The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 02
1 It is also found in the records that
Jeremiah the prophet commanded those
who were carried away to take some ofthe
fire, as has been mentioned,
2 and how that the prophet charged
those who were carried away, having
given them the law, that they should not
forget the statutes of the Lord or be led
astray in their minds when they saw images
of gold and silver, and their adornment.
3 With other such words exhorted he
them, that the law should not depart from
their hearts.
4 It was in the writing that the prophet,
being warned by God, commanded that
the tabernacle and the ark should follow
with him,† when he went out to the mountain
where Moses had gone up and saw
God’s inheritance.
5 Jeremiah came and found a cave, he
brought the tabernacle, the ark, and the
altar of incense into it; then he sealed the
entrance.
6 Some of those who followed with him
came there that they might mark the way,
and could not find it.
7 But when Jeremiah learned about that,
he rebuked them, saying, “The place shall
be unknown until God gathers the people
together again and shows mercy.
8 Then the Lord will disclose these
things, and the glory of the Lord shall be
seen with the cloud, as it was also shown
to Moses, also as Solomon implored that
the place might be consecrated greatly,
9 and it was also declared that he, having
wisdom, offered a sacrifice of dedication,
and of the finishing of the temple.
10 As Moses prayed to the Lord and fire
came down out of heaven and consumed
the sacrifice, even so Solomon also prayed,
and the fire came down and consumed the
burnt offerings.
11 ‡Moses said, ‘Because the sin offering
had not been eaten, it was consumed in
like manner.’
12 Likewise Solomon kept the eight
days.
13 The same things were reported both
in the public archives and in Nehemiah’s
records, and also how he, founding a library,
gathered together the books about
the kings and prophets, and the writings
of David, and letters of kings about sacred gifts.
14 In like manner Judas also gathered
together for us all those books that had
been scattered by reason of the war, and
they are still with us.
15 If therefore you have need of them,
send some people to bring them to you.
16 Seeing then that we are about to celebrate
the purification, we write to you. You
will therefore do well if you celebrate the days.
17 Now God, who saved all his people,
and restored the heritage to all, with the
kingdom, the priesthood, and the consecration,
18 even as he promised through the law—
in God have we hope, that he will soon
have mercy upon us, and gather us together
out of everywhere under heaven
into his holy place; for he delivered us out
of great evils, and purified the place.
19 Now the things concerning Judas Maccabaeus and
his brothers, the purification of the greatest
temple, the dedication of the altar,
20 and further the wars against Antiochus
Epiphanes and Eupator his son,
21 and the manifestations that came
from heaven to those who fought with one
another in brave deeds for the religion of
the Jews; so that, being but a few, they
seized the whole country, chased the
barbarous multitudes,
22 recovered again the temple renowned
all the world over, freed the city,
and restored the laws which were
about to be overthrown, seeing the Lord
became gracious to them with all kindness.
23 These things which have been declared
by Jason of Cyrene in five books, we
will attempt to abridge in one book.
24 For having in view the confused mass
of the numbers, and the§ difficulty which
awaits those who would enter into the
narratives of the history, by reason of the
abundance of the matter,
25 we were carefulthatthose who choose
to read may be attracted, and that those
who wish us well may find it easy to recall,
and that all readers may benefit.
26 Although to us, who have taken upon
ourselves the painful labor of the abridgement,
the task is not easy, but a matter of
sweat and sleeplessness,
27 even as it is no light thing to him who
prepares a banquet, and seeks the benefit
of others. Nevertheless, for the sake of
the gratitude of the many we will gladly
endure the painful labor,
28 leaving to the historian the exact handling
of every particular, and again having
no strength to fill in the outlines of our
abridgement.
29 For as the masterbuilder of a new
house must care for the whole structure,
and again he who undertakes to decorate
and paint it must seek out the things fit for
its adorning; even so I think it is also with us.
30 To occupy the ground, and to indulge
in long discussions, and to be curious in
particulars, is fitting for the first author of
the history;
31 but to strive after brevity of expression,
and to avoid a labored fullness in
the treatment, is to be granted to him who
would bring a writing into a new form.
32 Here then let’s begin the narration,
only adding this much to that which has
already been said; for it is a foolish thing
to make a long prologue to the history, and
to abridge the history itself.