Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29
5Be ever more peaceful in soul, O people of God, the memorial of Israel. 6You have been sold to the nations, not into destruction, but because of this, in resentment, you provoked God to wrath, and so you have been delivered to adversity. 7For you have exasperated him who made you, the eternal God, by sacrificing to evil spirits, and not to God. 8For you have forgotten God, who nurtured you, and you have saddened Jerusalem, your nurse. 9For she saw the wrath of God approaching you, and she said, “Listen, region of Zion, for God has brought upon me great sorrow. 10For I have seen the captivity of my people, my sons and daughters, which the Eternal has led over them. 11For I nurtured them with joy, but I sent them away with weeping and sorrow. 12Let no one rejoice over me, a widow and a desolation, for I am forsaken by many because of the sins of my sons, because they strayed from the law of God. 13And they have not known his righteousness, nor walked in the ways of the commandments of God, nor have they advanced with justice along the paths of his truth. 14Let the region of Zion approach, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal led over them. 15For he has brought a far away people upon them, a guilty people, and of another language, 16who have not reverenced the aged, nor had mercy on the children, and who have led away the beloved of the widow, leaving me deserted and alone, without sons. 17But as for me, how am I able to help you? 18For he who has brought these evils upon you, will rescue you from the hands of your enemies. 19Walk on, sons, walk on, for I have been abandoned and I am alone. 20I have taken off the garment of peace and have put on the sackcloth of supplication, and I will cry out to the most High in my days. 21Be ever more peaceful, sons. Cry out to the Lord, and he will rescue you from the hand of the hostile leaders. 22For I have placed my hope in your eternal salvation, and joy approaches me from the Holy One, over the mercy which will come to you by our eternal salvation. 23For I sent you forth with sorrow and weeping, but the Lord will restore you to me with joy and gladness for eternity. 24For just as the neighbors of Zion have seen your captivity from God, so also will they soon see your salvation from God, which will overcome you with great honor and eternal splendor. 25Sons, endure patiently the wrath that has come upon you, for your enemy has persecuted you, but you will quickly see his destruction and you will climb over his neck. 26My delicate ones have walked rough ways, for they were regarded as a flock torn apart by enemies. 27Be ever more peaceful in soul, sons, and call out to the Lord, for you will be remembered by him who led you away. 28For as much as you thought to go astray from God, ten times as much again he will require of you when converting. 29For he who led you into evil, he himself will again lead you to eternal happiness with your salvation.”