Part 627 (2/2)

2:3. And with other such like speeches, he exhorted them that they would not remove the law from their heart.

2:4. It was also contained in the same writing, how the prophet, being warned by G.o.d, commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him, till he came forth to the mountain where Moses went up, and saw the inheritance of G.o.d.

2:5. And when Jeremias came thither he found a hollow cave: and he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door.

2:6 .Then some of them that followed him, came up to mark the place: but they could not find it.

2:7. And when Jeremias perceived it, he blamed them, saying: The place shall be unknown, till G.o.d gather together the congregation of the people, and receive them to mercy.

2:8. And then the Lord will shew these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there shall be a cloud as it was also shewed to Moses, and he shewed it when Solomon prayed that the place might be sanctified to the great G.o.d.

2:9. For he treated wisdom in a magnificent manner: and like a wise man, he offered the sacrifice of the dedication, and of the finis.h.i.+ng of the temple.

2:10. And as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven, and consumed the holocaust: so Solomon also prayed, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the holocaust.

2:11. And Moses said: Because the sin offering was not eaten, it was consumed.

2:12. So Solomon also celebrated the dedication eight days.

2:13. And these same things were set down in the memoirs, and commentaries of Nehemias: and how he made a library, and gathered together out of the countries, the books both of the prophets, and of David, and the epistles of the kings, and concerning the holy gifts.

2:14. And in like manner Judas also gathered together all such things as were lost by the war we had, and they are in our possession.

2:15. Wherefore, if you want these things, send some that may fetch them to you.

2:16. As we are then about to celebrate the purification, we have written unto you: and you shall do well, if you keep the same days.

The purification... That is, the feast of the purifying or cleansing of the temple.

2:17. And we hope that G.o.d, who hath delivered his people, and hath rendered to all the inheritance, and the kingdom, and the priesthood, and the sanctuary,

2:18. As he promised in the law, will shortly have mercy upon us, and will gather us together from every land under heaven into the holy place.

2:19. For he hath delivered us out of great perils, and hath cleansed the place.

2:20. Now as concerning Judas Machabeus, and his brethren, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar:

2:21. As also the wars against Antiochus, the Ill.u.s.trious, and his son, Eupator:

2:22. And the manifestations that came from heaven to them, that behaved themselves manfully on the behalf of the Jews, so that, being but a few they made themselves masters of the whole country, and put to flight the barbarous mult.i.tude:

2:23. And recovered again the most renowned temple in all the world, and delivered the city, and restored the laws that were abolished, the Lord with all clemency shewing mercy to them.

2:24. And all such things as have been comprised in five books by Jason, of Cyrene, we have attempted to abridge in one book.

2:25. For considering the mult.i.tude of books, and the difficulty that they find that desire to undertake the narrations of histories, because of the mult.i.tude of the matter,

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