The Koine Bible

And it came to pass after Alexander the Macedonian, son of Philip, had struck, who went out from the land of Kittim and struck Darius king of the Persians and Medes, and reigned in his place previously over Greece,

And he waged many wars and took possession of fortresses and slaughtered the kings of the earth.

And he went through to the ends of the earth, and took the spoils of a multitude of nations, and the earth was at rest before him, and his heart was exalted and lifted up.

And he gathered a very strong force and he ruled over lands of nations and of tyrants, and they became to him for tribute.

And after these things he fell upon the bed and knew that he was dying

And he called his noble servants, his companions from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still living

And Alexander reigned twelve years, and he died.

And his children ruled, each one in his place.

And after him all of them put on diadems, and their sons after them for many years, and they multiplied evils in the land.

And from them there went out a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been a hostage in Rome, and he reigned in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In those days lawless sons came out from Israel and persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the nations around us, because since we were separated from them many evils have found us.

And the matter seemed good in their eyes

And some from the people were eager beforehand, and they went to the king, and he gave them authority to do the ordinances of the nations.

And they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the customs of the nations.

And they made themselves uncircumcision and departed from a holy covenant and were yoked with the nations and were sold to do evil

And the kingdom was prepared before Antiochus, and he undertook to reign over the land of Egypt, so that he might reign over the two kingdoms.

And he entered into Egypt with a heavy multitude, with chariots and elephants and with horsemen and with a great fleet

And he made war against Ptolemy king of Egypt, and Ptolemy was routed from before him and fled, and many wounded men fell.

And they took the fortified cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils of the land of Egypt.

And Antiochus returned after striking Egypt in the one hundred and forty-third year, and he went up against Israel and went up to Jerusalem in a heavy multitude

And he entered into the sanctuary in arrogance and took the golden altar and the lampstand of the light and all its vessels

and the table of the setting forth and the libation cups and the bowls and the golden incense pans and the veil and the crowns and the golden ornament in front of the temple, and he stripped off everything

And he took the silver and the gold and the desirable vessels, and he took the hidden treasures which he found

And having taken all, he went away into his land, and he committed murder and spoke great arrogance.

And there was great mourning upon Israel in every place of them.

And rulers and elders groaned, virgins and young men grew weak, and the beauty of the women was changed

Every bridegroom took up lamentation, and she who was sitting in the bridal chamber was mourning.

And the earth was shaken over those who dwell in it, and all the house of Jacob put on shame.

After two years of days the king sent a chief of tribute to the cities of Judea, and he came to Jerusalem with a heavy crowd

And he spoke to them peaceful words in deceit, and they trusted him, and suddenly he fell upon the city and struck it a great blow and destroyed a great people from Israel.

And he took the spoils of the city and burned it with fire and tore down its houses and its walls round about

And they took the women and the children captive, and they took possession of the cattle.

And they built the city of David with a great and strong wall and with strong towers, and it became to them a citadel.

And they placed there a sinful nation, lawless men, and they strengthened in it

And they stored weapons and food, and gathering the spoils of Jerusalem, they laid them up there, and they became a great snare

and it became an ambush for the sanctuary and an evil devil to Israel continually

And they poured out innocent blood around the sanctuary, and they defiled the sanctuary.

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them, and it became a dwelling of foreigners, and it became alien to its produce, and its children abandoned it.

Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness; her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honor into contempt.

According to her glory, her dishonor was multiplied, and her height was turned into mourning

And the king wrote to all his kingdom to be all into one people

and each to abandon his ordinances, and all the nations accepted according to the word of the king

And many from Israel were pleased with his worship, and they sacrificed to the idols and profaned the sabbath.

And the king sent letters by the hand of messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah to go after the laws of foreign peoples of the land.

and to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offering from the sanctuary, and to profane sabbaths and feasts

and to defile the sanctuary and the holy ones

to build altars and sacred enclosures and idols and to sacrifice swine and common animals

and to leave their sons uncircumcised, to detest their souls with every unclean thing and profanation

so as to forget the law and to change all the ordinances

And whoever does not do according to the word of the king shall die.

According to all these words he wrote to all his kingdom, and he appointed overseers over all the people, and he commanded the cities of Juda to sacrifice, city by city.

And many from the people gathered to them, everyone who was abandoning the law, and they did evils in the land.

And they put Israel in hiding in every place of refuge of theirs.

And on the fifteenth day of Chasleu, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they built the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and in the cities of Juda around they built altars

And on the doors of the houses and in the streets they were burning incense

And the books of the law which they found they burned in fire, after tearing them to pieces.

And wherever a book of the covenant was found with anyone, and if anyone consented to the law, the decree of the king put him to death.

By their strength they did to Israel to those who were found in every month and month in the cities

And on the twenty-fifth day of the month, sacrificing upon the altar that was upon the altar of sacrifice

And the women who had circumcised their children they put to death according to the commandment

And they hanged the infants from their necks, and their houses, and those who had circumcised them

And many in Israel strengthened themselves and were fortified in themselves so as not to eat common things

And they chose to die rather than be defiled by the foods and rather than profane the holy covenant, and they died

And there was great wrath upon Israel exceedingly.