Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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Jeremiah Hides the Tent of the
Lord's Presence
1 “We know from the records that
Jeremiah the prophet instructed
the people who were being taken
into exile to hide some of the fire
from the altar, as we have just mentioned.
2 We also know that he
taught them God's Law and warned
them not to be deceived by the ornamented
gold and silver idols which
they would see in the land of their
exile.
3 And then he urged them never
to abandon the Law.
4 “These same records also tell us
that Jeremiah, acting under divine
guidance, commanded the Tent of
the Lord's Presence and the Covenant
Box to follow him to the
mountain where Moses had looked
down on the land which God had
promised our people.
5 When Jeremiah
got to the mountain, he found a
huge cave and there he hid the Tent
of the Lord's Presence, the Covenant
Box, and the altar of incense. Then
he sealed up the entrance.
6 “Some of Jeremiah's friends
tried to follow him and mark the
way, but they could not find the
cave.
7 When Jeremiah learned what
they had done, he reprimanded
them, saying, ‘No one must know
about this place until God gathers
his people together again and shows
them mercy.
8 At that time he will
reveal where these things are hidden,
and the dazzling light of his
presence will be seen in the cloud, as
it was in the time of Moses and on
the occasion when Solomon prayed
that the Temple might be dedicated
in holy splendor.’ note
How Solomon Celebrated the Festival
9 “We are also told how the wise
King Solomon offered a sacrifice of
dedication at the completion of the
Temple,
10 and that when he prayed,
fire came down from heaven and
consumed the sacrifices, just as it
had done earlier when Moses
prayed.
11 Moses had explained that
the sin offering was consumed by
fire because it was not eaten.
12 Solomon
celebrated the festival for eight
days.
Nehemiah's Library
13 “These same facts are found in
the royal records and in the memoirs
of Nehemiah, who established a library
and collected the writings of
David, letters of the kings concerning
offerings, and books about the
kings and prophets.
14 Judas also collected
the books that had been scattered
because of the war, and we
still have them.
15 If you ever need
any of these books, let us know, and
we will send them.
-- --
An Invitation to Celebrate the Festival
16 “Since we are about to celebrate
the Festival of Rededication, we are
writing to you, advising you to celebrate
it as well. note
17 God has saved all
his people and has restored to all of
us our holy land, the kingship, the
priesthood, and the Temple services,
18 just as he promised in his Law. He
has rescued us from terrible evils
and has purified the Temple, and we
are confident that in his mercy he
will soon gather us to his holy Temple
from every nation under the
sun.”
Author's Preface
19 Jason of Cyrene has recorded in
five volumes the story of Judas Maccabaeus
and his brothers, the purification
of the great Temple, and the
dedication of its altar.
20 He has described
the battles with Antiochus
Epiphanes and with his son Eupator,
21 and he has told of the heavenly visions
that appeared to those who
fought bravely and enthusiastically
to defend Judaism. Our forces were
few in number, but they plundered
the entire country and routed the
heathen forces.
22 They recaptured
the Temple famous throughout the
world, liberated Jerusalem, and restored
the laws that were in danger
of being abolished. They were able
to do all these things because the
Lord was merciful and kind to them.
23 I will now try to summarize in a
single book the five volumes written
by Jason.
24 The number of details
and the bulk of material can be overwhelming
for anyone who wants to
read an account of the events.
25 But
I have attempted to simplify it for all
readers; those who read for sheer
pleasure will find enjoyment and
those who want to memorize the
facts will not find it difficult.
26 Writing
such a summary is a difficult
task, demanding hard work and
sleepless nights.
27 It is as difficult as
preparing a banquet that people of
different tastes will enjoy. But I am
-- --
happy to undergo this hardship in
order to please my readers.
28 I will
leave the matter of details to the
original author and attempt to give
only a summary of the events.
29 I
am not the builder of a new house
who is concerned with every detail
of the structure, but simply a painter
whose only concern is to make the
house look attractive.
30 The historian
must master his subject, examine
every detail, and then explain it
carefully,
31 but whoever is merely
writing a summary should be permitted
to give a brief account without
going into a detailed discussion.
32 So then, without any further comment,
I will begin my story. It would
be foolish to write such a long introduction
that the story itself would
have to be cut short.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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