2 Maccabees 1

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 'To their brothers, the Jews living in Egypt, from their brothers, the Jews in Jerusalem and Judaea,greetings and untroubled peace.	1 The Jewish brethren in Jerusalem and those in the land of Judea, To their Jewish brethren in Egypt, Greeting, and good peace.
2 'May God prosper you, remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his faithfulservants.	2 May God do good to you, and may he remember his covenant with Abraham and 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 May he give you all a heart to worship him and to do his will with a strong heart and a willing spirit.
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 may he bring 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 may he not forsake you in time of evil.
6 Such is our prayer for you.	6 We are now 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, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we Jews wrote to you, in the critical distress which came upon us in those years after Jason and his company revolted from 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 and burned the gate and shed innocent blood. We besought the Lord and we were heard, and we offered sacrifice and cereal offering, and we lighted the lamps and we set out 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 you keep the feast of booths in the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and eighty-eighth year.
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 Those in Jerusalem and those in Judea and the senate and Judas, To Aristobulus, who is of the family of the anointed priests, teacher of Ptolemy the king, and to the Jews in Egypt, Greeting, and good health.
11 'Since we have been rescued by God from great danger, we give him great thanks for championingour cause against the king,	11 Having been saved by God out of grave dangers we thank him greatly for taking our side against the king.
12 for he it was who carried off those who had taken up arms against the Holy City.	12 For he 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 For when the leader reached Persia with a force that seemed irresistible, they were cut to pieces in the temple of Nanea by a deception employed by the priests of Nanea.
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 under pretext of intending to marry her, Antiochus came to the place together with his friends, to secure most of its treasures as 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 When the priests of the temple of Nanea had set out the treasures and Antiochus had come with a few men inside the wall of the sacred precinct, they closed the temple as soon as he entered it.
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 Opening the secret door in the ceiling, they threw stones and struck down the leader and his men, and dismembered them and cut off their heads and threw them to the people outside.
17 Blessed in al things be our God, who has delivered the sacrilegious over to death!	17 Blessed in every way be our God, who has brought judgment upon those who have behaved impiously.
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 Since on the twenty-fifth day of Chislev we shall celebrate the purification of the temple, we thought it necessary to notify you, in order that you also may celebrate the feast of booths and the feast of the fire given when Nehemiah, who built 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 For when our fathers were being led captive to Persia, the pious priests of that time took some of the fire of the altar and secretly hid it in the hollow of a dry cistern, where they took such precautions that the place was unknown to any one.
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 But after many years had passed, when it pleased God, Nehemiah, having been commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to get it. And when they reported to us that they had not found fire but thick liquid, he ordered them to dip it out and bring 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 And when the materials for the sacrifices were presented, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle the liquid on the wood and what was laid upon 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 some time had passed and the sun, which had been clouded over, shone out, a great fire blazed up, so that all 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 And while the sacrifice was being consumed, the priests offered prayer -- the priests and every one. Jonathan led, and the rest responded, as did 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 to this effect: "O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, who art awe-inspiring and strong and just and merciful, who alone art King and art kind,
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 art bountiful, who alone art just and almighty and eternal, who dost rescue Israel from every evil, who didst choose the fathers and consecrate 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 thy people Israel and preserve thy portion and make it holy.
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, set free those who are slaves among the Gentiles, look upon those who are rejected and despised, and let the Gentiles know that thou art our God.
28 Punish those who oppress us and affront us by their insolence,	28 Afflict those who oppress and are insolent with pride.
29 and plant your people firmly in your Holy Place, as Moses promised."	29 Plant thy people in thy holy place, as Moses said. "
30 'The priests then chanted hymns accompanied by the harp.	30 Then the priests sang the hymns.
31 When the sacrifice had been burnt, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured over largestones,	31 And when the materials of the sacrifice were consumed, Nehemiah ordered that the liquid that was left should 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 When this was done, a flame blazed up; but when the light from the altar shone back, it went out.
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 this matter became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that, in the place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire, the liquid had appeared with which Nehemiah and his associates had burned the materials of the sacrifice,
34 the king, after verifying the facts, had the place enclosed and pronounced sacred.	34 the king investigated the matter, and enclosed the place and made it sacred.
35 To the people on whom the king bestowed it, he granted a part of the considerable revenue hederived from it.	35 And with those persons whom the king favored he exchanged many excellent gifts.
36 Nehemiah and his people termed this stuff "nephtar", which means "purification", but it is commonly cal ed "naphta".	36 Nehemiah and his associates called this "nephthar," which means purification, but by most people it is called naphtha.