2 Maccabees 1

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 'To their brothers, the Jews living in Egypt, from their brothers, the Jews in Jerusalem and Judaea,greetings and untroubled peace.	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:
2 'May God prosper you, remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his faithfulservants.	2 God be gracious unto you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants;
3 May he give you al a heart to worship him and to do his will with a generous mind and a wil ing spirit.	3 And give you all an heart to serve him, and to do his will, with a good courage and a willing mind;
4 May he open your hearts to his Law and his precepts, and give you peace.	4 And open your hearts in his law and commandments, and send you peace,
5 May he hear your prayers and be reconciled with you, and not abandon you in time of evil.	5 And hear your prayers, and be at one with you, and never forsake you in time of trouble.
6 Such is our prayer for you.	6 And now we be here praying for you.
7 'During the reign of Demetrius, in the year 169, we Jews wrote to you as fol ows, "In the extremity oftrouble that befel us in the years after Jason and his associates had betrayed the Holy Land and the kingdom,	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,
8 burning down the Temple gateway and shedding innocent blood, we prayed to the Lord and were thenheard. And we then offered a sacrifice, with wheat-flour, we lit the lamps and we set out the loaves."	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.
9 'And we now recommend you too to keep the feast of Shelters in the month of Chislev, in the year onehundred and eighty-eight.'	9 And now see that ye keep the feast of tabernacles in the month Casleu.
10 'The people of Jerusalem and of Judaea, the senate and Judas, to Aristobulus, tutor to King Ptolemyand one of the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt, greetings and good health.	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:
11 'Since we have been rescued by God from great danger, we give him great thanks for championingour cause against the king,	11 Insomuch as God hath delivered us from great perils, we thank him highly, as having been in battle against a king.
12 for he it was who carried off those who had taken up arms against the Holy City.	12 For he cast them out that fought within the holy city.
13 For when their leader reached Persia with his seemingly irresistible army, he was cut to pieces in thetemple of Nanaea, as the result of a ruse employed by the priests who served that goddess.	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.
14 On the pretext of marrying Nanaea, Antiochus came to the place with his friends, intending to take itsmany treasures as a dowry.	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.
15 The priests of Nanaea had put these on display, and he for his part had entered the temple precinctswith only a small retinue. As soon as Antiochus had gone inside the temple, the priests shut him in,	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:
16 opened a trap-door hidden in the ceiling and struck the leader down by hurling stones likethunderbolts. They then cut him into pieces and threw his head to those who were waiting outside.	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.
17 Blessed in al things be our God, who has delivered the sacrilegious over to death!	17 Blessed be our God in all things, who hath delivered up the ungodly.
18 'As we shal be celebrating the purification of the Temple on the twenty-fifth of Chislev, we consider itproper to notify you, so that you too may celebrate it, as you do the feast of Shelters and the fire that appearedwhen Nehemiah, the builder of the Temple and the altar, offered sacrifice.	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.
19 For when our ancestors were being deported to Persia, the devout priests of the time took some ofthe fire from the altar and hid it secretly in a hole like a dry well, where they concealed it in such a way that theplace was unknown to anyone.	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.
20 When some years had elapsed, in God's good time, Nehemiah, commissioned by the king of Persia,sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to look for it. When they reported that in fact theyhad found not fire but a thick liquid, Nehemiah ordered them to draw some out and bring it back.	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;
21 When they had done this, Nehemiah ordered the priests to pour this liquid over the sacrificialmaterials, that is, the wood and what lay on 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.
22 When this had been done, and when in due course the sun, which had previously been clouded over,shone out, a great fire flared up, to the astonishment of al .	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.
23 While the sacrifice was being burned, the priests offered prayer, Jonathan intoning with al the priests,and the rest responding with Nehemiah.	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.
24 The prayer took this form, "Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, awesome, strong, just, merciful, theonly king and benefactor,	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,
25 the only provider, who alone are just, almighty and everlasting, the deliverer of Israel from every evil,who made our fathers your chosen ones and sanctified them,	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:
26 accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel, and protect your heritage and consecrate it.	26 Receive the sacrifice for thy whole people Israel, and preserve thine own portion, and sanctify it.
27 Bring together those of us who are dispersed, set free those in slavery among the heathen, lookfavourably on those held in contempt or abhorrence, and let the heathen know that you are our God.	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.
28 Punish those who oppress us and affront us by their insolence,	28 Punish them that oppress us, and with pride do us wrong.
29 and plant your people firmly in your Holy Place, as Moses promised."	29 Plant thy people again in thy holy place, as Moses hath spoken.
30 'The priests then chanted hymns accompanied by the harp.	30 And the priests sung psalms of thanksgiving.
31 When the sacrifice had been burnt, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured over largestones,	31 Now when the sacrifice was consumed, Neemias commanded the water that was left to be poured on the great stones.
32 and when this was done a flame flared up, to be absorbed in a corresponding blaze of light from thealtar.	32 When this was done, there was kindled a flame: but it was consumed by the light that shined from the altar.
33 When the matter became known and the king of the Persians heard that, in the place where the exiledpriests had hidden the fire, a liquid had appeared, with which Nehemiah and his people had purified thesacrificial offerings,	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.
34 the king, after verifying the facts, had the place enclosed and pronounced sacred.	34 Then the king, inclosing the place, made it holy, after he had tried the matter.
35 To the people on whom the king bestowed it, he granted a part of the considerable revenue hederived from it.	35 And the king took many gifts, and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratify.
36 Nehemiah and his people termed this stuff "nephtar", which means "purification", but it is commonly cal ed "naphta".	36 And Neemias called this thing Naphthar, which is as much as to say, a cleansing: but many men call it Nephi.