The Book of 1 Meqabyan

1 Meqabyan (also known as 1 Ethiopian Maccabees and 1 Ethiopic Maccabees) is canonical scripture for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. While “Meqabyan” is the Ge’ez equivalent of “Maccabees,” the content is completely different from 1 Maccabees. The only complete copies of 1 Meqabyan are available in Ge’ez (Classical Ethiopic), here used with permission by the Bible Society of Ethiopia.

The translation into English was provided by Haileyesus Woldemariam (UBS).

covetousness, greed

The Greek and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “greed” or “covetousness” (or “avarice”) is translated in these ways:

  • Zande: “having a big heart for everything” (source: Jan Sterk)
  • Akan: “close-fisted” (pɛpɛe) (source: J.E.T. Kuwornu- Adjaottor)
  • Tzeltal: “small-hearted”
  • Yucateco “desiring what other have”
  • Shipibo-Conibo; “going crazy for things” (source and two above: Nida 1952, p. 133f.)
  • Bariai: “rotten intestines” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Mairasi: “desiring peoples’ things” (source: Enggavoter 2004)

See also covet, extortioner / swindler, all who are greedy for gain, one who is greedy..