2 Maccabees 1

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 The Jews in Jerusalem and in the land of Judea send greetings to their brethren, the Jews in Egypt, and wish them true peace!
2 God be gracious unto you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants;	2 May God bless you and remember his covenant with his faithful servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
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 to all of you a heart to worship him and to do his will readily and generously.
4 And open your hearts in his law and commandments, and send you peace,	4 May he open your heart to his law and his commandments and grant 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 to you, and never forsake you in time of adversity.
6 And now we be here praying for you.	6 Even now we are praying for you here.
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 reign of Demetrius, the year one hundred and sixty-nine, we Jews wrote to you during the trouble and violence that overtook us in those years after Jason and his followers had revolted against the holy land and 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 setting fire to the gatehouse and shedding innocent blood. But we prayed to the Lord, and our prayer was heard; we offered sacrifices and fine flour; we lighted the lamps and set out the loaves of bread.
9 And now see that ye keep the feast of tabernacles in the month Casleu.	9 We are now reminding you to celebrate the feast of Booths in the month of Chislev.
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 Dated in the year one hundred and eighty-eight. The people of Jerusalem and Judea, the senate, and Judas send greetings and good wishes to Aristobulus, counselor of King Ptolemy and member of the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt.
11 Insomuch as God hath delivered us from great perils, we thank him highly, as having been in battle against a king.	11 Since we have been saved by God from grave dangers, we give him great thanks for having fought on our side against the king;
12 For he cast them out that fought within the holy city.	12 it was he who 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 When their leader arrived in Persia with his seemingly irresistible army, they were cut to pieces in the temple of the goddess Nanea through a deceitful stratagem employed by Nanea's priests.
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 On the pretext of marrying the goddess, Antiochus with his Friends had come to the place to get its great treasures by way of 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 When the priests of the Nanaeon had displayed the treasures, Antiochus with a few attendants came to the temple precincts. As soon as he entered the temple, the priests locked the doors.
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 Then they opened a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling, hurled stones at the leader and his companions and struck them down. They dismembered the bodies, cut off their heads and tossed them to the people outside.
17 Blessed be our God in all things, who hath delivered up the ungodly.	17 Forever blessed be our God, who has thus punished the wicked!
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 We shall be celebrating the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, so we thought it right to inform you, that you too may celebrate the feast of Booths and of the fire that appeared when Nehemiah, the rebuilder of 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 When our fathers were being exiled to Persia, devout priests of the time took some of the fire from the altar and hid it secretly in the hollow of a dry cistern, making sure that the place would be unknown to anyone.
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 later, when it so pleased God, Nehemiah, 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 When they informed us that they could not find any fire, but only muddy water, he ordered them to scoop some out and bring it. After the material for the sacrifices had been prepared, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle with the water the wood and what lay 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 When this was done and in time the sun, which had been clouded over, began to shine, a great fire blazed up, so that everyone marveled.
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 burned, the priests recited a prayer, and all present joined in with them, Jonathan leading and the rest responding with Nehemiah.
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 The prayer was as follows: "Lord, Lord God, creator of all things, awesome and strong, just and merciful, the only king and benefactor,
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 who alone are gracious, just, almighty, and eternal, Israel's savior from all evil, who chose our forefathers 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 and guard and sanctify your heritage.
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 together our scattered people, free those who are the slaves of the Gentiles, look kindly on those who are despised and detested, and let the Gentiles know that you are our God.
28 Punish them that oppress us, and with pride do us wrong.	28 Punish those who tyrannize over us and arrogantly mistreat us.
29 Plant thy people again in thy holy place, as Moses hath spoken.	29 Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses promised."
30 And the priests sung psalms of thanksgiving.	30 Then the priests began to sing hymns.
31 Now when the sacrifice was consumed, Neemias commanded the water that was left to be poured on the great stones.	31 After the sacrifice was burned, Nehemiah ordered the rest of the liquid to be poured upon 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 As soon as this was done, a flame blazed up, but its light was lost in the brilliance cast from a light on 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 When the event became known and the king of the Persians was told that, in the very place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire, a liquid was found with which Nehemiah and his people had burned the sacrifices,
34 Then the king, inclosing the place, made it holy, after he had tried the matter.	34 the king, after verifying the fact, fenced the place off and declared it sacred.
35 And the king took many gifts, and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratify.	35 To those on whom the king wished to bestow favors he distributed the large revenues he received there.
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 liquid nephthar, meaning purification, but most people named it naphtha.