2 Maccabees 1

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN 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 Jews in Jerusalem and in the land of Judea send greetings to their brethren, the Jews in Egypt, and wish them true peace!
2 'May God prosper you, remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his faithfulservants.	2 May God bless you and remember his covenant with his faithful servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
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 May he give to all of you a heart to worship him and to do his will readily and generously.
4 May he open your hearts to his Law and his precepts, and give you peace.	4 May he open your heart to his law and his commandments and grant you peace.
5 May he hear your prayers and be reconciled with you, and not abandon you in time of evil.	5 May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled to you, and never forsake you in time of adversity.
6 Such is our prayer for you.	6 Even now we are praying for you here.
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 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 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 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 we now recommend you too to keep the feast of Shelters in the month of Chislev, in the year onehundred and eighty-eight.'	9 We are now reminding you to celebrate the feast of Booths in the month of Chislev.
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 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 'Since we have been rescued by God from great danger, we give him great thanks for championingour cause against the 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 it was who carried off those who had taken up arms against the Holy City.	12 it was he who drove out those who fought against 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 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 On the pretext of marrying Nanaea, Antiochus came to the place with his friends, intending to take itsmany treasures as 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 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 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 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 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 in al things be our God, who has delivered the sacrilegious over to death!	17 Forever blessed be our God, who has thus punished the wicked!
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 in time the sun, which had been clouded over, began to shine, a great fire blazed up, so that everyone marveled.
23 While the sacrifice was being burned, the priests offered prayer, Jonathan intoning with al the priests,and the rest responding with Nehemiah.	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 The prayer took this form, "Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, awesome, strong, just, merciful, theonly king and benefactor,	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 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 who alone are gracious, just, almighty, and eternal, Israel's savior from all evil, who chose our forefathers and sanctified them:
26 accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel, and protect your heritage and consecrate it.	26 accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel and guard and sanctify your heritage.
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 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 those who oppress us and affront us by their insolence,	28 Punish those who tyrannize over us and arrogantly mistreat us.
29 and plant your people firmly in your Holy Place, as Moses promised."	29 Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses promised."
30 'The priests then chanted hymns accompanied by the harp.	30 Then the priests began to sing hymns.
31 When the sacrifice had been burnt, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured over largestones,	31 After the sacrifice was burned, Nehemiah ordered the rest of the liquid to be poured upon large stones.
32 and when this was done a flame flared up, to be absorbed in a corresponding blaze of light from thealtar.	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 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 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 the king, after verifying the facts, had the place enclosed and pronounced sacred.	34 the king, after verifying the fact, fenced the place off and declared it sacred.
35 To the people on whom the king bestowed it, he granted a part of the considerable revenue hederived from it.	35 To those on whom the king wished to bestow favors he distributed the large revenues he received there.
36 Nehemiah and his people termed this stuff "nephtar", which means "purification", but it is commonly cal ed "naphta".	36 Nehemiah and his companions called the liquid nephthar, meaning purification, but most people named it naphtha.