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 5
and him dead quittin him childran who were small - and them grew up like unto them father taught them ~ them kept them house Order - and them would keep all them kindred - and them wouldn't make poor ones cry - nor widows nor a child whose mother and father dead on him.
Them would fear JAH - and them would give them money alms to poor ones - and them would keep all the trust them father told them - and them would calm the child whose mother and father dead on them and widows in them trouble time - and them would be them mother and father ~ them would make them cast from persons hand who wrong them - and calm them from all the disturbance and sadness that found them.
Them lived five years while them did thus.
After this the Keledans king Tseerutsaydan came ~ him destroyed all them country - and him captured Meqabees childran and destroyed all them villages.
and him plundered all them money ~ them lived firmed up in all evil Work and sin - in adultery - insult and greed and not thinkin of them Creator - yet persons who don't live firmed up in JAH LAW and Him Command and who worship idols seized them also and took them toward them country.
Them eat what a beast bit and the blood and the carcass - and what a scavenger beat and cast - all that JAH don't love - yet them have no order from all the true Commands written in 'Oreet.
Them don't know JAH them Creator - Who sent them forth from them mothers wombs and fed them by what are due - were them Medicine.
Them marry from them aunt and them father wife - them step mother - and them go toward robbery and evil thing and sin and adultery - yet them have no order in Judgemant time - and them work all evil Work and them marry them aunts and them sistren and them have no LAW.
and all them roads are dark and slippery - and them Work are sin and adultery.
But those Meqabees childran would keep in all them Order ~ them wouldn't eat what a scavenger beat nor what dead and lodged ~ them wouldn't work all the Work that the Keledans childran work - to them many Works are evil that weren't written in this book - that sinners work - and doubters and criminals - betrayers totally filled of robbery and sin and pagans childran.
All the Work them Creator JAH love aren't there alongside them.
and again them would worship a idol called Bi'iel Fiegor ~ them would trust it like unto them Creator JAH when it were deaf and dumb. to it are the idol that a person hand worked - to it are the person hand Work that a smith worked who work silver and gold - that have no breath nor knowledge - and it had nothing that it sight up nor hear.
It don't eat nor drink.
It don't kill nor save.
It don't plant nor uproot.
It don't harm it enemy nor benefit it friend.
It don't impoverish nor honour.
It will be a hindrance to mislead the Keledans persons who were lazy - yet it don't chastise nor forgive.