1 Maccabees 14
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Capture of Demetrius
14 In the one hundred and seventy-second year[a] Deme′trius the king assembled his forces and marched into Media to secure help, so that he could make war against Trypho. 2 When Ar′saces the king of Persia and Media heard that Deme′trius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his commanders to take him alive. 3 And he went and defeated the army of Deme′trius, and seized him and took him to Ar′saces, who put him under guard.
Eulogy of Simon
4 The land[b] had rest all the days of Simon.
He sought the good of his nation;
his rule was pleasing to them,
as was the honor shown him, all his days.
5 To crown all his honors he took Joppa for a harbor,
and opened a way to the isles of the sea.
6 He extended the borders of his nation,
and gained full control of the country.
7 He gathered a host of captives;
he ruled over Gazar′a and Beth-zur and the citadel,
and he removed its uncleanness from it;
and there was none to oppose him.
8 They tilled their land in peace;
the ground gave its increase,
and the trees of the plains their fruit.
9 Old men sat in the streets;
they all talked together of good things;
and the youths donned the glories and garments of war.
10 He supplied the cities with food,
and furnished them with the means of defense,
till his renown spread to the ends of the earth.
11 He established peace in the land,
and Israel rejoiced with great joy.
12 Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree,
and there was none to make them afraid.
13 No one was left in the land to fight them,
and the kings were crushed in those days.
14 He strengthened all the humble of his people;
he sought out the law,
and did away with every lawless and wicked man.
15 He made the sanctuary glorious,
and added to the vessels of the sanctuary.
Diplomacy with Rome and Sparta
16 It was heard in Rome, and as far away as Sparta, that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved. 17 When they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place, and that he was ruling over the country and the cities in it, 18 they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance which they had established with Judas and Jonathan his brothers. 19 And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
20 This is a copy of the letter which the Spartans sent: “The rulers and the city of the Spartans to Simon the high priest and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our brethren, greeting. 21 The envoys who were sent to our people have told us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their coming. 22 And what they said we have recorded in our public decrees, as follows, ‘Nume′nius the son of Anti′ochus and Antip′ater the son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us. 23 It has pleased our people to receive these men with honor and to put a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of the Spartans may have a record of them. And they have sent a copy of this to Simon the high priest.’”
24 After this Simon sent Nume′nius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing a thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with the Romans.[c]
Official Honors for Simon
25 When the people heard these things they said, “How shall we thank Simon and his sons? 26 For he and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm; they have fought and repulsed Israel’s enemies and established its freedom.” 27 So they made a record on bronze tablets and put it upon pillars on Mount Zion.
This is a copy of what they wrote: “On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year,[d] which is the third year of Simon the great high priest, 28 in As′aramel,[e] in the great assembly of the priests and the people and the rulers of the nation and the elders of the country, the following was proclaimed to us:
29 “Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathi′as, a priest of the sons[f] of Jo′arib, and his brothers, exposed themselves to danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, in order that their sanctuary and the law might be perserved; and they brought great glory to their nation. 30 Jonathan rallied the[g] nation, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. 31 And when their enemies decided to invade their country and lay hands on their sanctuary, 32 then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent great sums of his own money; he armed the men of his nation’s forces and paid them wages. 33 He fortified the cities of Judea, and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where formerly the arms of the enemy had been stored, and he placed there a garrison of Jews. 34 He also fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazar′a, which is on the borders of Azo′tus, where the enemy formerly dwelt. He settled Jews there, and provided in those cities[h] whatever was necessary for their restoration.
35 “The people saw Simon’s faithfulness[i] and the glory which he had resolved to win for his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things and because of the justice and loyalty which he had maintained toward his nation. He sought in every way to exalt his people. 36 And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were put out of the[j] country, as were also the men in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary and do great damage to its purity. 37 He settled Jews in it, and fortified it for the safety of the country and of the city, and built the walls of Jerusalem higher.
38 “In view of these things King Deme′trius confirmed him in the high priesthood, 39 and he made him one of the king’s[k] friends and paid him high honors. 40 For he had heard that the Jews were addressed by the Romans as friends and allies and brethren, and that the Romans[l] had received the envoys of Simon with honor.
41 “And[m] the Jews and their priests decided that Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise, 42 and that he should be governor over them and that he should take charge of the sanctuary and appoint men over its tasks and over the country and the weapons and the strongholds, and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, 43 and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold.
44 “And none of the people or priests shall be permitted to nullify any of these decisions or to oppose what he says, or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple or put on a gold buckle. 45 Whoever acts contrary to these decisions or nullifies any of them shall be liable to punishment.”
46 And all the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accord with these decisions. 47 So Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, to be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and priests, and to be protector of them all.[n] 48 And they gave orders to inscribe this decree upon bronze tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary, 49 and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.
Footnotes
- 1 Maccabees 14:1 140 b.c.
- 1 Maccabees 14:4 Other authorities add of Judah
- 1 Maccabees 14:24 Gk them
- 1 Maccabees 14:27 140 b.c.
- 1 Maccabees 14:28 This word resembles the Hebrew words for the court of the people of God or the prince of the people of God
- 1 Maccabees 14:29 The Greek text of this phrase is uncertain
- 1 Maccabees 14:30 Gk their
- 1 Maccabees 14:34 Gk them
- 1 Maccabees 14:35 Other authorities read conduct
- 1 Maccabees 14:36 Gk their
- 1 Maccabees 14:39 Gk his
- 1 Maccabees 14:40 Gk they
- 1 Maccabees 14:41 Gk honor; and that
- 1 Maccabees 14:47 Or to preside over them all
Sirach 34-35
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Dreams Mean Nothing
34 A man of no understanding has vain and false hopes,
and dreams give wings to fools.
2 As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind,
so is he who gives heed to dreams.
3 The vision of dreams is this against that,
the likeness of a face confronting a face.
4 From an unclean thing what will be made clean?
And from something false what will be true?
5 Divinations and omens and dreams are folly,
and like a woman in travail the mind has fancies.
6 Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation,
do not give your mind to them.
7 For dreams have deceived many,
and those who put their hope in them have failed.
8 Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled,
and wisdom is made perfect in truthful lips.
Experience as a Teacher
9 An educated[a] man knows many things,
and one with much experience will speak with understanding.
10 He that is inexperienced knows few things,
but he that has traveled acquires much cleverness.
11 I have seen many things in my travels,
and I understand more than I can express.
12 I have often been in danger of death,
but have escaped because of these experiences.
Fear the Lord
13 The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,
for their hope is in him who saves them.
14 He who fears the Lord will not be timid,
nor play the coward, for he is his hope.
15 Blessed is the soul of the man who fears the Lord!
To whom does he look? And who is his support?
16 The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love him,
a mighty protection and strong support,
a shelter from the hot wind and a shade from noonday sun,
a guard against stumbling and a defense against falling.
17 He lifts up the soul and gives light to the eyes;
he grants healing, life, and blessing.
Offering Sacrifices
18 If one sacrifices from what has been wrongfully obtained, the offering is blemished;[b]
the gifts[c] of the lawless are not acceptable.
19 The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly;
and he is not propitiated for sins by a multitude of sacrifices.
20 Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes
is the man who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.
21 The bread of the needy is the life of the poor;
whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood.
22 To take away a neighbor’s living is to murder him;
to deprive an employee of his wages is to shed blood.
23 When one builds and another tears down,
what do they gain but toil?
24 When one prays and another curses,
to whose voice will the Lord listen?
25 If a man washes after touching a dead body, and touches it again,
what has he gained by his washing?
26 So if a man fasts for his sins,
and goes again and does the same things,
who will listen to his prayer?
And what has he gained by humbling himself?
The Law and Sacrifices
35 He who keeps the law makes many offerings;
he who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
2 He who returns a kindness offers fine flour,
and he who gives alms sacrifices a thank offering.
3 To keep from wickedness is pleasing to the Lord,
and to forsake unrighteousness is atonement.
4 Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed,
5 for all these things are to be done because of the commandment.
6 The offering of a righteous man anoints the altar,
and its pleasing odor rises before the Most High.
7 The sacrifice of a righteous man is acceptable,
and the memory of it will not be forgotten.
8 Glorify the Lord generously,
and do not stint the first fruits of your hands.
9 With every gift show a cheerful face,
and dedicate your tithe with gladness.
10 Give to the Most High as he has given,
and as generously as your hand has found.
11 For the Lord is the one who repays,
and he will repay you sevenfold.
Divine Justice
12 Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it;
and do not trust to an unrighteous sacrifice;
for the Lord is the judge,
and with him is no partiality.
13 He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man;
and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.
14 He will not ignore the supplication of the fatherless,
nor the widow when she pours out her story.
15 Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek
as she cries out against him who has caused them to fall?
16 He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,
and his prayer will reach to the clouds.
17 The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,
and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord;[d]
he will not desist until the Most High visits him,
and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment.
18 And the Lord will not delay,
neither will he be patient with them,
till he crushes the loins of the unmerciful
and repays vengeance on the nations;
till he takes away the multitude of the insolent,
and breaks the scepters of the unrighteous;
19 till he repays man according to his deeds,
and the works of men according to their devices;
till he judges the case of his people
and makes them rejoice in his mercy.
20 Mercy is as welcome when he afflicts them
as clouds of rain in the time of drought.
Footnotes
- Sirach 34:9 Other authorities read A traveled
- Sirach 34:18 Other authorities read is made in mockery
- Sirach 34:18 Other authorities read mockeries
- Sirach 35:17 Or until the Lord draws near
Proverbs 23:22-25
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
22 Hearken to your father who begot you,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and mother be glad,
let her who bore you rejoice.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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