Bible in a Year.

On day 285, we witness the significant victories of the Maccabees, symbolizing faithfulness and courage. Sirach 10-12 teaches us principles of generosity and justice. Proverbs 22:9-12 reinforces the importance of helping those in need and practicing wisdom in daily life, aligning our lives with God's will.

1. Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen: and they removed out of the camp by night.

2. That they might come upon the camp of the Jews, and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.

3. And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king's forces that were in Emmaus.

4. For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp.

5. And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man, and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us.

6. And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords.

7. And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war.

8. And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.

9. Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharao pursued them with a great army.

10. And now let us cry to heaven: and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before our face this day:

11. And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.

12. And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.

13. And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.

14. And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.

15. But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword, and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men.

16. And Judas returned again with his army that followed him,

17. And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils: for there is war before us:

18. And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety.

19. And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared looking forth from the mountain.

20. And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, ad that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.

21. And when they had seen this, they were seized with great fear, seeing at the same time Judas and his army in the plain ready to fight.

22. So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.

23. And Judas returned to take the spoils of the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.

24. And returning home they sung a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.

25. So Israel had a great deliverance that day.

26. And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.

27. And when he heard these things, he was amazed and discouraged: because things had not succeeded in Israel according to his mind, and as the king had commanded.

28. So the year following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.

29. And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

30. And they saw that the army was strong, and he prayed, and said: Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the violence of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver up the camp of the strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul and of his armourbearer.

31. Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.

32. Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.

33. Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name, praise thee with hymns.

34. And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.

35. And when Lysias saw that his men were put to flight, and how bold the Jews were, and that they were ready either to live, or to die manfully, he went to Antioch, and chose soldiers, that they might come again into Judea with greater numbers.

36. Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places and to repair them.

37. And all the army assembled together, and they went up into mount Sion.

38. And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt, and shrubs growing up in the courts as in a forest, or on the mountains, and the chambers joining to the temple thrown down.

39. And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:

40. And they fell face down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.

41. Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places.

42. And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God:

43. And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.

44. And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.

45. And a good counsel came into their minds, to pull it down: lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they threw it down.

46. And they laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, till there should come a prophet, and give answer concerning them.

47. Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former:

48. And they built up the holy places, and the things that were within the temple: and they sanctified the temple, and the courts.

49. And they made new holy vessels, and brought in the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

50. And they put incense upon the altar, and lighted up the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.

51. And they set the loaves upon the table, and hung up the veils, and finished all the works that they had begun to make.

52. And they arose before the morning on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month (which is the month of Casleu) in the hundred and forty-eighth year.

53. And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made.

54. According to the time, and according to the day wherein the heathens had defiled it, in the same was it dedicated anew with canticles, and harps, and lutes, and cymbals.

55. And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.

56. And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.

57. And they adorned the front of the temple with crowns of gold, and escutcheons, and they renewed the gates, and the chambers, and hanged doors upon them.

58. And there was exceeding great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.

59. And Judas, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness.

60. They built up also at that time mount Sion, with high walls, and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should at any time come, and tread it down as they did before.

61. And he placed a garrison there to keep it, and he fortified it to secure Bethsura, that the people might have a defence against Idumea.

Chapter 10

1. There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale: because while he liveth he hath cast away his bowels.

11. All power is of short life. A long sickness is troublesome to the physician.

12. The physician cutteth off it short sickness: so also a king is to day, and to morrow he shall die.

13. For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, end beasts, and worms.

14. The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God:

15. Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: be that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end.

16. Therefore hath the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and hath utterly destroyed them.

17. God hath overturned the thrones of proud princes, and hath set up the meek in their stead.

18. God hath made the roots of proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of these nations.

19. The Lord hath overthrown the lands of the Gentiles, and hath destroyed them even to the foundation.

20. He hath made some of them to wither away, and hath destroyed them, and hath made the memory of them to cease from the earth.

21. God hath abolished the memory of the proud, and hath preserved the memory of them that are humble in mind.

22. Pride was not made for men: nor wrath for the race of women.

23. That seed of men shall be honoured, which feareth God: but that seed shall be dishonoured, which transgresseth the commandments of the Lord.

24. In the midst of brethren their chief is honourable: so shall they that fear the Lord, be in his eyes.

25. The fear of God is the glory of the rich, and of the honourable, and of the poor:

26. Despise not a just man that is poor, and do not magnify a sinful man that is rich.

27. The great man, and the judge, and the mighty is in honour: and there is none greater than he that feareth God.

28. They that are free shall serve a servant that is wise: and a man that is prudent and well instructed will not murmur when he is reproved; and he that is ignorant, shall not be honoured.

29. Extol not thyself in doing thy work, and linger not in the time of distress:

30. Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself and wanteth bread.

31. My son, keep thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to its desert.

32. Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own soul?

33. The poor man is glorified by his discipline and fear: and there is a man that is honoured for his wealth.

34. But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in wealth? and he that is glorified in wealth, let him fear poverty.

Chapter 11

1. The wisdom of the humble shall exalt his head, and shall make him sit in the midst of great men.

2. Praise not a man for his beauty, neither despise a man for his look.

3. The bee is small among flying things, but her fruit hath the chiefest sweetness.

4. Glory not in apparel at any time, and be not exalted in the day of thy honour: for the works of the Highest only are wonderful, and his works are glorious, and secret, end hidden.

5. Many tyrants have sat on the throne, and he whom no man would think on, hath worn the crown.

6. Many mighty men have been greatly brought down, and the glorious have been delivered into the hand of others.

7. Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hast inquired, reprove justly.

8. Before thou hear, answer not a word: and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.

9. Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee, and sit not in judgment with sinners.

10. My son, meddle not with many matters: and if thou be rich, thou shalt not be free from sin: for if thou pursue after thou shalt not overtake: and if thou run before thou shalt not escape.

11. There is an ungodly man that laboureth, and maketh haste, and is in sorrow, and is so much the more in want.

12. Again, there is an inactive man that wanteth help, is very weak in ability, and full of poverty:

13. Yet the eye of God hath looked upon him for good, and hath lifted him up from his low estate, and hath exalted his head: and many have wondered at him, and have glorified God.

14. Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from God.

15. Wisdom and discipline, and the knowledge of the law are with God. Love and the ways of good things are with him

16. Error and darkness are created with sinners: and they that glory in evil things, grow old in evil.

17. The gift of God abideth with the just, and his advancement shall have success for ever.

18. There is one that is enriched by living sparingly, and this is the portion of his reward.

19. In that he saith: I have found me rest, and now I will eat of my goods alone:

20. And he knoweth not what time shall pass, and that death approacheth, and that he must leave all to others, and shall die.

21. Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and grow old in the work of thy commandments.

22. Abide not in the works of sinners. But trust in God, and stay in thy place.

23. For it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich.

24. The blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.

25. Say not: What need I, and what good shall I have by this?

26. Say not: I am sufficient for myself: and what shall I be made worse by this?

27. In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things:

28. For it is easy before God in the day of death to reward every one according to his ways.

29. The affliction of an hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his works.

30. Praise not any man before death, for a man is known by his children.

31. Bring not every man into thy house: for many are the snares of the deceitful.

32. For as corrupted bowels send forth stinking breath, and as the partridge is brought into the cage, and as the roe into the snare: so also is the heart of the proud, and as a spy that looketh on the fall of his neighbour.

33. For he lieth in wait and turneth good into evil, and on the elect he will lay a blot.

34. Of one spark cometh a great fire, and of one deceitful man much blood: and a sinful man lieth in wait for blood.

35. Take heed to thyself of a mischievous man, for he worketh evils: lest he bring upon thee reproach for ever.

36. Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy own.

Chapter 12

1. If thou do good, know to whom thou dost it, and there shall be much thanks for thy good deeds.

2. Do good to the just, and thou shalt find great recompense: and if not of him, assuredly of the Lord.

3. For there is no good for him that is always occupied in evil, and that giveth no alms: for the Highest hateth sinners, and hath mercy on the penitent.

4. Give to the merciful and uphold not the sinner: God will repay vengeance to the ungodly and to sinners, and keep them against the day of vengeance.

5. Give to the good, and receive not a sinner.

6. Do good to the humble, and give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not to him, lest thereby he overmaster thee.

7. For thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done to him: for the Highest also hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance to the ungodly.

8. A friend shall not be known in prosperity, and an enemy shall not be hidden in adversity.

9. In the prosperity of a man, his enemies are grieved: and a friend is known in his adversity.

10. Never trust thy enemy: for as a brass pot his wickedness rusteth:

11. 11Though he humble himself and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him.

12. Set him not by thee, neither let him sit on thy right hand, lest he turn into thy place, and seek to take thy seat: and at the last thou acknowledge my words, and be pricked with my sayings.

13. Who will pity an enchanter struck by a serpent, or any that come near wild beasts? so is it with him that keepeth company with a wicked man, and is involved in his sins.

14. For an hour he will abide with thee: but if thou begin to decline, he will not endure it.

15. An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he lieth in wait, to throw thee into a pit.

16. An enemy weepeth with his eyes: but if he find an opportunity he will not be satisfied with blood:

17. And if evils come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first.

18. An enemy hath tears in his eyes, and while he pretendeth to help thee, will undermine thy feet.

19. He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.

9. He that is inclined to mercy shall be blessed: for of his bread he hath given to the poor. He that maketh presents shall purchase victory and honour: but he carrieth away the souls of the receivers.

10. Cast out the scoffer, and contention shall go out with him, and quarrels and reproaches shall cease.

11. He that loveth cleanness of heart, for the grace of his lips shall have the king for his friend.

12. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge: and the words of the unjust are overthrown.