This book is part of the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, but is not recognized by Protestant, Catholic, or non-Ethiopian Eastern Orthodox traditions. It is one of the three books of Meqabyan (sometimes called the 'Ethiopian Maccabees'), which are distinct from the Maccabees books found in the Septuagint and Vulgate. Although it shares the name, it has no direct relation to the Jewish Maccabean revolt. The text presents parallels with Deuteronomistic themes: sin, punishment, repentance, and restoration, along with a strong emphasis on the resurrection of the dead.
II Meqabyan
Chapter 19
O Earth who gathered the nobles and the kings and rich ones and elders and daughters who were attractive and beauties who were attractive - woe arisin from thee-I.
O Earth who gathered persons who were warriors - them who have attractiveness - and them who were fine of leg - and them who have reasonin and knowledge - and them whose words have words that were beautiful like unto a hummin harp and like unto a lyre and a violin beat...
and them who have a tune that make Feeling good like unto grape drink make Feeling good - and them whose eyes shine like unto a mornin star...
and them who sketch what were firm like unto them right hands lift up what are given and withheld and like unto them were - and them whose feet were beautiful to sight up - and them who run like unto rushin wheels - woe arisin from thee-I.
O death who separated attractive persons souls from them flesh - woe arisin from thee-I - to thou have been sent by JAH Accord.
As thou have gathered many persons whom JAH produced from thee-I and returned toward thee-I - thou Earth - woe arisin from thee-I ~ I were found from thee-I ~ I returned toward thee-I by Accord of JAH ~ I were Feeling good over thee-I by JAH Accord.
Thou became a carpet to I corpses ~ I recurred over thee-I - and I were buried within thee-I ~ I ate thy fruit - and thou ate I flesh.
and I drank the Water found from thy springs - and thou drank I blood springs ~ I ate the fruit found from thy Earthliness - and thou ate I body flesh.
Like unto JAH commanded thee-I to be I food - I ate grain from thy Earthliness that have beautiful dew - and thou raceived I fleh attractiveness and made it dust to thy food like unto JAH commanded thee-I.
O death who gathered the nobles and the kings who were powerful - woe arisin from thee-I ~ thou didn't fear arisin from them famousness and them frightenin - like unto JAH Who Created them commanded thee-I ~ o death - woe arisin from thee-I - and thou didn't scorn the sufferah.
and thou weren't nice to persons whose features are beautiful - and thou didn't quit powerful ones and warriors ~ thou didn't quit poor nor rich ones - neither kind nor evil ones - neither childran nor elders - neither daughters nor males.
Thou didn't quit persons who think a goodly thing and who didn't depart from the LAW - and thou didn't quit them who were like unto animals in them Work - who think a evil thing - who were totally beautiful in them features attractiveness - in them thing flavour and in them words ~ o death - woe arisin from thee-I.
Thou didn't quit persons whose words were angry and whose mouths were full of curses ~ thou gathered persons who live in darkness and in light and them souls in thy places ~ o death - woe arisin from thee-I.
and Earth gathered the persons flesh who live whether in cave or in Earth - up til a drum are beaten and persons who dead arise.
As persons who dead shall arise quickly like unto a eye wink by JAH Command and on a drum bein beaten - persons who worked evil Work shall raceive them hardship in them sin abundance measure that them worked it - and persons who worked goodly Work shall be Feeling good.