1 Wisdom is found in the book of God's laws and teachings, and they will last forever. Everyone who follows Wisdom will live, but those who ignore her will die. 2People of Israel, you must turn to Wisdom and keep her with you always. Her light shines brightly, so walk toward it. 3Don't give away to any other nation the glorious Wisdom that rightfully belongs to you. 4We should celebrate, because we are the people of Israel, the only ones who know what pleases God.

God Will Save Israel

5Be brave, my people. Keep Israel's name alive! 6You were not sold to enemy nations to be destroyed. Instead, those nations dragged you away as captives because you did things that God hated. 7God is your Creator, yet you made him angry by offering sacrifices to demons instead of to him. 8You rejected the eternal God who gave you life. And you caused much sadness for Jerusalem, the city that was a mother to you. 9When she saw God punish you in anger, she said:

Listen to me, you nearby towns. God has made me very sad, 10because I have watched my children Israel being dragged away to foreign nations. The eternal God has done this to punish them! 11I was very happy raising my children, but now I cry and mourn while they are taken from me. 12Please don't be happy about my sadness. I am a widow and a deserted city--all of my children have been forced to leave because they rejected God's Law. 13They ignored and refused to obey his teachings. His laws would have helped them live right, yet my children simply refused to obey.

14Come and see how the eternal God has punished my children by leading them away as captives! 15God brought a cruel and foreign nation here, and it had no pity on anyone, whether young or old. 16That nation stole my sons and daughters, and now I am a lonely widow.

17As for you, my children Israel, I can do nothing to help you. 18God punished you in these terrible ways, and now only God can rescue you from your enemies. 19 Go on with your life, my children--I am alone. 20I have taken off the clothes I wore during my time of peace, and I have put on the clothes that show I am in mourning. I will cry out to the eternal God until the day I die.

21Be brave, my children, and beg God to help you! He is the one who will rescue you from your powerful enemy. 22I know without a doubt that the Holy and eternal God will save you. In fact, it makes me happy to think that he will soon show you mercy. 23I cried and moaned as I watched you leave, but God will bring you back to me, and I will celebrate and shout forever. 24The neighboring cities also watched while you were taken captive. And soon they will see your eternal God save you with his mighty and glorious power.

25For now, my children, be patient. God has punished you in anger, and your enemies rule over you. Yet soon they will be destroyed, and you will have power over them. 26My dear children, you are suffering now in a foreign nation, like sheep that have been dragged off by an enemy.

27Be brave and cry out to God for help. He has not forgotten you, even though he has done all these things to punish you. 28Just as you were determined to turn away from God in the past, you should be ten times more determined to obey him now. 29The same God who punished you with these disasters will save you and give you never-ending happiness.

God Will Comfort Jerusalem

30City of Jerusalem, be brave! Your God chose you long ago as his own, and he will soon comfort you. 31Disaster will come to those nations who mistreated you and celebrated your destruction. 32The cities that made your children their slaves will one day be miserable, and the city of Babylon, where your people now live, will suffer pain. 33Babylon was glad when you fell and were destroyed; now she will moan at her own destruction. 34God will turn her pride into mourning, and she will no longer be proud of her great people. 35The eternal God will send down fire, and she will burn for days and days, until nothing can live there except demons.

36-37Jerusalem, look toward the east and be glad, because God is bringing your children home! They were once dragged away as captives, yet at his command they are now gathered together from the east and the west and are praising God's glorious power.