1 The hopes of a senseless man are empty and false; and dreams extol the imprudent.
2 Like one who chases a shadow and pursues the wind, so also is one who pays attention to lying visions.
3 In the vision of dreams, one thing represents another, as when a mask is before the face of a man.
4 What can be cleansed by the unclean? And what truth can be spoken from a lie?
5 Erroneous divinations and false signs and the dreams of evildoers are emptiness.
6 For your heart suffers from imagination, like a woman suffering in childbirth. Unless it is a visitation sent from the Most High, you should not set your heart upon it.
7 For dreams have caused many to go astray, and those who have hoped in them have fallen away.
8 The word of the law will be fulfilled without a lie, and wisdom will be made plain in the mouths of the faithful.
9 He who has not been tested, what does he know? A man with much experience will consider many things. And whoever has learned much will explain with understanding.
10 He who has no experience knows little. And he who has done many things has made many mistakes.
11 He who has not been tested, what kind of things can he know? He who has been deceived will be more cunning.
12 I have seen much by wandering, and the customs of many things.
13 At times, I have even been in danger of death because of these things, but I was freed by the grace of God.
14 The spirit of those who fear God is sought, and they will be blessed by his providence.
15 For their hope is in him who saves them, and the eyes of God are on those who love him.
16 Those who fear the Lord will tremble at nothing, and they will not be terrified. For he is their hope.
17 The soul of him who fears the Lord is blessed.
18 To whom should he look, and who is his strength?
19 The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him. He is a powerful Protector, a Firmament of virtue, a Shelter from the heat, and a Covering from the midday sun,
20 a Guardian from offenses, and a Helper from falling, who exalts the soul and illuminates the eyes, and who gives health and life and blessing.
21 An immolation from iniquity is a stained oblation, and the derisions of the unjust are not well pleasing.
22 The Lord is only for those who persevere for him in the way of truth and justice.
23 The Most High does not approve of the gifts of the iniquitous. Neither does he have respect for the oblations of the unjust; neither will he forgive their sins because of the multitude of their sacrifices.
24 Whoever offers a sacrifice from the substance of the poor is like one who sacrifices the son in the sight of his father.
25 The bread of the indigent is the life of the poor. Whoever cheats them out of it is a man of blood.
26 Whoever takes away the bread of sweat is like one who kills his neighbor.
27 He who sheds blood, and he who cheats the hired hand out of his wages, are brothers.
28 When one builds and another destroys, what benefit do they have from their labor?
29 When one prays and another curses, whose voice will God heed?
30 He who washes himself after touching the dead, and then touches him again, what was the benefit of his washing?
31 Similarly, a man who fasts for his sins, and then does the same again, what was the benefit of his humbling himself? Who will heed his prayer?
1 Whoever observes the law multiplies oblations.
2 It is a salutary sacrifice to attend to the commandments and to withdraw from all iniquity.
3 And to depart from injustice is to offer a propitiatory sacrifice for injustices and a supplication for sins.
4 Whoever gives thanks, offers a gift of fine flour, and whoever acts with mercy, offers a sacrifice.
5 To withdraw from iniquity is well-pleasing to the Lord. And to withdraw from injustice is a supplication for sins.
6 You should not appear empty before the sight of the Lord.
7 For all these things are to be done because of the commandment of God.
8 The oblation of the just fattens the altar, and is a fragrance of sweetness in the sight of the Most High.
9 The sacrifice of the just is acceptable, and the Lord will never forget the memorial of it.
10 Render glory to God with a good heart. And you should not reduce the first-fruits of your hands.
11 With every gift, have a cheerful countenance, and sanctify your tithes with exultation.
12 Give to the Most High according to his gifts to you, and act with a good eye toward the creations of your hands.
13 For the Lord gives recompense, and he will repay you seven times as much.
14 Do not be willing to offer corrupt gifts. For he will not accept them.
15 And do not be willing to consider an unjust sacrifice. For the Lord is the judge, and with him there is no favoritism toward anyone.
16 The Lord will not accept favoritism against the poor, but he will heed the prayer of one who has been harmed.
17 He will not despise the prayers of the orphan, nor of the widow, if she utters a lamenting complaint.
18 Do a widow’s tears not run down her cheek? And will her outcry not cause their downfall?
19 For from her cheek, her tears ascend even to heaven. And the Lord, the One who listens, will not take delight in them.
20 Whoever adores God with joy will be accepted, and his prayer will reach even to the clouds.
21 The prayer of one who humbles himself will pierce the clouds. And it will not be consoled until it draws near; and it will not withdraw until the Most High beholds.
22 And the Lord will not delay, and he will judge for those who are just, and he will accomplish judgment. And the Almighty will not have patience with them, so that he may crush their back.
23 And he will repay vengeance to the Gentiles, until he has taken away the multitude of the arrogant, and broken the scepters of the iniquitous,
24 until he has rendered to men according to their deeds, and according to the works of Adam, and according to his presumption,
25 until he has judged the judgment of his people. And he will delight the just with his mercy.
26 The mercy of God is beautiful in the time of tribulation, like a rain cloud in the time of drought.
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1 But a short time afterwards, Lysias, the procurator of the king and a near relative, who also was in charge of the government, was heavily weighed upon by what had happened.
2 Gathering together eight thousand, along with all the horsemen, he came against the Jews, thinking that the city would certainly be captured, making it a dwelling place for the Gentiles,
3 in truth, also thinking to make a profit in money from the temple, just as from the other shrines of the Gentiles, and to put the priesthood up for sale every year.
4 Never recognizing the power of God, but inflated in mind, he trusted in the multitude of the foot soldiers, and in the thousands of horsemen, and in the eighty elephants.
5 And so, he entered Judea, and, approaching Bethzur, which was in a narrow place, at an interval of five stadia from Jerusalem, he laid siege to that stronghold.
6 But when Maccabeus and those who were with him realized that the strongholds were besieged, they and all the crowd together petitioned the Lord with weeping and tears, that he would send a good Angel to save Israel.
7 And so the leader Maccabeus, taking up arms, exhorted the others, to undergo the peril together with him, and to bring assistance to their brothers.
8 And when they together were going forth with a ready spirit, there appeared at Jerusalem a horseman, preceding them in radiant clothing and with weapons of gold, waving a spear.
9 Then they all together blessed the merciful Lord, and strengthened their souls, being prepared to break through not only men, but also the most ferocious beasts and walls of iron.
10 Thus, they went forth readily, having a helper from heaven, and with the Lord taking pity on them.
11 Then, rushing violently against the enemy, in the manner of lions, they struck down from among them: eleven thousand foot soldiers and one thousand six hundred horsemen.
12 And they turned all the rest to flight. But many of them, being wounded, escaped with nothing. And Lysias himself also escaped, fleeing in disgrace.
13 And because he was not irrational, thinking to himself about the loss that had happened against him, and understanding the Hebrews to be invincible because they depend upon the help of Almighty God, he sent to them,
10 Let all thy works, O lord, praise thee: and let thy saints bless thee.
11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom: and shall tell of thy power:
12 To make thy might known to the sons of men: and the glory of the magnificence of thy kingdom.
13 Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words: and holy in all his works.
14 The Lord lifteth up all that fall: and setteth up all that are cast down.
15 The eyes of all hope in thee, O Lord: and thou givest them meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thy hand, and fillest with blessing every living creature.
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars.
2 And being with child, she cried out while giving birth, and she was suffering in order to give birth.
3 And another sign was seen in heaven. And behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.
4 And his tail drew down a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, who was about to give birth, so that, when she had brought forth, he might devour her son.
5 And she brought forth a male child, who was soon to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her son was taken up to God and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into solitude, where a place was being held ready by God, so that they might pasture her in that place for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
7 And there was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his Angels were battling with the dragon, and the dragon was fighting, and so were his angels.
8 But they did not prevail, and a place for them was no longer found in heaven.
9 And he was thrown out, that great dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduces the whole world. And he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying: “Now have arrived salvation and virtue and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, he who accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of his testimony. And they loved not their own lives, even unto death.
12 Because of this, rejoice, O heavens, and all who dwell within it. Woe to the earth and to the sea! For the devil has descended to you, holding great anger, knowing that he has little time.”
13 And after the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who brought forth the male child.
14 And the two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly away, into the desert, to her place, where she is being nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent sent out from his mouth, after the woman, water like a river, so that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.
16 But the earth assisted the woman. And the earth opened her mouth and absorbed the river, which the dragon sent out from his mouth.
17 And the dragon was angry at the woman. And so he went away to do battle with the remainder of her offspring, those who keep the commandments of God and who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ.
18 And he stood upon the sand of the sea.
