Bible in a Year.

On day 284, we explore the courage and faith demonstrated by the Maccabees in decisive battles. Sirach 7-9 emphasizes ethics, integrity, and discernment. Proverbs 22:5-8 teaches us about careful planning and the ways of prudence, strengthening our daily lives from a divine perspective.

1. Then his son Judas, called Machabeus, rose up in his stead.

2. And all his brethren helped him, and all they that had joined themselves to his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.

3. And he got his people great honour, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike armour about him in battles, and protected the camp with his sword.

4. In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey.

5. And he pursued the wicked and sought them out, and them that troubled his people he burnt with fire:

6. And his enemies were driven away for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled: and salvation prospered in his hand.

7. And he grieved many kings, and made Jacob glad with his works, and his memory is blessed for ever.

8. And he went through the cities of Juda, and destroyed the wicked out of them, and turned away wrath from Israel.

9. And he was renowned even to the utmost part of the earth, and he gathered them that were perishing.

10. And Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, and a numerous and great army from Samaria, to make war against Israel.

11. And Judas understood it, and went forth to meet him: and he overthrew him, and killed him: and many fell down slain, the rest fled away.

12. And he took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and fought with it all his lifetime.

13. And Seron captain of the army of Syria heard that Judas had assembled a company of the faithful, and a congregation with him,

14. And he said: I will get me a name, and will be glorified in the kingdom, and will overthrow Judas, and those that are with him, that have despised the edict of the king.

15. And he made himself ready: and the host of the wicked went up with him, strong succours, to be revenged of the children of Israel.

16. And they approached even as far as Bethoron: and Judas went forth to meet him, with a small company.

17. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas: How shall we, being few, be able to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today?

18. And Judas said: It is an easy matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few: and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to deliver with a great multitude, or with a small company:

19. For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven.

20. They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us, and our wives, and our children, and to take our spoils.

21. But we will fight for our lives and our laws:

22. And the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: but as for you, fear them not.

23. And as soon as he had made an end of speaking, he rushed suddenly upon them: and Seron and his host were overthrown before him:

24. And he pursued him by the descent of Bethoron even to the plain, and there fell of them eight hundred men, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.

25. And the fear of Judas and of his brethren, and the dread of them fell upon all the nations round about them.

26. And his fame came to the king, and all nations told of the battles of Judas.

27. Now when king Antiochus heard these words, he was angry in his mind: and he sent and gathered the forces of all his kingdom, an exceeding strong army.

28. And he opened his treasury, and gave out pay to the army for a year: and he commanded them, that they should be ready for all things.

29. And he perceived that the money of his treasures failed, and that the tributes of the country were small because of the dissension, and the evil that he had brought upon the land, that he might take away the laws of old times:

30. And he feared that he should not have as formerly enough, for charges and gifts, which he had given before with a liberal hand: for he had abounded more than the kings that had been before him.

31. And he was greatly perplexed in mind, and purposed to go into Persia, and to take tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.

32. And he left Lysias, a nobleman of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the kingdom, from the river Euphrates even to the river of Egypt:

33. And to bring up his son Antiochus, till he came again.

34. And he delivered to him half the army, and the elephants: and he gave him charge concerning all that he would have done, and concerning the inhabitants of Judea, and Jerusalem:

35. And that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from that place:

36. And that he should settle strangers to dwell in all their coasts, and divide their land by lot.

37. So the king took the half of the army that remained, and went forth from Antioch the chief city of his kingdom, in the hundred and forty-seventh year: and he passed over the river Euphrates, and went through the higher countries.

38. Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends.

39. And he sent with them forty thousand men, and seven thousand horsemen: to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it according to the king's orders.

40. So they went forth with all their power, and came, and pitched near Emmaus in the plain country.

41. And the merchants of the countries heard the fame of them: and they took silver and gold in abundance, and servants: and they came into the camp, to buy the children of Israel for slaves: and there were joined to them the forces of Syria, and of the land of the strangers.

42. And Judas and his brethren saw that evils were multiplied, and that the armies approached to their borders: and they knew the orders the king had given to destroy the people and utterly abolish them.

43. And they said every man to his neighbour: Let us raise up the low condition of our people, and let us fight for our people, and our sanctuary.

44. And the assembly was gathered that they might be ready for battle: and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.

45. Now Jerusalem was not inhabited, but was like a desert: there was none of her children that went in or out: and the sanctuary was trodden down: and the children of strangers were in the castle, there was the habitation of the Gentiles: and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and harp ceased there.

46. And they assembled together, and came to Maspha over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was a place of prayer heretofore in Israel.

47. And they fasted that day, and put on haircloth, and put ashes upon their heads: and they rent their garments:

48. And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols:

49. And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the firstfruits and tithes, and stirred up the Nazarites that had fulfilled their days:

50. And they cried with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them?

51. For thy holies are trodden down, and are profaned, and thy priests are in mourning, and are brought low.

52. And behold the nations are come together against us to destroy us: thou knowest what they intend against us.

53. How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless thou, O God, help us?

54. Then they sounded with trumpets, and cried out with a loud voice.

55. And after this Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.

56. And he said to them that were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, that they should return every man to his house, according to the law.

57. So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus.

58. And Judas said: Gird yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning, that you may fight with these nations that are assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.

59. For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies:

60. Nevertheless as it shall be the will of God in heaven so be it done.

Chapter 7

1. Do no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of thee.

2. Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee.

3. My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.

4. Seek not of the Lord a pre-eminence, nor of the king the seat of honour.

5. Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.

6. Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest thou fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumblingblock for thy integrity.

7. Offend not against the multitude of a city, neither cast thyself in upon the people,

8. Nor bind sin to sin: for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished.

9. Be not fainthearted in thy mind:

10. Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.

11. Say not: God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings.

12. Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one that humbleth and exalteth, God who seeth

13. Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend.

14. Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.

15. Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in thy prayer.

16. Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.

17. Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.

18. Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.

19. Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.

20. Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.

21. Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou best gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.

22. Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.

23. Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.

24. Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.

25. Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.

26. Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.

27. Marry thy daughter well, and then shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.

28. If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,

29. Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:

30. Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.

31. With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.

32. With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.

33. Honour God with all thy soul, and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.

34. Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.

35. Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:

37. A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.

38. And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.

38. Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.

39. Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.

40. In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.

Chapter 8

1. Strive not with a powerful man, lest thou fall into his hands.

2. Contend not with a rich man, lest he bring an action against thee.

3. For gold and silver hath destroyed many, and hath reached even to the heart of kings, and perverted them.

4. Strive not with a man that is full of tongue, and heap not wood upon his fire.

5. Communicate not with an ignorant man, lest he speak ill of thy family.

6. Despise not a man that turneth away from sin, nor reproach him therewith: remember that we are all worthy of reproof.

7. Despise not a man in his old age; for we also shall become old.

8. Rejoice not at the death of thy enemy; knowing that we all die, and are not willing that others should rejoice at our death.

9. Despise not the discourse of them that are ancient and wise, but acquaint thyself with their proverbs.

10. For of them thou shalt learn wisdom, and instruction of understanding, and to serve great men without blame.

11. Let not the discourse of the ancients escape thee, for they have learned of their fathers:

12. For of them thou shalt learn understanding, and to give an answer in time of need.

13. Kindle not the coals of sinners by rebuking them, lest thou be burnt with the flame of the fire of their sins.

14. Stand not against the face of an injurious person, lest he sit as a spy to entrap thee in thy words.

15. Lend not to a man that is mightier than thyself: and if thou lendest, count it as lost.

16. Be not surety above thy power: and if thou be surety, think as if thou wert to pay it.

17. Judge not against a judge: for he judgeth according to that which is just.

18. Go not on the way with a bold man, lest he burden thee with his evils: for he goeth according to his own will, and thou shalt perish together with his folly.

19. Quarrel not with a passionate man, and go not into the desert with a bold man: for blood is as nothing in his sight, and where there is no help he will overthrow thee.

20. Advise not with fools, for they cannot love but such things as please them.

21. Before a stranger do no matter of counsel: for thou knowest not what he will bring forth.

22. Open not thy heart to every man: lest he repay thee with an evil turn, and speak reproachfully to thee.

Chapter 9

1. Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.

2. Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.

3. Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.

4. Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms.

5. Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.

6. Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.

7. Look not round about thee in the of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.

8. Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another's beauty.

9. For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.

10. Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.

11. Many by admiring the beauty of another man's wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.

12. Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:

13. And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her, and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.

14. Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.

15. A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.

16. Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.

17. Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.

18. Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.

19. And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.

20. Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of them that are grieved:

21. According to thy power beware of thy neighbor, and treat with the wise and prudent.

22. Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.

23. And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.

24. Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but word of the ancients for the sense.

25. A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful.

5. Arms and swords are in the way of the perverse: but he that keepeth his own soul departeth far from them.

6. It is a proverb: A young man according to his way, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

7. The rich ruleth over the poor: and the borrower is servant to him that lendeth.

8. He that soweth iniquity shall reap evils, and with the rod of his anger he shall be consumed.