What does Baruch Chapter 5 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Jerusalem is called from mourning to justice and honor. Enemy-led departure contrasts with promised honorable return. Leveling, shade and joyful guidance accompany the promise.

Chapter breakdown

Baruch 5 calls Jerusalem to remove mourning and affliction and put on God's enduring beauty and honor. The double garment of justice and crown of everlasting honor accompany promised brightness displayed under heaven. Her name is to be peace of justice and honor of piety.

She is commanded to arise, stand on high and look east, seeing children gathered from sunrise to sunset by the holy one's word and rejoicing in remembrance of God. Those who left on foot, led by enemies, are promised return with honor as children of the kingdom. Chains and a completed royal escort are not supplied.

High mountains and everlasting rocks are brought low and valleys made level so Israel walks diligently in God's honor. Woods and every sweet-smelling tree shade Israel by command. God leads in joy, the light of majesty, mercy and justice. The chapter supplies neither a named mountain lookout nor scorching desert heat, a fixed duration of earlier ruin or a guaranteed safe travel itinerary.

The story inside

Opening: Jerusalem is called from mourning to justice and honor. Development: Enemy-led departure contrasts with promised honorable return. Conclusion: Leveling, shade and joyful guidance accompany the promise.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Jerusalem is called from mourning to justice and honor.
2
Enemy-led departure contrasts with promised honorable return.
3
Leveling, shade and joyful guidance accompany the promise.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 90962–90973
5:1. Put off, O Jerusalem, the garment of thy mourning, and affliction: and put on the beauty, and honour of that everlasting glory which thou hast from God. 5:2. God will clothe thee with the double garment of justice, and will set a crown on thy head of everlasting honour. 5:3. For God will shew his brightness in thee, to every one under heaven. 5:4. For thy name shall be named to thee by God for ever: the peace of justice, and honour of piety.
Lines 90975–90982
5:5. Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand on high: and look about towards the east, and behold thy children gathered together from the rising to the setting sun, by the word of the Holy One rejoicing in the remembrance of God. 5:6. For they went out from thee on foot, led by the enemies: but the Lord will bring them to thee exalted with honour as children of the kingdom.
Lines 90984–90992
5:7. For God hath appointed to bring down every high mountain, and the everlasting rocks, and to fill up the valleys to make them even with the ground: that Israel may walk diligently to the honour of God. 5:8. Moreover the woods, and every sweetsmelling tree have overshadowed Israel by the commandment of God. 5:9. For God will bring Israel with joy in the light of his majesty, with mercy, and justice, that cometh from him.