Primo libro dei Maccabei 8

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Et audivit Iudas nomen Roma norum quia sunt potentes viri bus etconsentiunt omnibus, quae postulantur ab eis, et, quicumque accesserint ad eos,statuerunt cum eis amicitiam,	1 Now Judas had heard of the reputation of the Romans: how strong they were, and how wel disposedtowards any who made common cause with them, making a treaty of friendship with anyone who approachedthem.
2 et quia sunt potentes viribus. Et narraveruntproelia eorum et virtutes bonas, quas fecerunt in Galatia, quia obtinuerunt eoset duxerunt eos sub tributum,	2 (And, indeed, they were extremely powerful.) He had been told of their wars and of their prowessamong the Gauls, whom they had conquered and put under tribute;
3 et quanta fecerunt in regione Hispaniae, quod inpotestatem redegerunt metalla argenti et auri, quae illic sunt;	3 and of al they had done in the province of Spain to gain possession of the silver and gold mines there,
4 et possederuntomnem locum consilio suo et patientia — et locus erat longe distans ab eis —et reges, qui supervenerant eis ab extremis terrae, donec contriverunt eos etpercusserunt eos plaga magna; ceteri autem dant eis tributum omnibus annis;	4 making themselves masters of the whole country by their determination and perseverance, despite itsgreat distance from their own; of the kings who came from the ends of the earth to attack them, only to becrushed by them and overwhelmed with disaster, and of others who paid them annual tribute;
5 etPhilippum et Persea Citiorum regem et, quotquot adversum eos arma tulerant,contriverunt in bello et obtinuerunt eos;	5 Philip, Perseus king of the Kittim, and others who had dared to make war on them, had been defeatedand reduced to subjection,
6 et Antiochum magnum regem Asiae, quieis pugnam intulerat habens centum viginti elephantos et equitatum et currus etexercitum magnum valde, contritum ab eis,	6 while Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who had advanced to attack them with a hundred and twentyelephants, cavalry, chariots and a very large army, had also suffered defeat at their hands;
7 et ceperunt eum vivum et statuerunt,ut eis daret ipse et, qui regnarent post ipsum, tributum magnum et daret obsideset constitutum;	7 they had taken him alive and imposed on him and his successors, on agreed terms, the payment of anenormous tribute, the surrender of hostages, and the cession
8 et regionem Indorum et Mediam et Lydiam et de optimisregionibus eorum et acceptas eas ab illo dederunt Eumeni regi;	8 of the Indian territory, with Media, Lydia, and some of their best provinces, which they took from himand gave to King Eumenes.
9 et quia, quierant de Hellade, voluerunt ire et tollere eos, et innotuit sermo his,	9 Judas had also heard how, when the Greeks planned an expedition to destroy the Romans,
10 etmiserunt ad eos ducem unum et pugnaverunt contra illos et ceciderunt ex eismulti et captivas duxerunt uxores eorum et filios et diripuerunt eos et terrameorum possederunt et destruxerunt munitiones eorum et in servitutem illosredegerunt usque in hunc diem;	10 the latter had got wind of it and, sending a single general against them, had fought a campaign inwhich they inflicted heavy casualties, carried their women and children away into captivity, pillaged their goods,subdued their country, tore down their fortresses and reduced them to a slavery lasting to the present day;
11 et residua regna et insulas, quae aliquandorestiterant illis, exterminaverunt et in potestatem redegerunt;	11 and how they had destroyed and subjugated al the other kingdoms and islands that resisted them.
12 cum amicisautem suis et, qui in ipsis requiem habebant, conservaverunt amicitiam; etobtinuerunt reges, qui prope et qui longe erant; et, quicumque audiebant nomeneorum, timebant eos;	12 But where their friends and those who relied on them were concerned, they had always stood by theirfriendship. They had subdued kings far and near, and al who heard their name went in terror of them.
13 quibus vero vellent auxilio esse et regnare, regnabant;quos autem vellent, amovebant; et exaltati sunt valde.	13 One man, if they determined to help him and advance him to a throne, would certainly occupy it, whileanother, if they so determined, would find himself deposed; their influence was paramount.
14 Et in omnibus istisnemo portabat diadema nec induebatur purpura, ut magnificaretur in ea;	14 In spite of al this, no single one of them had assumed a crown or put on the purple for his ownaggrandisement.
15 etcuriam fecerunt sibi, et cotidie consulebant trecenti et viginti consulentessemper de multitudine, ut quiete agerent;	15 They had set up a senate, where three hundred and twenty councillors deliberated daily, constantlydebating how best to regulate public affairs.
16 et committunt uni homini regnareeis per singulos annos et dominari universae terrae suae, et omnes oboediuntuni, et non est invidia neque zelus inter eos.	16 They entrusted their government to one man for a year at a time, with absolute power over their wholeempire, and this man was obeyed by al without envy or jealousy.
17 Et elegit Iudas Eupolemum filium Ioannis filii Accos et Iasonem filiumEleazari et misit eos Romam constituere cum illis amicitiam et societatem	17 Having chosen Eupolemus son of John, of the family of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar, Judas sentthem to Rome to make a treaty of friendship and al iance with these people,
18 etut auferrent ab eis iugum, quia viderunt quod regnum Graecorum in servitutempremeret Israel.	18 in the hope of being rid of the yoke, for they could see that Greek rule was reducing Israel to slavery.
19 Et abierunt Romam — et via multa valde — et introieruntcuriam et responderunt et dixerunt:	19 The envoys made the lengthy journey to Rome and presented themselves before the Senate withtheir formal proposal:
20 “ Iudas Maccabaeus et fratres eius etpopulus Iudaeorum miserunt nos ad vos statuere vobiscum societatem et pacem etconscribere nos socios et amicos vestros ”.	20 'Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers, with the Jewish people, have sent us to you to conclude a treatyof al iance and peace with you, and to enrol ourselves as your al ies and friends.'
21 Et placuit sermo in conspectueorum.	21 The proposal met with the approval of the senators.
22 Et hoc est rescriptum epistulae, quam rescripserunt in tabulis aereiset miserunt in Ierusalem, ut esset apud eos ibi memoriale pacis et societatis:	22 Here is a copy of the rescript which they engraved on bronze tablets and sent to Jerusalem to be keptthere by the Jews as a record of peace and al iance:
23 “ Bene sit Romanis et genti Iudaeorum in mari et in terra in aeternum,gladiusque et hostis procul sit ab eis.	23 'Good fortune attend the Romans and the Jewish nation by sea and land for ever; may sword orenemy be far from them!
24 Quod si institerit bellum Romanisprius aut omnibus sociis eorum in omni dominatione eorum,	24 'If war comes first to Rome or any of her al ies throughout her dominions,
25 auxilium feret gensIudaeorum, prout tempus dictaverit illis, corde pleno	25 the Jewish nation wil take action as her al y, as occasion may require, and do it wholeheartedly.
26 et proeliantibus nondabunt neque subministrabunt triticum, arma, argentum, naves, sicut placuitRomae; et custodient mandata eorum, nihil accipientes.	26 They wil not give or supply to the enemy any grain, arms, money or ships: thus has Rome decided,and they are to honour their obligations without guarantees.
27 Similiter autem et sigenti Iudaeorum prius acciderit bellum, adiuvabunt Romani ex animo, prout eistempus permiserit;	27 In the same way, if war comes first to the Jewish nation, the Romans wil support them energetical yas occasion may offer,
28 et adiuvantibus non dabitur triticum, arma, argentum,naves, sicut placuit Romae; et custodient mandata haec absque dolo.	28 and the aggressor wil not be furnished with grain, arms, money or ships: such is the Roman decision,and they wil honour these obligations without treachery.
29 Secundumhaec verba ita constituerunt Romani populo Iudaeorum.	29 Such are the articles under which the Romans have concluded their treaty with the Jewish people.
30 Quod si post haec verbacogitaverint hi aut illi addere aut demere, facient ex proposito suo; et,quaecumque addiderint vel dempserint, rata erunt.	30 If, later, either party should decide to make any addition or deletion, they wil be free to do so, and anysuch addition or deletion wil be binding.
31 Et de malis, quae Demetriusrex fecit in eos, scripsimus ei dicentes: “Quare gravasti iugum tuum superamicos nostros, socios Iudaeos?	31 'As regards the wrongs done to them by King Demetrius, we have written to him in these terms: Whyhave you made your yoke lie heavy on our friends and al ies the Jews?
32 Si ergo iterum adierint nos adversum te,faciemus illis iudicium et pugnabimus tecum mari terraque” ”.	32 If they appeal against you again, we shal uphold their rights and make war on you by sea and land.'