Secondo libro dei Maccabei 1

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Fratribus, qui sunt per Aegyp tum, Iudaeis salutem dicunt fratres, quisunt in Hierosolymis Iudaei et qui in regione Iudaeae, pacem bonam.	1 'To their brothers, the Jews living in Egypt, from their brothers, the Jews in Jerusalem and Judaea,greetings and untroubled peace.
2 Etbenefaciat vobis Deus et meminerit testamenti sui, quod locutus est ad Abrahamet Isaac et Iacob servorum suorum fidelium;	2 'May God prosper you, remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his faithfulservants.
3 et det vobis cor omnibus, utcolatis eum et faciatis eius voluntatem corde magno et animo volenti;	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.
4 etadaperiat cor vestrum in lege sua et in praeceptis suis et faciat pacem;	4 May he open your hearts to his Law and his precepts, and give you peace.
5 etexaudiat orationes vestras et reconcilietur vobis nec vos deserat in temporemalo.	5 May he hear your prayers and be reconciled with you, and not abandon you in time of evil.
6 Et nunc hic sumus orantes pro vobis.	6 Such is our prayer for you.
7 Regnante Demetrio, anno centesimosexagesimo nono, nos Iudaei scripsimus vobis in tribulatione et impetu, quisupervenit nobis in istis annis, ex quo recessit Iason et, qui cum eo erant, asancta terra et a regno	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,
8 et portam succenderunt et effuderunt sanguineminnocentem; et oravimus ad Dominum et exauditi sumus et obtulimus sacrificia etsimilaginem et accendimus lucernas et proposuimus panes.	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."
9 Et nunc utfrequentetis dies Scenopegiae mensis Casleu,	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.'
10 anno centesimo octogesimooctavo. Qui sunt Hierosolymis et in Iudaea, senatusque et Iudas Aristobulo magistroPtolemaei regis, qui est de genere christorum sacerdotum, et his, qui in Aegyptosunt, Iudaeis salutem et sanitatem.	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.
11 De magnis periculis a Deo liberatimagnifice gratias agimus ipsi, utpote qui adversus regem dimicavimus;	11 'Since we have been rescued by God from great danger, we give him great thanks for championingour cause against the king,
12 ipseenim effervere fecit eos, qui pugnaverunt contra sanctam civitatem.	12 for he it was who carried off those who had taken up arms against the Holy City.
13 Nam cumin Perside esset dux ipse et qui cum ipso videbatur esse intolerabilisexercitus, concisi sunt in templo Naneae, fraude utentibus sacerdotibus Naneae.	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.
14 Etenim quasi cum ea habitaturus venit ad locum Antiochus et, qui cum ipsoerant, amici, ut acciperet pecunias multas dotis nomine.	14 On the pretext of marrying Nanaea, Antiochus came to the place with his friends, intending to take itsmany treasures as a dowry.
15 Cumque proposuissenteas sacerdotes Naneae, et ipse cum paucis ingressus esset intra ambitum fani,clauserunt templum; cum intrasset Antiochus,	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,
16 aperto occulto aditu laquearis,mittentes lapides percusserunt ducem et diviserunt membratim et, capitibusamputatis, foras proiecerunt.	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.
17 Per omnia benedictus Deus, qui tradidi	17 Blessed in al things be our God, who has delivered the sacrilegious over to death!
18 Facturi igitur quinta et vicesima die mensis Casleu purificationem templi,necessarium duximus significare vobis, ut et vos quoque agatis diem Scenopegiaeet ignis, qui datus est, quando Nehemias, aedificato templo et altari, obtulitsacrificia.	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.
19 Nam cum in Persidem ducerentur patres nostri, sacerdotes, quitunc cultores Dei erant, acceptum ignem de altari occulte absconderunt in cavoputei situm habentis siccum, in quo contutati sunt eum, ita ut omnibus ignotusesset locus.	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.
20 Cum autem praeterissent anni multi, et placuit Deo, utmitteretur Nehemias a rege Persidis, nepotes sacerdotum illorum, quiabsconderant, misit ad ignem.	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.
21 Sicut narraverunt nobis, non invenerunt ignemsed aquam crassam. Et iussit eos haurire et afferre. Utque imposita suntsacrificia, iussit sacerdotes Nehemias aspergere aqua et ligna et, quae erantsuperposita.	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.
22 Utque hoc factum est, et tempus transiit, et sol refulsit, quiprius erat in nubilo, accensus est ignis magnus, ita ut omnes mirarentur.	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 .
23 Orationem autem faciebant sacerdotes, dum consummaretur sacrificium: etsacerdotes et omnes, Ionatha inchoante, ceteris autem respondentibus utNehemias.	23 While the sacrifice was being burned, the priests offered prayer, Jonathan intoning with al the priests,and the rest responding with Nehemiah.
24 Erat autem oratio hunc habens modum: “ Domine, Domine Deus, omnium creator,terribilis et fortis, iustus et misericors, qui solus es rex et bonus,	24 The prayer took this form, "Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, awesome, strong, just, merciful, theonly king and benefactor,
25 soluspraestans, solus iustus et omnipotens et aeternus; qui liberas Israel de omnimalo, qui fecisti patres electos et sanctificasti eos,	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,
26 accipe sacrificium prouniverso populo tuo Israel et custodi partem tuam et sanctifica.	26 accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel, and protect your heritage and consecrate it.
27 Congregadispersionem nostram, libera eos, qui serviunt gentibus, et contemptos etabominatos respice, ut sciant gentes quia tu es Deus noster.	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.
28 Affligeopprimentes nos et contumeliam facientes in superbia.	28 Punish those who oppress us and affront us by their insolence,
29 Constitue populum tuumin loco sancto tuo, sicut dixit Moyses ”.	29 and plant your people firmly in your Holy Place, as Moses promised."
30 Sacerdotes autem psallebanthymnos.	30 'The priests then chanted hymns accompanied by the harp.
31 Cum autem consumptum esset sacrificium, ex residua aqua Nehemiasiussit lapides maiores perfundi	31 When the sacrifice had been burnt, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured over largestones,
32 quod ut factum est, flamma accensa est, sed alumine, quod refulsit ex altari, consumpta est.	32 and when this was done a flame flared up, to be absorbed in a corresponding blaze of light from thealtar.
33 Ut vero manifestata est res,et renuntiatum est regi Persarum quod in loco, in quo ignem absconderant hi, quitranslati fuerant, sacerdotes, aqua apparuit, de qua Nehemias et, qui cum eoerant, purificaverunt ea, quae essent sacrificii,	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,
34 circumsaepiens autem rex etrem diligenter examinans, templum fecit.	34 the king, after verifying the facts, had the place enclosed and pronounced sacred.
35 Et quibus gratificabatur rex, multadona accipiebat et tribuebat.	35 To the people on whom the king bestowed it, he granted a part of the considerable revenue hederived from it.
36 Appellaverunt autem, qui cum Nehemia erant,hunc locum Nephthar, quod interpretatur Purificatio; vocatur autem apud pluresNephthai.	36 Nehemiah and his people termed this stuff "nephtar", which means "purification", but it is commonly cal ed "naphta".