2 Maccabees 1

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW JERUSALEM
1 To the brethren the Jews that are I throughout Egypt, the brethren, the Jews that are in Jerusalem, and in the land of Judea, send health, and good peace.	1 'To their brothers, the Jews living in Egypt, from their brothers, the Jews in Jerusalem and Judaea,greetings and untroubled peace.
2 May God be gracious to you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants:	2 'May God prosper you, remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his faithfulservants.
3 And give you all a heart to worship him, and to do his will with a great heart, and a willing mind.	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 May he open your heart in his law, and in his commandments, and send you peace.	4 May he open your hearts to his Law and his precepts, and give you peace.
5 May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled unto you, and never forsake you in the evil time.	5 May he hear your prayers and be reconciled with you, and not abandon you in time of evil.
6 And now here we are praying for you.	6 Such is our prayer for you.
7 When Demetrius reigned, in the year one hundred and sixty-nine, we Jews wrote to you, in the trouble, and violence, that came upon us in those years, after Jason withdrew himself from the holy land, and from the kingdom.	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 They burnt the gate, and shed innocent blood: then we prayed to the Lord, and were heard, and we offered sacrifices, and fine flour, and lighted the lamps, and set forth the leaves.	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 And now celebrate ye the days of Scenopegia in the month of 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 In the year Bone hundred and eightyeight, the people that is at Jerusalem, and in Judea, and the senate, and Judas, to Aristobolus, the preceptor of king Ptolemee, who is of the stock of the anointed priests, and to the Jews that are in Egypt, health and welfare.	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 Having been delivered by God out of great dangers, we give him great thanks, forasmuch as we have been in war with such a king.	11 'Since we have been rescued by God from great danger, we give him great thanks for championingour cause against the king,
12 For he made numbers of men swarm out of Persia that have fought against us, and the holy city.	12 for he it was who carried off those who had taken up arms against the Holy City.
13 For when the leader himself was in Persia, and with him a very great army, he fell in the temple of Nanea, being deceived by the counsel of the priests of Nanea.	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 For Antiochus, with his friends, came to the place as though he would marry her, and that he might receive great sums of money under the title of a dowry.	14 On the pretext of marrying Nanaea, Antiochus came to the place with his friends, intending to take itsmany treasures as a dowry.
15 And when the priests of Nanea had set it forth, and he with a small company had entered into the compass of the temple, they shut the temple,	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 When Antiochus was came in: and opening a secret entrance of the temple, they cast stones and slew the leader, and them that were with him, and hewed them in pieces, and cutting off their heads they threw them forth.	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 Blessed be God in all things, who hath delivered up the wicked.	17 Blessed in al things be our God, who has delivered the sacrilegious over to death!
18 Therefore whereas we purpose to keep the purification of the temple on the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, we thought it necessary to signify it to you: that you also may keep the day of Scenopegia, and the day of the fire, that was given when Nehemias offered sacrifice, after the temple and the altar was built.	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 For when our fathers were led in Persia, the priests that then were worshippers of God took privately the fire from the altar, and hid it in a valley where there was a deep pit without water, and there they kept it safe,	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 But when many years had passed, and it pleased God that Nehemias should be sent by the king of Persia, he sent some of the posterity of those priests that had hid it, to seek for the fire: and as they told us, they found no fire, but thick water.	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 Then he bade them draw it up, and bring it to him: and the priest Nehemias commanded the sacrifices that were laid on, to be sprinkled with the same water, both the wood, and the things that were laid upon 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.
22 And when this was done, and the time came that the sun shone out, which before was in a cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that all wondered.	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 And all the priests made prayer, while the sacrifice was consuming, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering.	23 While the sacrifice was being burned, the priests offered prayer, Jonathan intoning with al the priests,and the rest responding with Nehemiah.
24 And the prayer of Nehemias was after this manner: 0 Lord God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just and merciful, who alone art the goad king,	24 The prayer took this form, "Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, awesome, strong, just, merciful, theonly king and benefactor,
25 Who alone art gracious, who alone art just, and almighty, and eternal, who deliverest Israel from all evil, who didst choose the fathers and didst sanctify them :	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 Receive the sacrifice for all thy people Israel, and preserve thy own portion, and sanctify it.	26 accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel, and protect your heritage and consecrate it.
27 Gather together our scattered people, deliver them that are slaves to the Gentiles, and look upon them that are despised and abhorred: that the Gentiles may know that thou art our God.	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 Punish them that oppress us, and that treat us injuriously with pride.	28 Punish those who oppress us and affront us by their insolence,
29 Establish thy people in thy holy place, as Moses hath spoken.	29 and plant your people firmly in your Holy Place, as Moses promised."
30 And the priests sung hymns till the sacrifice was consumed.	30 'The priests then chanted hymns accompanied by the harp.
31 And when the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemias commanded the water that was left to be poured out upon the great stones.	31 When the sacrifice had been burnt, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured over largestones,
32 Which being done, there -was kindled a dame from them: but it was consumed by the light that shined from the altar.	32 and when this was done a flame flared up, to be absorbed in a corresponding blaze of light from thealtar.
33 And when this matter became public, it was told to the king of Persia, that in the place where the priests that were led away, had hid the fire, there appeared water, with which Nehemias and they that were with him had purified the sacrifices.	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 And the king considering, and diligently examining the matter, made a temple for it, that he might prove what had happened.	34 the king, after verifying the facts, had the place enclosed and pronounced sacred.
35 And when he had proved it, he gave the priests many goods, and divers presents, and he took end distributed them to them with his own hand.	35 To the people on whom the king bestowed it, he granted a part of the considerable revenue hederived from it.
36 And Nehemias called this place Nephthar, which is interpreted purification. But many call it Nephi.	36 Nehemiah and his people termed this stuff "nephtar", which means "purification", but it is commonly cal ed "naphta".
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90 that the place was unknown to all men.