1 You should not be jealous of the wife of your bosom, lest she reveal, because of you, the malice of a wicked lesson.
2 You should not give authority over your soul to a woman, lest she obtain your strength, and then you would be confounded.
3 You should not look with favor on a woman with many desires, lest perhaps you may fall into her traps.
4 You should not be continually in need of entertainment, nor should you be persuaded by it, lest perhaps you may perish by its effectiveness.
5 You should not stare at a virgin, lest perhaps you may be scandalized by her beauty.
6 You should not give your soul, in any way, to fornicators, lest you destroy yourself and your inheritance.
7 Do not choose to look around in the streets of the city, nor should you wander along its thoroughfares.
8 Avert your face from an ornate woman, for you should not gaze upon strange beauty.
9 Many have perished because of the beauty of a woman; and by this, desire is kindled like a fire.
10 Every woman who is a fornicator will be trampled down, like the filth in the street.
11 Many, by admiring the beauty of the wife of another, have become reprobate. For familiarity with her flares up like a fire.
12 You should not sit down at all with another man’s wife, nor recline with her on a couch.
13 And you should not argue with her over wine, lest perhaps your heart may turn toward her, and by your emotion, you would be toppled into perdition.
14 You should not abandon a old friend. For a new one will not be similar to him.
15 A new friend is like new wine. It will grow old, and then you will enjoy drinking it.
16 You should not envy the glory and wealth of a sinner. For you do not know what may be his undoing in the future.
17 The injury of the unjust should not please you, knowing that, until they are in hell, the impious will not please.
18 Keep yourself far from a man having the power to kill, and then you will not have the fear of death suspended over you.
19 But if you do approach him, do nothing to offend, lest perhaps he may take away your life.
20 Know that this is a communion with death. For you would be entering the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of the grieving.
21 According to your ability, be cautious of your neighbor, and treat him as the wise and prudent would.
22 Let just men be your companions, and let your glory be in the fear of God.
23 And let the thought of God be in your mind, and let all your discourse be on the precepts of the Most High.
24 Works will be praised for the hands of the artists, and a leader of the people will be praised for the wisdom of his words, yet truly, the word of the elders will be praised for its understanding.
25 A man full of words is a dread to his city, but one who speaks rashly will be hated for his word.
1 A wise judge will judge his people, and the leadership of an understanding man will be steadfast.
2 As the judge of the people is, so also are his assistants. And whatever kind of man the ruler of a city is, of such a kind also are those who live in it.
3 A foolish king will be the ruin of his people. For cities will be inhabited through the understanding of those with power.
4 Power over the earth is in the hand of God, and, in due time, he will raise up a helpful leader over the earth.
5 The prosperity of a man is in the hand of God, and he will place his honor above the face of the scribe.
6 You should forget all injury done to you by your neighbor, and you should do nothing among the works of injury.
7 Arrogance is hateful in the sight of God and of men. And all iniquity among the nations is abominable.
8 A kingdom is transferred from one people to another because of injustices, and injuries, and contempt, and every kind of deceit.
9 But nothing is more wicked than a greedy man. Why should that which is earth and ashes be arrogant?
10 There is nothing more iniquitous than to love money. For such a one has sold even his own soul. For in his life, he casts aside his innermost being.
11 All power is of short life. A prolonged sickness is of grave concern to a physician.
12 A physician causes a sickness to be shortened. So also, a king is here today, and tomorrow he will die.
13 For when a man dies, he will inherit serpents, and wild beasts, and worms.
14 The beginning of the arrogance of man is apostasy from God.
15 For his heart has withdrawn from the One who made him. For arrogance is the beginning of all sin. Whoever holds to it, will be filled with evil words, and it will overthrow him in the end.
16 Because of this, the Lord has dishonored the gatherings of the evil, and he has destroyed them, even unto the end.
17 God has destroyed the seats of arrogant leaders, and he has caused the meek to be seated in their place.
18 The roots of arrogant nations, God has dried up, and the humble among these nations, he has planted.
19 The Lord has overthrown the lands of the Gentiles, and he has utterly destroyed them, even to their foundation.
20 He has dried up some of them, and he has utterly destroyed them, and he has caused their memory to depart from the earth.
21 God has abolished the memory of the arrogant, and he has left behind only the memory of those who are humble in mind.
22 Arrogance was not created for men, nor was an angry temperament created for the gender of women.
23 Those who fear God among the offspring of men will be honored. But those among the offspring who ignore the commandments of the Lord will be dishonored.
24 In the midst of his brothers, a ruler has honor. And those who fear the Lord will have honor in his eyes.
25 The fear of God is the glory of the wealthy, and of the honorable, and of the poor.
26 Do not choose to despise a just man who is poor, and do not choose to magnify a sinful man who is rich.
27 The great man, and the judge, and the powerful have honor. But no one is greater than he who fears God.
28 Those who are free will serve an understanding servant. And a prudent and disciplined man will not murmur at correction. But an ignorant man will not be honored.
29 Do not choose to extol yourself in doing your work, and do not be unproductive during the time of distress.
30 He who works, and so abounds in all things, is better than he who boasts, and so lacks bread.
31 Son, preserve your soul in meekness, and give it honor according to its merit.
32 Who will justify one who sins in his soul? And who will honor one who dishonors his soul?
33 The poor man is glorified by his discipline and fear. And there is a man who is honored because of his substance.
34 But if someone is glorified in poverty, how much more in substance? And whoever is glorified in substance, let him fear poverty.
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1 Therefore, when the holy city was inhabited with all peace, and also the laws were still being kept very well because of the piety of Onias, the high priest, and the hatred that his soul held for evil,
2 it happened that even the kings and princes themselves considered the place worthy of the highest honor, and so they glorified the temple with very great gifts,
3 so much so that Seleucus, king of Asia, furnished from his revenues all of the expenses for the ministry pertaining to the sacrifices.
4 But Simon, from the tribe of Benjamin, having been appointed as overseer of the temple, obstructed the chief priest, in order to undertake some kind of iniquity in the city.
5 But when he was not able to overcome Onias, he went to Apollonius, the son of Tarsus, who at that time was governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia,
6 and he announced to him that the treasury in Jerusalem was full of innumerable sums of money, and that the common storehouse, which did not pertain to the allotment for the sacrifices, was immense, and that it would be possible for all of this to fall under the power of the king.
7 And when he had presented the news that he brought back to king Apollonius about the money, he summoned Heliodorus, who was in charge of this matter, and he sent him with orders, in order to transport the aforesaid money.
8 And immediately Heliodorus set forth on the way, indeed, appearing as if sojourning to the cities of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, but in truth the reason was to complete the proposition of the king.
9 But, when he had arrived at Jerusalem and had been kindly accepted into the city by the high priest, he explained to him the information that had been provided concerning the money. And he freely disclosed the cause for which he was present. But he questioned whether these things were truly so.
10 Then the high priest revealed to him that these things had been deposited, along with provisions for the widows and the orphans.
11 In truth, a certain part of that which impious Simon had reported belonged to Hyrcanus, son of Tobias, a very eminent man. But the entire amount was four hundred talents of silver and two hundred of gold.
12 For in truth, to deceive those who had trusted in the place and the temple that is honored throughout the whole world for its veneration and sanctity would be altogether impossible.
13 But because of those things that he held as orders from the king, he said that by all means the money must be transferred to the king.
14 And so, on the appointed day, Heliodorus entered to set these things in order. Yet truly, there was no small amount of trepidation throughout the entire city.
15 And so the priests threw themselves before the altar in their priestly vestments, and they called upon him from heaven, who had established the law about deposits, such that those with whom they had deposited it would keep it safe.
16 Now truly, whoever saw the countenance of the high priest was wounded in mind. For his face and the changing of its color declared the inner sorrow of the soul.
17 For this one man was so immersed in grief and in physical dread that it was clear to those who beheld him that sorrow had affected his heart.
18 And now, others flowed together in flocks from the houses, pleading and making public supplication, on behalf of the place, which soon might be brought into contempt.
19 And the women, wrapped with haircloth around the chest, flowed together through the streets. And even the virgins, who were cloistered, rushed forth to Onias, and others rushed to the walls, and, truly, certain ones looked through the windows.
20 But every one of them, stretching forth their hands toward heaven, made supplication.
21 For the expectation of the mixed multitude, and of the great priest in agony, would have endowed anyone with pity.
22 And indeed, these called upon almighty God, so that the trust that had been entrusted to them would be preserved with all integrity.
23 But Heliodorus completed the same thing that had been decreed, being himself present in the place, with his attendants, near the treasury.
24 Then the Spirit of Almighty God made a great manifestation of his presence, so much so that all who had presumed to yield to him were turned aside by fainting and dread, falling by the power of God.
1 Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me:
2 Thou hast know my sitting down, and my rising up.
3 Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out.
4 And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.
5 Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.
1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him.
2 Most beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be then has not yet appeared. We know that when he does appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
3 And everyone who holds this hope in him, keeps himself holy, just as he also is holy.
4 Everyone who commits a sin, also commits iniquity. For sin is iniquity.
5 And you know that he appeared in order that he might take away our sins. For in him there is no sin.
6 Everyone who abides in him does not sin. For whoever sins has not seen him, and has not known him.
7 Little sons, let no one deceive you. Whoever does justice is just, even as he also is just.
8 Whoever commits sin is of the devil. For the devil sins from the beginning. For this reason, the Son of God appeared, so that he might eradicate the works of the devil.
9 All those who have been born of God do not commit sin. For the offspring of God abides in them, and he is not able to sin, because he was born of God.
10 In this way, the sons of God are made manifest, and also the sons of the devil. Everyone who is not just, is not of God, as also anyone who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the announcement that you heard from the beginning: that you should love one another.
12 Do not be like Cain, who was of the evil one, and who killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were wicked, but his brother’s works were just.
13 If the world hates you, brothers, do not be surprised.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life. For we love as brothers. Whoever does not love, abides in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding within him.
16 We know the love of God in this way: because he laid down his life for us. And so, we must lay down our lives for our brothers.
17 Whoever possesses the goods of this world, and sees his brother to be in need, and yet closes his heart to him: in what way does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little sons, let us not love in words only, but in works and in truth.
19 In this way, we will know that we are of the truth, and we will commend our hearts in his sight.
20 For even if our heart reproaches us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows all things.
21 Most beloved, if our heart does not reproach us, we can have confidence toward God;
22 and whatever we shall request of him, we shall receive from him. For we keep his commandments, and we do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
24 And those who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And we know that he abides in us by this: by the Spirit, whom he has given to us.
