A Brief Review of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament

Contents Preface Book 1, Genesis Book 2, Exodus Book 3, Leviticus Book 4, Numbers Book 5, Deuteronomy Book 6, Joshua Book 7, Judges Book 8, Ruth Book of 1 and 2 Kings Book of 3 and 4 Kings Book of 2 Kings Summary of the Acts of the Kings of Judah and Israel Book 11, First and Second Books Chronicles (omitted) Book 12, Ezra 1 and 2 Book 13, Psalms of David Book 14, Proverbs Book 15, Ecclesiastes Book 16, Song of Songs Book 17, Job 18, Twelve Prophets First Hosea Second Amos Third Micah Fourth Joel son of Bethuel Fifth Obadiah Sixth Jonah Seventh Nahum, son of the Elkashites Eighth Habakkuk Ninth Zephaniah son of Hus Tenth Haggai Eleventh Zechariah son of Adds Twelfth Malachi Book 19, Isaiah son of Amoz Book 20, Jeremiah son of Hilkiev - of the priests Book 21, Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest Book 22, Daniel Book of Esther Book of Judith Book of Tobit Book of Wisdom of Solomon Book of Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach All our Christian Scripture is inspired by God and contains not vague, but definite and canonical books. The books of the Old Testament are as follows: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Kings 1 and 2, considered to be one book, Kings 3 and 4, also considered to be one book, Chronicles 1 and 2, considered to be one book, Ezra 1 and 2, considered to be one book, Psalm of David, containing 151 psalm, Proverbs of Solomon, his Ecclesiastes, his Song of Songs, Job, the Twelve Prophets, making up one book. They are the following: Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Here are twelve Prophets in one book. Besides them, there are four more - each in a special way: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. And so the canonical books of the Old Testament are 22, a number equal to the number of letters of the Hebrew alphabet; for indeed there are so many letters among the Hebrews. Besides these, there are other books of the same Old Testament, but not canonical, but read only to the catechumens. They are: the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, Esther, Judith, Tobit. Here are the number and names of non-canonical books. Some of the ancients claimed that the Jews also included Esther among the canonical books; but the book of Ruth, having been combined with the history of the Judges, was considered one book; and the book of Esther for another. Thus, in this case, the number of canonical books was limited to 22. These are the canonical and non-canonical books of the Old Testament in number and title. The number of canonical books of the New Testament is no less certain. They are: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the Acts of the Apostles, the Council Epistles of various apostles, seven in number, constituting one book: the first of James, two of Peter, three of John, one of Judas; fourteen letters of the Apostle Paul, making up one book: the first letter to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, the fourth to Galatians, the fifth to Ephesians, the sixth to Philippians, the seventh to Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, the tenth to Hebrews, two to Timothy, the thirteenth to Titus, the fourteenth to Philemon. On top of this there is also the Revelation of John the Theologian, which the ancient saints and Fathers enlightened by the Spirit accepted and revered as truly John. Here are the number and names of the canonical books of the New Testament. These are, as it were, the firstfruits, anchors and pillars of our faith; because they were written and published by the apostles of Christ themselves, who interacted with Him and were taught by Him. Although later on, on the basis of these books and in accordance with them, the great, wise and God-bearing Fathers compiled countless others, as a testimony and explanation of those mentioned above: but now we will not talk about them, since their number is large and indefinite, and they are all of the same spirit with the ancients: because they adhere to these last ones, expounding them, or explaining them. This list contains, as already said, all the books of the Old and New Testaments. We spoke about them briefly because we considered them only in relation to number. Now the same books need to be examined in more detail, that is, in the suggested order, take each one separately under its special name and in separate chapters review who wrote which one, where it got its name from and what it contains. Moses spoke and wrote this book of Genesis, at the command of the Lord. It is so called because it contains the origin of everything - heaven and earth and people and everything visible in general, and the very planting of paradise. It tells that on the first day the light was created, on the second - the firmament, which God called heaven, on the third - the waters gathered and dry land appeared. He called the collection of waters the sea, and the dry land the earth; the earth grew grass and every kind of tree. In the fourth, the sun, the moon and the whole host of stars appeared; in the fifth, birds, fish and whales were born that were in the waters; in the sixth - four-legged animals, animals, reptiles and cattle, man was also created in the image and likeness of God; and on the seventh, God rested from his work and blessed this day. This same book talks about Adam’s crime and his expulsion from paradise; and then about the murder of Abel by his brother Cain; about the capture of Enoch; about building the ark; about the flood that happened under Noah; about building a tower; about the division of languages ​​and the dispersion of peoples; about the exodus of Abraham from the land of the Chaldeans. This book tells about the destruction of Sodom; about the law of circumcision; about the oath that sealed the promises of God given to Abraham; about the birth of Isaac, Jacob and the patriarchs descended from him; that Abraham lived one hundred and eighty years, and Ishmael, born of Hagar, died one hundred and thirty-seven; about how Joseph was sold by his brothers to Egypt and, slandered by his mistress, thrown into prison, and then made commander over all of Egypt. The same book further talks about the coming of Jacob to Egypt with seventy-five sons; then that, being in Egypt, he blessed the patriarchs of his sons, and died one hundred and forty-seven years old; that his body was carried and buried in Canaan; that Joseph, after the Egyptian famine, lived another sixty-six years and died one hundred and ten, bequeathing before his death to transfer his bones to the tomb of his fathers. And this book of Exodus was written by the aforementioned Moses. It is so called because it contains the exodus of the sons of Israel from Egypt, which occurred 430 years after the promise given to Abraham, and 215 years after the migration to Egypt; for the Israelites dwelt there so long. Then it tells of ten plagues inflicted on Pharaoh, the Egyptian ruler. These ten plagues sent to him by God are as follows: first, he turned the waters into blood; second - he covered all of Egypt with frogs; the third - with sketches; the fourth - with dog flies; fifth, the working cattle were struck to death; sixth - people and livestock with glowing pimples and boils; seventh - he sent down hail and consuming fire; eighth - locusts; ninth - three days of darkness over all Egypt, except the land of the children of Israel; the tenth is death to all the firstborn of Egypt, from man to beast. He further says that Pharaoh pursued the people who left; that Israel crossed the dry Red Sea, which was divided into both sides, and the Egyptians, who pursued the people, drowned in it along with Pharaoh. The same book contains a narrative of how the Egyptian magicians Ianni and Mamri first opposed Moses, and then left in disgrace. Here is the law about Passover, and the transformation of bitter water into sweet, the giving of dyes and the sending of manna from heaven, and the bringing out of water from the stone, to which Moses gave the name of temptation and blasphemy; immediately the beginning of the keeping of the Sabbath, and the Divine legislation on Mount Sinai, given through Moses on two stone tablets; the construction of the tabernacle is immediately indicated and the clothes of the bishop and priests are prescribed; and the workers of all these things were Bezaleel of the tribe of Judah, and Eliab of the tribe of Dan. For this purpose, 29 talents and 700 shekels of gold, 100 talents and 1775 shekels of silver, and 70 talents and 2500 shekels of copper were spent. The same book talks about the crime of the people when they poured out a calf for themselves at the foot of the mountain; of the defeat of Amalek when Moses lifted up his hands; and finally about laws and justifications, but before them about the ten commandments written on tablets; They are as follows: first - I am the Lord your God; second - do not make yourself an idol, or any likeness; third - you did not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; fourth - remember the Sabbath day; fifth - honor your father and your mother; sixth - do not kill; seventh - do not commit adultery; eighth - do not steal; ninth - do not listen to your neighbor's false testimony; tenth - do not covet your neighbor’s wife or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Meanwhile, in the second year from the Exodus, in the first new month, the tabernacle was completed and erected: the book of Exodus contains a description of this. And this book of Leviticus was written by the same Moses. It is called so because it contains the actual complete image of the Levitical service and how Aaron and his sons are chosen from the tribe of Levi and anointed as priests. He also explains the difference between sacrifices and offerings and the quality of the entire service in general in the tabernacle, and the priesthood of the Levites and priests; also - the law about each sacrifice, both about the one that is brought for salvation, and about the one that is about sin, intentional and unintentional, and - how each of the sacrifices must be divided and offered. This book tells about the anointing of the bishop and priests, and how to recognize and distinguish the signs of leprosy on people and clothes and the walls of houses, and the law about their cleansing. Law and difference between legal marriages, and which marriages are illegal; also the difference between clean and unclean animals, birds and fish, i.e., which of them the Jews were allowed to eat, and which they had to refrain from. It also shows the day of trumpets on the new moon of the seventh month, the commandment of Lent, which Jews must observe in the same seventh month on the tenth day of the month, called the Sabbaths of Sabbaths and the remission of sins. Contains the Feast of Tabernacles on the 15th day of the same month; He also talks about holidays and what sacrifices should be made on each of them; and about the liberation of Jews sold into slavery; about leaving debts; about the rest that should be given to the earth every seventh year. Again he remembers the laws, commandments and testimonies; contains both promises to those who fulfill them and the most terrible threats to criminals. He distinguishes clean and unclean food as follows: among four-legged animals he calls the following clean: those with cloven hooves and having two nails on the hoof and regurgitating cud, such as: calf, sheep, goat, deer, chamois, oryx, buffalo, pygargus, goat-deer, fat and the like. If any of these animals lacked anything, it was considered unclean, such as: the camel, the hare, and the porcupine (χοιρογρύλλιος), because although these animals chew their food, they do not split their hooves; so does the pig, for although it has cloven hooves, it does not chew food. Further, among the birds that are forbidden to be eaten, the following are mentioned: eagle, vulture, sea eagle, kite, falcon (ἰκτῖνος) and the like, and also raven and the like, sparrow, (στρουθὸς) owl, dry paw and the like, hawk and the like, eagle owl, lilik, ibis, sandpiper (πορφυρίων), pelican, swan, heron, charadrion and the like, hoopoe, pipistrelle. Of the winged crawling creatures, he calls unclean all those that walk on four legs, excluding those whose upper part is made up of legs, so that they jump on the ground, such as: grasshopper, attacus, locusts and the like, and ophiomas. Of the animals born in the waters, in the sea, in rivers and streams, he calls those that have feathers and scales clean, such as trigl, scarius, glavcus, kestrev and the like. And the rest of these are unclean and unfit for eating, such as: sipia, which, although they have feathers, do not have scales. Of the animals that move on the earth, he calls the following unclean: the fox, the earth's crocodile, the migalu, the chameleon, the ascalaopia, the lizard and the crotoria. It was unnecessary to mention the serpent and others like him, for it is obvious, he says, that this is disgusting and hateful for everyone. However, he mentioned these in Deuteronomy. And this book of Numbers was written by the same Moses. It is called this because it contains the number of the entire people, after each tribe of Judah was numbered according to the command of the Lord. The people were numbered, counting from 20 years of age and upward, every man capable of war, except the tribe of Levi, for it was numbered separately, and the number of those who were numbered was found to be 603,550. Moses and Aaron and with them the leaders from each tribe numbered the people. The names of the leaders and the number of the people are as follows: Tribe of Judah - Nahshon the son of Amminadab; the number of this tribe is 74,600. Reuben - Elisur son of Sediur; their number was 46,500. Simeonova - Salamiel son of Surisadaev; their number is 59,300. Issachar - Nathaniel son of Sogar; their number is 54,400. Zebulun - Eliab son of Helon; their number is 57,400. The sons of Joseph from the tribe of Ephraim - Elisha the son of Emiud; their number is 40,500. Manasseh - Gamaliel son of Hadassur; their number is 32,200. Veniaminov - Avidan the son of Gadeoniev; their number is 35,400. Danova - Akhiezer son of the Amisadai; their number is 62,700. Asir - Fagaiel son of Ekhran; their number is 41,500. Gad - Elisaph, son of Raguel; their number is 45,650. Naphtali - Achireus son of Enan; their number is 53,400. /With. 231/ The total number of people capable of war was 603,550. The tribe of Levi was numbered separately from the other tribes by Moses and Aaron alone, at the command of the Lord, from one month and up, and their number was 22,000. Moses alone numbered the firstborn males of all the other tribes and found the number 22,273, and instead of these firstborn the Levites were dedicated to God. For there were just as many Levites. The Levites are commanded to purify themselves through Moses and they are separated by Aaron to do the works of the Lord in the place of the people, to take the vessels of the tabernacle and serve Aaron and his sons. The same book also contains a description of the journey of the people, the raising of the tabernacle and the command regarding the trumpets, in order to call the people through them. It also tells about the renovation of the altar, and how the tabernacle and everything in it were anointed and consecrated, as well as the order for sacrifices during the renovation of the altar, and the time limit from which and until which the Levites must serve: namely, they begin service at the age of twenty-five, and at fifty years of age they finish it and only keep the tabernacle. It is also written about the oath water of reproof (ἐλεγμοῦ τοῦ ἐπικαταρωμένου) and the law for those under a vow not to drink wine and not to shave their heads; and - that God sent dyes to the people who had once grumbled at the deprivation of Egyptian meat, and again to the people who grumbled in thirst he poured out water from the stone, which Moses called the water of quarrel. Moses sent one spy from each tribe, including Joshua and Caleb Jephunneh. Here a host of Korah rebelled against Moses, and the living were swallowed up in the earth with Dathan and Abiron; and Miriam, Aaron's sister, was stricken with leprosy, and Aaron's rod brought forth a nut. After this, Aaron dies on Mount Hor, and his son Eleazar takes his place. Here it is told about Balaam and his donkey, who spoke in a human voice, and how Balak the king of Moab was ashamed. When the people, at the suggestion of Balaam, became defiled, Phinehas pierced the Midianite woman and the Israelite Zimri from the tribe of Simeon for fornication, and thus the wrath of God ceased. The people who slandered Moses before God were bitten by snakes; but God, heeding the request of his (the people), commanded to make a copper serpent and hang it, so that the wounded, looking at it, would remain alive. Here God commands Moses and Eleazar the priest to again count the people from 20 years of age and above, and their number was found to be 601,730; The Levites were again numbered separately and their number was found to be 23,000. This review took place in Araboth of Moab near the Jordan against Jericho. Among these there was not one of those who were counted before; because they died, except Caleb and Joshua the son of Nun. In this book, at the command of the Lord, Moses wrote the transitions and camps of the Israelites, in which they, after leaving Egypt, stayed for some time, which are as follows: they left Ramessa of Egypt in the first month on the morning of the Passover, and came to Succoth; from Succoth to Wufan; from Wufan to Belsepphon against Magdol. From Velsepphon they crossed the sea; from the sea to the Bitters; from Gorkosti to Elim, where there are dates; from Elim to the desert of Seir; from the Seir desert to Rafak; from Rafak to Elim; from Elim to Rafidin; from Rafidin to the Sin desert; from the desert of Sin to the Sepulchers of Lust; from the Sepulchers of Lust to Asiroth; from Asiroth to Rafam; from Rafam to Remmon Fares; from Remmon Fares to Lemon; from Lemon to Dessans; from Dessan to Macellaf; from Makellaf to Safar; from Safar to Haradaf; from Haradaf to Makilof; from Makilof to Qataaf; from Qataaf to Taraf; from Taraf to Mattek; from Mattek to Selmon; from Selmon to Masurof; from Masurof to Vanya; from Vanei to Mount Gadgad; from Mount Gadgad to Etawaf; from Etawaf to Euron; from Europa to Gesiongaver; from Gesiongaver to the Sin Desert; from the desert of Sin to the desert of Paran, which is Cadiz: there - in Cadiz, Mariam died. From Cadiz - to Mount Hor near the land of Edom, on which the high priest Aaron ascended and died, according to the command of the Lord, in the fortieth year after the exodus of the children of Israel, in the fifth month, living 123 years. From Mount Or they came to Selmon; from Selmon to Finon; from Finon to Soboth; from Soboth to Ai, outside the land of Moab; from Gaya to Devongad; from Devongad to Gelmondevlathem; from Helmondevlathem to the mountains of Avarim, which is opposite Avab; from the mountains of Abarim to the West of Moab, near Jericho near the Jordan, and armed themselves at the Jordan. There were forty-three camps. Here, after the Jews had won and driven the nations beyond the Jordan, and had killed Zion the king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan, who was a giant, Moses was commanded to give the lands to Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, and to decree that the children of Israel should give to the Levites, in the areas of their possession, cities for residence and the outskirts of cities, and finally it was commanded to establish cities shelters - three beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan, so that someone who kills a person by accident can take refuge in them, and so that he does not be killed recklessly by a relative of the killed person; to hide until he stands before the assembly for judgment. - In this book, the people are commanded to make excrements on their clothes, and to add hyacinth-colored strands to the excrements, so that, despite this, they will not forget the commandments of God. Here the daughters of Salpaad receive their father's plot, and on this occasion God's command and law are given that that marriage is legal when the snakes (ἀνεψιὸς) are united in marriage; Here Moses saw from Mount Abarim, that is, Avab, the promised land, and heard: “You will not enter there because of the anger that was in the water of discord.” Aaron died at the age of 123, after leaving Egypt in the fortieth year of the fifth month. – By order of the Lord, one person from each tribe was sent to survey the land. Their names are as follows: from the tribe of Reuben - Salamiel the son of Zakhur; from the tribe of Simeon - Safat son of Sura; from the tribe of Judah - Caleb the son of Jephunneh; from the tribe of Issachar - Ilaal the son of Joseph; from the tribe of Ephraim - Naussis son of Nun; from the tribe of Benjamin - Phalti the son of Raphas; from the tribe of Zebulun - Gudiel the son of Zud; from the tribe of Joseph, the sons of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Suss; from the tribe of Dan - Amii the son of Hamai; from the tribe of Asher - Safur son of Michael; from the tribe of Naphtali - Navi son of Nava; from the tribe of Gad - Gadidudiel son of Macha. The place from which they were sent was Paran and Cadiz-Barnea. Then Moses named Naushi the son of Nun Joshua. The time for the embassy was mid-spring, when the first bunches of grapes appear. And the time that the spies spent there was 40 days. And Moses spoke and wrote this book. It is called so because after receiving the law written on the tablets, Moses, at the command of the Lord, already as the second law, spoke the words of this law to the people. For about the words of this law, after Moses had spoken them, the following is written in Deuteronomy: “These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to declare to the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he commanded them in Horeb.” Therefore the commandments were spoken at Horeb and placed in the ark; and Moses commanded the priests wearing the ark to place this book near the ark as a testimony, and commanded them to read it every seventh year, on the day of absolution, at which time the Feast of Tabernacles occurs. This is the first reason for the title of this book. The other is that Moses in this book repeats and explains everything previously stated in the books: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers - laws, justifications and commandments, and again reminds the people to keep them; It also repeats in it the exodus from Egypt, and all the blessings and signs and wonders that happened to them, so that they would not forget God who performed them. In this book he defines the blessing of those who keep the law and the curse of those who transgress it; that is, so that the blessing was pronounced on Mount Gerizin by Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin, and the curse on Mount Ebal by Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali. For a reminder and for constant teaching, I wrote, at the command of the Lord, a great song, so that, having studied it and always doing it, they would not forget God. After this, having blessed each tribe and writing a blessing, and laying his hands on Joshua to be his successor, by the command of God, he finally ascended Mount Abarim, that is, Avab, and according to the word of God, he died there, having been alive for 120 years, without suffering any darkening of his eyes or damage to his face; and no one knows his tomb even to this day. Starting from this book even to Ezra, not all of them were written by those whose names they bear and about whom they narrate. They say that at different times prophets wrote about contemporary events. Therefore, it is necessary to briefly say about their inscriptions. – This book is inscribed: Joshua, because Joshua, the successor of Moses, was the leader of the people, and it contains his history and deeds. This book contains how the flow of the Jordan River stopped at the top of the source, and the water became scarce, so that the Israelites passed through it with dry feet; and that Jesus at Gilgal circumcised all those born in the desert with stone knives, and called the place Gilgal; and that when the people crossed the Jordan and ate the fruits of the earth, the manna ceased. The walls of Jericho fell of their own accord; Rahab the harlot, who hid the spies, is saved; and the sun at noon, through the prayer of Joshua the son of Nun, stood against Gibeon for a whole day, until he defeated the enemies. Having defeated the Amorites and all their kings, and divided the whole land into nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh, he ruled the people for 26 years; died when he was 110 years old. Those who divided the land among the people were: the priest Eleazar, Joshua himself, and one from each tribe. From the tribe of Judah - Caleb, Simeon - Salamiel, Benjamin - Eldad, Dan - Bakhir, Manasseh - Aniel, Ephraim - Kamuel, Zebulun - Elishaphan, Issachar - Fitiel, Asher - Achior, Naphtali - Taphael. The names of the kings whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated, and who inherited the land beyond Jordan - from the rising of the sun and the rock of Arnon even to Mount Aermon and all the land of Arravon from the east, are as follows: Zion, king of the Amorites, who lived and reigned in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who remained from the giants, living in Astaroth and in Edraim, and commanded from Mount Aermon even to the borders of Gergesi and half of Gilead. After beating them, Moses gave their land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh. The kings of the Amorites, whom Joshua and the children of Israel slew, after crossing the Jordan, by the sea, in the field of Lebanon, even as far as Mount Hilka, when going up to Seir, and whose land Joshua gave as an inheritance to the rest of the tribes, according to their lot, are the following: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, the Jebusite, and the king of Jericho, the king of Ai, who near Bethel, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Elam, the king of Gazer, the king of Debir, the king of Gizea, the king of Aermath, the king of Erath, the king of Arath, the king of Lovna, the king of Adollam, the king of Elath, the king of Aphathoth, the king of Opher, the king Ophek of Arof, king of Asom, king of Somoon, king of Mamroth, king of Ziph, king of Kadi, king of Zaak, king of Manedoth, king of Jokom of Harmel, king of Eddor of Phenedaor, king of Gida of Galilee, king of Thera. This book is called the book of Judges because God, after the death of Joshua the son of Nun, through the judges saved the people oppressed by foreigners, that is, the rest of the Canaanites, and this book contains the actions of each of these judges and the time of life. The judges were as follows: first Othniel; he killed Husarsafem, the king of Mesopotamia, who oppressed the people for 40 years. After Othniel - Ehud with two hands; he killed with a double-edged sword, the length of his palm, Eglom the king of Moab, who embittered the people for 18 years; he judged Israel for 80 years. After him - Tamegar, son of the Dinakhs; he struck 600 foreigners with an oxen rale; judged the people for one year. After this, Barak the son of Abinekh; he fought against Jabin and Siser, who oppressed Israel for 20 years. Sisera was killed by Jael, the wife of Hapher of Kinea, with a small stake. Barak judged Israel for 40 years. After him - Gideon, who is also Jerubbaal; he smote the people of Midian, Oreb, and Zib, and Zebah, and Zalman, their leaders; he overthrew the tower of Phanuel (the city) and his leaders, who had slain Israel for 7 years, and beat him with thorns; he judged Israel for 40 years. After him - Abimelech, the son of Gideon by a concubine; he killed on one stone his brothers, born of freemen, numbering 70; Only one of them, Joathan, escaped. Abimelech, even to those who united with him, was fire from thorns. Having killed many, he himself died when one woman threw a fragment of a millstone at him from the wall; he was in charge for three years. After him - Thola the son of Fui, uncle of Abimelekhov; he reigned for 23 years. After him, Jairus of Gilead ruled for 22 years. After him - Jephthah of Gilead; he defeated the Ammonites and Philistines, who had oppressed Israel for 18 years. During the battle, he made a vow: to sacrifice the first thing that came his way when he returned home with victory; since he found a daughter, he, allowing her to mourn her virginity for two months, sacrificed her; judged the people for 6 years. After him - Abez from Bethlehem; judged for 7 years. After him Ailon the Zebulunite - 10 years. After him, Lavdon the Pharathonite - 8 years. After him is Sampson from the tribe of Dan. He beat the Philistines, who had oppressed Israel for 40 years, with the jaws of a donkey, another time with a rod, then with foxes, and finally with the fall of a house; he judged Israel for 20 years. – All judges numbered 13; There were 411 years of their reign. This book is called so because it contains one story of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite and famous for her chastity. Abandoning kinship and paternal superstition, she turned to God-worship and soon moved to Bethlehem of Judea; there she married Boaz, who was from the tribe of Judah. The genealogy of David is derived from her in this way: Boaz begat Obed from Ruth, Obed begat Jesse, Jesse begat David. 9) Book of 1st and 2nd Samuel These books are called the Books of Kings because they set forth the deeds of the kings of Judah and Israel, and the number of their years. The first book of Kings contains: the death of Elijah the high priest and his sons; the birth of Samuel and - how the people, previously ruled by God, who raised up defenders for them from time to time, asked Samuel, as was the custom of other nations, for a king; Samuel gave them Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, from whom the kingdom began in Judah. This book tells that Saul transgressed the commandment of God and the kingdom was taken away from his family, and David was anointed in his place, and royal power passed to his family; that David killed Goliath with a small stone, and since the rejoicing maidens in the songs attributed darkness to David, and thousands to Saul, Saul, out of envy, pursued David; however, David escaped. Saul, when the foreigners armed themselves against him, looked for ventriloquists and was killed the next morning. This ends the first book of Kings. In the second, David accepted the kingdom, and at first Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, wanting to reign, argued with him about power; finally everyone kissed David; he conquered all enemies; took Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. Absalom, who rebelled against his father, was killed. Then David, having numbered the people, raised the wrath of God upon himself. When he then appeased God, the anger ceased. This second book of Samuel ends with David's old age. David had many strong, great men under his authority. The names and deeds of some of them are as follows. Jonathan, son of Shemessiah, David's brother; he killed a certain man from Ramessa, who reviled Israel, and had six fingers on his hands and feet. Adinon the Azonean; he alone drew his sword against 800 warriors. Jessevada, son of Ahamani; and this one also drew his sword against the 300, and smote them. Eleazar son of Sosi; When the foreigners gathered, he attacked them alone and destroyed them, so that the sword froze in his hand, and the people collected booty after him. Samaiah, son of Asa, a Saruhean; When foreigners came and wanted to plunder a plot of land sown with lentils, while the people fled, he was left alone, drove out the foreigners and saved the plot of land. Three strong out of thirty; They are famous for the fact that, to quench David’s thirst, they broke through the camp of foreigners, drew water from the ditch and brought the water to David. David, surprised at their bravery, took the water, but did not want to drink, but poured it out to the Lord, saying: It is merciful to me, O Lord, to do this, whether the imam should drink the blood of the men who went in their souls (2 Samuel 23:17). Benea, son of Jehoiada; he performed many brave deeds: he defeated the sons of Uriel of Moab, and, going down into the ditch during winter, killed a lion; he also struck down a certain Egyptian, a strong man, who was five cubits tall, and had a spear like the wood of a ship's ladder; he, taking the spear from him, killed him with it. Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Saraiah, the sister of David; he killed 30 people with a spear at one time and, like a chamois, ran away into the mountains. Moreover, he struck and killed Esbien, who wanted to kill David. All of David's warriors were 10,234. 10) Book of 3rd and 2nd Kings The 1st book of Kings contains the following: when David grew old, Adonijah his son exalts himself and, without the will of his father, proclaims himself king. David, having learned about this, sends the prophet Nathan, the priest Zadok and Benais, the son of Jehoiada, commanding them to anoint Solomon as king, which they do while David is still alive. Therefore Adonijah is immediately cast down; and Solomon, having succeeded his father, built the house of the Lord and the wall of Jerusalem over the course of 7 years. He had seventy thousand who carried heavy loads - from the aliens, and eighty thousand stone-cutters - also from the aliens; there were three thousand six hundred supervisors of the work. Every day, 30 measures of pure wheat flour, 60 measures of mixed flour, 10 selected calves, 20 fat bulls, 100 sheep, excluding deer, chamois and selected and fattened birds, were consumed every day. He also had a herd of mares; there were 40 thousand offspring, and 12 thousand horses for harnessing to chariots. He had a lot of wealth; for every year they brought him gold weighing 666 talents, not counting the established taxes. The Queen of Sheba, arriving to him, gave him 120 talents of gold, a precious stone and countless fragrances. After the death of Solomon, his son, Rehoboam, took over the kingdom; under him, the supreme power was divided: ten tribes went to Samaria, and two - Judah and Benjamin - remained in Jerusalem. This third book contains the acts and seasons of these kings, beginning with Solomon, king of all the tribes together; After the division of the kingdom, as it is said, in Judah there were kings over two tribes: Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat; and in Samaria over the ten tribes were Jeroboam, Nebat, Baasha, Elah, Zimri and Achaab. It also tells about the following prophets: Nathan, Gad and Ahijah the Silonite, who raised a voice against the altar of Samaria; also about Elijah and Elisha, who prophesied to Achaab and denounced him, and that the sons of the prophets lived in solitude on their own. This book also contains how Elijah prophesied that there was no rain for three years, and that the crows, at the command of the Lord, brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening. In Zarephath of Sidon, at the command of the Lord, he did something so that the widow’s bucket of flour did not run low and the oil in the vessel did not decrease; raised her dead son; beat down the prophets of Baal, numbering 450; The militia was struck by the Jordan, causing the water to split on both sides, and he crossed the river. This book ends with the death of Achaab, king of Israel, the death of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, the beginning of the kingdom of Ahaziah, the son of Achaab, and the beginning of Joram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. The fourth book contains how the two fifty leaders of Ahaziah, according to the word of Elijah the prophet, were destroyed by fire, and that Elijah was exalted, and the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha and the special gifts of the Spirit were in him; and how Elisha, having prayed, raised the dead son of his wife Somanitis, and cleansed Naaman the Syrian from leprosy; He filled, according to the word of the Lord, the vessels of the prophet's wife with oil, and that a girded dead man was thrown on his bones, who, having touched the bones of the prophet, came to life. Elisha struck Milotia Elijah with the Jordan, and the water divided on both sides, and he also crossed on foot. It is written in this book about how Sennacherib and Rapsak, after many blasphemes, were driven out, and 185,000 men from their army were beaten in one night. King Josiah crushed all the idols, cut down the oak groves and instituted the Passover, as it is written, according to the law. This book also contains the acts and years of the kings of Judah - Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amessiah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amos (Amon), Josiah, Jehoahaz, Eliakim, Joachim, Matthan or Zedekiah; Samaritans - Ahaziah, Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, Joash, Jeroboam, Zechariah, Shallum, Manaim, Pekessiah, Pekah and Hosea. He also talks about the prophets Elijah, Elnsei, Isaiah and Jeremiah, and that the kingdom of Samaria ended under Hoshea, the son of Elah, who slaughtered Pekah, the son of Romelius; and Jerusalem ended under Zedekiah. For he himself was taken to Babylon, and when his eyes were gouged out, he was thrown into the mill for 26 years. But after this, the king of Babylon elevated Joachim and gave him a throne above all the kings there, and ate and drank with him throughout his entire life. And with this the book ends, when the people were taken captive and the whole city was taken. Summary of the Acts of the Kings of Judah and Israel First we need to repeat what has been said above, and briefly set forth the names and deeds of all the kings, both of Judah and Samaria, and the years of the reign of each of them. And firstly, we will talk about the kings of Jerusalem. After the death of Saul, who reigned for 40 years, David reigned over all Israel for 40 years: in Hebron for 7, and over all Israel and Judah for 33, and he did righteousness from the sincerity of his heart; There were prophets with him: Samuel, Nathan, Gad. Solomon, the son of David, also reigned over all the people for 40 years, and did evil; With him were the prophets: Nathan and Gad. Rehoboam his son reigned 17 years and did evil. Under him, the kingdom was divided, and with him two tribes remained in Jerusalem - Judah and Benjamin; and in Samaria there are ten tribes. With him were the prophets: Ahijah the Silonite, Shemei and Addo. Abijah his son reigned for 3 years; his heart was not perfect like David’s heart, but he walked in the sins of his father; and with him was the prophet Addo. Assa, his son, reigned for 41 years, and did righteousness, but the heights (on which idolatry was performed) remained; With him were the prophets: Azariah, son of Odid, and Anami. Jehoshaphat his son reigned 25 years and did righteousness, but the heights still remained; and after this he incurred the reproach of iniquity because he had made friends with Ahaziah, king of Israel, and was his accomplice in the construction of ships. With him were the prophets: Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Jehu the son of Anami, Uzziel the son of Zechariah, and Eliada the son of Hodiah, from Marisa. Jehoram his son reigned 8 years, and did evil: for he had the daughter of Achaab as his wife; With him were Elijah and Elisha. Ahaziah his son reigned one year and did evil. After him Athaliah his mother reigned for 7 years. Joash, son of Ahaziah, reigned for 40 years. He killed Zechariah, and did the truth while Jehoiada the wise man lived, and instructed him. His servants killed him in the house of Maelofi. Azariah (Zechariah), the son of Jehoiada, prophesied under him. Amessiah his son reigned 29 years, and in the beginning he did righteousness, but not like David; for the people were still making sacrifices on the high places, and they had not cut down the oak groves; The prophets prophesied in his presence, but did not write their names. After this, Amessiah, having defeated the inhabitants of Seir, became proud of this, and began to serve the idols of Seir, and, betrayed by his enemies, was defeated. Azariah, who is also Uzziah, reigned for 52 years, and at first he did the truth, like his father; however, it did not destroy the heights. Having become happy, he became proud and wanted to make a sacrifice himself in the church, which is allowed only to priests. Therefore, he was stricken with leprosy when he heard: “It is not yours, O Uzzie, that you may incense incense of the Lord, but only by the priest, the sanctified son of Aaron” (2 Chron. 26:18). Isaiah prophesied under him. Jotham his son reigned 16 years and did righteousness, like his father; however, he did not destroy the heights; Isaiah was with him. Ahaz his son reigned 16 years and did evil; with him were the prophets Isaiah and Odid. Hezekiah his son reigned for 29 years and did righteousness, just like David. He crushed the bronze serpent that Moses hanged; and Isaiah was with him. Under him, Sennacherib and Rapsacus - Assyrian blasphemers, for their blasphemy, both themselves were defeated, and their army, numbering 185,000, was destroyed in one night by an angel. Hezekiah fell ill, but, being close to death, received an additional 15 years. Manasseh his son reigned 55 years and did evil; for what Hezekiah dug up, he restored, and became another Jeroboam for Judah, so that through him, like Samaria, Jerusalem also suffered. For it is said about him: those who deceive Judas; which is why he was taken captive to Babylon. But in captivity, as it is written in the books of Chronicles, he repented, and, having been returned by God to Jerusalem, again took over the kingdom; repenting and teaching the people to serve God, he died. He was not buried in the city of David, but in his garden, in the garden of Uzzah. Amos (Amon), his son, reigned for 2 years, and did evil, just like his father, Manasseh. His servants killed him, and he was buried in the garden of Uzzah, where his father was. Josiah his son reigned 31 years. His people made him king at the age of seven, and he did righteousness in all the ways of David, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. For he cut down the oak groves and destroyed all the idols, when he was 16 years old; he sought the law, and, finding it neglected, established it to be read; declared Easter and celebrated it as commanded. He was killed by Pharaoh Necho at the Euphrates while he was waging war against him. With him were the prophets: Jeremiah and Zephaniah, and the prophetess Huldah, the wife of Sella. Jehoahaz his son reigned 3 months and did evil. He was taken captive by Pharaoh Necho; Jeremiah was also with him. Eliakim, another son of Josiah, renamed Jehoiakim, reigned for 11 years and did evil. Joachim, who is also Jeconiah his son, reigned for 3 months, and did evil, and was taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar made his son Mantanan king, renaming him Zedekiah; he reigned for 11 years and did evil; Jeremiah was with him. Until now, the kingdom of Judah existed, but it was finally destroyed, as was the kingdom of Samaria. For the city of Jerusalem was taken, and everyone was carried captive to Babylon, where the sacred vessels were carried away. And so all the kings of Jerusalem from David to the captivity of Babylon were 21, that is, without Athaliah, who, as it is said, reigned for 7 years after the death of her son, Ahaziah. Kings of Israel. – In order, it should be said about those kings of Israel who reigned in Samaria: what was the name of each of them, and how many years he reigned, and how he lived. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, returning from Egypt, was the first to reign in Samaria, after the division of the kingdom, and did evil that no one else had done. Fearing that his kingdom would not be destroyed, he made two golden calves and deceived the people, saying: Behold your gods, who brought us out of Egypt (1 Kings 12:28). He also appointed priests for them, and thus led Israel into sin. All the kings who came after him followed his example. He reigned for 24 years; with him was the prophet Ahijah the Silonite. Nebat his son reigned for 2 years and did evil, and no one from his family reigned again. Baassa, from another family, reigned for 24 years and did evil. Eli, his son, reigned for 2 years, and did evil, and no one from his family reigned anymore. Zamri, from a different family, reigned for 12 years and did evil. Ahab his son reigned 22 years, and did more evil than others. With him were the prophets: Elijah, Elisha and Micah, who prophesied to Ahaav about Syria and the son of Ader, who struck him with a plague, and exposed Ahaav, as well as many sons of the prophets who lived in their own right. Ahaziah his son reigned 2 years and did evil; With him were: Elijah and Elisha. Elijah, according to the word of the Lord, smote his leaders of fifty with fire. Joram, another son of Achaab, reigned 12 years, and did evil, and no one from his family reigned anymore. With him, Elijah was taken into heaven, and Elisha remained until Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel. The sons of the prophets were also with them. Jehu, from another family, the son of Namesh, reigned for 28 years. He destroyed the family of Achaab and the prophets of Baal by cunning, and crushed his statue. Since he did the truth in this, he had the promise that his four sons would sit on the throne of Israel. However, he did not keep the law with all his heart; for he did not abandon the sins of Jeroboam in relation to the golden calves. Jehoahaz his son reigned 17 years and did evil. Joash his son reigned 16 years and did evil; fought against Jerusalem and took gold and vessels. Jeroboam his son was 41 years old and did evil. Zechariah his son was 6 months old and did evil. Hitherto there were four sons from the family of Jehu. Sellum, from another family, the son of Jabez, 30 days, and did evil. Manaim, from another family, the son of Gaddi, was 20 years old and did evil. Fakie, his son, was 10 years old, and did evil. When he prophesied: Isaiah and Hosea. Fakei, from another family, son of the Romelievs, - 20 years old; he killed Pakiah and did evil, and the prophets Isaiah and Hosea were with him. Hosea, from another family, son of Eli, - 9 years old; he killed Phakai and did evil, although not as much as his predecessors. The kingdom of Samaria ended with Hosea. From that time on, Samaria ceased to exist and perished; Afterwards, the Assyrians lived in it, from whom descended the heretics Samaritans, also called Huthians. And so the times of the kings of Jerusalem, from David to Zedekiah, are 400 years. All the kings were 21, without Athaliah, and they were all of the same family - David, inheriting the kingdom from beginning to end by succession, son from father. Those who did good were 9, and those who did evil were 12, except Athaliah. The years of reign of the kings of Samaria from Jeroboam to Hoshea were 260; all kings from different generations - 18; eight of them ascended the throne by violence, and all of them generally did evil, becoming like Jeroboam in their sins. Book 11, 1 and 2 Chronicles (omitted) These books are so called because they contain many things that are omitted from the books of Kings. The first book contains the genealogy of all tribes from Adam to kings by tribes, peoples, fatherlands and houses. And in the second, the deeds of the kings are set out. It was said before that those who wrote the acts and times of the kings were prophets who lived in different times; and in order to know what each of them wrote, about this from the books of Chronicles we will note the following: the acts of David were described by Samuel, Nathan and Gad, the prophets; and the acts of Solomon - Nathan and Ahijah the prophets; Jeroboam - Samey and Addo, prophets; the deeds of Abijah - Addo the prophet; the deeds of Asa are recounted in the history of the kings of Judah; the acts of Jehoshaphat were described by Jehu the prophet, the son of Anami, who compiled the history of the kings of Judah; the deeds of Joash are recorded in the book of Kings; the acts of Amessiah - in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel; the acts of Uzziah were described by the prophet Isaiah; the deeds of Jotham are contained in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel; the acts of Ahaz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel; the acts of Hezekiah were described by Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz; the deeds of Manasseh are described in the words of the seers; the acts of Josiah in the book of the kings of Judah; the deeds of Joachim in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. Book 12, Ezra 1 and 2 These two books were written by the very person whose signature they bear. This Ezra, priest and reader, narrates the return of the sons of Israel from Persia to Jerusalem. The first book, which begins with the words: and Josiah keep the Passover, sets forth the return of the Jews under the leadership of Jesus, the son of Jozedek, Ezra, Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, the eunuch of Judah. The reason for the release was as follows: three soldiers guarding the king, one of whom was Zerubbabel, argued about one issue, making a promise - the winner would ask the king for whatever he wanted. And so when one said that wine conquers, and another that the king conquers, Zerubbabel insisted that it is the wives that conquer, and most of all, the truth. As Zerubbabel, having said this, remained victorious, and at the same time heard the order - to ask for what he wanted - he asked that the captives be released and Jerusalem restored. And his request was fulfilled: the prisoners were released. For then the 60 years of wrath (of God) ended. All those who returned from captivity, from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, together with the Levites, numbered forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, their male and female servants were 7,334, singers 245, camels 435, donkeys 6,720. The builders were: Zerubbabel, Joshua son of Jozedek, and Nehemiah; and Ezra, as experienced in the law, himself presented and read the law, had everything that related to the church, and he himself appointed the Levites according to the law, and forced the foreign wives to be torn away from those who took them (in marriage) during the captivity. And everyone rejected them and purified themselves and kept the Passover and the fast legally, as it is written. In the second book, which begins with the words: in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, he again says the same thing about the return, except for the above-mentioned question. But more is told about Nehemiah the eunuch, that he also asked for the building of the church, and that Ezra read the law, and Joshua, Benei and Abijah admonished the people. Ezra, reading, explained the wisdom of the Lord, and the people were taught by reading, and celebrated the Passover. And in the seventh month they celebrated fasting and the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written; which the scripture says was not done in this way since the days of Joshua the son of Joshua. Ezra, seeing the women of Ashdod mingling with the Jews, wept and sobbed, doing what they all promised to preserve the law of God. And he expelled these wives as having married unlawfully, and everyone swore to preserve the law. And thus, having been sanctified and cleansed, they rejoiced, and each one went to his own house. It is also told about Ezra that, due to the negligence of the people and due to the long-term captivity of St. the books were destroyed, then Ezra himself, as a good-loving, zealous man and, moreover, a reader, kept them all for himself, and finally discovered and offered them to everyone, and thus the books were preserved. Book 13, Psalm of David Although this book of Psalms has the inscription of only David alone, it contains psalms from many other persons, such as Asaph, Jedithum, the sons of Korah, Haggai, Zechariah and Eman the Israelite. There are several that are said by everyone together; These are the psalms that have alleluia. Ezra, having collected all these psalms spoken by everyone, put them together in one book. And since all the psalms are contained in it, it is called the Book of Psalms; it is inscribed with the name of David alone because he was the first, having received the spirit of singing from God, and first of all began to compose and write psalms; and he himself instituted the other aforementioned psalmists, choosing them from among the priests, and for this purpose he determined the position of the place and the order of singing and the time (for singing) morning and evening, so that some would stand when the church was opened, and others when it closed, and some on the right side, and others on the left; and thus, some sang, praised, glorified, praised God, while others struck tympanums, proclaimed confession and praise, others played the harp, harps and cymbals, and others played the trumpets. The priests who carried the ark under David were two thousand; namely: of the sons of Kohath - Uriel the chief and his brothers, numbering 110; of the sons of Merar, Asa the chief and his brothers, numbering 250; of the sons of Gideon, Joel the chief and his brothers, 150; of the sons of Elishaphat, Samey the ruler and his brothers, 200; of the sons of Hebron, Yenir the chief and his brothers, - 80; of the sons of Heziel, Aminadab the chief and his brothers, 112. From these the above-mentioned singers were chosen, and thus they were arranged: Asaph and Etham, the sons of Korah, struck brass cymbals for all to hear; Zechariah and Uzziel of Samiramoth, Eloni, Eliab, Masei, Benei, the sons of Jedithum, played the harp and psalter; Matthew, Emphanaeus, and Makei, and Abededom, and Eli, and Uzziah, the son of Eman, on the harp and harp; and Massai and Haggai and Zechariah and Ben and Eliezer the priests blew the trumpets. And the other psalms that they wrote at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Ezra took and counted among the psalms of David, and, combining everything together, he compiled one book of Psalms, as stated above. They should be distinguished one from the other as follows: in fact, those psalms that have this inscription belong to David himself: David, which are the following: 25. 26. 27. 36. 151, - or David, which are: 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 37. 39. 40. 41. 49. 50. 51. 52. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 62. 63. 64. 67. 68. 69. 70. 85, 90. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 100. 102. 103. 107. 108. 109. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 143. 144. Of the psalms that have the inscription: To David, some are inscribed: to the end, and others only: psalm. Those that have the inscription: at the end of the psalm to David, are as follows: 4. 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 18. 19. 20. 21. 29. 30. 39. 40. 50. 64. 67. 108. 138. 139. And those that have the inscription only: To David , without the word: to the end, the essence is as follows: 3. 7. 14. 22. 24. 28. 37. 42. 62. 93. 97. 98. 107. 140. 142. Again having the inscription: at the end the psalm to David is divided: some are inscribed: psalm of song - i.e. 4, 64., and others only psalm , – 5. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 18. 19. 20. 21. 30. 39. 40. 50. 63. 108. 138. 139; Psalm 6 is inscribed: in songs; and the psalms are songs: 29. 63. Others, having the inscription: at the end of David, do not have the words: psalm, and others have various inscriptions. They are as follows. 17. 35. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 68. 69. Of these psalms, which have various inscriptions, the 17th has: words of a song, others only: to David, – 35. 68. 69; others: reason, – 51. 52; others; in songs of reason, – 53. 54; иные: в столпописание , – 55. 56. 57. 58. 59; and Psalm 60: in songs. Of those psalms that have the inscription: psalm to David, without the words: to the end, there is only the song of Psalm 107. And those who have neither: to the end, nor: psalm, but simply: to David, are the following: 15. 16. 31. 32. 70. 85. 90. 92. 94. 95. 96. 100. 102. 103. 136. 137. 141. 143. 144. And from these again one is inscribed: song, – 95; another: writing of pillars, – 15; others: prayer, – 16.82; others: reason, – 31. 100. 141; others: sons of Amminadab, – 70; others: song praise, – 90. 92. 94; others: praises, - 144. Again those that are not inscribed either: David, nor: David, but are assigned to others, are the following: 38, 41. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 86. 87. 91. 99. 104. 105. 106. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 134. 135. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. Of these, some are inscribed: Asaph, others: to the sons of Korah, Asaph and Ephamu; others: Idifumu; others: Haggai and Zechariah; some: hallelujah. The following belong to Asaph: 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. Of these, having the inscription: at the end of the psalm to Asaph, the essence is: 74. 75. 76. 79. 80; others only: psalm to Asaph, – 72. 78. 81; other: in songs, – 75, others: song of the psalm to Asaph, – 79. 82; others: reason, – 73. 77; others: about grinders, – 80, – others: about those who have changed – 79; others: psalm of song, - 74. Those that have the inscription: alleluia, are: 104. 105. 106. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 134. 135. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. Of these, Haggai and Zechariah own: 145. 147. 148. Those that have the inscription: to the sons of Korah are: 41. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 83. 84. 86. 87. Of these, those that have the inscription: to the end of the sons of Korah are: 41. 43. 44. 48. 83. 84; to the end about the sons of Korah: 45. 46; psalm of song to the sons of Korah: 47. 86. 87; the mind of Etham the Israelite: 88; those inscribed: at the end of Idithum song: 38. 61. And those that are inscribed: degrees, are all songs, and the essence is the following: 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. Of these, one is inscribed: To Solomon, – 126; and others: to David, - 130. 131. 132. - This is the difference in the inscriptions found on the psalms. Having one ordinary inscription: psalms, the essence is as follows: 4. 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 18. 19. 20. 21. 29. 30. 39. 40. 50. 60. 61. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 72. 78. 81. 108. 138. 139; inscribed: psalm song – 4. 64; psalms songs – 29. 47. 67. 86. 87; song only – 38. 76. 95. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133; song of the psalm – 65. 82. 107; lyrics – 17; song praise – 90. 92. 94; praise – 144; in songs – 60. 75; in songs of reason - 53. 54; in songs psalm – 6. 66; understanding – 31. 51. 52. 73. 77. 88. 100. 141; in the pillar writing – 15. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59; prayer – 16. 85. 89. 101; prayer of Moses, the man of God – 89; about Solomon – 71; nameless – 9. 65. 66. 91. 99. 101; alleluia – 104. 105. 106. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 116. 117. 118. 134. 135. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150; David simply - 32. 34. 35. 96. 102. 103. 136. 137. Those that were spoken by David and others, and have the inscription: to the end, are the following: 4. 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 30. 35. 38. 39. 40. 41. 43. 44. 45. 46. 48. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59, 60. 61. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 74. 75. 76. 79. 80. 83. 84. 108. 138. 139. – Having learned all this difference in the inscriptions, it is necessary to know separately the inscriptions on some psalms. 1st and 2nd – not inscribed; The 3rd is written like this: when he left the presence of Absalom his son; 142nd - when his son was chasing him; 5th – about the inheritor; 6th – about the eighth; 7th - about the words of Hushai the son of Jemen; 8th, 80th and 83rd - about grinders; 9th – about the secrets of the son; 45th - about secrets; 15th - in the writing of the pillar; 16th and 85th – prayer; 17th - when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies; 21st - about the morning intercession; 23rd - on one of the Saturdays; 26th – before anointing; 28th – exodus of the tabernacle; 29th – home renovations; 30th – frenzy; 31st – mind; 33rd - when he changed his face before Abimelech; 35th - to the servant of the Lord David; 37th - in remembrance of Saturday; 44th - about the sons of Korah changing their minds, a song about the beloved; 68th – about those who change; 79th – about those who change, testimony about the Assyrian; 50th - when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had entered Bathsheba; 51st - when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said to him: David has come to the house of Abimelech; 52nd – about Maelef; 53rd - when Ziph came and said to Saul: Is not David hiding among us? 55th - when foreigners held him in Gath; 56th - when he went away from the presence of Saul into the cave; 58th - when Saul sent and kept watch over the house to kill him; 59th - when he set fire to Syrian Mesopotamia and Syria Sobal, and Joab returned and smote 12,000 salts into the wilds; 62nd - when he was in the Idumean desert; 65th – resurrection; 69th - in remembrance that the Lord saved me; 70th – the sons of Jonadab, the first captives; 71st - about Solomon; 75th - to the Assyrian; 87th - about Maelef in response; 91st - on the Sabbath day; 23rd - on one of the Saturdays; 92nd - on the day before the Sabbath, when the earth was populated; 93rd - on the fourth of Saturdays; 95th - when we built the house of the Lord after the captivity; 96th - for confession; 101st - the prayer of a beggar, when he falls into despondency and pours out his petition before the Lord; 141st – prayer when he was in the cave; The 143rd - to Goliath, the 151st psalm was especially written by David when he fought Goliath in single combat, and is not listed with the others. It should also be said about the change of tone (sela), in which psalms it is found, and how many times in each. It occurs once in Psalm 2; in the 3rd - twice; in the 4th - twice; in the 7th - once, in the 9th - a song with a change in tone; in the 23rd - once; in '31 - twice; in 1933 – once; in '38 - twice; in 1945 - once; in 1945 - twice; in 1946 - once; in 1947 – also; in 1948 - twice; in ’51 – also; in '53 - once; in '54 - twice; in ’56 – also; in 1958 - twice; in 1959 - once; in 1960 - twice; in ’61 – also; in ’65 – three times, in ’66 – twice, in ’67 – four times; in '74 - once; in ’75 – also; in ’76 – three times; in the 80s - once; in 1981 - once; in 1982 - once; in 1983 - once; in 1984 - once; in 1986 - twice; in 1988 - five times; in 1993 - once; in 139 – three times; in 142 – once. However, the psalms that have the inscription: alleluia and degrees do not have a change in tone (sela). Book 14, Proverbs of Solomon Solomon, the son of David, having inherited the kingdom of his father, asked God for wisdom rather than wealth and vengeance on his enemies. Having received it, and becoming the wisest of all the people who lived before and after him, and wonderful in all his deeds and words, he spoke three thousand parables and five thousand songs, and also explored the nature of everything that the earth produces, and all animals. He wrote books, of which three are recognized as canonical, i.e., this book called Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs; the fourth, written by him, is the Wisdom of Solomon, as stated above, not canonized. He inscribed this book: Parables because parables are the sayings of the wise, offered not simply, but in the form of riddles, so that the thought expressed in words serves only as a shell for another most secret thought. This is the nature of parables. So the disciples of the Lord, after the Lord, having abandoned the hidden form of speech, began to talk with them openly, said to Him: now you speak without hesitation, but speak no words in parables (John 16:29), so that we know that by parable we mean not an obvious, but a hidden kind of speech. And so, since this book contains many such sayings, Solomon inscribed it: Proverbs. It is called a parable, that is, a passing teaching (παρὰ at and οἴμος the way) because these sayings were written along the road, for the correction and teaching of those walking along it. On the way, they wrote for the reason that since not everyone could comprehend the words of truth, so that, passing by, out of curiosity they would experience what was written, and thus receive instruction. Some define parables this way: “a parable is a saying of one thing that figuratively means many things.” Therefore, this book contains 1) knowledge of wisdom and teaching; 2) understanding the words of wisdom; 3) convolutions of words; 4) understanding of true justice; 5) correction of the court; 6) knowledge of the parable; 7) sayings of the wise; 8) riddles - dark words. 1) Parables are knowledge of wisdom and teaching. since it is preached about the Greeks that they have wisdom, and the heretics say about themselves that they have teaching: then Solomon shows what true wisdom and true teaching consist of, and this is so that anyone, deceived by the identity of the names, does not fall into the sophisms (word weaving) of the Greeks and heretics: because the Greeks, considering themselves to be something important, and speaking be wise, foolish (Rom. 1:12); and the heretics, thinking that they are succeeding in their teaching, have turned aside from the true path and sin, pronouncing condemnation on themselves. The wise man, having heard the divine words, will be even wiser. For if he, having learned the law of God, preserves it, without weakening or indulging in negligence in studying the ways of the Lord, then he will become a wise son, and, amazed by experience, will soon receive knowledge of God, and this is the main subject that the wise should learn. Further, 2) understanding the words of wisdom means acquiring knowledge about the one true God. For as for the Greeks, some of them called the substance god, while others likened it to idols. As for the heretics, they too turned out to be crazy in the doctrine of the Self-Existent. Therefore, Solomon in this book sets forth the true concept of God; and firstly, he speaks of His ineffability like this: the glory of God covers the word (25:2); about providence: in every place the eyes of the Lord behold the evil and the good (15:3); and again: the rich and the poor meet each other: the Lord created both (22:2); also: the Lord visits both the creditor and the debtor who come together (23:13); and one more thing: for before the eyes of God are the ways of a man, but everyone watches his course (15:21). He says this about His justice: the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the vows of those who upright are acceptable to Him (15:8); and again: The Lord destroys the houses of troublemakers, but establish the widow’s border (v. 25). Speaking about the creative power of the Divine, he depicts it not simply, but by adding that God creates everything with His Word and Wisdom, since the property of the true God is especially that He is the Father of the Son. This is why he says: God is the foundation of the earth with wisdom (3:19); and again: The Lord made the countries and the uninhabited and the inhabited ends of the heavens. Whenever you prepared the sky, you ran with Him, and when you left your throne in the wind, and when you made the highest clouds strong, you ran with Him. And when I rejoiced over her, I rejoiced every day before Him (8:26.27.30). 3) And parables are called developments of words (στροφαὶ λόγων, turns of words) because, turning them around with the mind, we discover and find the hidden meaning in them; these are: a wise son will be saved from the heat, but a wicked son will be lost in the harvest (10:5); and again: be diligent about the good things that are in the fields, and reap the grass, and gather the hay of the hills, and feed the sheep for clothing (27, 25. 26); and again: if you sit down to sup at the table of a strong man, understand wisely what is offered to you (23:1), and the like. They are called 4) understanding of true justice, because the word: truth, justice, some understood differently; some said: justice consists in giving away what is taken for safekeeping; and others - to repay evil for evil and good for good. It is obvious that these definitions lack precision and accuracy. Guided by them, you could say: as such and such did to me, so I will do to him: I will take revenge on him for the insult inflicted on me. Therefore, Solomon teaches true justice, showing that it consists in giving to each his own. And precisely, first of all, honor the Lord with your righteous labors, and give Him the firstfruits of your fruits of righteousness (3:9); then: honor the king, and repay the due debt to your parents, to everyone according to the equation (24, 21). And this is one image of justice. The other is to justify your soul, that is, to keep yourself level and not go into excess. Therefore, guided by reason and advice, do everything, so that you are not carried away by the evil will that rejects the teachings of your youth; let your thoughts be your judgment seat. He who judges himself, all his desires are good. This is why every desire of the righteous is good, and every desire of the righteous is pleasant. Against anger, he says: do not be a friend to an angry husband, and do not consort with a hard-hearted friend (22:24). For a fool vents all his anger, but a wise man hides some of it. Thus, a person, by arranging himself, and observing the action of every part of the soul healthy and unharmed, achieves the understanding of true justice. /With. 362/ 5) And to administer judgment means, first of all, to judge righteously according to the law of God, as it is said: open your mouth to the word of God, and judge all sensibly (31:8); reason wretchedly and weakly (v. 9): for the one who says to the wicked that he is righteous will be cursed by men and hated among the nations; because it is not good to disgrace your face in court (24, 24. 23). This is judgment pronounced openly. There is also a hidden judgment, which consists in the fact that the one who condemns others judges and tortures himself with the same severity, imposing a ban on himself if rage flares up; curbing if lust boils, and exciting if the mind falls asleep, saying: how long, O lazy one, lie down (6, 9)? For whoever is so fair to himself and condemns himself will learn to carry out righteous judgment and will not hear from another: when you teach another, do you not teach yourself? say do not commit adultery, commit adultery (Rom. 2:21.22)? Just as a traveler, if he follows the straight path, reaches the goal of the journey, so the judge will be recognized as righteous and wise if he judges fairly. 6) Parables are those speeches from which we recognize the speaker’s thought not directly, but through similarity. The Lord himself explains this when he says: To what will I liken the kingdom of God? or what parable will I add (Mark 4:30)? - that is, a parable is a type of speech - through similarity. For, having said: likewise is the kingdom of God, He then added: for this reason I speak to them in parables. Such parables are as follows: just as the coming of snow brings heat into the harvest, so the messenger is faithful to those who sent him (25:13); and again: just as the winds and clouds and rain appear, so he who boasts about a false gift (v. 14), and the like. 7) And the sayings of the wise are not cunningly woven words, or eloquence that leads into error, but truths established by experience: they do not require proof, but in themselves are clear and reliable, and are pronounced as a decisive verdict. These are the essence of the following: the face of a joyful heart blooms; I am in sorrow, lamenting; and: a right heart seeks feelings: but the lips of the unpunished will understand evil (15, 13. 14); and: hatred creates strife: but love covers all those who are unloving (10:12); and: whoever despises a thing will be despised by it: fear the commandment, this one is healthy (10, 12). The words of other people are for the most part doubtful, but the words of the wise, such as the real ones, are true and always fair, so one cannot contradict them. Other people learn the dignity of actions, harm or benefit only from the consequences, as for example, everyone knows that to offend is a vice, to commit adultery is evil; and the wise discover the beginnings and sources of evil, and from the beginnings they determine the consequences in advance, speaking of them as signs of mental movements, so that everyone, having recognized the beginning of evil and keeping his heart pure from it, can protect himself from the consequences. This is for example saying: hatred creates strife, but love covers all those who are unloving (10, 12); also: everyone who is idle is of lust, and the wrathful one does things without counsel. These and similar moral sayings indicate the beginning from which good or bad consequences arise, that is, hatred leads to discord, and love leads to harmony; the idle are ruled by evil lust, and the angry by lack of counsel. The reason for the humiliation of man is his humiliation of the law of God; health is preceded by the fear of God; the cause of the death of the soul is failure to guard the lips; and despondency precedes recklessness. Explaining in this way the sayings of the wise, you will find that they were spoken and written so that those who hear and know the principles of evil and good would avoid evil and do good. 8) Riddles and dark words are sayings that are so unclear that they sadden the reader, as if expressing nothing and presenting no meaning; however, upon examination, the meaning contained in them is revealed. These are: the leech has three daughters, beloved by love, and these three were not satisfied with her, and the fourth was not satisfied with the saying: it is sufficient (we have): hell, and the lust of a woman, and the earth not watered with water, and water and fire do not say: it is sufficient (30, 15. 16); and again: three are things that are impossible for us to comprehend, and we do not know the fourth: the trace of an eagle soaring (through the air), and the way of a serpent (crawling) on ​​a stone, and the path of a ship sailing on the sea, and the ways of a man in his youth (vv. 18, 19). These and similar riddles show in words something other than what they really mean; They are dark, but only because they have a deeply hidden meaning. And Solomon wrote this book, as said above. It is called Ecclesiastes because the writer himself called it that way, saying at the beginning: the verbs of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem: vanity of vanities, speech Ecclesiastes (1, 1). Solomon was called differently: wise, because he was a partaker of wisdom; reasonable, because he had the understanding of truth; learned because he received true teaching from the Lord; He was called Ecclesiastes because he himself preached to the people and uttered what he received from the Holy Spirit. In this book he talks about speculation regarding the nature of things. since the Egyptians imagined that they had comprehended it, and the Greeks intended to explain it with fables: then Solomon, moved by the Holy Spirit, stops those who attempt to experience this, saying: man cannot invent the creation made under the sun: if man labors to find it, it will not be found (8:17). He rejects the superstitious fear of the Egyptians regarding a person's birthday (περὶ γενεθλιαλογίαν), saying: He who watches the wind does not sow: and he who looks into the clouds does not reap. They do not know the way of the spirit, like the bones in the womb of a child: so if you do not understand the works of God, He will do all kinds of things (11, 4. 5). Then, having engaged in speculation about each of the created beings, he admits that research of this kind is vain and only gives rise to labor; because a person becomes wise and righteous not from knowledge of these subjects, but from active life. He says: even if a wise man speaks, he will not be able to find it: therefore I have breathed all this into my heart, and my heart has seen all this (8:17): for righteousness and wisdom and their doing are in the hand of God (9:1). Therefore, having thoroughly abandoned the study of this, he turns to the consideration of human life. Here, observing the various cases to which people are exposed, he concludes that everything is governed by God's providence, which is why he says: neither is the flow easy, nor is battle lower than the strong, lower is bread for the wisest, lower is wealth for the wise, lower is grace for those who know: for time and chance will happen to all of these (9.11). For no one can dispose of these cases at his own will; for who is the man who follows the advice of the council, create great things in him (2:12)? – A person in this life has no power over anything other than to do evil and good and prepare his deeds for the end. For even if one eats and drinks, this is the gift of God (3:13.) Therefore, whether the study of how everything visible came to be, or the acquisition of treasures, or the enjoyment of abundance - all this is vanity of vanities and nothing more than an excess of desire and a fruitless effort of arbitrariness. However, speaking about the vanity of the present, he thereby shows the eternity of the future. Therefore, having abandoned everything temporary, he exhorts to remember the eternal and to know that there will one day be the end of this world, saying: in the day on which the guards of the house will move, and men of strength will be transformed, and the grinders will be abolished (12:5); He also speaks of what will follow the end of the world: that God will bring all creation to judgment for every sin, whether good or evil (12, 14). This shows that when he said: “vanity of vanities,” he did not speak as a condemnation of creation, but, directing his gaze to eternity, he called addiction to temporary things vanity. Having mentioned the future judgment, he pointed to the resurrection of the dead and retribution according to works. And this book is the work of Solomon, as shown above. Everything in it from beginning to end is written mysteriously, with a mysterious allegory, and the meaning of the dogmas contained in it is not contained in the letter, but is deeply hidden under it. However, if we look for him, we will find him. Therefore, only intelligent people can read this book; but they, when reading it, should always have an allegory in mind, so that the ignorance of the unlearned does not ridicule what is stated in it. The Song is called the Song because it follows the other songs, and that after this song, one cannot expect another song. When I speak of another song, I do not mean the book, but what is contained in the book. I will say this more clearly: all Divine Scripture prophesies about the descent of the Word to us and His appearance in the flesh. For this constitutes a special subject of the will of God, and the foreshadowing of this was the primary work of the prophets and all Divine Scripture. If the prophets add to this divine narrative words about the peoples of Babylon, Damascus, Moab, and others; if in every scripture those who sin are reproached, and those who are mired in vices are encouraged to repent, threatening a future fiery judgment, then this is only an addition. And so some Scriptures predict, like Moses, saying: The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you from your brethren, like me (Deut. 18:15); Isaiah: Behold, the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son (7:14). Micah: in the last days the mountain of the Lord will be revealed (4:1), others predict differently what kind of grace of the Holy Spirit was given to whom. At the time when these prophesied, the Lord, whom they had proclaimed, was still a subject of expectation. Therefore many prophesied about Him and did not cease to prophesy until He came. All these prophecies are songs, and the Song of Songs, as it were, no longer prophesies or predicts, but shows Him, about whom others foretold, as if he had already come and taken on human flesh. Therefore, the Song of Songs sings, as it were, a wedding song for the marriage of the Word with flesh. And although other Scriptures also speak about the Savior, among other things they also proclaim something else; and this book glorifies the one union of the Word with the flesh. Therefore, in other Scriptures, as containing something other than the teaching of the Word, there are expressions of anger, rage and repression with fear; and this book, since it sings of nothing else but the coming of the Word, speaks only of pleasantness, joy and gladness. For in the presence of the groom, everyone should rejoice and it is not appropriate for anyone to cry, as the Lord himself said; for He Himself, having come, bore our infirmities and turned our sorrows into joy. Therefore, just as after the dispensation accomplished by the Savior, we no longer expect a prophet, so after what is indicated in the Song of Songs, we should not expect anything else, a new sign. For what is signified in the Song is found in passages both in the Prophets and in other writings. And again how, after John pointed to the Lamb, the law and the prophets ceased, extending only to John: thus what is sung in the Song of Songs is the end of all that is proclaimed in all Divine Scripture. For what else should we expect at the coming of Christ, except judgment and retribution? This is why the Katafrigs err when, after the coming of the Lord, they introduce prophets, for which they are condemned as heretics. And so this is the Song of Songs, because after what is sung in it, nothing else should be expected. And just as in the law there was the holy, and behind the holy there was the holy of holies, but behind the holy of holies there was no longer an internal place; so after the songs there is also the Song of Songs, and after the Song of Songs one should no longer expect an inner and new promise; for the Word was once made flesh and accomplished the work. This entire book is filled with conversations between the Old Testament church and the Word, the entire human race with the Word, and the pagan church with Him, and again the Word with it and with the human race. Then a conversation between the pagans and Jerusalem and Jerusalem - about the pagan church and about itself. Next is the appeal of the serving angels to people called into the faith. These are the words with which the ancient people asked the Word to descend and unite with the flesh: let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips, for your goodness is greater than wine (1, 1); and again arouses desire in Him with the following words: keep the new fruits before the old ones, my brother (7, 13); and in general, everyone’s request to the Word, so that It would receive our body, is this: who will give you, my brother, to suckle my mother’s breasts? Having found you outside, I kiss you, and no one will humiliate me. I will understand you, I will bring you into my mother’s house, and into the trap of imprisonment (8:1). They asked that He take flesh not from here, but from the very womb from which we were born, although not in the same way as we are, that is, from husband and wife. For He, as the Creator, received flesh from one Virgin, but from a man; for Mary the Mother of God is human. This is what the Word, having already received flesh from the Virgin, says to those who asked: I went into my heirloom, my sister bride: I took my myrrh with my spices, I ate my bread with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk (5:1). For, having entered his own garden, that is, into creation, He received flesh from the Virgin for himself and became a man. The body was mortal, but it was united with the fragrance of the all-holy Word. And although He, as a man, allowed His body to drink milk, He also imparted to it the wine of His perfection. For just as He ate milk with His body, so in His body He did the works of God. Then the Word, clothed in flesh, calls upon the ancient people, since they were the first to be entrusted with the words of God, thus: Arise, come, my neighbor, my good one, my dove: for behold, winter has passed, the rain has gone, the rain has gone away: flowers have appeared on the earth, the time of circumcision has come, the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land: the fig has brought forth its blossom, the grapes. maturing Dasha stink (2, 10. 11. 13). Teaching in this way, He shows that the first people (Judea) accepted and maintained the legal canopy only for a time, and admonishes him like one who knows the voice of a turtle dove. Further, the Word, having called Jerusalem, then calls the pagans; for there is one Lord for the Jews and for the pagans: come from Lebanon bride, come from Lebanon: come and pass from the beginning of the faith, from the head of Sanir and Aermon, from the fences of the lions, from the mountains of Pardale (4, 8); - from idolatry and brutal character He calls her to faith. Called from the pagans in contrition of heart, she says to the Word: tell me what my soul loves, where do you pasture? where do you rest at noon? Yes, not when I will be taxed over the flocks of your friends (1, 6). Having experienced many different changes, she asked the Word to make her strong and strong now, so as not to suffer the same thing again. Having heeded her prayer, the Word teaches her this way: if you do not hang yourself, you who are good among women, go out after your flocks, and feed your goats in the shepherd’s tents (1:7). This is required of her so that no one can know God without first knowing himself. For piety towards God is the beginning of feeling, and feeling is not external, but thought in the soul with faith. Jerusalem, having seen the calling of the pagans, which was in the uncircumcision of the faith, says with surprise: what will you see among the Shulamites coming like regiments (7: 1)? For they came not from one, but from every nation, leaving their armies, breaking their swords and loving only peace. The pagan church, seeing Jerusalem as if reproaching it, defends itself by the fact that its calling is not in vain. I am black and good, daughters of Jerusalem, like the villages of Kadarsk, like the veils of Solomon. Do not see me, for I am blackened, as if the sun had scorched me: my son’s mother fought over me, having made me a guard in the vineyards, but did not keep my grapes (1, 4. 5). “I am black, but I am under the very sun. Although I am uncircumcised,” she says, “I renounced idols and left my mother’s house, like Abraham: for I am of the same faith. And therefore I beg: bring me into the house of wine: instill love for me: establish me in the world, put me in the apple shop: for I am wounded by love (2, 4. 5). Law and prophets, do not consider that I am uncircumcised, but receive me with love. And if I smell evil of savagery, then teach me, strengthen me with your fragrance: for I am wounded by love, and therefore I have cursed you, daughters of Jerusalem, with the strength and strongholds of the villages: if you rise up and arouse love, it will delight you (2:7). I conjure you, forefathers, not against the forces, for this is not permissible, but by the forces of heaven, so that, looking at it, you accept me as Adam. For even there there was no circumcision: but now what was in the time of Adam is renewed.” Further, the Word, seeing the faith of the pagans and willingly accepting it, says: You are good as my neighbor, as good will, red as Jerusalem, terrible as they have been committed (6, 5). For the Gentiles had to become like Jerusalem, so that they might be one people. And this happens when we combine faith in Christ with reverence for the law. For one is the God of both the law and the gospels. He who is not like Jerusalem will not be a friend of the Word. Jerusalem, seeing the faith of the children and the love of mankind of the Word, says: in the heap of nuts the fruit of the stream came down, see, if the grapes flourish and the thorns grow: there I will give my breast to you: without understanding my soul, place me on the chariot of Amminadavli (6, 10. 11). “I was in a nut garden, that is, in the scriptures, which, like a nut, are hard on the outside, but spiritual on the inside. I saw that by the title of the pagans I should be harnessed, as it were, to a chariot.” And so, when both peoples were united, preaching was sent everywhere, and angels became ministers for him, saying: Go out, and see in King Solomon, in the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his betrothal and on the day of the joy of his heart (3:11). Whoever emerges from evil will see the immutable union of the Word with the body. For when the betrothal of the Word to us took place through the union of the body, then it created a victory over death, because of which everything was filled with joy. – These are the conversations in the Song of Songs. By adapting to them, everyone can, looking at the book itself, combine events that are similar in meaning to each other. This book is written Job because it contains a story about him - how he suffered when he was tempted by the devil; how he, having won and piously endured the plagues inflicted on him, again received everything purely and became more glorious than he was before, and again had ten children. And he suffered when he was 70 years old, so that all the years of his life were 240. For after the plagues he lived another 170 years. Job lived before Moses: he was the fifth from Abraham, a descendant of Esau. On the occasion of his defeat by plagues, three friends came to him to console him: Eliphaz the king of Teman, Baldad the ruler of Savhea and Safar the king of Minaea. They spoke to him contentiously and unmercifully, rebelling against him, so that this was counted as a sin to them. And Job asked God for them and they received forgiveness. Job's conversations with his friends are nine: three of Eliphaz to him, two of Zophar to him, and three of Baldad, and one of Elius the son of Barachiel the Buzite. Finally the Lord speaks to Job through the storm and clouds, and Job another time answers the Lord verbally. Book 18, Twelve Prophets And before him there were prophets: under David - Samuel, Nathan and Gad; under Rehoboam, Abijah and Asa - Ahijah the Silonite, Samaeus, Addo, Azariah and Amenaeus, under Jehoshaphat and Achaav - Elijah and Elisha, who prophesied to Achaab about Syria and denounced him. But there are no works of their own, except for their words placed in the books of Kings and Chronicles. Of the writers of whom we have the writings, the first were: Hosea and Isaiah. They prophesied under the same kings, that is, the kings of Judah - Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, and under Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The word came to Hosea, and he prophesied against the priests, against Israel, against the house of kings, and about the destruction of Samaria. And having exposed and imprisoned them in opposition, he predicted the conversion of the pagans, presenting the pagan church under the image of a harlot's wife, whom he took and, taking her, made her chaste, raising her to the height on which he himself stood. He also prophesies about the coming of the Savior. And this one in the beginning was a contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah; for he prophesied in the time of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. He was awarded divine visions, and prophesied against Jerusalem, against Israel of Samaria, and against the pagans: Damascus, Gaza, Ashkelon, Azoth, Ekron, Tire, Idumea, Teman, and the children of Ammon and Moab. And he exposes and imprisons everyone in opposition. Although Amaziah, the priest of Bethel slandered him before King Jeroboam, reporting that the prophet spoke against him and against Samaria and against the people, despite this, he did not cease to be bold and speak words of reproof; also speaks of the coming of the Savior. He was the second of the above; because he prophesied after Hosea, and was a contemporary of both, because he also began to prophesy under Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. At the command of the Lord, he prophesied about Jerusalem and Samaria and about the prophets who led the people astray, and about Ahab. He also foretells the coming of the Savior, saying: in the last days the mountain of the Lord will be revealed (4:1). Fourth Joel son of Bethuel The word of the Lord came to him, and he prophesied to the elders and to everyone living on the earth about the captivity of the earth and those on it. He also prophesies about the grace of the Holy Spirit, which was to be poured out on everyone from the Savior. He preaches about fasting, repentance, the coming of the Savior and the signs that occurred during His crucifixion. This one proclaims a vision of Idumea and its end, and of the pagans who reviled Israel; he foretold that the House of Esau would be destroyed by Jacob. The word of the Lord came to him, so that he would go to Nineveh and preach in it that three more days, and Nineveh would be transformed. But Jonah, avoiding preaching, boarded the ship; when a storm arose, he was thrown into the sea and devoured by a sea whale. Then, three days later, the whale threw Jonah out alive. Another time the word of the Lord came to him, and he went and preached in Nineveh. The Ninevites, having heard his preaching, repented, and the Lord turned away His anger from them. He himself was a sign of the coming of the Savior, because, having been devoured by a whale, after three days he emerged unharmed. Seventh Nahum, son of Elkashi Nahum, awarded the vision, prophesies about the destruction of Nineveh, preaches about the holiday, predicts about the Savior, and proclaims everything else about Nineveh - about its destruction and the death of the enemies of Israel. And this one saw a vision, and prophesied, praying for the captivity of Jerusalem, and foretelling the coming of the Savior; also pronounces a prophecy against despisers. In the same book there is a prayer of the prophet with a song and three diapsalms (raising the voice); in the said song he glorifies the coming of the Savior and His victory over death. Ninth Zephaniah son of Hus He and Jeremiah were contemporaries. For both of them prophesied under Josiah king of Judah. The word of the Lord came to him, and he prophesied in Jerusalem and throughout Judea, predicting a coming day in which all idols and oak groves would be destroyed, and there would be great mourning and mourning; also prophesies about the Savior and the resurrection that He accomplished for us. Then he pronounces prophecies on Gaza and Ashkelon, on Azoth and Ekron, on Moab and Ammon, on Damascus, Nineveh and the Ethiopians. He prophesied in Jerusalem after his return from captivity, under Darius king of Persia, in the second year of his reign in the sixth month. The word of the Lord came through him, and he prophesied to Zerubbabel and to Joshua the son of Jozedek and to the people about the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He also prophesied about the retreat of the Jews and the calling of the pagans. Eleventh Zechariah son of the Adds And this one also prophesied in the second year of Darius; but the word of the Lord came to him in the eighth month. The angel of the Lord spoke to him, and he prophesied to the fathers and to Jerusalem. He was granted many and varied visions, and predicted many things about the Savior, foretelling, among other things, His procession on a donkey and a foal under the jugular. And this one was with Darius, upon his return from captivity. He prophesied against Israel; he reproaches the Israelites for breaking the law, and reproaches them for their negligence regarding tithes and fellowship with the poor. He also predicted the day of judgment and the glorious appearance of the Savior, as well as the fact that Elijah would be sent before the coming of the Savior. Book 19, Isaiah son of Amoz He and Hosea, as we said above, were contemporaries. For this one also was with the kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Having received a vision of the Lord, he prophesies about the fate of Judea and Jerusalem. The largest part of his prophecies consists of the good news (gospel) about the coming of God the Word in the flesh and about the suffering that He took upon Himself for our salvation. However, he also prophesied about the pagans - about Babylon, about foreigners, about Damascus. He has a vision of Egypt, Idumea, the wilds of Zion, Tyre, a vision of four-legged animals in the desert. He tells about the invasion of Sennacherib and the arrogance of Rapsak and about their fall and death, and about the fact that Hezekiah, having fallen ill and being already close to death, through prayer received 15 years of addition to his life. He also prophesied about the acceptance of eunuchs and pagans into the Church of Christ, and finally about the Day of Judgment. Book 20, Jeremiah the son of Hilki - of the priests He and Zephaniah, as we said before, were contemporaries. Jeremiah remained alive even until Jehoiakim and the 11th year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of the people. The word of the Lord came to him, and in many speeches he denounced the iniquities of Jerusalem; prophesies against Jerusalem, and about lack of rain, and against the peoples of Ailim, that the king of Babylon will come and devastate the land of Egypt, also about Babylon. In the same book is the word that the Lord commanded Jeremiah to proclaim to Sarei the son of Neri, and to Edom, and to the sons of Ammon, and Kedar, who smote Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and to Damascus, and Moab, and Jerusalem, and Judah, and the house of Achabin, and the sons of Hadab, and to Judah, who migrated to Egypt, and dwelt in Magdola and Taphne, and in the land Paphur, also to Baruch, when he wrote these words in the book from the mouth of Jeremiah. This book also contains at the end that the Jews built fetters for the prophet and cast him into a muddy pit, but Abdimelech the Ethiopian brought him out from there. The book of the prophet Baruch is inscribed with the name of Baruch because this Baruch, who wrote the words contained in it from the mouth of Jeremiah, read them to the captives in Babylon, comforting them, and instilling hope in God with the promise of deliverance. The Lamentations of Jeremiah are written this way because with the words of this book Jeremiah expressed his lamentation for Jerusalem, when the people were taken and led into captivity. Added to the Lamentation is the Epistle of Jeremiah, which is so called because Jeremiah sent it to the captives, protecting them from idolatry, so that when they saw idols they would not be led to worship them. Book 21, Ezekiel the son of Buzi the priest He was in captivity after Jeremiah, and began to prophesy in the fifth year, counting from the captivity of Jehoiakim. The word of the Lord came to him and the hand of the Lord was on him, and he first sees an amazing, terrible and inexplicable vision of a four-faced animal. He pronounces prophecies against the prophets of Israel; sets out the parable of the vine tree and the eagle; Convicts Jerusalem of its iniquities and sins; shows that the parable: the fathers poisoned the tart and the teeth of their children set their teeth on edge (18:2) is unfounded. It also contains a prophecy about the sons of Ammon, about Ool and Oolib; lamentation on Tire and Sidon, prophecy about the day of the Lord; about Pharaoh the king of Egypt and lamentation about Pharaoh and Egypt and Mount Siir; vision of living bones; a prophecy against Gog and the land of Magog, against the ruler of Tire and lamentation for him and for the sons of his people and for the shepherds of Israel. Finally, he prophetically describes the building of the temple and Jerusalem. And this one was in captivity even before Cyrus the king of Persia. He examined the case of Susanna, and condemned the elders as slanderers. The dreams seen by the king were told and interpreted; I saw visions of two kingdoms, of the coming of the Savior and the destruction of Jerusalem, and two (visions) of the coming of the Antichrist. It also tells about the martyrdom of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, about their songs, and that they remained unharmed in the Chaldean cave, and the Chaldeans, who kindled the fire, were burned; that the king repented; that Daniel was thrown into the lion's den twice: firstly because, when the Babylonians prayed to King Darius, he alone prayed to God, secondly because, under King Cyrus, he crushed Bela and killed the dragon; that he came out of the ditch unharmed, and those who plotted against him, being thrown into the same ditch, were immediately devoured by lions. Here the canonical books of the Old Testament end, numbering 22, corresponding to the number of letters of the Hebrew alphabet. For the Hebrews have so many letters, as we said before. Now it is necessary to say about other books of the Old Testament, which are not canonized, but only, as shown above, are read by the catechumens. This book is so called because it contains the story of Esther, how through her God saved all the Jews who were on the brink of destruction, and destroyed Haman, who was plotting against them. The event took place in Susa, and happened as follows. King Artaxerxes, having driven his wife away from him, was looking for another in his kingdom, who would be better and more beautiful than everyone else, in order to take her as his wife, and he found one in Esther, a native Jew. Her relative Mordecai was one of the captives brought here under Zedekiah. The king, having a high regard for one of his courtiers named Amana, commanded that everyone bow to him. But when Mordecai, because of serving God, did not bow to him, Haman was angry with him, and, having learned that he was a Jew, he convinced King Artaxerxes and wrote that all the Jews in his kingdom should be exterminated on one day of the 12th month. Mordecai, having learned about this, burst into tears and, having fasted, fell to Esther, asking her for help. Esther, having fasted and prayed to God, adorned herself with royal utensils, and, not being called (and not allowed to enter without an invitation), entered the king at the wrong time, relying on prayer, then, when the king was surprised at such strangeness, she fell from fear, and God turned the king’s rage into goodwill and meekness, so that he stood up, raised his wife, and, trying to calm her down, gave her permission to ask for whatever he wants. And she asked that the king himself and Haman come to her for dinner. Haman, rejoicing at this honor, began to exalt himself even more before Mordecai, and, having ordered a large tree to be cut down, planned to hang Mordecai on it the next day. The Tsar, by special Divine providence, suffering from insomnia that night, ordered that written monuments of his royal deeds be read to him. In these monuments one good deed was found that was done to King Mordecai, namely: Mordecai denounced two eunuchs who were plotting against the king, and denounced them. The king, remembering with pleasure Mordecai’s commitment to himself, thought about how to reward him. When Haman came to him in the morning, the king asked him: “What honor is worthy of the one who has done a good deed for the king?” Haman, thinking that the king understood him, answered: “such a one is worthy to be called a second king.” The king, having awarded Mordecai this honor, ordered Haman to walk ahead of him. Esther, taking advantage of this opportunity, offered the king her request for the Jews. Then, when the king grieved over the lawless command issued against the Jews and was angry with Haman, Haman himself, in the absence of the king, asked Esther, falling to her knees; The king, having entered and seeing that Haman was touching the queen’s knees, suspecting him of a shameless act, ordered him to be hanged on the very tree that had been prepared for Mordecai, and issued a decree so that all Jews would enjoy security and the right to kill their enemies. The number of those killed by the Jews extended to 15,000. In memory of this event, the Jews established a holiday called Furim on the 14th and 15th days of the 12th month (Adar), which the Jews celebrate with special celebration, burning Haman and remembering their salvation. This book is so called because it contains the story of Judith, how through her God saved the children of Israel, besieged by Holofernes, and defeated Holofernes. It happened as follows. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Assyria, having been at war with King Arphaxad of Media, asked that all nations, even as far as Egypt, enter into an alliance with him. Having received a refusal, he, after defeating Arphaxad, turned his arms on those who refused him an alliance. Holofernes, sent against them with great forces, conquered all other nations and crushed their idols, except for the children of Israel, who, having protected themselves, did not listen to Holofernes and were not afraid of his threats. According to a letter from the priest Joachim, the inhabitants of the city of Vetilui, through which Holofernes had to pass, blocked his path. Approaching Vetilua, Holofernes prepared for battle. Meanwhile, Achior, the commander of the Ammonites, advised him not to fight with the Jewish people, proving that this people is protected by God. Holofernes, angry with this adviser, ordered, tying him up, to betray him to the Bethulians, threatening him with death if he defeated the Jews. Thus Achior rested in Bethului; and Holofernes besieged the city and captured the water. When the people were already exhausted from thirst and the leaders were about to surrender the city, Judith, throwing off the clothes of widowhood (for she mourned her husband and was always fasting), adorned herself like a bride, and, begging the leaders not to surrender the city until five days, went to Holofernes, and, seducing him with her wisdom, cut off his head on the third day, while the soldiers did not know about it. The Assyrians fled, and the children of Israel, running from everywhere, cut down the Assyrians. Having escaped and collected booty from their enemies, the Jews gave Judith all the property of Holofernes. Judith herself, having gone to Jerusalem, dedicated all this to the Lord, and, returning to her home, continued her former asceticism, and remained a widow until her death, since no one could win her over for marriage; Having lived honestly as a widow, she died one hundred and five years old. This book is so called because it contains the story of Tobit, who came from the tribe of Naphtali, was taken into captivity and was in Nineveh. Keeping his fatherly piety, he did not eat bread common with the pagans, but refrained from it. As a merciful man, he took care of the burial of the dying Jews. Having been surrounded before King Akhiril, he fled, but, having returned and buried one dead man, he slept at the wall; Having his eyes open during sleep, he received a thorn, and after that he could no longer see. In Equatana there was a daughter of his relative Raguel, named Sarah, whom the demon Asmodeus deprived of the happiness of being a wife, and killed her seven husbands one after another. The young woman, in the sorrow of her heart, prayed to God, and God sent her an assistant, the archangel Raphael. Tobit commanded his son Tobiah not to take a wife from anywhere, except from his own tribe and clan; gave him a receipt for ten talents, which he lent to Gabael in Media, commanding him to go and take them. The youth, not knowing the way, went out to look for a companion, and by the providence of God he finds the angel Raphael, who stood like a man. Tobiah hired him when he said he knew the way to the place. Thus, an angel who called himself Azariah accompanied him in the form of a man. When they came to the Tigris River, the boy wanted to enter it and wash himself, and immediately a large fish ran at the boy. The angel ordered him to take the fish, cut it open and, taking out the liver, heart and bile, keep it. When the boy asked: “What is this useful for?” - he answered: “The liver and heart, if smoked with them, will drive away the demon, and the bile will cleanse the thorn.” And so the boy, with the advice and assistance of the angel, takes Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, as his wife, and drives away the demon with incense, whom the angel then bound in upper Egypt. Tobiah, remaining with his wife, sent Azariah as a man to Media, and he himself, having begged for ten talents, returned with his wife to his father. Here he anointed his father’s eyes with fish bile, and the skin fell off and he immediately received his sight. Tobit was 58 years old when he became blind, and when he regained his sight he was 66. Then the angel announced that he was not a man, but that he was sent from God to help them and Sarah. Tobit, having grown old, commanded his son Tobias to retire to Media, due to the approaching transformation of Nineveh, according to the word of the prophet Jonah, and, weakened, died at the age of one hundred and fifty-eight years, and his son Tobias, having moved to Media and burying his father-in-law and mother-in-law, died at one hundred and seven years. Book of Wisdom of Solomon This book is called the Wisdom of Solomon; for it too is said to have been written by Solomon; it contains a teaching about truth, and how to recognize evil and good people, and also a prophecy about Christ. It is also said that a lot of work and love is needed to acquire wisdom; besides this there is a doctrine about certain parts of nature; also - against idols and their sculptors and against those who rely on them and serve them. There is also a song of praise, combined with a confession of the miracles that God performed for the Israelites before their enemies. This is the content of this book. Book of Wisdoms of Jesus son of Sirach This Jesus was the son of Sirach, and the grandson of Jesus, who was named after him. He lived in the time after the captivity and return, and after all the prophets. His grandfather Jesus, according to his own testimony, was a hardworking and most intelligent man, who not only collected the sayings of other wise men who lived before him, but also himself uttered several of the same propositions, filled with much wisdom and reason. The first Jesus, departing from this life, left this book, Sirach his son took it after his father, and in turn left it to his son, Jesus. Jesus took it and, giving it the appearance of one harmonious composition, called it Wisdom, adding the names: his, his father and grandfather, by the very name of wisdom attracting the listener to study this book with love. It contains words of reason, riddles and parables, as well as several private ancient stories about men who pleased God, and their prayers and songs. In addition, it talks about the blessings that God honored his people with, and the disasters with which He struck their enemies. And so this Jesus, being a follower of Solomon, showed himself to be no less than him in wisdom and teaching, and was not only called learned, but in fact was such. (The review of the books of the Old Testament ends with him.)