Ecclesiasticus 46

How to read these pages: the text itself comes first, verse by verse, in the volume's own translation. Beneath each verse stands its Meaning — a rendering of what the passage's terms name in the inner life, drawn from the correspondences the text itself uses. The text is never altered; the meaning is offered, not imposed.

King James Version

1Jesus the son a Nave was valiant in the wars, and was the successor of Moses in prophecies, who according to his name was made great for the saving of the elect of God, and taking vengeance of the enemies that rose up against them, that he might set Israel in their inheritance.

Jesus the son of Nave — Joshua, conquering faith, the faculty that leads the house into the promised consciousness — was valiant in the wars, and was the successor of Moses in prophecies, who according to his name was made great for the saving of the elect of the Source, and taking vengeance of the enemies that rose up against them, that he might set Israel — the spiritual man — in their inheritance.

2How great glory gat he, when he did lift up his hands, and stretched out his sword against the cities!

How great glory got he, when he did lift up his hands, and stretched out his sword — the cutting word — against the cities, the ordered states of sense!

3Who before him so stood to it? for the Lord himself brought his enemies unto him.

Who before him so stood to it? for the indwelling LORD himself brought his enemies unto him.

4Did not the sun go back by his means? and was not one day as long as two?

Did not the sun go back by his means? and was not one day as long as two? — Divine Love itself held back its course, and one illuminated state lengthened into two at conquering faith's word.

5He called upon the most high Lord, when the enemies pressed upon him on every side; and the great Lord heard him.

He called upon the most high indwelling LORD, when the enemies pressed upon him on every side; and the great indwelling LORD heard him.

6And with hailstones of mighty power he made the battle to fall violently upon the nations, and in the descent [of Beth-horon] he destroyed them that resisted, that the nations might know all their strength, because he fought in the sight of the Lord, and he followed the Mighty One.

And with hailstones of mighty power he made the battle to fall violently upon the nations, and in the descent of Beth-horon he destroyed them that resisted, that the nations might know all their strength, because he fought in the sight of the indwelling LORD, and he followed the Mighty One.

7In the time of Moses also he did a work of mercy, he and Caleb the son of Jephunne, in that they withstood the congregation, and withheld the people from sin, and appeased the wicked murmuring.

In the time of Moses also he did a work of mercy, he and Caleb the son of Jephunne, in that they withstood the congregation, and withheld the people from sin — from missing the mark — and appeased the wicked murmuring.

8And of six hundred thousand people on foot, they two were preserved to bring them in to the heritage, even unto the land that floweth with milk and honey.

And of six hundred thousand people on foot, they two were preserved to bring them in to the heritage, even unto the land that flows with milk and honey — first nourishment and the sweetness of truth.

9The Lord gave strength also unto Caleb, which remained with him unto his old age: so that he entered upon the high places of the land, and his seed obtained it for an heritage:

The indwelling LORD gave strength also unto Caleb, which remained with him unto his old age: so that he entered upon the high places of the land — its exalted states — and his seed obtained it for an heritage:

10That all the children of Israel might see that it is good to follow the Lord.

That all the children of Israel might see that it is good to follow the indwelling LORD.

11And concerning the judges, every one by name, whose heart went not a whoring, nor departed from the Lord, let their memory be blessed.

And concerning the judges, every one by name, whose heart went not a whoring — did not sell itself to sense — nor departed from the indwelling LORD, let their memory be blessed.

12Let their bones flourish out of their place, and let the name of them that were honoured be continued upon their children.

Let their bones — the essential structure of their states — flourish out of their place, and let the name of them that were honoured be continued upon their children.

13Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, beloved of his Lord, established a kingdom, and anointed princes over his people.

Samuel — Heard of God, the hearing faculty grown in the sanctuary, who anoints kings — the prophet of the indwelling LORD, beloved of his indwelling LORD, established a kingdom, and anointed princes over his people.

14By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the Lord had respect unto Jacob.

By the law of the indwelling LORD he judged the congregation, and the indwelling LORD had respect unto Jacob — the striving intellect brought under the order.

15By his faithfulness he was found a true prophet, and by his word he was known to be faithful in vision.

By his faithfulness he was found a true prophet — a true forth-telling faculty — and by his word he was known to be faithful in vision, truth seen by the inner eye.

16He called upon the mighty Lord, when his enemies pressed upon him on every side, when he offered the sucking lamb.

He called upon the mighty indwelling LORD, when his enemies pressed upon him on every side, when he offered the sucking lamb — the innocent, yielded life.

17And the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise made his voice to be heard.

And the indwelling LORD thundered from heaven — the inner realm — and with a great noise made his voice to be heard.

18And he destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians, and all the princes of the Philistines.

And he destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians, and all the princes of the Philistines — the ruling states of the sense-peoples, their names kept as they stand.

19And before his long sleep he made protestations in the sight of the Lord and his anointed, I have not taken any man’s goods, so much as a shoe: and no man did accuse him.

And before his long sleep he made protestations in the sight of the indwelling LORD and his anointed, I have not taken any man's goods, so much as a shoe: and no man did accuse him.

20And after his death he prophesied, and shewed the king his end, and lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.

And after his death he prophesied, and showed the king his end, and lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.

Companion volume to The Why Bible — the King James Apocrypha, rendered in its spiritual meanings. First final edition, October 2026.