1 But the impious, all the way to the very end, were overcome by anger without mercy. Indeed, he knew beforehand even their future.
2 Yet, seeing that they might have repented, so that they would be led by him and be sent forth with great concern, the just sought the impious, while regretting their deeds.
3 For, while the just were still holding grief in their hands and weeping at the tombs of the dead, these others took upon themselves another senseless thought, and they cast out the legislators and pursued them as if they were fugitives.
4 For a fitting necessity was leading them to this end, and they were losing the remembrance of those things which had happened, so that what was lacking in the sufferings of the conflict might be completed by the punishment,
5 and so that your people, indeed, might wonderfully pass through, but these others might find a new death.
6 For every creature according to its kind was fashioned again as from the beginning, diligently serving your teachings, so that your children would be preserved unharmed.
7 For a cloud overshadowed their camp, and where water was before, dry land appeared, and in the Red Sea, a way without hindrance, and out of the great deep, a level field sprung up,
8 through which the whole nation passed, protected by your hand, seeing your miracles and wonders.
9 For they consumed food like horses, and they leapt about like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who had freed them.
10 For they were still mindful of those things which had happened during the time of their sojourn, how, instead cattle, the earth brought forth flies, and instead of fish, the river cast up a multitude of frogs.
11 And, lastly, they saw a new kind of bird, when, being led by their desire, they demanded a feast of meat.
12 For, to console their loss, the quail came up to them from the sea, and yet troubles overcame the sinners, though they were not without the evidence of what had happened before by the power of lightning, for they suffered justly according to their own wickedness.
13 And indeed, they set up a more detestable inhospitality. Certainly, some have refused to receive unknown foreigners, but these others were drafting good guests into servitude,
14 and not only foreigners, but also those who had been under their care, because they were reluctantly sheltering the outsiders.
15 Yet whoever had sheltered them with gladness, by making use of the very same justice, they afflicted with the most severe sorrow.
16 Yet they were struck with blindness, like someone brought before the gates of justice, so that they were suddenly covered with darkness, and each one was left searching for the threshold of his front door.
17 For the elements in themselves are in the process of being changed, just as when the sound of a musical instrument is being altered in quality, yet each one keeps its own sound, from where it is considered to be and according to its fixed appearance.
18 For the countryside was transformed by water, and things which were swimming, crossed over the land.
19 Fire prevailed in the midst of water, beyond its own power, and the water forgot its quenching nature.
20 On the other hand, the flames did not trouble the bodies of the mortal animals walking around, nor did they melt that good food, which is as easily melted as ice. For in all things, O Lord, you magnified your people, and honored them, and did not despise them, but at every time and in every place, you assisted them.
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1 And so, John came up from Gazara, and he reported to Simon, his father, what Cendebeus had done against their people.
2 And Simon called his two eldest sons, Judas and John, and he said to them: “I and my brothers, and my father’s house, have fought against the enemies of Israel from our youth, even to this day. And this work has prospered in our hands, so that we have delivered Israel several times.
3 And now that I am old, you must act in place of me and my brothers, and go out to fight for our nation. Truly, may the help of heaven be with you.”
4 Then he chose from the region twenty thousand men of warfare, and horsemen; and they started out toward Cendebeus. And they rested in Modin.
5 And they rose up in the morning and went out into the plains. And behold, an abundant army of foot soldiers and horsemen was there to meet them, and there was a river flowing between them.
6 And he and his people moved their camp opposite their face, and he saw the trepidation of the people to cross over the river, and so he crossed over first. And seeing him, the men also crossed after him.
7 And he divided the people and the horsemen into the midst of the foot soldiers. But the horsemen of the adversary were exceedingly numerous.
8 And they sounded the holy trumpets. And Cendebeus and his army were turned back. And many of them fell wounded. But the rest fled into the fortress.
9 Then Judas, the brother of John, was wounded. But John pursued them, until he came to Kedron, which he had built.
10 And they fled all the way to the towers that were in the fields of Azotus, and he burnt them with fire. And there fell of them two thousand men, and he returned to Judea in peace.
11 Now Ptolemy, the son of Abubus, was appointed commander over the plain of Jericho, and he held much silver and gold.
12 For he was the son-in-law of the high priest.
13 And his heart was exalted, and he wanted to obtain the region, and he devised treachery against Simon and his sons, so as to destroy them.
14 Now when Simon was traveling through the cities that were in the region of Judea, and acting with concern for them, he went down to Jericho, he and Mattathias and Judas, his sons, in the one hundred and seventy-seventh year, in the eleventh month; this is the month of Shevat.
15 And the son of Abubus received them, with deceitfulness, into a little fortress, which is called Dok, that he had built. And he made them a great feast, and he hid men there.
16 And when Simon and his sons became inebriated, Ptolemy and his men rose up, and took their weapons, and entered into the gathering. And they killed him, and his two sons, and some of his servants.
17 And he committed a great treachery in Israel, and he repaid good with evil.
18 And Ptolemy wrote about these things, and he sent to the king, so that he would send him an army to assist him, and he could deliver to him the region, and their cities and tributes.
19 And he sent others to Gazara to destroy John. And he sent letters to the tribunes to come to him, and he would give them silver, and gold, and gifts.
20 And he sent others to occupy Jerusalem and the mountain of the temple.
21 Now a certain one, running ahead, reported to John in Gazara, that his father and his brothers perished, and that “he sent to kill you also.”
22 But when he heard it, he was very afraid, and he apprehended the men who came to destroy him, and he killed them. For he knew that they sought to destroy him.
23 And the rest of the stories about John, and his wars, and the virtuous deeds that he performed with fortitude, and the building of the walls that he raised, and the things that he did,
24 behold, these have been written in the book of the days of his priesthood, from the time that he became high priest, after his father.
8 The sun to rule over the day: for his mercy endureth for ever.
9 The moon and the stars to rule the night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
10 Who smote Egypt with their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever.
11 Who brought Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever.
12 With a mighty hand and a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
13 Who divided the Red Sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever.
14 And brought out Israel through the midst thereof: for his mercy endureth for ever.
1 Simon Peter, servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been allotted an equal faith with us in the justice of our God and in our Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Grace to you. And may peace be fulfilled according to the plan of God and of Christ Jesus our Lord,
3 in the same manner that all things which are for life and piety have been given to us by his Divine virtue, through the plan of him who has called us to our own glory and virtue.
4 Through Christ, he has given us the greatest and most precious promises, so that by these things you may become sharers in the Divine Nature, fleeing from the corruption of that desire which is in the world.
5 But as for you, taking up every concern, minister virtue in your faith; and in virtue, knowledge;
6 and in knowledge, moderation; and in moderation, patience; and in patience, piety;
7 and in piety, love of brotherhood; and in love of brotherhood, charity.
8 For if these things are with you, and if they abound, they will cause you to be neither empty, nor without fruit, within the plan of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who does not have these things at hand is blind and groping, being forgetful of his purification from his former offenses.
10 Because of this, brothers, be all the more diligent, so that by good works you may make certain your calling and election. For in doing these things, you do not sin at any time.
11 For in this way, you shall be provided abundantly with an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 For this reason, I will always begin to admonish you about these things, even though, certainly, you know them and are confirmed in the present truth.
13 But I consider it just, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up with admonishments.
14 For it is certain that the laying to rest of this, my tabernacle, is approaching swiftly, just as our Lord Jesus Christ has also indicated to me.
15 Therefore, I will present a work for you to have, so that, frequently after my passing, you may call to mind these things.
16 For it was not by following fanciful doctrines that we made known to you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were made eyewitnesses of his greatness.
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father, whose voice descended to him from the magnificent glory: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
18 We also heard this voice conveyed from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 And so, we have an even firmer prophetic word, to which you would do well to listen, as to a light shining within a dark place, until the day dawns, and the daystar rises, in your hearts.
20 Understand this first: that every prophecy of Scripture does not result from one’s own interpretation.
21 For prophecy was not conveyed by human will at any time. Instead, holy men were speaking about God while inspired by the Holy Spirit.
