Catholic Public Domain Version

2 Maccabees 2:2-16 Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV)

2. And he gave them the law, so that they would never forget the commandments of the Lord, and so that they would not go astray in their minds, seeing the idols of gold and silver, and their ornaments.

3. And in this manner, with other sayings, he exhorted them, lest they remove the law from their heart.

4. Furthermore, it was in the same writing, how the prophet, by divine response, ordered that the tabernacle and the ark be made to accompany him, until he exited from the mountain, where Moses ascended and saw the inheritance of God.

5. And arriving there, Jeremiah found a place in a cave. And he brought both the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense into that place, and he obstructed opening.

6. And certain ones of those who followed him, approached to make note of the location, but they were not able to find it.

7. But when Jeremiah knew of it, he blamed them, saying: "The place shall be unknown, until God shall gather together the congregation of the people, and until he may be favorably inclined.

8. And then the Lord will reveal these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there will be a cloud, just as it was also manifested to Moses, and just as he manifested these when Solomon petitioned that the place should be sanctified to the great God.

9. For he also drew upon wisdom magnificently, and so, having wisdom, he offered the sacrifice of the dedication and the consummation of the temple.

10. And, just as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire descended from heaven and consumed the holocaust, so also Solomon prayed and fire descended from heaven and consumed the holocaust.

11. And Moses said that it was consumed because the sin offering was not eaten.

12. And similarly, Solomon also celebrated the eight days of the dedication.

13. Moreover, these same things were put into the descriptions and commentaries of Nehemiah, including how, when constructing a library, he gathered together from the regions the books of the Prophets, and of David, and the epistles of the kings, and from the holy gifts.

14. And, similarly, Judas also gathered together all the things that were destroyed by the war that befell us, and these are with us.

15. Therefore, if you desire these things, send those who may carry them to you.

16. And so, since we will be celebrating the purification, we wrote to you. Therefore, you will do well, if you keep these days.