2 Maccabees 2:29-31

New Catholic Bible

²⁹ Just as the architect of a new house must be concerned with the construction as a whole, while the one who undertakes its painting and decoration has to consider only what is needed for its adornment, so, I believe, it is the case with us. ³⁰ It is the duty of the original historian to examine the entire subject at hand and judge the accuracy of the details. ³¹ The person who makes an adaptation must have the freedom to aim at conciseness of expression and to reject any exhaustive treatment of the subject matter.