Bible in a Year.

On day 310, 2 Maccabees 13 presents important strategies and decisions of the Maccabean leaders. Wisdom 15-16 teaches us about discernment, justice, and prudence, while Proverbs 25:15-17 reminds us that patience and wisdom lead to positive results in our actions.

1. In the year one hundred and forty- nine, Judas understood that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a multitude against Judea,

2. And with him Lysias the regent, who had charge over the affairs of the realm, having with him a hundred and ten thousand footmen, five thousand horse- men, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.

3. Menelaus also joined himself with them: and with great deceitfulness besought Antiochus, not for the welfare of his country, but in hopes that he should be appointed chief ruler.

4. But the King of kings stirred up the mind of Antiochus against the sinner, and upon Lysias suggesting that he was the cause of all the evils, he commanded (as the custom is with them) that he should be apprehended and put to death in the same place.

5. Now there was in that place a tower fifty cubits high, having a heap of ashes on every side: this had a prospect steep down.

6. From thence he commanded the sacrilegious wretch to be thrown down into the ashes, all men thrusting him forward unto death.

7. And by such a law it happened that Menelaus the transgressor of the law was put to death: not having so much as burial in the earth.

8. And indeed very justly, for insomuch as he had committed many sins against the altar of God, the fire and ashes of which were holy: he was condemned to die in ashes.

8. taste of the hardiness of the Jews, attempted to take the strong places by policy:

9. But the king, with his mind full of rage, came on to shew himself worse to the Jews than his father was.

10. Which, when Judas understood, he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that as he had always done, so now also he would help them:

11. Because they were afraid to be deprived of the law, and of their country, and of the holy temple: and that he would not suffer the people, that had of late taken breath for a little while, to be again in subjection to blasphemous nations.

12. So when they had all done this together, and had craved mercy of the Lord with weeping and fasting, lying prostrate on the ground for three days continually, Judas exhorted them to make themselves ready.

13. But he with the ancients determined, before the king should bring his army into Judea, and make himself master of the city, to go out, and to commit the event of the thing to the judgment of the Lord.

14. So committing all to God, the creator of the world, and having exhorted his people to fight manfully, and to stand up even to death for the laws, the temple, the city, their country, and citizens: he placed his army about Modin.

15. And having given his company for a watchword, The victory of God, with most valiant chosen young men, he set upon the king's quarter by night, and slew four thousand men in the camp, and the greatest of the elephants, with them that had been upon him,

16. And having filled the camp of the enemies with exceeding greet fear and tumult, they went off with good success.

17. Now this was done at the break of day, by the protection and help of the Lord.

18. 18; But the king having taken

19. And he marched with his army to Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but he was repulsed, he failed, he rest his men.

20. Now Judas sent necessaries to them that were within.

21. But Rhodocus, one of the Jews' army, disclosed the secrets to the enemies, so he was sought out, and taken up, and put in prison.

22. Again the king treated with them that were in Bethsura: gave his right hand: took theirs: and went away.

23. He fought with Jucias: and was overcome. And when he understood that Philip, who had been left over the affairs, had rebelled at Antioch, he was in a consternation of mind, and entreating the Jews, and yielding to them, he swore to all things that seemed reasonable, and, being reconciled, offered sacrifices, honoured the temple, and left gifts.

24. He embraced Machabeus, and made him governor and prince from Ptolemais unto the Cerrenians.

25. But when he was come to Ptolemais, the men of that city were much displeased with the conditions of the peace, being angry for fear they should break the covenant.

26. Then Lysias went up to the judgment seat, and set forth the reason, and appeased the people, and returned to Antioch: and thus matters went with regard to the king's coming and his return.

Chapter 15

1. But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in mercy.

2. For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with thee.

3. For to know thee is perfect justice: and to know thy justice, and thy power, is the root of immortality.

4. For the invention of mischievous men hath not deceived us, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labour, a graven figure with divers colours,

5. The sight whereof enticeth the fool to lust after it, and he loveth the lifeless figure of a dead image.

6. The lovers of evil things deserve to have no better things to trust in, both they that make them, and they that love them,and they that worship them.

7. The potter also tempering soft earth, with labour fashioneth every vessel for our service, and of the same clay he maketh both vessels that are for clean uses, and likewise such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of these vessels, the potter is the judge.

8. And of the same clay by a vain labour he maketh a god: he who a little before was made of earth himself, and a little after returneth to the same out of which he was taken, when his life which was lent him shall be called for again.

9. But his care is, not that he shall labour, nor that his life is short, but he striveth with the goldsmiths and silversmiths: and he endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it a glory to make vain things.

10. For his heart is ashes, and his hope vain earth, and his life more base than clay:

11. Forasmuch as he knew not his maker and him that inspired into him the soul that worketh, and that breathed into him a living spirit.

12. Yea and they have counted our life a pastime, and the business of life to be gain, and that we must be getting every way, even out of evil.

13. For that man knoweth that he offendeth above all others, who of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels, and graven gods.

14. But all the enemies of thy people that hold them in subjection, are foolish, and unhappy, and proud beyond measure:

15. For they have esteemed all the idols of the heathens for gods, which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to handle, and as for their feet, they are slow to walk.

16. For man made them: and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them. For no man can make a god like to himself.

17. For being mortal himself, he formeth a dead thing with his wicked hands. For he is better than they whom he worshippeth, because he indeed hath lived, though he were mortal, but they never.

18. Moreover they worship also the vilest creatures: but things without sense compared to these, are worse than they.

19. Yea, neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.

Chapter 16

1. For these things, and by the like things to these, they were worthily punished, and were destroyed by a multitude of beasts.

2. Instead of which punishment, dealing well with thy people, thou gavest them their desire of delicious food, of a new taste, preparing for them quails for their meat:

3. To the end that they indeed desiring food, by means of those things that were shewn and sent among them, might loathe even that which was necessary to satisfy their desire. But these, after suffering want for a short time, tasted a new meat.

4. For it was requisite that inevitable destruction should come upon them that exercised tyranny: but to these it should only be shewn how their enemies were destroyed.

5. For when the fierce rage of beasts came upon these, they were destroyed with the bitings of crooked serpents.

6. But thy wrath endured not for ever, but they were troubled for a short time for their correction, having a sign of salvation to put them in remembrance of the commandment of thy law.

7. For he that turned to it, was not healed by that which he saw, but by thee the Saviour of all.

8. And in this thou didst shew to our enemies, that thou art he who deliverest from all evil.

9. For the bitings of locusts, and of flies killed them, and there was found no remedy for their life: because they were worthy to be destroyed by such things.

10. But not even the teeth of venomous serpents overcame thy children: for thy mercy came and healed them.

11. For they were examined for the remembrance of thy words, and were quickly healed, lest falling into deep forgetfulness, they might not be able to use thy help.

12. For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaster that healed them, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.

13. For it is thou, O Lord, that hast power of life and death, and leadest down to the gates of death, and bringest back again:

14. A man indeed killeth through malice, and when the spirit is gone forth, it shall not return, neither shall he call back the soul that is received:

15. But it is impossible to escape thy hand.

16. For the wicked that denied to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thy arm, being persecuted by strange waters, and hail, and rain, and consumed by fire.

17. And which was wonderful, in water, which extinguisheth all things, the fire had more force: for the world fighteth for the just.

18. For at one time, the fire was mitigated, that the beasts which were sent against the wicked might not be burned, but that they might see and perceive that they were persecuted by the judgment of God.

19. And at another time the fire, above its own power, burned in the midst of water, to destroy the fruits of a wicked land.

20. Instead of which things thou didst feed thy people with the food of angels, and gavest them bread from heaven prepared without labour; having in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness of every taste.

21. For thy sustenance shewed thy sweetness to thy children, and serving every man's will, it was turned to what every man liked.

22. But snow and ice endured the force of fire, and melted not: that they might know that fire burning in the hail and flashing in the rain destroyed the fruits of the enemies.

23. But this same again, that the just might be nourished, did even forget its own strength.

24. For the creature serving thee the Creator, is made fierce against the unjust for their punishment; and abateth its strength for the benefit of them that trust in thee.

25. Therefore even then it was transformed into all things, and was obedient to thy grace that nourisheth all, according to the will of them that desired it of thee.

26. That thy children, O Lord, whom thou lovedst, might know that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth men, but thy word preseveth them that believe in thee:

27. For that which could not be destroyed by fire, being warmed with a little sunbeam presently melted away:

28. That it might be known to all, that we ought to prevent the sun to bless thee, and adore thee at the dawning of the light.

29. For the hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter's ice, and shall run off as unprofitable water.

15. By patience a prince shall be appeased, and a soft tongue shall break hardness.

16. Thou hast found honey, eat what is sufficient for thee, lest being glutted therewith thou vomit it up.

17. Withdraw thy foot from the house of thy neighbour, lest having his fill he hate thee.