‘Apocrypha’ means ‘hidden things’, and is the term used to describe the books which were not accepted into the Hebrew Canon, but which survive in the Greek Scriptures. These books were written in the period between the Old and New Testaments. Until the sixteenth century, the Apocryphal books were an intrinsic part of the Bible, although often regarded as deuterocanonical, or of secondary importance. Martin Luther wrote that they were 'nevertheless useful and good to read'. The Apocrypha still hold value for study and spiritual enlightenment. This new edition of the ESV Apocrypha includes the same books as found in the Revised Standard Version Apocrypha: Tobit, 1-4 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Judith, Baruch, Psalm 151, along with the additions to Esther and Daniel. Like the ESV Bible, the translation of these books strives for accuracy, providing an essentially literal word-for-word approach to the original texts. This attractive text edition will be valuable for exploring these texts and enriching understanding of the history and thought of the Jewish people during the centuries leading up to the birth of Christ.
