The Koine Bible

But it is found in the records that Jeremiah the prophet ordered those who had gone away to take of the fire, as it has been indicated

and as the prophet had charged those who came afterward, having given them the law, that they might not forget the commandments of the Lord and that they might not be led astray in their minds by seeing golden and silver images and the adornment around them

And speaking such other things, he urged them not to let the law depart from their heart

And it was in the writing that the prophet, when an oracle had occurred to him, commanded the tent and the ark to follow, and that when he went out to the mountain where Moses, having gone up, beheld the inheritance of God.

And Jeremiah came and found a cave-like house, and the tent and the ark and the altar of incense he brought in there, and he blocked up the door.

And some of those accompanying came near, so as to mark the way, and they were not able to find it.

But as Jeremiah knew, blaming them, he said that the place also will be unknown until God gathers together the assembly of the people and becomes gracious

And then the Lord will reveal these things, and the glory of the Lord will be seen, and the cloud, as upon Moses, was made known, as also Solomon asked that the place be sanctified greatly

And he also explained, as one having wisdom, that he offered the sacrifice of the dedication and of the completion of the temple.

As Moses also prayed to the Lord and fire came down out of heaven and consumed the things of the sacrifice, so also Solomon prayed, and the fire, having come down, consumed the burnt offerings.

And Moses said, Because the thing concerning the sin had not been eaten, it was completely consumed.

Likewise also Solomon led the eight days.

And the same things were also recounted in the records and in the memorials that are according to Nehemiah: how, founding a library, he gathered together the books about the kings and prophets and the things of David, and letters of kings concerning dedications.

And likewise also Judas gathered together for us all the things that had been scattered because of the war that had happened, and they are with us.

So whomsoever you may have need of, send those who will bring them to you.

Since therefore we are intending to celebrate the purification, we have written to you; therefore you will do well, celebrating the days.

But God, who saved all his people and gave back the inheritance to all, and the kingdom and the priesthood and the consecration

as he promised through the law, for we hope in God that he will quickly have mercy on us and gather us together from under heaven into the holy place; for he delivered us from great evils and cleansed the place

But the things concerning Judas the Maccabee and his brothers and the cleansing of the great sanctuary and the dedication of the altar

and also the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator

and the manifestations that came from heaven to those who had acted nobly with zeal for Judaism, so that, though they were few, they plundered the whole country and pursued the barbarian multitudes

and the renowned holy place throughout the whole inhabited world to be brought back, and the city to be set free, and the laws, which were about to be abolished, to be restored, with the Lord having become gracious to them with all kindness

We shall try, by one composition, to cut short what has been made clear by Jason of Cyrene through five books.

For seeing the mass of the numbers and the difficulty that exists for those wishing to be rolled into the narratives of the history because of the multitude of the matter

We have taken care for those who wish to read, amusement; for those who are fondly disposed, ease for taking up by memory; and for all who come upon it, benefit

and for us, indeed, who have undertaken the hardship of the abridgment, the matter is not easy, and of sweat and of sleeplessness

just as for the one preparing a banquet and seeking the benefit of others it is not easy, yet because of the gratitude of the many we will gladly bear the hardship

while granting to the writer to investigate accurately concerning each matter, but taking pains to follow the outlines of the epitome

For just as for the architect of a new house the care of the whole foundation belongs, but for him who undertakes to build and to paint there must be an inquiry into the things suitable for adornment, so I think it is also with us

To step in and to make a walk of words and to busy oneself with the particulars, it belongs to the leader of the history.

But for the one making the translation, it must be allowed to pursue the brevity of the expression and to forgo the detailed treatment of the work.

Therefore let us begin the account, having joined to the things said before this much: for it is foolish to make excessive the one before the history, and to cut short the history.