2 Maccabees 2

It is also found in the ^arecords, that Jeremie the prophet commanded them that were carried away to take of the fire, ^bas it hath been signified: ²and how that the prophet, having given them the law, charged them not to forget the commandments of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, ^cwhen they see images of silver and gold, with their ornaments. ³And with other such speeches exhorted he them, that the law should not depart from their hearts. ⁴It was also contained in ^dthe same writing, that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into ^ethe mountain, where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God. ⁵And when ^fJeremie came thither, he found a hollow cave, wherein he laid the tabernacle, and ^gthe ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door. ⁶And some of those that followed him came to mark the way, but they could not find it. ⁷Which when Jeremie perceived, he blamed them, saying, As for that place, it shall be unknown until the time that God gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy. ⁸Then shall the Lord shew them these things, and the glory of the Lord shall appear, and the cloud also, ^has it was shewed under Moses, and ⁱas when Solomon desired that the place might be honourably sanctified. ⁹It was also ^kdeclared, that he being wise ^loffered the sacrifice of dedication, and of the finishing of the temple. ¹⁰And ^mas when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the sacrifices: even so ⁿprayed Solomon also, and the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offerings. ¹¹And ^oMoses said, Because the sin offering was not to be eaten, it was consumed. ¹²So Solomon kept those ^peight days.

¹³The same things also were reported in ^dthe writings and commentaries of Neemias; and how he founding a library gathered together the acts of the kings, and the prophets, and of David, and the epistles ^qof the kings concerning the ^rholy gifts. ¹⁴In like manner also ^sJudas gathered together all those things that were lost by reason of the war we had, and they remain with us, ¹⁵Wherefore if ye have need thereof, send some to fetch them unto you. ¹⁶Whereas we then ^tare about to celebrate the purification, we have written unto you, and ye shall do well, if ye keep the same days. ¹⁷We hope also, that the God, that delivered all his people, and gave them all an heritage, and the ^ukingdom, and the priesthood, and the ^wsanctuary, ^18xas he promised in the law, will shortly have mercy upon us, and gather us together out of ^yevery land under heaven into ^zthe holy place: for he hath delivered us out of great troubles, and hath purified the place.

^19aNow as concerning Judas Maccabeus, and his brethren, and ^bthe purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar, ²⁰and the wars against ^cAntiochus Epiphanes, and ^dEupator his son, ²¹and ^ethe manifest signs that came from heaven unto those that behaved themselves manfully to their honour for Judaism: so that, being but a few, they overcame the whole country, and chased barbarous multitudes, ²²and ^frecovered again the temple renowned ^gall the world over, and freed the city, and upheld the laws which were going down, the Lord being gracious unto them with all ^hfavour: ²³all these things, I say, being declared by Jason of ⁱCyrene in five books, we will assay ⁱⁱto abridge in one volume. ²⁴For considering the infinite number, and the difficulty which they find that desire to look into the ⁿnarrations of the story, for the variety of the matter, ²⁵we have been careful, that they that will read may have delight, and that they that are desirous to commit to memory might have ease, and that all into whose hands it comes might have profit. ²⁶Therefore to us, that have taken upon us this ^jpainful labour of abridging, it was not easy, but a matter of sweat and watching; ²⁷even as it is no ease unto him that prepareth a banquet, and seeketh the benefit of others: yet for the pleasuring of many we will undertake gladly this ^jgreat pains; ²⁸leaving to ^kthe author the exact handling of every particular, and labouring to follow the ^lrules of an abridgement. ²⁹For as the master builder of a new house must care for the whole building; ^llbut he that undertaketh to set it out, and paint it, must seek out fit things for the adorning thereof: even so I think it is with us. ³⁰To stand upon every point, and go over things at large, and to be curious in particulars, belongeth to ^kthe first author of the story: ³¹but to use ^mbrevity, and avoid much labouring of the work, is to be granted to him that will make an abridgment. ³²Here then will we begin the ⁿstory: only adding thus much to that which hath been said, That it is a foolish thing to make a long prologue, and to be short in the story itself.

III.