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. Not long after this, the king sent an olde man of Athens, to compell the Iewes to depart from the lawes of their fathers, and not to liue after the Lawes of God:

2And to pollute also the Temple in Ierusalem, and to call it the Temple of Iupiter Olympius: and that in Garizim, of Iupiter the defender of strangers, as they did desire that dwelt in the place.

3The comming in of this mischiefe was sore and grieuous to the people:

4For the Temple was filled with riot and reuelling, by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and had to doe with women within the circuit of the holy places, and besides that, brought in things that were not lawfull.

5The Altar also was filled with profane things, which the Law forbiddeth.

6Neither was it lawfull for a man to keepe Sabbath dayes, or ancient Feasts, or to professe himselfe at all to be a Iewe.

7And in the day of the kings birth, euery moneth they were brought by bitter constraint to eate of the sacrifices; and when the Feast of Bacchus was kept, the Iewes were compelled to goe in procession to Bacchus, carying Iuie.

8Moreouer there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of Ptolomee, against the Iewes, that they should obserue the same fashions, and be partakers of their sacrifices.

9And whoso would not conforme themselues to the maners of the Gentiles, should be put to death: then might a man hane seene the present misery.

10For there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children, whom when they had openly led round about the citie, the babes hanging at their breasts, they cast them downe headlong from the wall.

11And others that had run together into caues neere by, to keepe the Sabbath day secretly, being discouered to Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to helpe themselues, for the honour of the most sacred day.

12Now I beseech those that reade this booke, that they be not discouraged for these calamities, but that they iudge those punishments not to be for destruction, but for a chastening of our nation.

13For it is a token of his great goodnesse, when wicked doers are not suffered any longtime, but forthwith punished.

14For not as with other nations whom the Lord patiently forbeareth to punish, till they be come to the fulnesse of their sinnes, so dealeth he with vs,

15Lest that being come to the height of sinne, afterwards hee should take vengeance of vs.

16And therfore he neuer withdraweth his mercie from vs: and though he punish with aduersitie, yet doeth he neuer forsake his people.

17But let this that we haue spoken be for a warning vnto vs: And nowe will wee come to the declaring of the matter in few words.

18Eleazar one of the principall Scribes, an aged man, and of a well fauoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and to eate swines flesh.

19But he chusing rather to die gloriously, then to liue stained with such an abomination, spit it forth, and came of his owne accord to the torment,

20As it behoued them to come, that are resolute to stand out against such things, as are not lawfull for loue of life to be tasted.

21But they that had the charge of that wicked feast, for the olde acquaintance they had with the man, taking him aside, besought him to bring flesh of his owne prouision, such as was lawfull for him to vse, and make as if he did eate of the flesh, taken from the sacrifice commanded by the king,

22That in so doing hee might bee deliuered from death, and for the olde friendship with them, find fauour.

23But he began to consider discreetly, and as became his age, and the excellencie of his ancient yeeres, and the honour of his gray head, whereunto hee was come, and his most honest education from a child, or rather the holy lawe made, and giuen by God: therefore hee answered accordingly, and willed them straightwaies to send him to the graue.

24For it becommeth not our age, said he, in any wise to dissemble, whereby many yong persons might thinke, that Eleazar being fourescore yeres old and ten, were now gone to a strange religion.

25And so they through mine hypocrisie, and desire to liue a litle time, and a moment longer, should bee deceiued by me, and I get a staine to mine olde age, and make it abominable.

26For though for the present time I should be deliuered from the punishment of men: yet should I not escape the hand of the Almightie, neither aliue nor dead.

27Wherefore now manfully changing this life, I will shew my selfe such an one, as mine age requireth,

28And leaue a notable example to such as bee yong, to die willingly, and couragiously, for the honourable and holy lawes: and when he had said these words, immediatly he went to the torment,

29They that led him, changing the good will they bare him a litle before, into hatred, because the foresaid speaches proceeded as they thought, from a desperate minde.

30But when hee was readie to die with stripes, he groned, and said, It is manifest vnto the Lord, that hath the holy knowledge, that wheras I might haue bin deliuered from death, I now endure sore paines in body, by being beaten: but in soule am well content to suffer these things, because I feare him.

31And thus this man died, leauing his death for an example of a noble courage, and a memoriall of vertue not only vnto yong men, but vnto all his nation.

 

 

 

1 Not long after this the king sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews to abandon the customs of their ancestors and live no longer by the laws of God;

2 also to profane the temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and that on Mount Gerizim to Zeus the Hospitable, as the inhabitants of the place requested.

3 This intensified the evil in an intolerable and utterly disgusting way.

4 The Gentiles filled the temple with debauchery and revelry; they amused themselves with prostitutes and had intercourse with women even in the sacred court. They also brought into the temple things that were forbidden,

5 so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws.

6 A man could not keep the sabbath or celebrate the traditional feasts, nor even admit that he was a Jew.

7 Moreover, at the monthly celebration of the king's birthday the Jews had, from bitter necessity, to partake of the sacrifices, and when the festival of Dionysus was celebrated, they were compelled to march in his procession, wearing wreaths of ivy.

8 At the suggestion of the citizens of Ptolemais, a decree was issued ordering the neighboring Greek cities to act in the same way against the Jews: oblige them to partake of the sacrifices,

9 and put to death those who would not consent to adopt the customs of the Greeks. It was obvious, therefore, that disaster impended.

10 Thus, two women who were arrested for having circumcised their children were publicly paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall.

11 Others, who had assembled in nearby caves to observe the sabbath in secret, were betrayed to Philip and all burned to death. In their respect for the holiness of that day, they had scruples about defending themselves.

12 Now I beg those who read this book not to be disheartened by these misfortunes, but to consider that these chastisements were meant not for the ruin but for the correction of our nation.

13 It is, in fact, a sign of great kindness to punish sinners promptly instead of letting them go for long.

14 Thus, in dealing with other nations, the Lord patiently waits until they reach the full measure of their sins before he punishes them; but with us he has decided to deal differently,

15 in order that he may not have to punish us more severely later, when our sins have reached their fullness.

16 He never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with misfortunes, he does not abandon his own people.

17 Let these words suffice for recalling this truth. Without further ado we must go on with our story.

18 Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.

19 But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he spat out the meat, and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,

20 as men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.

21 Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately, because of their long acquaintance with him, and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could legitimately eat, and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice prescribed by the king;

22 in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.

23 But he made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood; and so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God. He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead, explaining:

24 "At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young men would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion.

25 Should I thus dissimulate for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.

26 Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men, I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty.

27 Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age,

28 and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws." He spoke thus, and went immediately to the instrument of torture.

29 Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed, now became hostile toward him because what he had said seemed to them utter madness.

30 When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: "The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that, although I could have escaped death, I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging, but also suffering it with joy in my soul because of my devotion to him."

31 This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation.

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)