1 Son, you should not cheat the poor out of alms, nor should you avert your eyes from a poor man.
2 You should not despise the hungry soul, and you should not aggravate a poor man in his need.
3 You should not afflict the heart of the needy, and you should not delay an offer to someone in anguish.
4 You should not make requests of one who is greatly troubled, and you should not avert your face from the indigent.
5 You should not avert your eyes from the needy out of anger. And you should not abandon those who seek help from you, so that they speak curses behind your back.
6 For the pleadings of him who speaks curses of you, in the bitterness of his soul, will be heeded. For the One who made him will heed him.
7 Make yourself a friend to the congregation of the poor, and humble your soul before an elder, and humble your head before the great.
8 Turn your ear without sadness toward the poor, and repay your debt, and respond to him peacefully in meekness.
9 Free him who suffers injury at the hand of the arrogant, and do not carry animosity in your soul.
10 In judging, be merciful to the orphan, like a father, and be merciful to their mother, like a husband.
11 And then you shall be like an obedient son of the Most High, and he will take pity on you more than a mother would.
12 Wisdom breathes life into her sons, and she lifts up those who are seeking her, and she will precede them in the way of justice.
13 And he who loves her loves life. And those who watch for her shall embrace her delights.
14 Those who hold to her will inherit life. And whatever place she enters, God will bless.
15 Those who serve her will yield to what is holy. And God loves those who love wisdom.
16 He who listens to her shall judge the nations. And he who gazes upon her will remain secure.
17 If he believes in her, he will inherit her, and whatever arises from him will be confirmed.
18 For she walks with him through temptation, and she chooses him from the beginning.
19 She will lead fear and dread and trials over him, and she will crucify him with the tribulation of her doctrine, until she has tested him in his thoughts and she can trust in his soul.
20 And then she will strengthen him, and lead him along a straight path, and rejoice in him.
21 And she will disclose her secrets to him, and she will store up treasure, of the knowledge and understanding of justice, in him.
22 But if he has wandered astray, she will leave him behind, and she will deliver him into the hands of his enemy.
23 Son, be continually observant, and keep away from evil.
24 For the sake of your soul, you should not be ashamed to speak the truth.
25 For there is a shame that brings sin, and there is a shame that brings glory and grace.
26 You should not accept a face contrary to your own face, nor should you accept a lie contrary to your own soul.
27 You should not enjoy the fall of your neighbor.
28 Neither should you withhold words at an opportunity for salvation. You should not conceal your wisdom in her beauty.
29 For wisdom is discerned within speech. And understanding and knowledge and doctrine are discerned in the words of those who understand and by their steadfastness in the works of justice.
30 You should not contradict a word of truth in any way. Otherwise, by a falsehood born of ignorance, you will be confounded.
31 You should not be ashamed to confess your sins, but do not subject yourself to any man because of sin.
32 Do not choose to stand against the face of the powerful, for you should not strive against the current of the river.
33 Suffer for justice, on behalf of your soul, and struggle, even unto death, on behalf of justice, and God will fight against your enemies on your behalf.
34 Do not choose to be quick with your words, nor unproductive or neglectful in your works.
35 Do not choose to be like a lion in your house, distressing those of your household, and oppressing those who are subject to you.
36 Do not let your hand be open when receiving, but closed when giving.
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12 For he caused those who fought against us and against the holy city to burst forth from Persia.
13 For when the commander himself was in Persia, and with him an immense army, he fell in the temple of Nanea, having been deceived by the counsel of the priests of Nanea.
14 For Antiochus also came to the place with his friends, as if to live with her, and so that he would receive much money in the name of a dowry.
15 And when the priests of Nanea had made the proposal, and he had entered with a few men into the vestibule of the shrine, they closed the temple,
16 after Antiochus had entered. And throwing open a hidden entrance to the temple, they cast stones, and they struck the leader and those who were with him. And, having severed their limbs and cut off their heads, they threw them outside.
17 Blessed be God through all things, who has delivered up the impious.
18 Therefore, establishing the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev, we considered it necessary to signify this to you, so that you, likewise, may keep the day of shelters, and the day of the fire that was given when Nehemiah offered sacrifice, after the temple and the altar had been built.
19 For when our fathers were led into Persia, the priests, who at that time were worshippers of God, secretly took the fire from the altar, and they kept it hidden in a valley, where there was a deep and dry pit, and they kept it safe in that place, in such a way that the place would be unknown to all.
20 But when many years had passed, and it pleased God that Nehemiah should be sent by the king of Persia, he sent some of the posterity of those priests who had hidden it to seek the fire. And, just as they told us, they did not find fire, but only deep water.
21 Then he ordered them to draw it up and to carry it to him. And the priest, Nehemiah, ordered the sacrifices, which had been set out, to be sprinkled with the same water, both the wood and those things that were placed on it.
22 And when this was done, and the time came when the sun shined brightly, which before was in a cloud, there was kindled a great fire, so much so that all were filled with wonder.
23 But all the priests were reciting prayer, while the sacrifice was being consumed, with Jonathan beginning and the rest answering.
24 And the prayer of Nehemiah was held in this way: “O Lord God, Creator of all, terrible and strong, just and merciful, you alone are the good King.
25 You alone are excellent, you alone are just, and all-powerful, and eternal, who frees Israel from all evil, who created the chosen fathers and sanctified them.
26 Receive the sacrifice on behalf of all of your people Israel, and preserve and sanctify your portion.
27 Gather together our dispersion, free those who are in servitude to the Gentiles, and respect those who are despised and abhorred, so that the Gentiles may know that you are our God.
28 Afflict those who, in their arrogance, are oppressing us and treating us abusively.
29 Establish your people in your holy place, just as Moses said.”
30 And so the priests sang hymns until the sacrifice had been consumed.
31 But when the sacrifice had been consumed, Nehemiah ordered the remainder of the water to be poured upon the great stones.
32 When this had been done, a flame was kindled from them, but it was consumed by the light that shined brightly from the altar.
33 In truth, when this thing became known, it was reported to the king of Persia that in the place where the fire had been hidden by those priests who had been led away, water appeared, by which Nehemiah, and those who were with him, purified the sacrifices.
34 But the king, considering and examining the matter diligently, made a temple for it, so that he might study what had happened.
35 And when he had studied it, he gave the priests many goods and presents, of one kind or another, and using his own hands, he distributed these.
36 And Nehemiah called this place Nephthar, which is interpreted as Purification. But with many it is called Nephi.
22 For an inheritance to his servant Israel: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 For he was mindful of us in our affliction: for his mercy endureth for ever.
24 And he redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 Give glory to the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
27 Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
1 Consider, most beloved, this second epistle which I am writing to you, in which I stir up, by admonition, your sincere mind,
2 so that you may be mindful of those words that I preached to you from the holy prophets, and of the precepts of the Apostles of your Lord and Savior.
3 Know this first: that in the last days there will arrive deceitful mockers, walking according to their own desires,
4 saying: “Where is his promise or his advent? For from the time that the fathers have slept, all things have continued just as they were from the beginning of creation.”
5 But they willfully ignore this: that the heavens existed first, and that the earth, from water and through water, was established by the Word of God.
6 By water, the former world then, having been inundated with water, perished.
7 But the heavens and the earth that exist now were restored by the same Word, being reserved unto fire on the day of judgment, and unto the perdition of impious men.
8 Yet truly, let this one thing not escape notice, most beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.
9 The Lord is not delaying his promise, as some imagine, but he does act patiently for your sake, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting all to be turned back to penance.
10 Then the day of the Lord shall arrive like a thief. On that day, the heavens shall pass away with great violence, and truly the elements shall be dissolved with heat; then the earth, and the works that are within it, shall be completely burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what kind of people ought you to be? In behavior and in piety, be holy,
12 waiting for, and hurrying toward, the advent of the day of the Lord, by which the burning heavens shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt from the heat of the fire.
13 Yet truly, in accord with his promises, we are looking forward to the new heavens and the new earth, in which justice lives.
14 Therefore, most beloved, while awaiting these things, be diligent, so that you may be found to be immaculate and unassailable before him, in peace.
15 And let the longsuffering of our Lord be considered salvation, as also our most beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 just as he also spoke in all of his epistles about these things. In these, there are certain things which are difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unsteady distort, as they also do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 But since you, brothers, know these things beforehand, be cautious, lest by being drawn into the error of the foolish, you may fall away from your own steadfastness.
18 Yet truly, increase in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and in the day of eternity. Amen.
