2 Maccabees, 1

1. The brethren, the Jews that be at Jerusalem and in the land of Judea, wish unto the brethren, the Jews that are throughout Egypt health and peace:

1. Greetings to our brothers, the Jews in Egypt, from their brothers, the Jews in Jerusalem and in the region of Judea - may you have peace and happiness.

2. God be gracious unto you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants;

2. May God fill you with every good and remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his faithful servants.

3. And give you all an heart to serve him, and to do his will, with a good courage and a willing mind;

3. May he give you all a heart to worship him and to fulfill his will with generosity and a well-disposed spirit.

4. And open your hearts in his law and commandments, and send you peace,

4. May he incline your hearts to listen to his law and precepts, and give you peace.

5. And hear your prayers, and be at one with you, and never forsake you in time of trouble.

5. May he hear your prayers and be reconciled with you, and not abandon you in time of misfortune.

6. And now we be here praying for you.

6. This is what we now pray for you.

7. What time as Demetrius reigned, in the hundred threescore and ninth year, we the Jews wrote unto you in the extremity of trouble that came upon us in those years, from the time that Jason and his company revolted from the holy land and kingdom,

7. In the year one hundred and seventy-nine, when Demetrius was king, we Jews wrote to you during the most critical moment of trials that we had to endure during those years. And we said to you: "Jason and his associates have betrayed the cause of the Holy Land and of the Kingdom.

8. And burned the porch, and shed innocent blood: then we prayed unto the Lord, and were heard; we offered also sacrifices and fine flour, and lighted the lamps, and set forth the loaves.

8. They have burned the Temple gateway and shed innocent blood. But we prayed to the Lord and were heard. And now we have just offered a sacrifice with wheat flour, lighted the lamps again and set out the loaves of bread.

9. And now see that ye keep the feast of tabernacles in the month Casleu.

9. So we write to you again that you may celebrate the Feast of Tents in the month of Chislev in this year one hundred and eighty-eight.

10. In the hundred fourscore and eighth year, the people that were at Jerusalem and in Judea, and the council, and Judas, sent greeting and health unto Aristobulus, king Ptolemeus' master, who was of the stock of the anointed priests, and to the Jews that were in Egypt:

10. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, their senators and Judas, to Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy, belonging to the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt: greetings and prosperity.

11. Insomuch as God hath delivered us from great perils, we thank him highly, as having been in battle against a king.

11. Having been saved by God from great dangers, we give him thanks because he came to our help against the king himself.

12. For he cast them out that fought within the holy city.

12. God drove out those who fought against the Holy City;

13. For when the leader was come into Persia, and the army with him that seemed invincible, they were slain in the temple of Nanea by the deceit of Nanea's priests.

13. their leader left for Persia with a seemingly invincible army, but the priests of the goddess Nanea laid a trap for them and killed them in her temple.

14. For Antiochus, as though he would marry her, came into the place, and his friends that were with him, to receive money in name of a dowry.

14. Antiochus and his friends came to that place under the pretext of marrying the goddess, but in reality they wanted to seize its great treasures as a dowry.

15. Which when the priests of Nanea had set forth, and he was entered with a small company into the compass of the temple, they shut the temple as soon as Antiochus was come in:

15. The priests of Nanea had set out the treasures and Antiochus entered the sacred enclosure with a few men. But as soon as Antiochus had entered, they closed the temple

16. And opening a privy door of the roof, they threw stones like thunderbolts, and struck down the captain, hewed them in pieces, smote off their heads and cast them to those that were without.

16. and opened a secret door in the ceiling. Then they threw stones down and crushed the leader and his men. They then dismembered the bodies, cut off their heads and threw them to those outside.

17. Blessed be our God in all things, who hath delivered up the ungodly.

17. In all these things, may our God be blessed for he has handed over the impious to death.

18. Therefore whereas we are now purposed to keep the purification of the temple upon the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, we thought it necessary to certify you thereof, that ye also might keep it, as the feast of the tabernacles, and of the fire, which was given us when Neemias offered sacrifice, after that he had builded the temple and the altar.

18. As we are about to celebrate the purification of the Temple on the twenty-fifth day of Chislev, it seems good to us to inform you, so that you, too, may celebrate the Feast of Tents and remember the fire that appeared when Nehemiah, who built the Temple and the altar, offered sacrifices.

19. For when our fathers were led into Persia, the priests that were then devout took the fire of the altar privily, and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water, where they kept it sure, so that the place was unknown to all men.

19. For when our fathers were deported to Persia, the devout priests of the time took some of the fire from the altar and hid it secretly in the hollow of a dry well, with such caution that the place remained unknown to everyone.

20. Now after many years, when it pleased God, Neemias, being sent from the king of Persia, did send of the posterity of those priests that had hid it to the fire: but when they told us they found no fire, but thick water;

20. Many years had passed, when in God's own time Nehemiah, who was commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to look for it.

21. Then commanded he them to draw it up, and to bring it; and when the sacrifices were laid on, Neemias commanded the priests to sprinkle the wood and the things laid thereupon with the water.

21. But they reported to us that they did not find the fire but instead a thick liquid. So Nehemiah ordered them to draw it out and bring it to him. When the sacrifice had been prepared on the altar, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle the liquid on the wood and the victims placed on it.

22. When this was done, and the time came that the sun shone, which afore was hid in the cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that every man marvelled.

22. They did so and after some time the sun which had previously been clouded over, shone. At once such a great fire blazed up that all were astonished.

23. And the priests made a prayer whilst the sacrifice was consuming, I say, both the priests, and all the rest, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering thereunto, as Neemias did.

23. While the sacrifice was being consumed, the priests together with all those present prayed. Jonathan led while Nehemiah and the rest responded.

24. And the prayer was after this manner; O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, who art fearful and strong, and righteous, and merciful, and the only and gracious King,

24. This was their prayer: "Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just and merciful, you alone are good and are King,

25. The only giver of all things, the only just, almighty, and everlasting, thou that deliverest Israel from all trouble, and didst choose the fathers, and sanctify them:

25. you alone are generous, just, all-powerful and eternal. You who save Israel from many evils, who chose our fathers and sanctified them,

26. Receive the sacrifice for thy whole people Israel, and preserve thine own portion, and sanctify it.

26. accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel. Protect your heritage and sanctify it.

27. Gather those together that are scattered from us, deliver them that serve among the heathen, look upon them that are despised and abhorred, and let the heathen know that thou art our God.

27. Gather our scattered people together, set free those held in slavery among the nations, turn your eyes on those who are despised and crushed; so the pagans may know that you are our God.

28. Punish them that oppress us, and with pride do us wrong.

28. Afflict those who oppress us, who insult and treat us with contempt.

29. Plant thy people again in thy holy place, as Moses hath spoken.

29. Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses said."

30. And the priests sung psalms of thanksgiving.

30. The priests sang the hymns,

31. Now when the sacrifice was consumed, Neemias commanded the water that was left to be poured on the great stones.

31. and when the sacrifice was all consumed, Nehemiah ordered that the remaining liquid be poured over some large stones.

32. When this was done, there was kindled a flame: but it was consumed by the light that shined from the altar.

32. This was done, and a flame flared up but it was outshone by the fire from the altar.

33. So when this matter was known, it was told the king of Persia, that in the place, where the priests that were led away had hid the fire, there appeared water, and that Neemias had purified the sacrifices therewith.

33. This matter became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that the liquid with which Nehemiah and his companions had burned the sacrifice was found in the place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire.

34. Then the king, inclosing the place, made it holy, after he had tried the matter.

34. So, after verifying the facts, the king ordered that a fence be built to enclose the place and decreed that it be a sacred place.

35. And the king took many gifts, and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratify.

35. The king gave some of that liquid to those who enjoyed his favor, and they gave him gifts in return.

36. And Neemias called this thing Naphthar, which is as much as to say, a cleansing: but many men call it Nephi.

36. Nehemiah and his companions called the place "Nephtar" which means "purification" but afterwards, many called it "Naphtha."