1 You should not repeat a claim heard from the revealing of a hidden word. And then, truly, you will be without shame, and you will find favor in the sight of all men. You should not accept the reputation of someone, so that you would sin, nor should you be confounded in any of the following things:
2 in the law of the Most High and his covenant, or by giving a judgment to justify the impious;
3 in a word among companions and fellow travelers, or by distributing the inheritance of friends;
4 in the fairness of scales and weights, or in acquiring much or little;
5 by the corruption of buying and negotiating, or in the ample discipline of children, or in causing the side of a wicked servant to bleed.
6 A seal is good over a wicked wife.
7 Where there are many hands, seal and deliver all things by number and weight; and truly, give and receive everything in writing.
8 You should not have shame in correcting the senseless, the foolish, and those youths who would judge their elders. And so shall you be well-instructed in all things and well-approved in the sight of all the living.
9 The vigilance of a father for his daughter is hidden, and his concern for her takes away his sleep. For perhaps, in her adolescence, she might be brought into adulthood. Or when she lives with her husband, she might become hateful.
10 In her virginity, she might be defiled, and then she may be found to be pregnant in her father’s house. Or perhaps, when she lives with her husband, she might stray, or at least become barren.
11 Keep a close watch over a self-indulgent daughter. Otherwise, at some time, she might bring you into disgrace before your enemies, and into disrepute in the city, and into reproach among the people, and so she may confound you before the multitude of the people.
12 She should not choose to gaze upon the beauty of every man, and she should not choose to spend her time in the midst of married women.
13 For a moth goes forth from garments, and iniquity over a man goes forth from a woman.
14 Yet iniquity over a man is better for her than if a married woman, seeking to benefit her, instead leads her into confusion and disgrace.
15 And now, I will remember the works of the Lord, and I will announce what I have seen. The words of the Lord are in his works.
16 The sun illuminates and considers all things, and its work shows the fullness of the glory of the Lord.
17 Has not the Lord caused the holy ones to describe all his miracles, which the all-powerful Lord has firmly established in his glory?
18 He has examined the abyss and the hearts of men. And he has considered their astuteness.
19 For the Lord comprehends all knowledge, and he has gazed upon the signs of the times: announcing the things of the past, as well as the things of the future, and revealing the traces of hidden things.
20 No thought passes by him unnoticed, and no word can conceal itself from him.
21 He has adorned the magnificent works of his wisdom. He is before eternity and even unto eternity. And nothing can be added,
22 and nothing can be taken away. And he has no need of any counselor.
23 O how desirable are all his works! And all that we consider is but a spark.
24 All these works exist, and they remain in the present age, and they all obey him in every purpose.
25 All things are two-fold, one facing another, and he has not made anything to be lacking.
26 He has confirmed each thing as good. And who would tire of beholding his glory?
1 The firmament on high is his beauty; it is the beauty of heaven in a vision of glory.
2 The sun, at its appearance, announces its journey; it is an instrument of wonder, a work of the Most High.
3 At midday, it scorches the earth. And in the presence of its heat, who would be able to endure? It is like the custodian of a furnace in its works of heat.
4 In three ways, the sun acts: scorching the mountains, emitting fiery rays, and shining with its beams that can blind the eyes.
5 Great is the Lord who made it, and at his word, it hurries on its journey.
6 And the moon, in all its phases, serves to mark the seasons and to be a sign of the times.
7 From the moon is the sign of a feast day; it is a light which diminishes at its consummation.
8 A month is named according to its phases, increasing wonderfully at its culmination.
9 It is an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven.
10 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord illuminates the world from on high.
11 At the words of the Holy One, they stand for judgment, and they will never fail in their vigilance.
12 Consider the rainbow, and bless the One who made it; it is very beautiful in its splendor.
13 It encompasses the heavens with the circle of its glory; the hands of the Most High made it appear.
14 By his order, he hastens the snow, and he spurs on the lightning to express his judgment.
15 In like manner, his storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds.
16 By his greatness, he has positioned the clouds, and the hailstones have been broken.
17 At his glance, the mountains will be shaken, and by his will, the south wind will blow.
18 The voice of his thunder will reverberate through the earth, by a storm from the north, and by a gathering of the whirlwind.
19 And like the birds landing in a flock upon the earth, he sends down the snow; and its descent is like the arrival of a swarm of locusts.
20 The eye is in wonder at the beauty of its whiteness, and the heart is astonished at its falling.
21 He will pour out frost like salt upon the earth. And when it freezes, it will become like the tops of thistles.
22 The cold north wind blows, and the water freezes into crystals; it will rest upon every gathering of water, and it will clothe the water like a breastplate.
23 And it will devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and extinguish the greenery, like a fire.
24 Relief for all is in the hurried arrival of a cloud. And the lowly dew will arrive to meet the heat and overpower it.
25 At his word, the wind grows quiet, and by his thought, he appeases the abyss, for the Lord has planted islands in it.
26 Let those who navigate the sea describe its perils. And when we have heard it with our ears, we will wonder.
27 There are illustrious and wondrous works: the various kinds of wild animals, and all manner of cattle, and the great creatures of the sea.
28 Through him, the end of their journey is confirmed, and by his word, all things fit together.
29 We can say much, and yet still lack for words. But the consummation of our words is this: He is in all things.
30 What would we be able to do to glorify him? For the Almighty himself is above all his own works.
31 The Lord is terrible, and exceedingly great, and his power is wonderful.
32 Glorify the Lord as much as you are able, yet still he will far exceed this. For his magnificence is beyond wonder.
33 Bless the Lord and exalt him, as much as you are able. But he is beyond all praise.
34 When you exalt him, use all your ability, and do not cease in this labor. For you can never comprehend him.
35 Who will see him and explain? And who will magnify him, as he is from the beginning?
36 There are many things, hidden from us, which are greater than these things. For we have seen but a few of his works.
37 But the Lord has made all things, and he has given wisdom to those who act with piety.
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11 Of course, they were afraid to be deprived of their law and their country, and of the holy temple, and also that he might allow the people, who had recently taken a breath for a little while, to be again subdued by blasphemous nations.
12 And so, having together done all these things, and having sought mercy from the Lord with weeping and fasting, lying prostrate on the ground continually for three days, Judas exhorted them to prepare themselves.
13 In truth, with the elders he decided that, before the king could move his army into Judea and obtain the city, they would go out and commit the outcome of the event to the judgment of the Lord.
14 And so, giving everything to God, the Creator of the world, and having exhorted his own to contend with fortitude and to stand up, even unto death, for the laws, the temple, the city, their country and the citizens: he positioned his army around Modin.
15 And having given his own a sign of the victory of God, he attacked the quarters of the king by night, with the strongest chosen young men, and he slew four thousand men in the camp, and the greatest of the elephants, along with those who would have been positioned on them.
16 And so, having filled the camp of their enemies with the greatest fear and disturbance, they went away with good success.
17 Now this was done at the first light of day, with the Lord assisting and protecting them.
18 But the king, having received a taste of the audacity of the Jews, attempted to take the difficult places by craftiness.
19 And so, he moved his camp to Bethzur, which was a fortified garrison of the Jews. But as he struck, he was put to flight and reduced in number.
20 Then Judas sent necessities to those who were inside.
21 But Rhodocus, a certain one from the Jewish army, reported the secrets to the enemies, so he was sought out, apprehended, and imprisoned.
22 Again, the king held talks with those who were in Bethzur. He gave his right hand as a pledge, and accepted theirs, and he went away.
23 He joined battle with Judas; he was overcome. But when he realized that Philip, who had been left out of these events, had rebelled at Antioch, he was in a consternation of mind, and, begging the Jews, and being submissive to them, he swore to all things that seemed just. And, being reconciled, he offered sacrifice, honored the temple, and left gifts.
24 He embraced Maccabeus, and he made him commander and leader from Ptolemais all the way to the Gerrenians.
25 But when he arrived at Ptolemais, the Ptolemaians considered the conditions of the alliance burdensome, being indignant lest perhaps they might break the pact.
26 Then Lysias went up to the tribunal, and explained the reasons, and calmed the people, and so he returned to Antioch. And this is the way things went concerning the journey and return of the king.
15 Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: his word runneth swiftly.
16 Who giveth snow like wool: scattereth mists like ashes.
17 He sendeth his crystal like morsels: who shall stand before the face of his cold?
18 He shall send out his word, and shall melt them: his wind shall blow, and the waters shall run.
19 Who declareth his word to Jacob: his justices and his judgments to Israel.
20 He hath not done in like manner to every nation: and his judgments he hath not made manifest to them. Alleluia.
1 And after these things, I saw another Angel, descending from heaven, having great authority. And the earth was illuminated by his glory.
2 And he cried out with strength, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. And she has become the habitation of demons, and the keepsake of every unclean spirit, and the possession of every unclean and hateful flying thing.
3 For all the nations have imbibed the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the kings of the earth have fornicated with her. And the merchants of the earth have become wealthy by the power of her pleasures.”
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: “Go away from her, my people, so that you may not be participants in her pleasures, and so that you may not be recipients of her afflictions.
5 For her sins have pierced through even to heaven, and the Lord has remembered her iniquities.
6 Render to her, as she has also rendered to you. And repay her doubly, according to her works. Mix for her a double portion, in the cup with which she mixed.
7 As much as she has glorified herself and lived in pleasure, so much so give to her torment and grief. For in her heart, she has said: ‘I am enthroned as queen,’ and, ‘I am not a widow,’ and, ‘I shall not see sorrow.’
8 For this reason, her afflictions shall arrive in one day: death and grief and famine. And she shall be burned with fire. For God, who will judge her, is strong.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have fornicated with her and lived in luxury, shall weep and mourn for themselves over her, when they see the smoke of her conflagration,
10 standing far away, out of fear of her torments, saying: ‘Woe! Woe! to Babylon, that great city, that strong city. For in one hour, your judgment has arrived.’
11 And the businessmen of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one will buy their merchandise anymore:
12 merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls, and of fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and of every citrus tree wood, and of every tool of ivory, and of every tool from precious stone and brass and iron and marble,
13 and of cinnamon and black cardamom, and of fragrances and ointments and incense, and of wine and oil and fine flour and wheat, and of beasts of burden and sheep and horses and four-wheeled wagons, and of slaves and the souls of men.
14 And the fruits of the desires of your soul have gone away from you. And all things fat and splendid have perished from you. And they shall never find these things again.
15 The merchants of these things, who were made wealthy, shall stand far away from her, out of fear of her torments, weeping and mourning,
16 and saying: ‘Woe! Woe! to that great city, which was clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and which was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.’
17 For such great wealth was brought to destitution in one hour. And every shipmaster, and all who navigate on lakes, and mariners, and those who work at sea, stood far away.
18 And they cried out, seeing the place of her conflagration, saying: ‘What city resembles this great city?’
19 And they cast dust upon their heads. And they cried out, weeping and mourning, saying: ‘Woe! Woe! to that great city, by which all who had ships at sea were made rich from her treasures. For she has been made desolate in one hour.
20 Exult over her, O heaven, O holy Apostles and Prophets. For God has judged your judgment upon her.’ “
21 And a certain strong Angel took up a stone, similar to a great millstone, and he cast it into the sea, saying: “With this force shall Babylon, that great city, be cast down. And she shall never be found again.
22 And the sound of singers, and musicians, and flute and trumpet players shall not be heard in you again. And every artisan of every art shall not be found in you again. And the sound of the mill shall not be heard in you again.
23 And the light of the lamp shall not shine in you again. And the voice of the groom and of the bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the leaders of the earth. For all the nations were led astray by your drugs.
24 And in her was found the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints, and of all who were slain upon the earth.”
