2758 verses about Community

And Jonathan went forth, and took his journey beyond the river and through the cities; and all the forces of Syria gathered themselves to him for to be his confederates. And he came to Ascalon, and they of the city met him honorably.

And to the Spartans, and to other places, he sent letters after the same manner.

And they gave them letters to the men in every place, that they should bring them on their way to the land of Judah in peace.

Jonathan the high priest, and the senate of the nation, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, to their kindred the Spartans, greeting:

We therefore at all times without ceasing, both in our feasts, and on the other convenient days, do remember you in the sacrifices which we offer, and in our prayers, as it is right and meet to be mindful of kindred:

and moreover are glad for your glory.

We were not minded therefore to be troublesome to you, and to the rest of our confederates and friends, in these wars;

We commanded them therefore to go also to you, and to salute you, and to deliver you our letters concerning the renewing of friendship and our brotherhood.

and now, since this is come to our knowledge, you⌃ shall do well to write to us of your prosperity.

And we moreover do write on our part to you, that your cattle and goods are ours, and ours are yours. We do command therefore that they make report to you on this wise.

And Jonathan returned, and called the elders of the people together; and he took counsel with them to build strongholds in Judea,

And they were gathered together to build the city, and there fell down part of the wall of the brook that is on the east side, and he repaired that which is called Chaphenatha.

And he said to Jonathan, Why have you put all this people to trouble, seeing there is no war between us?

And he saw that the people trembled and was in great fear; and he went up to Jerusalem, and gathered the people together;

King Demetrius to Simon the high priest and Friend of kings, and to the elders and nation of the Jews, greeting:

The golden crown, and the palm branch, which you⌃ sent, we have received: and we are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yes, and to write to our officers, to grant immunities to you.

And if there be any among you meet to be enrolled in our court, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us.

and they of the city tore their clothes, and went up on the walls with their wives and children, and cried with a loud voice, making request to Simon to give them his right hand.

And he ordained that they should keep that day every year with gladness. And the hill of the temple that was by the citadel he made stronger than before, and there he lived, himself and his men.

The ancient men sat in the streets, they communed all of them together of good things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.

But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his stead, and ruled the country, and the cities therein,

they wrote to him on tables of brass, to renew with him the friendship and the confederacy which they had confirmed with Judas and Jonathan his kindred;

and they were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

And this is the copy of the letters which the Spartans sent: The rulers of the Spartans, and the city, to Simon the high priest, and to the elders, and the priests, and the residue of the people of the Jews, our kindred, greeting:

The ambassadors that were sent to our people made report to us of your glory and honor: and we were glad for their coming,

And it pleased the people to entertain the men honorably, and to put the copy of their words in the public records, to the end that the people of the Spartans might have a memorial thereof: moreover they wrote a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.

And they wrote on tables of brass, and set them upon pillars in mount Sion: and this is the copy of the writing: On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the hundred and seventy and second year, and this is the third year of Simon the high priest,

in Asaramel, in a great congregation of priests and people and princes of the nation, and of the elders of the country, was it notified to us:

and Jonathan assembled their nation together, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people:

and he fortified Joppa which is upon the sea, and Gazara which is upon the borders of Azotus, wherein the enemies lived aforetime, and placed Jews there, and set therein all things convenient for the reparation thereof:

and he placed Jews therein, and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and made high the walls of Jerusalem:

and that the Jews and the priests were well pleased that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;

All the people consented to ordain for Simon that he should do according to these words;

and to all the countries, and to Sampsames, and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodes, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.

The kindred, the Jews that are in Jerusalem and those who are in the country of Judea, send greeting to the kindred, the Jews that are throughout Egypt, and wish them good peace:

And now we here are praying for you.

Written in the hundred fourscore and eighth year. THEY that are in Jerusalem and those who are in Judea and the senate and Judas, to Aristobulus, king Ptolemy’s teacher, who is also of the stock of the anointed priests, and to the Jews that are in Egypt, send greeting and health.

Whereas we are now about to keep the purification of the temple in the month Chislev, on the five and twentieth day, we thought it necessary to certify you thereof, that you⌃ also may keep a feast of tabernacles, and a memorial of the fire which was given when Nehemiah offered sacrifices, after that he had built both the temple and the altar.

And the priests made a prayer while the sacrifice was consuming, both the priests and all others, Jonathan leading and the rest answering, as Nehemiah did.

(even as it is no light thing to him that prepares a banquet, and seeks the benefit of others); yet for the sake of the gratitude of the many we will gladly endure the painful labor,

But one Simon of the tribe of Benjamin, having been made guardian of the temple, fell out with the high priest about the ruling of the market in the city.

And those who were in the houses rushed flocking out to make a universal supplication, because the place was like to come into contempt.

And the women, girded with sackcloth under their breasts, thronged the streets, and the virgins that were kept in ward ran together, some to the gates, others to the walls, and some looked out through the windows.

And him that was the benefactor of the city, and the guardian of his fellow countrymen, and a zealot for the laws, he dared to call a conspirator against the state.

betook himself to the king, not to be an accuser of his fellow-citizens, but looking to the good of all the people, both public and private;

And being magnificently received by Jason and the city, he was brought in with torches and shoutings. This done, he afterward led his army down into Phoenicia.

And when the king was come back again from the places in Cilicia, the Jews that were in the city pleaded before him against Andronicus (the Greeks also joining with them in hatred of the wickedness), urging that Onias had been wrongfully slain.

But when they perceived the assault of Lysimachus, some caught up stones, others logs of wood, and some took handfuls of the ashes that lay near, and they flung them all pell-mell upon Lysimachus and those who were with him;

But Jason slaughtered his own citizens without mercy, not considering that good success against kinsmen is the greatest ill success, but supposing himself to be setting up trophies over enemies, and not over fellow-countrymen.

But Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, and those who were with him, making their way privily into the villages, called to them their kinsfolk; and taking to them such as had continued in the Jews’ religion, gathered together as many as six thousand.

And when they had accomplished these things, and had made a common supplication, they implored the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants.

And having had an encounter with the forces of Timotheus and Bacchides, they killed above twenty thousand of them, and made themselves masters of strongholds exceeding high, and divided very much plunder, giving the maimed and orphans and widows, and moreover the aged also, an equal share with themselves.

I exhort you therefore and beseech you, having in your remembrance the benefits done to you in common and severally, to preserve each of you your present good will toward me and my son.

And they kept eight days with gladness in the manner of the feast of tabernacles, remembering how that not long before, during the feast of tabernacles, they were wandering in the mountains and in the caves after the manner of wild beasts.

They ordained also with a common statute and decree, for all the nation of the Jews, that they should keep these days every year.

And when they had accomplished these things, they blessed the Lord with hymns and thanksgivings, him who does great benefits to Israel, and gives them the victory.

But when Maccabaeus and his men learned that he was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people with lamentations and tears made supplication to the Lord to send a good angel to save Israel.

And Maccabaeus himself took up arms first, and exhorted the others to jeopard themselves together with him and succour their kindred; and they sallied forth with him right willingly.

And on this behalf I have given order in detail, both to these men and to those that are sent from me, to confer with you.

And to the nation the king’s letter was after this manner: King Antiochus to the senate of the Jews and to the other Jews, greeting.

If you⌃ fare well, we have our desire: we ourselves also are in good health.

And men of Joppa perpetrated this great impiety: they invited the Jews that lived among them to go with their wives and children into the boats which they had provided, as though they had no ill will towards them;

But when Judas heard of the cruelty done to his fellow-countrymen, giving command to the men that were with him

But when the town was closed against him, he withdrew, intending to come again to root out the whole community of the men of Joppa.

But learning that the men of Jamnia were minded to do in like manner to the Jews that sojourned among them,

And when they had drawn off seven hundred and fifty furlongs from thence, they made their way to Charax, to the Jews that are called Tubieni.

So when he had with many words confirmed the agreement to restore them without hurt, they let him go that they might save their kindred.

But when the Jews that were settled there testified of the good will that the Scythopolitans had shewn toward them, and of their kindly bearing toward them in the times of their misfortune,

they gave thanks, and further exhorted them to remain well affected toward the race for the future; and they went up to Jerusalem, the feast of weeks being close to hand.

And Judas gathering his army came to the city of Adullam; and as the seventh day was coming on, they purified themselves according to the custom, and kept the Sabbath there.

And Judas conveyed such things as were necessary to those who were within.

came to Ptolemais. The men of Ptolemais were displeased at the treaty, for they had exceeding great indignation against the Jews: they desired to annul the articles of the agreement.

first for the unfeigned care I have for the things that concern the king, and secondly because I have regard also to my own fellow-citizens: for, through the unadvised dealing of those of whom I spoke before, our whole race is in no small misfortune.

But do you, O king, having informed yourself of these things severally, take thought both for our country and for our race, which is surrounded by foes, according to the gracious kindness with which you receive all.

he urged him to marry and beget children; he married, settled quietly, took part in common life.

And when he had arrived there, and had called his countrymen together and set the priests before the altar, he sent for those who were in the citadel;

And they all ordained with a common decree in no wise to let this day pass undistinguished, but to mark with honor the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (it is called Adar in the Syrian tongue), the day before the day of Mordecai.

and said, You⌃ shall no more have need to bear it upon your shoulders: now therefore serve the Lord your God, and minister to his people Israel, and prepare you after your fathers’ houses and kindred,

And to the people which were present Josias gave thirty thousand lambs and kids, and three thousand calves: these things were given of the king’s substance, according as he promised, to the people, and to the priests and Levites.

And when these things were done, the priests and Levites, having the unleavened bread, stood in comely order according to the kindred,

and set them before all the people: and afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests their kindred, the sons of Aaron.

For the priests offered the fat until night: and the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests their kindred, the sons of Aaron.

The holy singers also, the sons of Asaph, were in their order, according to the appointment of David, to wit, Asaph, Zacharias, and Eddinus, who was of the king’s retinue.

Moreover the gatekeepers were at every gate; none had need to depart from his daily course: for their kindred the Levites prepared for them.

So the children of Israel which were present at that time held the passover, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

Yes, all the kings of Israel held not such a passover as Josias, and the priests, and the Levites, and the Jews, held with all Israel that were present in their dwelling place at Jerusalem.

If therefore there be any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, even his Lord, be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel: he is the Lord that dwells in Jerusalem.

Of such therefore as dwell in various places, let those who are in his own place help each one with gold, and with silver,

Then the chief of the families of Judah and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up; the priests also, and the Levites, and all they whose spirit the Lord had stirred to go up, to build the house for the Lord which is in Jerusalem.

And those who lived round about them helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many gifts that were vowed of a great number whose minds were stirred up thereto.

Ezra 4:7. But in the time of Artaxerxes king of the Persians Belemus, and Mithradates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and Samellius the scribe, with the others that were in commission with them, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote to him against those who lived in Judea and Jerusalem the letter following:

Now king Darius made a great feast to all his subjects, and to all that were born in his house, and to all the princes of Media and of Persia,

it makes the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one; of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich:

He wrote letters also to all the governors that were in Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and to them in Libanus, that they should bring cedar wood from Libanus to Jerusalem, and that they should build the city with him.

and for the Levites he wrote that their charges should be given them until the day that the house were finished, and Jerusalem built up.

And so he took the letters, and went out, and came to Babylon, and told it all his kindred.

to go up, and to build Jerusalem, and the temple which is called by his name: and they feasted with instruments of music and gladness seven days.

After this were the chiefs of fathers’ houses chosen to go up according to their tribes, with their wives and sons and daughters, with their menservants and maidservants, and their cattle.

And Darius sent with them a thousand horsemen, till they had brought them back to Jerusalem safely, and with musical instruments, tabrets and flutes.

And all their kindred played, and he made them go up together with them.