1 O God of all, take pity on us, and look with favor on us, and show us the light of your compassion.
2 And send your fear upon the Gentiles, who have not sought you, so that they may acknowledge that there is no God except you, and so that they may declare your great deeds.
3 Lift up your hand over unbelieving nations, so that they may see your power.
4 For just as, in their sight, you have been sanctified in us, so also, in our sight, you will be magnified in them.
5 So may they know you, as we also have known you. For there is no God apart from you, O Lord.
6 Renew your signs, and work new wonders.
7 Glorify your hand and your right arm.
8 Stir up your fury, and pour out your wrath.
9 Take away our adversary, and afflict our enemy.
10 Hasten the time, and remember the end, so that they may declare your miracles.
11 Let those who escape be devoured by the wrath of fire. And let those who harass your people find perdition.
12 Crush the head of the leaders of the enemies, for they say: “There is no other beside us.”
13 Gather together all the tribes of Jacob, so that they may acknowledge that there is no God except you, and so that they may declare your great deeds. And you will inherit them, as from the beginning.
14 Take pity on your people, over whom your name has been invoked, and on Israel, whom you have treated as your firstborn.
15 Take pity on Jerusalem, the city of your sanctification, the city of your rest.
16 Fill Zion with your ineffable words, and fill your people with your glory.
17 Give testimony to those who have been your creations from the beginning, and lift up the prophecies which the former prophets spoke in your name.
18 Give a reward to those who endure for you, so that your prophets may be found to be faithful. And heed the prayers of your servants,
19 in accord with the blessing of Aaron over your people. And direct us in the way of justice, and let all who inhabit the earth know that you are God, the Beholder of all ages.
20 The belly can devour any food, yet one meal is better than another.
21 The palate tests the meat of wild animals, and the understanding heart tests false words.
22 A corrupt heart will cause grief, and a man of experience will resist it.
23 A woman can receive any male, yet one daughter is better than another.
24 The beauty of a wife cheers the face of her husband, and rises above his desire, above all the desires of man.
25 If she offers healing words, then she both comforts and shows mercy; and so her husband is not like other men.
26 He who holds to a good wife establishes a possession. She is a helper in agreement with him, and she is a pillar of rest.
27 Where there is no hedge, a possession will be trampled. And where there is no wife, he will mourn her absence.
28 Who will trust one who has no nest, and who conceals himself wherever his course may take him, like a well-equipped robber passing from city to city?
1 Every friend will say: “I also am a close friend.” But there is a friend who is a friend in name only. Is this not a grief even unto death?
2 But a companion and friend may turn into an enemy.
3 O wicked presumption! From what were you created that you would cover the dry land with your malice and deceitfulness?
4 A companion may rejoice with his friend in good times, but in a time of tribulation, he will be an adversary.
5 There is a companion who commiserates with a friend for the sake of the stomach, but he will shield himself from the enemy.
6 You should not forget your friend in your soul, and you should not be unmindful of him in your wealth.
7 Do not choose to consult with someone who waits in ambush for you. And hide your counsel from those who rival you.
8 Every counselor offers advice, but some are counselors only for themselves.
9 Guard your soul from a counselor. And know beforehand what his interests are. For he will form thoughts from his own soul.
10 Otherwise, he may set a signpost in the ground, and he may say to you:
11 Your own way is good. But then he will stand at a distance to see what befalls you.
12 Do not discuss holiness with an irreligious man, nor justice with one who is unjust. You should not speak with a woman about her who is a rival, nor with a coward about war, nor with a merchant about exaggeration, nor with a buyer about selling, nor with a spiteful man about giving thanks,
13 nor with the impious about piety, nor with the dishonest about honesty, nor with the field worker about other kinds of work,
14 nor with a worker hired for a year about the end of the year, nor with a lazy servant about great works. You should pay no heed to these persons in any matter of counsel.
15 But be continually with a holy man, with anyone whom you know to observe the fear of God,
16 whose soul is in agreement with your own soul, and who, when you falter in the dark, will share your sorrows.
17 And establish a heart of good counsel within yourself. For there is nothing of greater usefulness to you than this.
18 At any time, the soul of a holy man declares more truths than seven vigilant watchmen sitting in a high place.
19 But concerning all things, pray to the Most High, so that he may direct your way in truth.
20 In all your works, let a true word precede you, with steadfast counsel before every deed.
21 A wicked word can change the heart. From the heart four kinds of things arise: good and evil, life and death. And the tongue is continually their ruler. There is a man who is an astute teacher of many, and yet this is useless to his own soul.
22 A man of experience has taught many, and this is pleasant to his own soul.
23 Whoever speaks mere rhetoric is hateful; he will be deceived in every matter.
24 Grace is not given to him from the Lord. For he has been deprived of all wisdom.
25 There is a wise man who is wise within his own soul, and the fruit of his understanding is praiseworthy.
26 A wise man instructs his own people, and the fruit of his understanding is faithful.
27 A wise man will be filled with blessings, and those who see will praise him.
28 The life of a man is in the number of his days. But the days of Israel are innumerable.
29 A wise man will inherit honor among the people, and his name will live in eternity.
30 Son, test your own mind in your life, and if it is lacking, you should not give it authority.
31 For not all things are fitting for all persons, and not every kind of thing is agreeable to every soul.
32 Do not choose to be eager during any feast, and you should not act with excess toward any food.
33 For in excessive eating there will be infirmity, and gluttony will continue even unto illness.
34 By excessive drinking, many have passed away. But he who abstains will add to his life.
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14 and he promised that he would agree to all things that are just, and that he would persuade the king to be their friend.
15 Then Maccabeus assented to the request of Lysias, considering it useful in every way. And whatever Maccabeus wrote to Lysias, concerning the Jews, the king consented to it.
16 For there were letters written to the Jews from Lysias, which, indeed, were composed in this way: “Lysias, to the people of the Jews: greetings.
17 John and Absalom, who had been sent from you to deliver your writings, requested that I would implement these things that were signified by them.
18 Therefore, whatever things could be brought before the king, I have presented them. And he has conceded to those things that are permitted.
19 If, therefore, you will keep yourselves faithful in these matters, then, from now on, I will endeavor to be a cause of your good.
20 But as for other particulars, I have given orders by word, both to these, and to those who have been sent by me, to confer with you.
21 Farewell. In the one hundred forty-eighth year, on the twenty-fourth day of the month of Dioscorus.”
22 But the letter of the king contained this: “King Antiochus to Lysias, his brother: greetings.
23 Since our father has been transferred among the gods, we are willing that those who are in our kingdom should act without tumult, and should attend diligently to their own concerns.
24 We have heard that the Jews would not consent to my father to convert to the rites of the Greeks, but that they chose to keep to their own institutions, and, because of this, that they ask of us to leave them to their own laws.
25 Therefore, wanting this nation, likewise, to be at rest, we have reached a judgment that the temple should be restored to them, so that they may act according to the custom of their ancestors.
26 You will do well, therefore, if you send to them and grant them a pledge, so that our will becomes known, and they may be of good courage, and may look after their own needs.”
27 Truly, the letter of the king to the Jews was such as this: “King Antiochus to the senate of the Jews, and to the rest of the Jews: greetings.
28 If you are well, such is what we desire. But we ourselves are also well.
29 Menelaus came to us, saying that you wished to come down to your own, who are among us.
30 Therefore, we grant a pledge of security to those who come and go, even until the thirtieth day of the month of Xanthicus,
31 so that the Jews may make use of their own foods and laws, just as also before, and so that none of them should endure any kind of trouble for things which have been done by ignorance.
32 And so, we have also sent Menelaus, who will talk with you.
33 Farewell. In the one hundred forty-eighth year, on the fifteenth day of the month of Xanthicus.”
34 But the Romans also now sent a letter, having this in it: “Quintus Memmius and Titus Manilius, ambassadors of the Romans, to the people of the Jews: greetings.
35 Concerning these things that Lysias, the relative of the king, has conceded to you, we also have conceded.
36 But about such things as he judged should be referred to the king, send someone, as soon as you have diligently conferred among yourselves, so that we may make a decree, just as it is agreeable to you. For we are going to Antioch.
37 And, therefore, make haste to write back, so that we may know whatever your will may be.
38 Farewell. In the one hundred forty-eighth year, on the fifteenth day of the month of Xanthicus.”
17 The Lord is just in all his ways: and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him: to all that call upon him in truth.
19 He will do the will of them that fear him: and he will hear their prayer, and save them.
20 The Lord keepeth all them that love him; but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless thy holy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.
1 And I saw a beast ascending from the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon its horns were ten diadems, and upon its heads were names of blasphemy.
2 And the beast that I saw was similar to a leopard, and its feet were like the feet of a bear, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave his own power and great authority to it.
3 And I saw that one of its heads seemed to be slain unto death, but his deadly wound was healed. And the entire world was in wonder following the beast.
4 And they worshiped the dragon, who gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying: “Who is like the beast? And who would be able to fight with it?”
5 And there was given to it a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies. And authority was given to him to act for forty-two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and people and language and nation.
8 And all who inhabit the earth worshiped the beast, those whose names have not been written, from the origin of the world, in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 Whoever will be led into captivity, into captivity he goes. Whoever will kill with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the patient endurance and faith of the Saints.
11 And I saw another beast ascending from the land. And she had two horns like the Lamb, but she was speaking like the dragon.
12 And she acted with all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And she caused the earth, and those dwelling in it, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And she accomplished great signs, even so that she would cause fire to descend from the sky to the earth in the sight of men.
14 And she seduced those living on the earth, by means of the signs that were given to her to perform in the sight of the beast, saying to those dwelling on the earth that they should make an image of the beast who had a wound of the sword and yet lived.
15 And it was given to her to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would speak. And she acted so that whoever would not worship the image of the beast would be slain.
16 And she will cause everyone, small and great, wealthy and poor, free and servant, to have a character on their right hand or on their foreheads,
17 so that no one may buy or sell, unless he has the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Whoever has intelligence, let him determine the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
