Primo libro dei Maccabei 15

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Et misit rex Antiochus filius Demetrii epistulas ab insulis maris Simonisacerdoti et principi gentis Iudaeorum et universae genti,	1 Antiochus son of King Demetrius addressed a letter from the Mediterranean Isles to Simon, priest andethnarch of the Jews, and to the whole nation;
2 et erantcontinentes hunc modum: “ Rex Antiochus Simoni sacerdoti magno et gentisprincipi et genti Iudaeorum salutem.	2 this was how it read: 'King Antiochus to Simon, high priest and ethnarch, and to the Jewish nation,greetings.
3 Quoniam quidam pestilentes obtinueruntregnum patrum nostrorum, volo autem vindicare regnum, ut restituam illud, sicuterat antea, delectumque feci multitudinis exercitus et feci naves bellicas;	3 'Whereas certain scoundrels have seized control of the kingdom of our fathers, and I propose to claimback the kingdom so that I may re-establish it as it was before, and whereas I have accordingly recruited verylarge forces and fitted out warships,
4 volo autem procedere per regionem, ut ulciscar in eos, qui corruperunt regionemnostram et qui desolaverunt civitates multas in regno meo.	4 intending to make a landing in the country and to hunt down the men who have ruined it and laidwaste many towns in my kingdom;
5 Nunc ergo statuotibi omnes oblationes, quas remiserunt tibi ante me reges, et quaecumque aliadona remiserunt tibi.	5 'I now, therefore, confirm in your favour al remissions of taxes granted to you by the kings mypredecessors, as wel as the waiving of whatever presents they may have conceded.
6 Et permisi tibi facere monetam propriam numisma regionituae;	6 I hereby authorise you to mint your own coinage as legal tender for your own country.
7 Ierusalem autem et sancta esse libera, et omnia arma, quae fabricatuses, et praesidia, quae construxisti, quae tenes, maneant tibi;	7 I declare Jerusalem and the sanctuary to be free; all the arms you have manufactured and thefortresses you have built and now occupy may remain yours.
8 et omne debitumregis, et quae futura sunt regi ex hoc et in totum tempus, remittantur tibi.	8 Al debts to the royal treasury, present or future, are cancel ed henceforth in perpetuity.
9 Cum autem obtinuerimus regnum nostrum, glorificabimus te et gentem tuam ettemplum gloria magna, ita ut manifestetur gloria vestra in universa terra ”.	9 Furthermore, when we have won back our kingdom, we shall bestow such great honour on yourself,your nation and the sanctuary as wil make your glory known throughout the world.'
10 Anno centesimo septuagesimo quarto exiit Antiochus in terram patrum suorum,et convenerunt ad eum omnes exercitus, ita ut pauci relicti essent cum Tryphone.	10 Antiochus invaded the land of his ancestors in the year 174 and, since the troops all rallied to him,Trypho was left with few supporters.
11 Et insecutus est eum Antiochus rex, et venit Doram fugiens, quae est ad mare;	11 Antiochus pursued the usurper, who took refuge in Dora on the coast,
12 sciebat enim quod congregata sunt mala in eum, et reliquit eum exercitus.	12 knowing that misfortunes were piling up on him and that his troops had deserted him.
13 Et applicuit Antiochus ad Doram cum centum viginti milibus virorumbelligeratorum et octo milibus equitum	13 Antiochus pitched camp outside Dora with a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men and eightthousand cavalry.
14 et circuivit civitatem, et naves amari accesserunt; et vexabat civitatem a terra et mari et neminem sinebatingredi vel egredi.	14 He laid siege to the city while the ships closed in from the sea, so that he had the city under attackfrom land and sea, and al owed no one to go in or come out.
15 Venit autem Numenius et, qui cum eo fuerant, ab urbe Roma habentes epistulasregibus et regionibus scriptas, in quibus continebantur haec:	15 Numenius and his companions, meanwhile, arrived from Rome, bringing letters addressed to variouskings and states, in the fol owing terms:
16 “Luciusconsul Romanorum Ptolemaeo regi salutem.	16 'Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings.
17 Legati Iudaeorum venerunt ad nosamici nostri et socii renovantes pristinam amicitiam et societatem, missi aSimone principe sacerdotum et populo Iudaeorum.	17 'The Jewish ambassadors have come to us as our friends and al ies to renew our original friendshipand alliance in the name of the high priest Simon and the Jewish people.
18 Attulerunt autem et clipeumaureum minarum mille.	18 They have brought a golden shield worth a thousand mina.
19 Placuit itaque nobis scribere regibus et regionibus, utnon exquirant illis mala neque impugnent eos et civitates eorum et regionemeorum et ut non ferant auxilium pugnantibus adversus eos.	19 Accordingly, we have seen fit to write to various kings and states, warning them neither to molest theJewish people nor to attack either them or their towns or their country, nor to al y themselves with any suchaggressors.
20 Visum autem estnobis accipere ab eis clipeum.	20 We have seen fit to accept the shield from them.
21 Si qui ergo pestilentes refugerunt de regioneipsorum ad vos, tradite eos Simoni principi sacerdotum, ut vindicet in eossecundum legem suam ”.	21 If, therefore, any scoundrels have fled their country to take refuge with you, hand them over to Simonthe high priest, to be punished by him according to their law.'
22 Haec eadem scripsit Demetrio regi et Attalo etAriarathae et Arsacae	22 The consul sent the same letter to King Demetrius, to Attalus, Ariarathes and Arsaces,
23 et in omnes regiones et Sampsacae et Spartiatis et inDelum et in Myndum et in Sicyonem et in Carida et in Samum et in Pamphyliam etin Lyciam et in Alicarnassum et in Rhodum et in Phaselidam et in Cho et in Sidenet in Aradon et in Gortynam et Cnidum et Cyprum et Cyrenen.	23 and to all states, including Sampsames, the Spartans, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos,Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Arados, Gortyn, Cyprus and Cyrene.
24 Exemplum autemeorum scripserunt Simoni principi sacerdotum et populo Iudaeorum.	24 They also drew up a copy for Simon the high priest.
25 Antiochus autem rex applicuit castra in Doram in secunda die admovens eisemper manus et machinas faciens et conclusit Tryphonem, ne exiret autintroiret.	25 Antiochus, meanwhile, from his positions on the outskirts of Dora, was continual y throwingdetachments against the town. He constructed siege-engines, and blockaded Trypho, preventing movement inor out.
26 Et misit ad eum Simon duo milia virorum electorum in auxilium etargentum et aurum et vasa copiosa.	26 Simon sent him two thousand picked men to support him in the fight, with silver and gold and plentyof equipment.
27 Et noluit ea accipere, sed rupit omnia,quae pactus est cum eo antea, et alienavit se ab eo.	27 But Antiochus would not accept them; instead, he repudiated al his previous agreements with Simonand completely changed his attitude to him.
28 Et misit ad eumAthenobium unum de amicis suis, ut tractaret cum ipso dicens: “ Vos tenetisIoppen et Gazaram et arcem, quae est in Ierusalem, civitates regni mei;	28 He sent him Athenobius, one of his Friends, to confer with him and say, 'You are now occupyingJoppa and Gezer and the Citadel in Jerusalem, which are towns in my kingdom.
29 finesearum desolastis et fecistis plagam magnam in terra et dominati estis per locamulta in regno meo.	29 You have laid waste their territory and done immense harm to the country; and you have seizedcontrol of many places properly in my kingdom.
30 Nunc ergo tradite civitates, quas occupastis, et tributalocorum, in quibus dominati estis extra fines Iudaeae;	30 Either now surrender the towns you have taken and the taxes from the places you have seizedoutside the frontiers of Judaea,
31 sin autem, date proillis quingenta talenta argenti, et exterminii, quod exterminastis, ettributorum civitatum alia talenta quingenta; sin autem, veniemus et expugnabimusvos”.	31 or else pay me five hundred talents of silver in compensation for them and for the destruction youhave done, and another five hundred talents for the taxes from the towns; otherwise we shall come and makewar on you.'
32 Et venit Athenobius amicus regis in Ierusalem et vidit gloriamSimonis et claritatem in auro et argento et apparatum copiosum et obstupuit etrettulit ei verba regis.	32 When the King's Friend, Athenobius, reached Jerusalem and saw Simon's magnificence, his cabinetof gold and silver plate and the state he kept, he was dumbfounded. He delivered the king's message,
33 Et respondit ei Simon et dixit ei: “ Neque alienamterram sumpsimus neque aliena detinemus sed hereditatem patrum nostrorum, quaeiniuste ab inimicis nostris aliquo tempore possessa est.	33 but Simon gave him this answer, 'We have not taken foreign territory or any alien property but haveoccupied our ancestral heritage, for some time unjustly wrested from us by our enemies;
34 Nos vero tempushabentes vindicamus hereditatem patrum nostrorum;	34 now that we have a favourable opportunity, we are merely recovering our ancestral heritage.
35 nam de Ioppe et Gazara,quae expostulas, ipsae faciebant in populo plagam magnam et in regione nostra:horum damus talenta centum ”. Et non respondit ei verbum.	35 As regards Joppa and Gezer, which you claim, these were towns that did great harm to our peopleand laid waste our country; we are prepared to give a hundred talents for them.' Without so much as a word inanswer,
36 Reversus autemcum ira ad regem renuntiavit ei verba ista et gloriam Simonis et universa, quaevidit; et iratus est rex ira magna.	36 the envoy went back to the king in a rage and reported on Simon's answer and his magnificence,and on everything he had seen, at which the king fel into a fury.
37 Tryphon autem ascendit in navem et fugitin Orthosiam.	37 Trypho now boarded a ship and escaped to Orthosia.
38 Et constituit rex Cendebaeum ducem maritimum et exercitum peditum et equitumdedit illi;	38 The king appointed Cendebaeus military governor of the coastal region and al otted him a force ofinfantry and cavalry.
39 et mandavit illi movere castra contra faciem Iudaeae et mandavitei aedificare Cedron et obstruere portas civitatis et ut debellaret populum. Rexautem persequebatur Tryphonem.	39 He ordered him to deploy his men facing Judaea, and instructed him to rebuild Kedron and fortify itsgates, and to make war on our people, while the king himself went in pursuit of Trypho.
40 Et pervenit Cendebaeus Iamniam et coepitirritare plebem et conculcare Iudaeam et captivare populum et interficere.	40 Cendebaeus arrived at Jamnia and began to provoke our people forthwith, invading Judaea, takingprisoners, and massacring.
41 Etaedificavit Cedron et collocavit illic equites et exercitum, ut egressiperambularent vias Iudaeae, sicut constituit ei rex.	41 Having rebuilt Kedron, he stationed cavalry and troops there to make sorties and patrol the roads ofJudaea, as the king had ordered.