A selection of books called the “Apocrypha” was published in the original 1611 King James Bible.   Positioned between the Old and New Testament  (containing genealogies and maps)  For 274 years the apocrypha was part of the King James Version being removed in 1885 A.D. The Catholic Church called a portion of these books deuterocanonical-books.  The word Apocrypha  means “hidden” Dating back to before 70 A.D. Fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls contained parts of the apocrypha books in Hebrew including Sirach and Tobit.
Many claim the apocrypha should of never have been included with other claiming the apocrypha should of never been removed.
Reason for not being included in the first place , was the raising doubt about its validity and believing it was not God inspired  ( Tobit chapter 6 verses 5-8 a reference about magic seems inconsistent with the rest of the Bible.)
It being removed a little more than 100 years ago after being part of the Bible for nearly 2,000 years. Some say it was removed because of not being found in the original Hebrew manuscripts.   With others claiming it wasn’t removed by the Church but by printers to cut costs in distributing Bibles in the United States.     Both side use the same verses that warn against adding or subtracting from the Bible.

1. This Simon now (of whō wee spake afore) hauing bin a bewrayer of the money, and of his countrey, slandered Onias, as if he had terrified Heliodorus, and bene the worker of these euils.

2Thus was hee bold to call him a traitour, that had deserued well of the citie, and tendred his owne nation, and was so zealous of the lawes.

3But when their hatred went so farre, that by one of Simons faction murthers were committed,

4Onias seeing the danger of this contention, and that Appollonius, as being the gouernour of Coelosyria and Phenice, did rage, and increase Simons malice,

5He went to the king, not to be an accuser of his countrey men, but seeking the good of all, both publike, & priuate.

6For he saw that it was impossible, that the state should continue quiet, and Simon leaue his folly, vnlesse the king did looke thereunto.

7But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus called Epiphanes, tooke the kingdom, Iason the brother of Onias, laboured vnder hand to bee hie Priest,

8Promising vnto the king by intercession, three hundred and threescore talents of siluer, and of another reuenew, eightie talents:

9Besides this, he promised to assigne an hundred and fiftie more, if he might haue licence to set him vp a place for exercise, and for the training vp of youth in the fashions of the heathen, and to write them of Ierusalem by the name of Antiochians.

10Which when the king had granted, and hee had gotten into his hand the rule, he foorthwith brought his owne nation to the Greekish fashion.

11And the royal priuiledges granted of speciall fauour to the Iewes, by the meanes of Iohn the father of Eupolemus, who went Embassador to Rome, for amitie and aid, he tooke away, and putting down the gouernments which were according to the law, he brought vp new customes against the law.

12For he built gladly a place of exercise vnder the towre it selfe, and brought the chiefe yong men vnder his subiection, and made them weare a hat.

13Now such was the height of Greek fashions, and increase of heathenish maners, through the exceeding profanenes of Iason that vngodly wretch, and no high priest:

14That the priests had no courage to serue any more at the altar, but despising the Temple, and neglecting the sacrifices, hastened to be partakers of the vnlawfull allowance in the place of exercise, after the game of Discus called them forth.

15Not setting by the honours of their fathers, but liking the glory of the Grecians best of all.

16By reason whereof sore calamity came vpon them: for they had them to be their enemies and auengers, whose custome they followed so earnestly, and vnto whom they desired to be like in all things.

17For it is not a light thing to doe wickedly against the lawes of God, but the time following shall declare these things.

18Now when the game that was vsed euery fift yere was kept at Tyrus, the king being present,

19This vngracious Iason sent speciall messengers from Ierusalem, who were Antiochians, to carie three hundred drachmes of siluer to the sacrifice of Hercules, which euen the bearers therof thought fit not to bestow vpon the sacrifice, because it was not conuenient, but to be reserued for other charges.

20This money then in regard of the sender, was appointed to Hercules sacrifice, but because of the bearers thereof, it was imployed to the making of gallies.

21Now when Apollonius the sonne of Manastheus was sent vnto Egypt, for the coronation of king Ptolomeus Philometor, Antiochus vnderstanding him not to bee well affected to his affaires, prouided for his owne safetie: whereupon he came to Ioppe, & from thence to Ierusalem.

22Where he was honourably receiued of Iason, and of the citie, and was brought in with torchlight, and with great shoutings: and so afterward went with his hoste vnto Phenice.

23Three yeere afterward, Iason sent Menelaus the foresaid Simons brother, to beare the money vnto the king, and to put him in minde of certaine necessary matters.

24But he being brought to the presence of the king, when he had magnified him, for the glorious appearance of his power, got the priesthood to himselfe, offering more then Iason by three hundred talents of siluer.

25So he came with the kings Mandate, bringing nothing worthy the high priesthood, but hauing the fury of a cruell Tyrant, and the rage of a sauage beast.

26Then Iason, who had vndermined his owne brother, being vndermined by another, was cōpelled to flee into the countrey of the Ammonites.

27So Menelaus got the principalitie: but as for the money that he had promised vnto the king, hee tooke no good order for it, albeit Sostratus the ruler of the castle required it.

28For vnto him appertained the gathering of the customes. Wherefore they were both called before the king.

29Now Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus in his stead in the priesthood, and Sostratus left Crates, who was gouernour of the Cyprians.

30While those things were in doing, they of Tharsus and Mallos made insurrection, because they were giuen to the kings concubine called Antiochis.

31Then came the king in all haste to appease matters, leauing Andronicus a man in authority, for his deputy.

32Now Menelaus supposing that he had gotten a conuenient time, stole certaine vessels of gold, out of the temple, and gaue some of them to Andronicus, and some he sold into Tyrus, and the cities round about.

33Which when Onias knew of a surety, he reprooued him, and withdrew himselfe into a Sanctuarie at Daphne, that lieth by Antiochia.

34Wherefore Menelaus, taking Andronicus apart, prayed him to get Onias into his hands, who being perswaded thereunto, and comming to Onias in deceit, gaue him his right hand with othes, and though hee were suspected (by him) yet perswaded he him to come forth of the Sanctuarie: whom forthwith he shut vp without regard of Iustice.

35For the which cause not onely the Iewes, but many also of other nations tooke great indignation, and were much grieued for the vniust murder of the man.

36And when the king was come againe from the places about Cilicia, the Iewes that were in the citie, and certaine of the Greekes, that abhorred the fact also, complained because Onias was slaine without cause.

37Therefore Antiochus was heartily sorry, and mooued to pity, and wept, because of the sober and modest behauiour of him that was dead.

38And being kindled with anger, forthwith he tooke away Andronicus his purple, and rent off his clothes, and leading him through the whole city vnto that very place, where he had committed impietie against Onias, there slew he the cursed murtherer. Thus the Lord rewarded him his punishment, as he had deserued.

39Now when many sacriledges had beene committed in the citie by Lysimachus, with the consent of Menelaus, and the bruit therof was spread abroad, the multitude gathered themselues together against Lysimachus, many vessels of gold being already caried away.

40Whereupon the common people rising, and being filled with rage, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men, and beganne first to offer violence on Auranus, being the leader, a man farre gone in yeeres, & no lesse in folly.

41They then seeing the attempt of Lysimachus, some of them caught stones, some clubs, others taking handfuls of dust, that was next at hand, cast them all together vpon Lysimachus, and those that set vpon them.

42Thus many of them they wounded, & some they stroke to the ground, and all of them they forced to flee: but as for the Churchrobber himselfe, him they killed besides the treasury.

43Of these matters therefore there was an accusation laide against Menelaus.

44Now when the king came to Tyrus, three men that were sent from the Senate, pleaded the cause before him:

45But Menelaus being now conuicted, promised Ptolomee the sonne of Dorymenes, to giue him much money, if hee would pacifie the King towards him.

46Whereupon Ptolomee taking the king aside into a certaine gallerie, as it were to take the aire, brought him to be of another minde;

47Insomuch that hee discharged Menelaus from the accusations, who notwithstanding was cause of all the mischiefe: and those poore men, who if they had told their cause, yea, before the Scythians, should haue bene iudged innocent, them he condemned to death.

48Thus they that followed the matter for the citie, and for the people, and for the holy vessels, did soone suffer vniust punishment.

49Wherefore euen they of Tyrus mooued with hatred of that wicked deed, caused them to bee honourably buried.

50And so through the couetousnesse of them that were in power, Menelaus remained still in authority, increasing in malice, and being a great traitour to the citizens.

 

 

 

1. The Simon mentioned above as the informer about the funds against his own country, made false accusation that it was Onias who threatened Heliodorus and instigated the whole miserable affair.

2 He dared to brand as a plotter against the government the man who was a benefactor of the city, a protector of his compatriots, and a zealous defender of the laws.

3 When Simon's hostility reached such a point that murders were being committed by one of his henchmen,

4 Onias saw that the opposition was serious and that Apollonius, son of Menestheus, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, was abetting Simon's wickedness.

5 So he had recourse to the king, not as an accuser of his countrymen, but as a man looking to the general and particular good of all the people.

6 He saw that, unless the king intervened, it would be impossible to have a peaceful government, and that Simon would not desist from his folly.

7 But Seleucus died, and when Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes succeeded him on the throne, Onias' brother Jason obtained the high priesthood by corrupt means:

8 in an interview, he promised the king three hundred and sixty talents of silver, as well as eighty talents from another source of income.

9 Besides this he agreed to pay a hundred and fifty more, if he were given authority to establish a gymnasium and a youth club for it and to enroll men in Jerusalem as Antiochians.

10 When Jason received the king's approval and came into office, he immediately initiated his countrymen into the Greek way of life.

11 He set aside the royal concessions granted to the Jews through the mediation of John, father of Eupolemus (that Eupolemus who would later go on an embassy to the Romans to establish a treaty of friendship with them); he abrogated the lawful institutions and introduced customs contrary to the law.

12 He quickly established a gymnasium at the very foot of the acropolis, where he induced the noblest young men to wear the Greek hat.

13 The craze for Hellenism and foreign customs reached such a pitch, through the outrageous wickedness of the ungodly pseudo-high-priest Jason,

14 that the priests no longer cared about the service of the altar. Disdaining the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, they hastened, at the signal for the discus-throwing, to take part in the unlawful exercises on the athletic field.

15 They despised what their ancestors had regarded as honors, while they highly prized what the Greeks esteemed as glory.

16 Precisely because of this, they found themselves in serious trouble: the very people whose manner of life they emulated, and whom they desired to imitate in everything, became their enemies and oppressors.

17 It is no light matter to flout the laws of God, as the following period will show.

18 When the quinquennial games were held at Tyre in the presence of the king,

19 the vile Jason sent envoys as representatives of the Antiochians of Jerusalem, to bring there three hundred silver drachmas for the sacrifice to Hercules. But the bearers themselves decided that the money should not be spent on a sacrifice, as that was not right, but should be used for some other purpose.

20 So the contribution destined by the sender for the sacrifice to Hercules was in fact applied, by those who brought it, to the construction of triremes.

21 When Apollonius, son of Menestheus, was sent to Egypt for the coronation of King Philometor, Antiochus learned that the king was opposed to his policies; so he took measures for his own security.

22 After going to Joppa, he proceeded to Jerusalem. There he was received with great pomp by Jason and the people of the city, who escorted him with torchlights and acclamations; following this, he led his army into Phoenicia.

23 Three years later Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the aforementioned Simon, to deliver the money to the king, and to obtain decisions on some important matters.

24 When he had been introduced to the king, he flattered him with such an air of authority that he secured the high priesthood for himself, outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver.

25 He returned with the royal commission, but with nothing that made him worthy of the high priesthood; he had the temper of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a wild beast.

26 Then Jason, who had cheated his own brother and now saw himself cheated by another man, was driven out as a fugitive to the country of the Ammonites.

27 Although Menelaus had obtained the office, he did not make any payments of the money he had promised to the king,

28 in spite of the demand of Sostratus, the commandant of the citadel, whose duty it was to collect the taxes. For this reason, both were summoned before the king.

29 Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus as his substitute in the high priesthood, while Sostratus left Crates, commander of the Cypriots, as his substitute.

30 While these things were taking place, the people of Tarsus and Mallus rose in revolt, because their cities had been given as a gift to Antiochis, the king's mistress.

31 The king, therefore, went off in haste to settle the affair, leaving Andronicus, one of his nobles, as his deputy.

32 Then Menelaus, thinking this a good opportunity, stole some gold vessels from the temple and presented them to Andronicus; he had already sold some other vessels in Tyre and in the neighboring cities.

33 When Onias had clear evidence of the facts, he made a public protest, after withdrawing to the inviolable sanctuary at Daphne, near Antioch.

34 Thereupon Menelaus approached Andronicus privately and asked him to lay hands on Onias. So Andronicus went to Onias, and by treacherously reassuring him through sworn pledges with right hands joined, persuaded him, in spite of his suspicions, to leave the sanctuary. Then, without any regard for justice, he immediately put him to death.

35 As a result, not only the Jews, but many people of other nations as well, were indignant and angry over the unjust murder of the man.

36 When the king returned from the region of Cilicia, the Jews of the city, together with the Greeks who detested the crime, went to see him about the murder of Onias.

37 Antiochus was deeply grieved and full of pity; he wept as he recalled the prudence and noble conduct of the deceased.

38 Inflamed with anger, he immediately stripped Andronicus of his purple robe, tore off his other garments, and had him led through the whole city to the very place where he had committed the outrage against Onias; and there he put the murderer to death. Thus the Lord rendered him the punishment he deserved.

39 Many sacrilegious thefts had been committed by Lysimachus in the city with the connivance of Menelaus. When word was spread that a large number of gold vessels had been stolen, the people assembled in protest against Lysimachus.

40 As the crowds, now thoroughly enraged, began to riot, Lysimachus launched an unjustified attack against them with about three thousand armed men under the leadership of Auranus, a man as advanced in folly as he was in years.

41 Reacting against Lysimachus' attack, the people picked up stones or pieces of wood or handfuls of the ashes lying there and threw them in wild confusion at Lysimachus and his men.

42 As a result, they wounded many of them and even killed a few, while they put all the rest to flight. The sacrilegious thief himself they slew near the treasury.

43 Charges about this affair were brought against Menelaus.

44 When the king came to Tyre, three men sent by the senate presented to him the justice of their cause.

45 But Menelaus, seeing himself on the losing side, promised Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, a substantial sum of money if he would win the king over.

46 So Ptolemy retired with the king under a colonnade, as if to get some fresh air, and persuaded him to change his mind.

47 Menelaus, who was the cause of all the trouble, the king acquitted of the charges, while he condemned to death those poor men who would have been declared innocent even if they had pleaded their case before Scythians.

48 Thus, those who had prosecuted the case for the city, for the people, and for the sacred vessels, quickly suffered unjust punishment.

49 For this reason, even some Tyrians were indignant over the crime and provided sumptuously for their burial.

50 But Menelaus, thanks to the covetousness of the men in power, remained in office, where he grew in wickedness and became the chief plotter against his fellow citizens.

I. Wrote the Jews of Egypt a letter (1:1-2:18)

          A. Letter number one (1:1-9)
          B. Letter number Two (1:10-2:18)

II The Epitomist's Preface (2:19-32)

III The High Priesthood Decline (3:1-4:50)

          A. The Episode of Heliodorus (3:1-40)
          B. Simon's Plot Against Onias (4:1-6)
          C. The High Priest Jason introdices Hellenisin (4:7-20)
          D. In Jerusalem Jason receives Antiochus (4:21-22)
          E. High Pries Menelaus (4:23-50)

IV The Imposition of Hellenism and Antiochus Epiphanes (5:1-7:42)

 A. Jerusael Ravages by Antiochus (5:1-14)
 B. Temple is Despoiled by Antiochus (5:15-23)
 C. Apollonius Attachs Jerusalem (5:23-26)
 D. In the Desert Judas Maccabeus (5:27)
 E. Antiochus imposes Hellenian (6:1-11)
 F. The Epitomist's Evaluation (6:12-17)
 G. The Martydom of Eleazer (6:18-31)
 H. The Mother and her seven sons Martyrdom (7:1-42)

V. Under Judas Maccabeus the Triumph of Judaism (8:1-10:9)

A. Organizes Resistance to the Presection by Judas (8:1-7)
 B. Nicanor and Gorgias defeated by Judas (8:8-29 , 34-36)
 C. Other Victories by Judas (8:30-33)
 D. The Death of the Persecutor (9:1-29) E. Temple purified by Judas (10:1-9)

VI. Judas's subsequent struggles (10:10-15:39)

 A. Ptolemy Macron's suicide (10:10-13)
 B. Judas fights in Idumea (10:14-23)
 C. Judas defeats Timothy (10:24-38)
 D. At Beth-zur victory over Lysias (11:1-15 12:1)
 E. The Letters (11:16-38)
 F. The Battles with Neighboring People. (12:2-45)
 G. In Judah Lysias' Second Campaign (13:1-26)
 H. The Accession of Demetrius I Soter (14:1-2)
 I. Alcimus' Hostility (14:3-11)
 J. Nicanor and Judas (14:12-36)
 K. Razis's Death (14:37-46)
 L. Nicanor's Defeat (15:1-37)
 M. Epitomist's Epilogue (15:37-39)