved Jerusalem, that nursed you.
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;
10 For I saw the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting brought upon them.
11 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, who for the sins of my children am left desolate; because they departed 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.
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 These have carried away the dear beloved children of the widow, and left her that was alone desolate without daughters.
17 But what can I help you?
18 For he that brought these plagues 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
26 My delicate ones have gone rough ways, and were taken away as a flock caught of the 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.
28 For as it was your mind to go astray from God: so, being returned, seek him ten times more.
29 For he that hath brought these plagues upon you shall bring you everlasting joy with your salvation.
30 Take a good heart, O Jerusalem: for he that gave thee that 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 ruin, and was glad of thy fall: so shall she be grieved for her own desolation.
34 For I will take away the rejoicing of her great multitude, and her pride 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 by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.