1. THIS is the booke of the commandments of God, and the law, that is for euer: al that hold it, shal come to life: but they that haue forsaken it, into death.
2. Returne Iacob, and take hold of it, walke by the way to the brightnes of it, against the light therof.
3. Deliuer not thy glorie to an other, & dignitie to a strange nation.
4. We are blessed o Israel: because the thinges that please God, are manifest to vs.
5. Be of good comfort o people of God, memorable Israel:
6. you are sold to the Gentiles, not into perdition: but for that in anger you prouoked God to wrath, you are deliuered to the aduersaries.
7. For you haue exasperated him, that made you, the eternal God, immolating to divels, and not to God.
8. For you haue forgotten God, who hath nourished you, and your nource Ierusalem you haue made sorowful.
9. For she saw the wrath comming from God to you, and she sayd: Heare ye confines of Sion, for God hath brought me great mourning:
10. For I haue sene the captiuitie of my people, and of my sonnes, and daughters, which the euerlasting hath brought vpon them.
11. For I nourished them with ioyfulnes: but I haue left them with weeping and mourning.
12. Let no man reioyce ouer me a widow, and desolate: I am forsaken of manie for the sinnes of my children, because they haue declined from the law of God.
13. And his iustices they haue not knowne, nor walked by the wayes of Gods commandments, neither haue they entered by the pathes of his truth and iustice.
14. Let the borderers of Sion come, and remember the captiuitie of my sonnes & daughters, which the euerlasting hath brought vpon them.
15. For he hath brought vpon them a nation from afarre, a wicked nation, and of an other tongue:
16. which haue not reuerenced the ancient, nor pitied the children, & haue led away the beloued of the widow, and made the sole woman desolate of children.
17. But as for me what can I helpe you?
18. For he that hath brought the euils vpon you, he wil deliuer you out of the handes of your enemies.
19. walke children, walke: for I am left alone.
20. I haue put of the stole of peace, and I haue put vpon me the sackcloth of prayer, and I wil crie to the Highest in my dayes.
21. Be of good comfort my children, crie to our Lord, and he wil deliuer you out of the hand of the princes your enemies.
22. For I haue hoped in the euerlasting for your saluation: & ioy is come to me from the holie one vpon the mercie, which shal come to you from our euerlasting saviour.
23. For I sent you forth with mourning and weeping: but our Lord wil bring you backe to me with ioy and gladnes for euer.
24. For as the neighbours of Sion haue seene your captiuitie from God: so shal they see also with celeritie your saluation from God, which shal come vpon you with great honour, and euerlasting brightnes.
25. Children patiently sustaine the wrath, which is come vpon you: for thyne enemie hath persecuted thee, but thou shalt quickly see his destruction: and thou shalt get vp vpon his necke.
26. My delicate ones haue walked rough waies, for they are led as a flocke taken violently of the enemies.
27. Be of good comfort children, and crie out to our Lord: for there shal be remembrance of you with him, that hath led you away.
28. For as your minde hath bene to stray from God: ten tymes so much shal you returning againe seeke him.
29. For he that hath brought the euils vpon you, he againe wil bring vnto you euerlasting ioy with your saluation.
30. Be of good comfort Ierusalem: for he exhorteth thee, that named thee.
31. The wicked afflicters shal perish, that haue vexed thee: & they that haue reioyced in thy ruine, shal be punished.
32. The cities which thy children haue serued, shal be punished: and she that receiued thy children.
33. For as she hath reioiced in thy ruine, and bene glad at thy fal: so shal she be made sorrowful in her owne desolation.
34. And the reioycing of her multitude shal be cut of, & her gladnes shal be turned to mourning.
35. For fyre shal come vpon her from the euerlasting in long during dayes, and she shal be inhabited of diuels a great time.
36. Looke about o Ierusalem toward the East, and see the ioy that commeth to thee from God.
37. For behold thy children come, whom thou hast let goe dispersed, they come gathered together from the East euen to the West, in the word of the holie one reioycing to the honor of God.