ARKCODEX
1 Maccabees
Ch. 2
The Faithfulness of Mattathias
1During that time, a priest of the Jehoiarib family named Mattathias, who was the son of John and the grandson of Simeon, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein.
2Mattathias had five sons: John (also called Gaddi),
3Simon (also called Thassi),
4Judas (also called Maccabeus),
5Eleazar (also called Avaran), and Jonathan (also called Apphus).
6When Mattathias saw all the sins that were being committed in Judea and Jerusalem,
7he said: Why was I born to see these terrible things, the ruin of my people and of the holy city? Must I sit here helpless while the city is surrendered to enemies and the Temple falls into the hands of foreigners?
8The Temple is like someone without honor.
9Its splendid furnishings have been carried away as loot. Our children have been killed in the streets, and our young men by the sword of the enemy.
10Every nation in the world has occupied the city and robbed her of her possessions.
11All her ornaments have been stripped away; she is now a slave, no longer free.
12Look at our Temple, profaned by the Gentiles, emptied of all its splendor.
13Why should we go on living?
14In their grief, Mattathias and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and continued in deep mourning.
15Then the king's officials, who were forcing the people to turn from God, came to the town of Modein to force the people there to offer pagan sacrifices.
16Many of the Israelites came to meet them, including Mattathias and his sons.
17The king's officials said to Mattathias, You are a respected leader in this town, and you have the support of your sons and relatives.
18Why not be the first one here to do what the king has commanded? All the Gentiles, the people of Judea, and all the people left in Jerusalem have already done so. If you do, you and your sons will be honored with the title of Friends of the King, and you will be rewarded with silver and gold and many gifts.
19Mattathias answered in a loud voice, I don't care if every Gentile in this empire has obeyed the king and yielded to the command to abandon the religion of his ancestors.
20My children, my relatives, and I will continue to keep the covenant that God made with our ancestors.
21With God's help we will never abandon his Law or disobey his commands.
22We will not obey the king's decree, and we will not change our way of worship in the least.
23Just as he finished speaking, one of the men from Modein decided to obey the king's decree and stepped out in front of everyone to offer a pagan sacrifice on the altar that stood there.
24When Mattathias saw him, he became angry enough to do what had to be done. Shaking with rage, he ran forward and killed the man right there on the altar.
25He also killed the royal official who was forcing the people to sacrifice, and then he tore down the altar.
26In this way Mattathias showed his deep devotion for the Law, just as Phinehas had done when he killed Zimri son of Salu.
The Guerrilla Warfare of Mattathias
27Then Mattathias went through the town shouting, Everyone who is faithful to God's covenant and obeys his Law, follow me!
28With this, he and his sons fled to the mountains, leaving behind all they owned.
29-30At that time also many of the Israelites who were seeking to be right with God through obedience to the Law went out to live in the wilderness, taking their children, their wives, and their livestock with them, because of the terrible oppression they were suffering.
31The report soon reached the king's officials and the soldiers in the fort at Jerusalem that some men who had defied the king's command had gone into hiding in the wilderness.
32A large force of soldiers pursued them, caught up with them, set up camp opposite them, and prepared to attack them on the Sabbath.
33There is still time, they shouted out to the Jews. Come out and obey the king's command, and we will spare your lives.
34We will not come out, they answered. We will not obey the king's command, and we will not profane the Sabbath.
35The soldiers attacked them immediately,
36but the Jews did nothing to resist; they did not even throw stones or block the entrances to the caves where they were hiding.
37They said, We will all die with a clear conscience. Let heaven and earth bear witness that you are slaughtering us unjustly.
38So the enemy attacked them on the Sabbath and killed the men, their wives, their children, and their livestock. A thousand people died.
39When Mattathias and his friends heard the news about this, they were greatly saddened
40and said to one another, If all of us do as these other Jews have done and refuse to fight the Gentiles to defend our lives and our religion, we will soon be wiped off the face of the earth.
41On that day they decided that if anyone attacked them on the Sabbath, they would defend themselves, so that they would not all die as other Jews had died in the caves.
42Then Mattathias and his friends were joined by a group of devout and patriotic Jews, the strongest and bravest men in Israel, who had all volunteered to defend the Law.
43In addition, everyone who was fleeing from the persecution joined them and strengthened their forces.
44Now that they had an army, they gave vent to their anger by attacking the renegade Jews. Those who escaped were forced to flee to the Gentiles for safety.
45Mattathias and his friends went everywhere tearing down pagan altars
46and circumcising by force every uncircumcised boy they found within the borders of Israel.
47They were also successful in hunting down the arrogant Gentile officials.
48They rescued the Law of Moses from the Gentiles and their kings and broke the power of the wicked King Antiochus.
The Death of Mattathias
49When the time came for Mattathias to die, he said to his sons, These are times of violence and distress. Arrogant people are in control and have made us an object of ridicule.
50But you, my sons, must be devoted to the Law and ready to die to defend God's covenant with our ancestors.
51Remember what our ancestors did and how much they accomplished in their day. Follow their example, and you will be rewarded with great glory and undying fame.
52Remember how Abraham put his trust in the Lord when he was tested and how the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.
53Joseph, in his time of trouble, obeyed God's commands and became ruler over the land of Egypt.
54Phinehas, our ancestor, because of his burning devotion, was given the promise that his descendants would always be priests.
55Joshua was made a judge in Israel because he obeyed the command of Moses.
56Caleb brought back a good report to the community and was given a part of the land as a reward.
57David was made king and was given the promise that his descendants would always be kings because of his steadfast loyalty to God.
58Elijah, because of his great devotion to the Law, was taken up into heaven.
59Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were saved from the flames because they had faith.
60Daniel was a man of integrity, and the Lord rescued him from the mouth of the lions.
61Take each of these ancestors of ours as an example, and you will realize that no one who puts his trust in the Lord will ever lack strength.
62Don't be afraid of the threats of a wicked man. Remember that he will die and all his splendor will end with worms feeding on his decaying body.
63Today he may be highly honored, but tomorrow he will disappear; his body will return to the earth and his scheming will come to an end.
64But you, my sons, be strong and courageous in defending the Law, because it is through the Law that you will earn great glory.
65Your brother Simon is wise, so always listen to him as you would to me.
66Judas Maccabeus has been strong all his life; he will be your commander and will lead you in battle against the enemy.
67Call everyone who obeys God's Law to rally around you; then avenge the wrongs done to your people.
68Pay back the Gentiles for what they have done, and always obey the Law and its commands.
69Then Mattathias gave them his blessing and died.
70He was buried in the family tomb at Modein, and all the people of Israel went into deep mourning for him. This happened in the year 146.
Sirach
Ch. 4–6
1My child, don't prevent the poor from making a living, or keep them waiting in their need.
2Never give a hungry person any cause for resentment or anger.
3Don't add to the troubles of someone who is already desperate. If he is in need, don't put off giving to him.
4-5Don't refuse to help a beggar who is in distress. Don't turn your back on a poor person or give him any reason to curse you.
6If he becomes so bitter that he does curse you, his Creator will hear his prayer.
7Make yourself popular in the synagogue. Bow your head to men of authority.
8Listen to what the poor have to say, and answer them politely.
9Protect people from those who want to wrong them, and be firm in your judgments.
10Be like a father to orphans, and provide widows with the help their husbands can no longer give them. Then you will be like a child of the Most High, and he will love you more than your own mother does.
Wisdom as a Teacher
11Wisdom takes care of those who look for her; she raises them to greatness.
12Loving her is loving life itself; rising early to look for her is pure joy.
13Anyone who obtains Wisdom will be greatly honored. Wherever he goes, the Lord will bless him.
14Wisdom's servants are the servants of the Holy One, and the Lord loves everyone who loves her.
15Those who obey her will give sound judgments; those who pay attention to her have true security.
16Put your trust in Wisdom, and you will possess her and pass her on to your descendants.
17At first, Wisdom will lead you along difficult paths. She will make you so afraid that you will think you cannot go on. The discipline she demands will be tormenting, and she will put you to the test with her requirements until she trusts you completely.
18Then she will come to you with no delay, reveal her secrets to you, and make you happy.
19But if you go astray, she will abandon you and let you go to your own ruin.
Self-confidence
20Take advantage of opportunities, but guard yourself against evil. Don't underrate yourself.
21Humility deserves honor and respect, but a low opinion of yourself leads to sin.
22Do not let others have their way at your expense; do not bring on your own ruin by giving up your rights.
23Never hesitate to speak out when the occasion calls for it. Don't hide your wisdom.
24Your wisdom and education can be known only by what you say.
25Do not, however, go against the truth, and remember that you do not know everything.
26Don't be ashamed to confess your sins; there's no point in trying to stop a river from flowing.
27Don't allow yourself to be dominated by someone who is stupid or show partiality to influential people.
28Stand up for what is right, even if it costs you your life; the Lord God will be fighting on your side.
29Don't be quick to speak or lazy and negligent in your work.
30Don't act like a lion at home or be suspicious of your servants.
31Don't stick out your hand to get something if you're going to be tightfisted when the time comes to pay it back.
Sirach 5
Don't Be Presumptuous
1Don't rely on money to make you independent.
2Don't think you have to have everything you want, and then spend your energy trying to get it.
3Don't think that no one can exercise authority over you; if you do, the Lord is certain to punish you.
4Don't think that you can sin and get away with it; the Lord does not mind waiting to punish you.
5Don't be so certain of the Lord's forgiveness that you go on committing one sin after another.
6Don't think that his mercy is so great that he will forgive your sins no matter how many they are. He does show mercy, but he also shows his furious anger with sinners.
7Come back to the Lord quickly. Don't think that you can keep putting it off. His anger can come upon you suddenly, and you will die under his punishment.
8Don't rely on dishonest wealth; it will do you no good on that day of disaster.
Sincerity and Self-control
9-10Be certain about what you believe and consistent in what you say. Don't try to please everyone or agree with everything people say.
11Always be ready to listen, but take your time in answering.
12Answer only if you know what to say, and if you don't know what to say, keep quiet.
13Speaking can bring you either honor or disgrace; what you say can ruin you.
14Don't get a reputation for being a gossip, and don't tell tales that will hurt people. Just as robbers will suffer disgrace, so liars will suffer severe condemnation.
15Do nothing destructive, whether it seems insignificant or not,
Sirach 6
1and do not be an enemy when you should be a friend. A bad reputation brings you the disgrace that lying sinners deserve.
2Do not let your passions carry you away; this can tear your soul to pieces like a bull.
3You will be left like a dead tree without any leaves or fruit.
4Evil desire will destroy you and make you a joke to your enemies.
Friendship
5If you are polite and courteous, you will enjoy the friendship of many people.
6Exchange greetings with many, but take advice from only one person out of a thousand.
7When you make friends, don't be too quick to trust them; make sure that they have proved themselves.
8Some people will be your friends only when it is convenient for them, but they won't stand by you in trouble.
9Others will fall out with you over some argument, and then embarrass you by letting everyone know about it.
10-11Others will sit at your table as long as things are going well; they will stick to you like your shadow and give orders to your servants, but they will not stand by you in trouble.
12If your situation takes a turn for the worse, they will turn against you, and you won't be able to find them anywhere.
13Stay away from your enemies and be on guard against your friends.
14A loyal friend is like a safe shelter; find one, and you have found a treasure.
15Nothing else is as valuable; there is no way of putting a price on it.
16A loyal friend is like a medicine that keeps you in good health. Only those who fear the Lord can find such a friend.
17A person who fears the Lord can make real friendships, because he will treat his friends as he does himself.
Learn from Wisdom
18My child, learn to value Wisdom while you are young, and you will still be able to find her when you grow old.
19Work as hard to find Wisdom as a farmer works to plow and plant his fields; then you can expect a good harvest. You will have to work at it for a while, but you will soon be enjoying what you have earned.
20Undisciplined people find Wisdom's demands too hard and don't have enough determination to meet them.
21Her requirements are a burden heavier than they are willing to bear, and they quickly lay them aside.
22Discipline means just that—discipline, and not many people are able to discipline themselves.
23My child, listen to me and take my advice.
24Put Wisdom's chains around your feet and her yoke around your neck.
25Carry her on your shoulder and don't be resentful of her bonds.
26Follow Wisdom, and keep to her ways with all your heart.
27Go looking for her, and she will reveal herself to you. Take hold of her and don't let go.
28Then you will discover the peace of mind she offers, and she will become your joy.
29-30The signs of slavery you wear will become signs of royal majesty. Her chains will be your protection, and you will wear her yoke like a magnificent robe.
31You will wear Wisdom like a splendid crown.
32My child, you can learn if you want to. You can be clever if you are determined to be.
33If you are willing to listen, you will learn and become wise.
34Go where the old people are; find someone who is wise, and stay with him.
35Be ready to listen when religious people speak, and don't miss anything that shows insight.
36If you find someone with understanding, get up early to call on him; wear out his doorstep with your visits.
37Devote all your time to studying the Lord's commands and thinking about them. He will give you the insight and wisdom you are looking for.
Proverbs
Ch. 22
1If you have to choose between a good reputation and great wealth, choose a good reputation.
2The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both.
3Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.
4Obey the Lord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life.