I Maccabees: Essential Insights into Idol Worship and Power

Chapter 1

1 These are the things Maccabeus spoke upon the Moabans and Medonans kingdoms. There was one man whose name was called Tseerutsaydan and he loved sin. He would boast in his horses’ abundance and his troops’ firmness beneath his authority.

2 He had many priests who served his idols whom he worshipped, and for whom he bowed and sacrificed sacrifices by night and by daylight.

3 But in his heart’s dullness, it would seem to him that they gave him firmness and power.

4 And in his heart, it would seem to him that they gave him authority in all his rule.

5 And again, in formation time, it would seem to him that they gave him all the desired authority also.

6 And he would sacrifice sacrifice for them day and night.

7 He appointed priests who served his idols.

8 While they ate from that defiled sacrifice, they would tell him, pretending that the idols eat night and day.

9 Again, they would make other persons diligent like unto them – that they might sacrifice and eat. And again, they would make other persons diligent that they might sacrifice like unto them.

10 But he would trust in his idols that don’t profit nor benefit.

11 By his timeframe being small – and in his heart’s dullness – it would seem to him that they irked him – that they fed him and crowned him. It would seem to him that they irked him – for Satan had deafened his reasoning lest he know his creator who irked him, bringing him from not living towards living – or lest he with his kindreds know his creator who irked him, bringing him from not living towards living – that they might go toward Gehannem of Fiyah forever – it being judged upon them with him who call them gods without them being gods.

12 As they are never well whenever, it is due that he might call them dead ones.

13 As Satan’s authority that misleads them will lodge in that idol image – and as he will tell them their reasoning according – and as he will reveal to them like unto what they loved – he will judge upon the idols wherein they believed and wherein ‘Adam childran trust – whose reasoning was like unto ashes.

14 And they will marvel upon the time they sight up that he fulfilled what they thought for them – and they will do him according for him reaching up till they sacrifice their daughter children and their male children birthed from their nature – up till they spill their daughter children and male children’s blood that was clean.

15 They were not sad, for Satan had enjoyed their sacrifice to fulfill their evil agreement. He wanted to drag them down to Gehenna with him, where there is no escape for eternity, and where they would receive torment.

16 But that Tseerutsaydan were arrogant. He had fifty idols worked in a males pattern and twenty worked in a females pattern.

17 And he would boast in those idols that were of no benefit. He would totally glorify them while he offered sacrifices morning and evening.

18 And he would command people to offer sacrifices for the idols and he would eat from that defiled sacrifice and he would command other people to eat from the sacrifice. He was especially inciting them to evil.

19 They had five houses built for themselves, decorated with idols made of iron, brass, and lead.

20 They adorned them with silver and gold, and covered them with curtains and tents.

21 They appointed keepers for the idols and would continually sacrifice forty animals to them: ten fat oxen, ten barren cows, ten fat sheep, and ten barren goats, along with birds that had wings.

22 They believed that their idols ate, so they presented them with fifty baskets of grapes and fifty dishes of wheat kneaded with oil.

23 They told their priests to take and give the offerings to them, and they would eat what was slaughtered for them and drink the wine presented to them. If it was not enough, they would add more.

24 They commanded all to eat and drink from the defiled sacrifice.

25 But out of their evil malice, they sent troops throughout the kingdom to find anyone who did not offer sacrifices or bow down to the idols. They would capture and punish them with fire and sword before them, plunder their money, burn their homes, and destroy all their possessions.

26 They said, “For they are merciful and great, and they are angry with us for our wickedness. I will show punishment and tribulation to anyone who does not worship my idols and offer sacrifices to them.

27 And I will show them punishment and tribulation, for they have angered the Earth, the Heaven, the sea, the wide moon, the sun, the stars, the rains, the winds, and all that live in this world to be food and to be satisfied with us.”

28 But those who worship them will be punished with firm tribulation, and it will not be pleasant for them.

Chapter 2

1 There was a man born from the tribe of Benjamin whose name was called Maccabeus.

2 He had three children who were handsome and totally warriors. They had been loved by all the people in the Midian and Median countries that were under the rule of the Seleucid King.

3 And like the king commanded them when he found them: “Don’t you bow to the Seleucid idols? How about not sacrificing?

4 But […] Text continues […]