I Macabeus, 15
1. Antíoco, filho do rei Demétrio, escreveu das ilhas do mar uma carta a Simão, sacerdote e chefe dos judeus, e a todo o povo.*
1. Antiochus, the son of Demetrius the king, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to all the nation;
2. Dizia assim sua carta: “O rei Antíoco a Simão, sumo sacerdote e príncipe, e ao povo judeu, saudações!
2. its contents were as follows: "King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and ethnarch and to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
3. Perversos apoderaram-se do reino de meus pais, mas quero recobrá-lo e restabelecê-lo como foi outrora. Organizei, pois, um poderoso exército e aluguei navios de guerra,
3. Whereas certain pestilent men have gained control of the kingdom of our fathers, and I intend to lay claim to the kingdom so that I may restore it as it formerly was, and have recruited a host of mercenary troops and have equipped warships,
4. e pretendo penetrar no país para vingar-me daqueles que o devastaram e assolaram inúmeras cidades.
4. and intend to make a landing in the country so that I may proceed against those who have destroyed our country and those who have devastated many cities in my kingdom,
5. Pela presente carta, confirmo todas as imunidades conferidas por meus reais predecessores, e todas as dádivas que eles te fizeram.
5. now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions that the kings before me have granted you, and release from all the other payments from which they have released you.
6. Dou-te a permissão de cunhar uma moeda especial para teu país.
6. I permit you to mint your own coinage as money for your country,
7. Que Jerusalém e os lugares santos gozem de liberdade! Todos os armamentos que mandaste fazer e todas as fortalezas que construíste e que estão em teu poder, podes guardá-las.
7. and I grant freedom to Jerusalem and the sanctuary. All the weapons which you have prepared and the strongholds which you have built and now hold shall remain yours.
8. Que te sejam perdoadas, desde agora e para sempre, as dívidas que deves ou deverás ao tesouro real.
8. Every debt you owe to the royal treasury and any such future debts shall be canceled for you from henceforth and for all time.
9. Quando tivermos entrado na posse do nosso reino, dispensaremos honras a ti, a teu povo e ao templo, de maneira que vossa reputação fique célebre em toda a terra”.
9. When we gain control of our kingdom, we will bestow great honor upon you and your nation and the temple, so that your glory will become manifest in all the earth."
10. No ano cento e setenta e quatro, entrou Antíoco no reino de seus pais. Todas as tropas se ajuntaram a ele, de modo que foram poucos os que ficaram com Trifão.
10. In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year Antiochus set out and invaded the land of his fathers. All the troops rallied to him, so that there were few with Trypho.
11. Este, perseguido por Antíoco, foi refugiar-se em Dora, cidade marítima,
11. Antiochus pursued him, and he came in his flight to Dor, which is by the sea;
12. porque sabia que o mal o ia atingindo e que seu exército o abandonava.
12. for he knew that troubles had converged upon him, and his troops had deserted him.
13. Antíoco cercou Dora com cento e vinte mil homens e oito mil cavaleiros.
13. So Antiochus encamped against Dor, and with him were a hundred and twenty thousand warriors and eight thousand cavalry.
14. Cercou a cidade e seus navios aproximaram-se, formando assim o bloqueio por terra e por mar, sem deixar ninguém sair ou entrar.
14. He surrounded the city, and the ships joined battle from the sea; he pressed the city hard from land and sea, and permitted no one to leave or enter it.
15. Nessa ocasião, Numênio e seus companheiros voltaram de Roma, com cartas dirigidas aos reis e aos povos. Eis o conteúdo:
15. Then Numenius and his companions arrived from Rome, with letters to the kings and countries, in which the following was written:
16. “Lúcio, cônsul romano, ao rei Ptolomeu, saudações!
16. "Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greeting.
17. Os embaixadores enviados por Simão, sumo sacerdote, e pelo povo judeu, como amigos e aliados vieram a nós para renovar a amizade e a aliança de outrora.
17. The envoys of the Jews have come to us as our friends and allies to renew our ancient friendship and alliance. They had been sent by Simon the high priest and by the people of the Jews,
18. Trouxeram eles um escudo de ouro de mil minas.
18. and have brought a gold shield weighing a thousand minas.
19. Nós resolvemos então pedir aos reis e aos países, que não lhes causem mal, nem lhes movam guerra contra eles, às suas cidades e aos seus campos; e não se aliem a seus inimigos.
19. We therefore have decided to write to the kings and countries that they should not seek their harm or make war against them and their cities and their country, or make alliance with those who war against them.
20. Aprouve-nos aceitar seu escudo.
20. And it has seemed good to us to accept the shield from them.
21. Se judeus apóstatas se refugiaram junto a vós, entregai-os ao sumo sacerdote Simão, para que ele os castigue segundo sua Lei”.
21. Therefore if any pestilent men have fled to you from their country, hand them over to Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law."
22. A mesma carta foi enviada ao rei Demétrio, a Átalo, a Ariarates, a Arsaces
22. The consul wrote the same thing to Demetrius the king and to Attalus and Ariarathes and Arsaces,
23. e a todos os países: a Sampsames, aos espartanos, a Delos, a Mindos, à Siciônia, à Cária, a Samos, à Panfília, à Lícia, a Halicarnasso, a Rodes, a Fasélis, a Cós, a Side, a Arados, a Gortina, a Cnido, a Chipre e a Cirene.
23. and to all the countries, and to Sampsames, and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodes, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Aradus and Gortyna and Cnidus and Cyprus and Cyrene.
24. A cópia dela foi enviada ao sumo sacerdote Simão.
24. They also sent a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.
25. O rei Antíoco continuava o cerco de Dora, oprimindo-a de todos os lados, construindo máquinas de guerra e encerrando Trifão, de maneira que ele não pudesse mais sair nem entrar.
25. Antiochus the king besieged Dor anew, continually throwing his forces against it and making engines of war; and he shut Trypho up and kept him from going out or in.
26. Por sua vez, enviou Simão dois mil homens de escol para combater ao lado dele, além de prata, ouro e muitos equipamentos.
26. And Simon sent to Antiochus two thousand picked men, to fight for him, and silver and gold and much military equipment.
27. Mas o rei não quis aceitá-los. Ao contrário, retirou o que lhe havia concedido a princípio e mudou de atitude para com ele.
27. But he refused to receive them, and he broke all the agreements he formerly had made with Simon, and became estranged from him.
28. Enviou-lhe um de seus amigos, Atenóbio, para comunicar-lhe isso: “Vós vos ocupastes de Jope e de Gazara, cidades de meu reino, como também a fortaleza de Jerusalém.
28. He sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to confer with him, saying, "You hold control of Joppa and Gazara and the citadel in Jerusalem; they are cities of my kingdom.
29. Assolastes o território, devastastes gravemente o país e vos apoderastes de numerosas localidades em meu reino.
29. You have devastated their territory, you have done great damage in the land, and you have taken possession of many places in my kingdom.
30. Entregai agora as cidades das quais vos haveis apoderado e os tributos das regiões que conquistastes fora das fronteiras da Judeia.
30. Now then, hand over the cities which you have seized and the tribute money of the places which you have conquered outside the borders of Judea;
31. Ou, então, dai em troca quinhentos talentos de prata e quinhentos outros talentos pelas perdas causadas e pelas rendas das cidades; do contrário, iremos à guerra!”.
31. or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the destruction that you have caused and the tribute money of the cities, five hundred talents more. Otherwise we will come and conquer you."
32. Atenóbio, o amigo do rei, chegou então a Jerusalém. Ali, ao ver as honras prestadas a Simão – o armário com as taças de ouro e prata, sua habitação faustosa – ficou maravilhado. Referiu, todavia, as palavras do rei,
32. So Athenobius the friend of the king came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the splendor of Simon, and the sideboard with its gold and silver plate, and his great magnificence, he was amazed. He reported to him the words of the king,
33. e Simão respondeu: “Não foi uma terra estrangeira que conquistamos, nem a propriedade de outrem que conservamos, mas somente a herança de nossos pais, injustamente usurpada, durante algum tempo, por nossos inimigos.
33. but Simon gave him this reply: "We have neither taken foreign land nor seized foreign property, but only the inheritance of our fathers, which at one time had been unjustly taken by our enemies.
34. Chegou a hora para nós de a reivindicarmos.
34. Now that we have the opportunity, we are firmly holding the inheritance of our fathers.
35. Pelo que toca a Jope e Gazara, que tu reclamas e que fizeram tanto mal ao nosso povo, devastando o país, nós te concedemos cem talentos”. Atenóbio nada respondeu,
35. As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they were causing great damage among the people and to our land; for them we will give you a hundred talents." Athenobius did not answer him a word,
36. mas voltou cheio de ira para junto do rei, repetindo-lhe essa resposta e contando-lhe o fausto de Simão, bem como tudo o que vira, e isso levou o rei a uma grande ira.
36. but returned in wrath to the king and reported to him these words and the splendor of Simon and all that he had seen. And the king was greatly angered.
37. Por esse tempo, Trifão fugia em navio para Ortosia.
37. Now Trypho embarked on a ship and escaped to Orthosia.
38. O rei nomeou então Cendebeu comandante supremo da costa e entregou-lhe tropas de infantaria e cavalaria.
38. Then the king made Cendebeus commander-in-chief of the coastal country, and gave him troops of infantry and cavalry.
39. Encarregou-o de atacar a Judeia, deu-lhe ordens de reconstruir Quedron, de fortificar os acessos e de atacar o povo judeu, enquanto ele mesmo perseguiria Trifão.
39. He commanded him to encamp against Judea, and commanded him to build up Kedron and fortify its gates, and to make war on the people; but the king pursued Trypho.
40. Chegado a Jâmnia, Cendebeu começou a importunar o povo judeu, a realizar incursões na Judeia, a fazer um grande número de prisioneiros e a massacrar os habitantes. Construiu Quedron
40. So Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and invade Judea and take the people captive and kill them.
41. e colocou ali infantes e cavaleiros com a ordem de realizar investidas e de infestar os caminhos da Judeia, como lhe ordenara o rei.
41. He built up Kedron and stationed there horsemen and troops, so that they might go out and make raids along the highways of Judea, as the king had ordered him.
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