Alexander the Great

¹This history begins when Alexander the Great, son of Philip of Macedonia, marched from Macedonia and attacked Darius, king of Persia and Media. Alexander enlarged the Greek Empire by defeating Darius and seizing his throne.

²He fought many battles, captured fortified cities, and put the kings of the region to death.

³As he advanced to the ends of the earth, he plundered many nations; and when he had conquered the world, he became proud and arrogant.

⁴By building up a strong army, he dominated whole nations and their rulers, and forced everyone to pay him taxes.

^5-7When Alexander had been emperor for twelve years, he fell ill and realized that he was about to die. He called together his generals, noblemen who had been brought up with him since his early childhood, and he divided his empire, giving a part to each of them.

⁸After his death, the generals took control,

⁹and each had himself crowned king of his own territory. The descendants of these kings ruled for many generations and brought a great deal of misery on the world.

Antiochus Epiphanes and the Renegade Jews

¹⁰The wicked ruler Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus the Third of Syria, was a descendant of one of Alexander's generals. Antiochus Epiphanes had been a hostage in Rome before he became king of Syria in the year 137.

¹¹At that time there appeared in the land of Israel a group of traitorous Jews who had no regard for the Law and who had a bad influence on many of our people. They said, Let's come to terms with the Gentiles, for our refusal to associate with them has brought us nothing but trouble.

¹²This proposal appealed to many people,

¹³and some of them became so enthusiastic about it that they went to the king and received from him permission to follow Gentile customs.

¹⁴They built in Jerusalem a stadium like those in the Greek cities.

¹⁵They had surgery performed to hide their circumcision, abandoned the holy covenant, started associating with Gentiles, and did all sorts of other evil things.

Antiochus Attacks Egypt

¹⁶When Antiochus had firmly established himself as king, he decided to conquer Egypt and rule that country as well as Syria.

¹⁷He invaded Egypt with a large fleet of ships and a powerful army, including chariots, elephants, and cavalry.

¹⁸When the attack came, King Ptolemy of Egypt turned and fled, and many of his soldiers were killed.

¹⁹Antiochus was able to capture the fortified cities of Egypt and plunder the whole land.

Antiochus Persecutes the Jews

²⁰In the year 143, after the conquest of Egypt, Antiochus marched with a great army against the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.

²¹In his arrogance, he entered the Temple and took away the gold altar, the lampstand with all its equipment,

²²the table for the bread offered to the Lord, the cups and bowls, the gold fire pans, the curtain, and the crowns. He also stripped all the gold from the front of the Temple

²³and carried off the silver and gold and everything else of value, including all the treasures that he could find stored there.

²⁴Then he took it all to his own country. He had also murdered many people and boasted arrogantly about it.

²⁵There was great mourning everywhere in the land of Israel.

²⁶Rulers and leaders groaned in sorrow. Young men and young women grew weak. The beauty of our women faded.

²⁷Every bridegroom sang a funeral song, and every bride sat mourning in her room.

²⁸All our people were clothed with shame, and our land trembled for them.

²⁹Two years later Antiochus sent a large army from Mysia against the towns of Judea. When the soldiers entered Jerusalem,

³⁰their commander spoke to the people, offering them terms of peace and completely deceiving them. Then he suddenly launched a fierce attack on the city, dealing it a major blow and killing many of the people.

³¹He plundered the city, set it on fire, and tore down its buildings and walls.

³²He and his army took the women and children as prisoners and seized the cattle.

³³Then Antiochus and his forces built high walls and strong towers in the area north of the Temple, turning it into a fort.

³⁴They brought in a group of traitorous Jews and installed them there.

³⁵They also brought in arms and supplies and stored in the fort all the loot that they had taken in Jerusalem. This fort became a great threat to the city.

³⁶The fort was a threat to the Temple, a constant, evil menace for Israel.

³⁷Innocent people were murdered around the altar; the Holy Place was defiled by murderers.

³⁸The people of Jerusalem fled in fear, and the city became a colony of foreigners. Jerusalem was foreign to its own people, who had been forced to abandon the city.

³⁹Her Temple was as empty as a wilderness; her festivals were turned into days of mourning, her Sabbath joy into shame. Her honor became an object of ridicule.

⁴⁰Her shame was as great as her former glory, and her pride was turned into deepest mourning.

^41-43Antiochus now issued a decree that all nations in his empire should abandon their own customs and become one people. All the Gentiles and even many of the Israelites submitted to this decree. They adopted the official pagan religion, offered sacrifices to idols, and no longer observed the Sabbath.

⁴⁴The king also sent messengers with a decree to Jerusalem and all the towns of Judea, ordering the people to follow customs that were foreign to the country.

⁴⁵He ordered them not to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, or wine offerings in the Temple, and commanded them to treat Sabbaths and festivals as ordinary work days.

⁴⁶They were even ordered to defile the Temple and the holy things in it.

⁴⁷They were commanded to build pagan altars, temples, and shrines, and to sacrifice pigs and other unclean animals there.

⁴⁸They were forbidden to circumcise their sons and were required to make themselves ritually unclean in every way they could,

⁴⁹so that they would forget the Law which the Lord had given through Moses and would disobey all its commands.

⁵⁰The penalty for disobeying the king's decree was death.

⁵¹The king not only issued the same decree throughout his whole empire, but he also appointed officials to supervise the people and commanded each town in Judea to offer pagan sacrifices.

⁵²Many of the Jews were ready to forsake the Law and to obey these officials. They defiled the land with their evil,

⁵³and their conduct forced all true Israelites to hide wherever they could.

⁵⁴On the fifteenth day of the month of Kislev in the year 145, King Antiochus set up The Awful Horror on the altar of the Temple, and pagan altars were built in the towns throughout Judea.

⁵⁵Pagan sacrifices were offered in front of houses and in the streets.

⁵⁶Any books of the Law which were found were torn up and burned,

⁵⁷and anyone who was caught with a copy of the sacred books or who obeyed the Law was put to death by order of the king.

⁵⁸Month after month these wicked people used their power against the Israelites caught in the towns.

⁵⁹On the twenty-fifth of the month, these same evil people offered sacrifices on the pagan altar erected on top of the altar in the Temple.

⁶⁰Mothers who had allowed their babies to be circumcised were put to death in accordance with the king's decree.

⁶¹Their babies were hung around their necks, and their families and those who had circumcised them were put to death.

⁶²But many people in Israel firmly resisted the king's decree and refused to eat food that was ritually unclean.

⁶³They preferred to die rather than break the holy covenant and eat unclean food—and many did die.

⁶⁴In his anger God made Israel suffer terribly.

In Praise of Wisdom

¹The Law, the Prophets, and the later writers have left us a wealth of valuable teachings, and we should praise Israel for the instruction and wisdom they provide. But it is not enough that those who read them should gain understanding for themselves. Anyone who values learning should be able to help others by what he himself says and writes. That is why my grandfather Jesus devoted himself to reading the Law, the Prophets, and the other books of our ancestors. After he had mastered them, he was led to write a book of his own in order to share his wisdom and learning with others, so that anyone who shared his love for learning should have his book available as well, and be all the more able to live according to the Law. Let me urge you, then, to read this book carefully and with an open mind. And please be patient in those places where, in spite of all my diligent efforts, I may not have translated some phrases vry well. What was originally written in Hebrew does not always have exactly the same sense when it is translated into another language. That is true not only of this book, but even of the Law itself, the Prophets, and the other books. The translations differ quite a bit from the original. I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of King Euergetes' reign and stayed for some time. While I was there, I had the opportunity for a good deal of study and felt the necessity of translating the following book. I wanted to use all my diligence and skill to complete it and make it available for all those living in foreign lands who wish to learn and who have the strength of character to live by the Law of Moses. All wisdom comes from the Lord, and Wisdom is with him forever.

²Who can count raindrops or the sand along the shore? Who can count the days of eternity?

³How high is the sky? How wide is the earth? How deep is the ocean? How profound is Wisdom? Can anyone find answers to these questions?

⁴Wisdom was created before anything else; understanding has always existed.

⁶Has anyone ever been shown where Wisdom originates? Does anyone understand her subtle cleverness?

⁸There is only one who is wise, and we must stand in awe before his throne.

⁹The Lord himself created Wisdom; he saw her and recognized her value, and so he filled everything he made with Wisdom.

¹⁰He gave some measure of Wisdom to everyone, but poured her out on those who love him.

¹¹If you fear the Lord, honor and pride will be yours; you will be crowned with happiness and joy.

¹²To honor the Lord is a heartfelt delight; it will give you a long and happy life,

¹³and at the end of your days all will go well for you. God will bless you on the day of your death.

¹⁴To fear the Lord is the first step to Wisdom. Wisdom is given to the faithful in their mothers' wombs.

¹⁵She has lived with us from ancient times, and generations to come will rely on her.

¹⁶To fear the Lord is Wisdom at her fullest; she satisfies us completely with her gifts

¹⁷and fills our homes and our barns with all that our hearts can desire.

¹⁸To fear the Lord is the flower of Wisdom that blossoms with peace and good health.

¹⁹She sends knowledge and understanding like the rain, and increases the honor of those who receive her.

²⁰To fear the Lord is the root of Wisdom; her branches are long life.

Self-control

²²There is no excuse for unjustified anger; it can bring about your downfall.

²³Wait and be patient, and later you will be glad you did.

²⁴Keep quiet until the right time to speak, and you will gain a reputation for good sense.

Wisdom and Reverence for God

²⁵Wisdom has a treasury of wise sayings, but sinners have nothing but contempt for godliness.

²⁶If you want to be wise, keep the Lord's commands, and he will give you Wisdom in abundance.

²⁷Fearing the Lord is Wisdom and an education in itself. He is pleased by loyalty and humility.

²⁸Be faithful in the practice of your religion; when you worship the Lord, do it with all your heart.

²⁹Be careful about what you say, and don't be a hypocrite.

³⁰Don't be arrogant; you may suffer a fall and be disgraced. The Lord will reveal your secrets and humble you in front of everyone in the synagogue, because you did not come there with reverence for the Lord, but with a heart full of hypocrisy.

Faithfulness to God

¹My child, if you are going to serve the Lord, be prepared for times when you will be put to the test.

²Be sincere and determined. Keep calm when trouble comes.

³Stay with the Lord; never abandon him, and you will be prosperous at the end of your days.

⁴Accept whatever happens to you. Even if you suffer humiliation, be patient.

⁵Gold is tested by fire, and human character is tested in the furnace of humiliation.

⁶Trust the Lord, and he will help you. Walk straight in his ways, and put your hope in him.

⁷All you that fear the Lord, wait for him to show you his mercy. Do not turn away from him, or you will fall.

⁸All you that fear the Lord, trust him, and you will certainly be rewarded.

⁹All you that fear the Lord, look forward to his blessings of mercy and eternal happiness.

¹⁰Think back to the ancient generations and consider this: has the Lord ever disappointed anyone who put his hope in him? Has the Lord ever abandoned anyone who held him in constant reverence? Has the Lord ever ignored anyone who prayed to him?

¹¹The Lord is kind and merciful; he forgives our sins and keeps us safe in time of trouble.

¹²But those who lose their nerve are doomed—all those sinners who try to have it both ways!

¹³Doom is sure to come for those who lose their courage; they have no faith, and so they will have no protection.

¹⁴Doom is sure to come for those who lose their hope. What will they do when the Lord comes to judge them?

¹⁵Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his commands; those who love him will live as he wants them to live.

¹⁶Those who fear and love the Lord will try to please him and devote themselves to the Law.

¹⁷Those who fear the Lord are always ready to serve him. They humble themselves before him, and say,

¹⁸We place our destiny in the hands of the Lord, not in human hands, because his mercy is as great as his majesty.

Duties to Parents

¹Children, listen to me; I am your father. Do what I tell you and you will be safe,

²for the Lord has given fathers authority over their children and given children the obligation to obey their mothers.

³If you respect your father, you can make up for your sins,

⁴and if you honor your mother, you are earning great wealth.

⁵If you respect your father, one day your own children will make you happy; the Lord will hear your prayers.

⁶If you obey the Lord by honoring your father and making your mother happy, you will live a long life.

⁷Obey your parents as if you were their slave.

⁸Honor your father in everything you do and say, so that you may receive his blessing.

⁹When parents give their blessing, they give strength to their children's homes, but when they curse their children, they destroy the very foundations.

¹⁰Never seek honor for yourself at your father's expense; it is not to your credit if he is dishonored.

¹¹Your own honor comes from the respect that you show to your father. If children do not honor their mothers, it is their own disgrace.

¹²My child, take care of your father when he grows old; give him no cause for worry as long as he lives.

¹³Be sympathetic even if his mind fails him; don't look down on him just because you are strong and healthy.

¹⁴The Lord will not forget the kindness you show to your father; it will help you make up for your sins.

¹⁵When you are in trouble, the Lord will remember your kindness and will help you; your sins will melt away like frost in warm sunshine.

¹⁶Those who abandon their parents or give them cause for anger may as well be cursing the Lord; they are already under the Lord's curse.

Humility

¹⁷My child, be humble in everything you do, and people will appreciate it more than gifts.

¹⁸The greater you become, the more humble you should be; then the Lord will be pleased with you.

²⁰The Lord's power is great, and he is honored by those who are humble.

²¹Don't try to understand things that are too hard for you, or investigate matters that are beyond your power to know.

²²Concentrate on the Law, which has been given to you. You do not need to know about things which the Lord has not revealed,

²³so don't concern yourself with them. After all, what has been shown to you is beyond human power to understand.

²⁴Many people have been misled by their own opinions; their wrong ideas have warped their judgment.

²⁶Stubbornness will get you into trouble at the end. If you live dangerously, it will kill you.

²⁷A stubborn person will be burdened down with troubles. Sinners go on adding one sin to another.

²⁸There is no cure for the troubles that arrogant people have; wickedness has taken deep root in them.

²⁹Intelligent people will learn from proverbs and parables. They listen well because they want to learn.

Giving to the Poor

³⁰Giving to the poor can make up for sin, just as water can put out a blazing fire.

³¹Anyone who responds to others with acts of kindness is thinking of the future, because he will find help if he ever falls on hard times.

²⁹Righteous people are sure of themselves; the wicked have to pretend as best they can.

³⁰Human wisdom, brilliance, insight—they are of no help if the Lord is against you.

³¹You can get horses ready for battle, but it is the Lord who gives victory.