The Koine Bible

And the second began to speak, the one who had said concerning the strength of the king.

O men, do not men prevail, those who hold the land and the sea and all things in them?

But the king prevails and rules over them and is master over them, and whatever he may say to them, they listen to him.

If he says to them to make war, one against another they make; but if he sends them out against the enemies, they go and work the mountains and the walls and the towers.

they kill and are killed, and they do not transgress the word of the king; but if they prevail, they bring to the king all things, both whatever they plunder and all the rest

And as many as do not serve in war nor make war, but cultivate the land, again when they have sown, after reaping, they bring to the king; and one compelling another, they bring the taxes to the king

And he himself is one alone; if he should say to kill, they kill; he said to release, they release.

He said to strike, they strike; he said to devastate, they devastate; he said to build, they build.

He said, they cut down; he said, they plant.

And all his people and his forces obey him.

And besides these, he himself reclines, eats, and drinks, and sleeps, but they keep watch around him, and each one cannot go away and do his work, nor disobey him.

O men, how does not the king prevail, since he is so much listened to, and he became silent?

And the third, who spoke about women and truth, this is Zerubbabel, began to speak

Men, the king is not great, and many are the men, and wine is strong; who then is ruling over them, or who is mastering them? Are not the women?

Women gave birth to the king and all the people who rule over the sea and the earth.

And from them came they also, and these brought up those planting the vineyards from which the wine is made.

and these make the garments of men, and these make glory for men, and men are not able to be without women

But if they gather gold and silver and every beautiful thing, and see one woman fair in appearance and in beauty

and leaving all these things, they gape at her and, opening their mouth, look at her, and all greet her rather than gold and silver and every beautiful thing

A man leaves his own father who reared him, and his own land, and clings to his own wife.

and with the woman he lets go the life, and neither does he remember the father nor the mother nor the country

And from this you must know that women rule over you: do you not labor and toil and give and carry everything to the women?

and a man takes his sword and goes out to travel and to rob and to steal and to sail into the sea and rivers

and he watches the lion, and he walks in darkness, and when he steals and snatches and robs, he carries it off to the beloved

and a man loves his own wife more than the father and the mother

And many were driven to despair in their own minds because of women, and they became slaves because of them

And many perished and were caused to stumble and sinned because of women.

And now, do you not believe me? Is not the king great in his authority? Do not all the lands fear to touch him?

I saw him and Apame, the daughter of Bartacus the marvelous one, the concubine of the king, sitting at the right hand of the king

and taking the diadem from the king’s head and placing it on herself, and with the left hand she was striking the king with the palm

And besides these things the king, gaping with his mouth, looked at her, and if she smiles at him, he laughs; but if she is made bitter against him, he flatters her, so that he may be reconciled to him.

O men, how are not women strong, that they do so?

And then the king and the nobles looked at one another.

And he began to speak concerning the truth: Men, are not women strong? Great is the earth and high is the heaven, and swift in the course is the sun, because it turns in the circle of heaven and again runs back to its own place in one day.

Is not he great, who does these things, and the truth is great and stronger than all?

All the earth calls upon the truth, and the heaven blesses it, and all works are shaken and tremble, and there is nothing unjust with it.

Unjust is the wine, unjust is the king, unjust are the women, unjust are all the sons of men, and unjust are all their works; all such things and there is no truth in them, and in their injustice they will perish.

But the truth remains and prevails forever, and lives and holds sway forever and ever

and there is not with her accepting of faces nor partiality, but she does the just things away from all the unjust and wicked, and all are well pleased with her works, and there is nothing unjust in her judgment

and to her belong the strength and the kingdom and the authority and the majesty of all the ages. Blessed be the God of truth.

And he ceased from speaking, and all the people then shouted, and then they said, Great is the truth, and it prevails.

Then the king said to him, Ask what you wish, more than what is written, and we will give to you, since you have been found wiser and next to me you shall sit and you shall be called my kinsman.

Then he said to the king, Remember the vow that you vowed to build Jerusalem on the day when you received your kingdom

and all the vessels taken from Jerusalem, to send out, which Cyrus set apart when he vowed to cut down Babylon and vowed to send them out there

and you prayed to build the temple which the Idumeans burned when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans

And now this is what I ask of you, lord king, and what I request of you, and this is the greatness from you: I beg then that you perform the vow which you vowed to the King of heaven to do from your mouth

Then Darius the king rose up and kissed him and wrote him letters to all the stewards and toparchs and commanders and satraps, so that they should escort him and all with him going up to build Jerusalem

And to all the local rulers in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia and those in Lebanon he wrote letters to transport cedar wood from Lebanon to Jerusalem, and so that they should build the city with him.

And he wrote to all the Jews going up from the kingdom into Judea concerning freedom, that any potentate and satrap and toparch and steward should not come against their doors.

and all the region which they will possess to be exempt from tax to them, and that the Idumeans should release the villages which they hold from the Jews

and for the building of the sanctuary to be given yearly twenty talents until its being built

and on the altar to offer whole burnt offerings daily, as they have command, seventeen; to bring other ten talents yearly

And for all those who come up from Babylonia to build the city, there shall be freedom for them and for their children, and for all the priests who come up.

And he also wrote the contribution and the priestly vestment in what they serve in it.

And he wrote to the Levites to give the provision until the day on which the house and Jerusalem should be completed to be built

And to all who were guarding the city he wrote to give them portions and pay

And he sent back all the vessels which Cyrus had set apart from Babylon, and all that Cyrus said to do, and he himself ordered to do and to send to Jerusalem

And when the young man went out, lifting up his face to heaven opposite Jerusalem, he blessed the King of heaven, saying

From you is the victory, and from you is the wisdom, and yours is the glory, and I am your servant.

Blessed are you, who have given me wisdom, and to you I confess, Master of the fathers.

And he took the letters and went out to Babylon and reported to all his brothers.

And they blessed the God of their fathers, because he had given them relief and release.

to go up and to build Jerusalem and the sanctuary where his name was named upon it, and they were feasting with musicians and joy for seven days