Saturday 21 November 2009

1King Antiochus was traveling through the upper countries;and he heardthat in Elymais in Persia there was a city renowned for riches,for silver and gold,2and that the temple which was in it was exceedingly rich,and that in it were golden shields,breastplates, and weapons which Alexander,son of Philip, the Macedonian king,who reigned first among the Greeks,left behind there.3So he came and tried to take the city and to pillage it;and he was not able,because his plan was known to them of the city,4and they rose up against him in battle.He fled and returned to Babylon with great disappointment.

5Then someone came into Persia bringing him news that the armieswhich went against the land of Judah had been put to flight,6and that Lysias went first with a strong armyand was put to shame before them,and that they had grown strong because of weapons,power, and a supply of plunderwhich they took from the armies that they had cut off,7and that they had pulled down the abominationwhich he had built upon the altar that was in Jerusalem,and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls,as before, and also Bethsura, his city.

8It came to pass, when the king heard these words,he was astonished and moved exceedingly.He laid himself down on his bed,and fell sick for grief,because it had not turned out for him as he had planned.9He was there many days,because great grief continually gripped him,and he realized that he would die.10He called for all his friends,and said to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes,and my heart fails because of worry.11I said in my heart, ‘To what suffering I have come!How great a flood it is that I’m in, now!For I was gracious and loved in my power.’12But now I remember the evils which I did at Jerusalem,and that I took all the vessels of silverand gold that were in it,and sent out to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without a cause.13I perceive that it is because of thisthat these evils have come upon me.Behold, I am perishing through great grief in a strange land.”

2I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.I will tell of all your marvelous works.3I will be glad and rejoice in you.I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

4When my enemies turn back,they stumble and perish in your presence.6You have rebuked the nations.You have destroyed the wicked.You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

16The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made.In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.19For the needy shall not always be forgotten,nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

27Some of the Sadducees came to him,those who deny that there is a resurrection.28They asked him, “Teacher,Moses wrote to usthat if a man’s brother dies having a wife,and he is childless,his brother should take the wifeand raise up children for his brother.29There were therefore seven brothers.The first took a wife, and died childless.30The second took her as wife, and he died childless.31The third took her,and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.32Afterward the woman also died.33Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be?For the seven had her as a wife.”

34Jesus said to them,“The children of this age marry and are given in marriage.35But those who are considered worthy to attain to that ageand the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.36For they can’t die any more,for they are like the angels and are children of God,being children of the resurrection.37But that the dead are raised,even Moses showed at the bush,when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham,the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’38Now he is not the God of the dead,but of the living,for all are alive to him.”

39Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.”40They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.