| 1 ευρισκεται δε εν ταις απογραφαις ιερεμιας ο προφητης οτι εκελευσεν του πυρος λαβειν τους μεταγενομενους ως σεσημανται | 1 One finds in the records that Jeremiah the prophet ordered those who were being deported to take some of the fire, as has been told, |
| 2 και ως ενετειλατο τοις μεταγενομενοις ο προφητης δους αυτοις τον νομον ινα μη επιλαθωνται των προσταγματων του κυριου και ινα μη αποπλανηθωσιν ταις διανοιαις βλεποντες αγαλματα χρυσα και αργυρα και τον περι αυτα κοσμον | 2 and that the prophet after giving them the law instructed those who were being deported not to forget the commandments of the Lord, nor to be led astray in their thoughts upon seeing the gold and silver statues and their adornment. |
| 3 και ετερα τοιαυτα λεγων παρεκαλει μη αποστηναι τον νομον απο της καρδιας αυτων | 3 And with other similar words he exhorted them that the law should not depart from their hearts. |
| 4 ην δε εν τη γραφη ως την σκηνην και την κιβωτον εκελευσεν ο προφητης χρηματισμου γενηθεντος αυτω συνακολουθειν ως δε εξηλθεν εις το ορος ου ο μωυσης αναβας εθεασατο την του θεου κληρονομιαν | 4 It was also in the writing that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God. |
| 5 και ελθων ο ιερεμιας ευρεν οικον αντρωδη και την σκηνην και την κιβωτον και το θυσιαστηριον του θυμιαματος εισηνεγκεν εκει και την θυραν ενεφραξεν | 5 And Jeremiah came and found a cave, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense, and he sealed up the entrance. |
| 6 και προσελθοντες τινες των συνακολουθουντων ωστε επισημανασθαι την οδον και ουκ εδυνηθησαν ευρειν | 6 Some of those who followed him came up to mark the way, but could not find it. |
| 7 ως δε ο ιερεμιας εγνω μεμψαμενος αυτοις ειπεν οτι και αγνωστος ο τοπος εσται εως αν συναγαγη ο θεος επισυναγωγην του λαου και ιλεως γενηται | 7 When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: "The place shall be unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. |
| 8 και τοτε ο κυριος αναδειξει ταυτα και οφθησεται η δοξα του κυριου και η νεφελη ως επι μωυση εδηλουτο ως και ο σαλωμων ηξιωσεν ινα ο τοπος καθαγιασθη μεγαλως | 8 And then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated." |
| 9 διεσαφειτο δε και ως σοφιαν εχων ανηνεγκεν θυσιαν εγκαινισμου και της τελειωσεως του ιερου | 9 It was also made clear that being possessed of wisdom Solomon offered sacrifice for the dedication and completion of the temple. |
| 10 καθως και μωυσης προσηυξατο προς κυριον και κατεβη πυρ εκ του ουρανου και τα της θυσιας εδαπανησεν ουτως και σαλωμων προσηυξατο και καταβαν το πυρ ανηλωσεν τα ολοκαυτωματα | 10 Just as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifices, so also Solomon prayed, and the fire came down and consumed the whole burnt offerings. |
| 11 και ειπεν μωυσης δια το μη βεβρωσθαι το περι της αμαρτιας ανηλωθη | 11 And Moses said, "They were consumed because the sin offering had not been eaten." |
| 12 ωσαυτως και ο σαλωμων τας οκτω ημερας ηγαγεν | 12 Likewise Solomon also kept the eight days. |
| 13 εξηγουντο δε και εν ταις αναγραφαις και εν τοις υπομνηματισμοις τοις κατα τον νεεμιαν τα αυτα και ως καταβαλλομενος βιβλιοθηκην επισυνηγαγεν τα περι των βασιλεων βιβλια και προφητων και τα του δαυιδ και επιστολας βασιλεων περι αναθεματων | 13 The same things are reported in the records and in the memoirs of Nehemiah, and also that he founded a library and collected the books about the kings and prophets, and the writings of David, and letters of kings about votive offerings. |
| 14 ωσαυτως δε και ιουδας τα διαπεπτωκοτα δια τον γεγονοτα πολεμον ημιν επισυνηγαγεν παντα και εστιν παρ' ημιν | 14 In the same way Judas also collected all the books that had been lost on account of the war which had come upon us, and they are in our possession. |
| 15 ων ουν εαν χρειαν εχητε τους αποκομιουντας υμιν αποστελλετε | 15 So if you have need of them, send people to get them for you. |
| 16 μελλοντες ουν αγειν τον καθαρισμον εγραψαμεν υμιν καλως ουν ποιησετε αγοντες τας ημερας | 16 Since, therefore, we are about to celebrate the purification, we write to you. Will you therefore please keep the days? |
| 17 ο δε θεος ο σωσας τον παντα λαον αυτου και αποδους την κληρονομιαν πασιν και το βασιλειον και το ιερατευμα και τον αγιασμον | 17 It is God who has saved all his people, and has returned the inheritance to all, and the kingship and priesthood and consecration, |
| 18 καθως επηγγειλατο δια του νομου ελπιζομεν γαρ επι τω θεω οτι ταχεως ημας ελεησει και επισυναξει εκ της υπο τον ουρανον εις τον αγιον τοπον εξειλετο γαρ ημας εκ μεγαλων κακων και τον τοπον εκαθαρισεν | 18 as he promised through the law. For we have hope in God that he will soon have mercy upon us and will gather us from everywhere under heaven into his holy place, for he has rescued us from great evils and has purified the place. |
| 19 τα δε κατα τον ιουδαν τον μακκαβαιον και τους τουτου αδελφους και τον του ιερου του μεγιστου καθαρισμον και τον του βωμου εγκαινισμον | 19 The story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar, |
| 20 ετι τε τους προς αντιοχον τον επιφανη και τον τουτου υιον ευπατορα πολεμους | 20 and further the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator, |
| 21 και τας εξ ουρανου γενομενας επιφανειας τοις υπερ του ιουδαισμου φιλοτιμως ανδραγαθησασιν ωστε την ολην χωραν ολιγους οντας λεηλατειν και τα βαρβαρα πληθη διωκειν | 21 and the appearances which came from heaven to those who strove zealously on behalf of Judaism, so that though few in number they seized the whole land and pursued the barbarian hordes, |
| 22 και το περιβοητον καθ' ολην την οικουμενην ιερον ανακομισασθαι και την πολιν ελευθερωσαι και τους μελλοντας καταλυεσθαι νομους επανορθωσαι του κυριου μετα πασης επιεικειας ιλεω γενομενου αυτοις | 22 and recovered the temple famous throughout the world and freed the city and restored the laws that were about to be abolished, while the Lord with great kindness became gracious to them-- |
| 23 υπο ιασωνος του κυρηναιου δεδηλωμενα δια πεντε βιβλιων πειρασομεθα δι' ενος συνταγματος επιτεμειν | 23 all this, which has been set forth by Jason of Cyrene in five volumes, we shall attempt to condense into a single book. |
| 24 συνορωντες γαρ το χυμα των αριθμων και την ουσαν δυσχερειαν τοις θελουσιν εισκυκλεισθαι τοις της ιστοριας διηγημασιν δια το πληθος της υλης | 24 For considering the flood of numbers involved and the difficulty there is for those who wish to enter upon the narratives of history because of the mass of material, |
| 25 εφροντισαμεν τοις μεν βουλομενοις αναγινωσκειν ψυχαγωγιαν τοις δε φιλοφρονουσιν εις το δια μνημης αναλαβειν ευκοπιαν πασιν δε τοις εντυγχανουσιν ωφελειαν | 25 we have aimed to please those who wish to read, to make it easy for those who are inclined to memorize, and to profit all readers. |
| 26 και ημιν μεν τοις την κακοπαθειαν επιδεδεγμενοις της επιτομης ου ραδιον ιδρωτος δε και αγρυπνιας το πραγμα | 26 For us who have undertaken the toil of abbreviating, it is no light matter but calls for sweat and loss of sleep, |
| 27 καθαπερ τω παρασκευαζοντι συμποσιον και ζητουντι την ετερων λυσιτελειαν ουκ ευχερες ομως δια την των πολλων ευχαριστιαν ηδεως την κακοπαθειαν υποισομεν | 27 just as it is not easy for one who prepares a banquet and seeks the benefit of others. However, to secure the gratitude of many we will gladly endure the uncomfortable toil, |
| 28 το μεν διακριβουν περι εκαστων τω συγγραφει παραχωρησαντες το δε επιπορευεσθαι τοις υπογραμμοις της επιτομης διαπονουντες | 28 leaving the responsibility for exact details to the compiler, while devoting our effort to arriving at the outlines of the condensation. |
| 29 καθαπερ γαρ της καινης οικιας αρχιτεκτονι της ολης καταβολης φροντιστεον τω δε εγκαιειν και ζωγραφειν επιχειρουντι τα επιτηδεια προς διακοσμησιν εξεταστεον ουτως δοκω και επι ημων | 29 For as the master builder of a new house must be concerned with the whole construction, while the one who undertakes its painting and decoration has to consider only what is suitable for its adornment, such in my judgment is the case with us. |
| 30 το μεν εμβατευειν και περιπατον ποιεισθαι λογων και πολυπραγμονειν εν τοις κατα μερος τω της ιστοριας αρχηγετη καθηκει | 30 It is the duty of the original historian to occupy the ground and to discuss matters from every side and to take trouble with details, |
| 31 το δε συντομον της λεξεως μεταδιωκειν και το εξεργαστικον της πραγματειας παραιτεισθαι τω την μεταφρασιν ποιουμενω συγχωρητεον | 31 but the one who recasts the narrative should be allowed to strive for brevity of expression and to forego exhaustive treatment. |
| 32 εντευθεν ουν αρξωμεθα της διηγησεως τοις προειρημενοις τοσουτον επιζευξαντες ευηθες γαρ το μεν προ της ιστοριας πλεοναζειν την δε ιστοριαν επιτεμειν | 32 At this point therefore let us begin our narrative, adding only so much to what has already been said; for it is foolish to lengthen the preface while cutting short the history itself. |
