2 Maccabees 12:39–45

39 And upon vthe day following, * as the vvuse had been, cJudas and his company came to take up rthe bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen in their fathers’ graves. 40 Now under the coats of revery one that was slain they found things consecrated to the idols of wthe Jamnites, which is forbidden the Jews xby the law. Then every man saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slain. 41 All men therefore praising the Lord, ythe righteous Judge, who had opened the things that were hid, 42 betook themselves unto prayer, and besought him that the sin committed might wholly be put out of remembrance. Besides, that noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forsomuch as they saw before their eyes the things that came to pass for the sin of those that were slain. 43 And when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two thousand zdrachms of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem ato offer a sin offering, doing therein very well and honestly, bin that he was mindful of the resurrection: 44 for bif he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and cvain to pray for the dead: 45 band also in that he perceived that there was great favour laid up for those that ddied godly, It was a holy and good thought. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.

XIII.