Secondo libro dei Maccabei 9

NOVA VULGATA	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Eodem autem tempore Anti ochus inhoneste revertebatur de regionibus circaPersidem.	1 But Judas Machabeus, and they that were with him, went privately into the towns: and calling together their kinsmen and friends, and taking unto them such as continued in the Jews' religion, they assembled six thousand men.
2 Intraverat enim in eam, quae dicitur Persepolis, et tentavitexspoliare templum et civitatem opprimere; quapropter, multitudine ad armorumauxilium concurrente, in fugam versi sunt; et contigit ut Antiochus in fugamversus ab indigenis turpiter rediret.	2 And they called upon the Lord that he would look upon his people that was trodden down by all, and would have pity on the temple, that was defiled by the wicked:
3 Et cum esset circa Ecbatana, nuntiatasunt ea, quae erga Nicanorem et Timotheum gesta sunt.	3 That he would have pity also upon the city that was destroyed, that was ready to be made even with the ground, and would hear the voice of the blood that cried to him:
4 Elatus autem iraarbitrabatur se etiam iniuriam illorum, qui se fugaverant, in Iudaeosretorquere; ideoque iussit, ut auriga sine intermissione iter perficeret,caelesti iam eum comitante iudicio. Ita enim superbe locutus erat: “ Congeriemsepulcri Iudaeorum Hierosolymam faciam, cum venero illo ”.	4 That he would remember also the most unjust deaths of innocent children, and the blasphemies offered to his name, and would shew his indignation on this occasion.
5 Sed qui universa conspicit, Dominus, Deus Israel, percussit eum insanabili etinvisibili plaga; et continuo ut is finivit sermonem, apprehendit eum dolordirus viscerum et amara internorum tormenta,	5 Now when Machabeus had gathered a multitude, he could not be withstood by the heathens: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
6 perquam iuste, quippe qui multiset novis cruciatibus aliorum torserat viscera.	6 So coming unawares upon the towns and cities, he set them on fire, and taking possession of the most commodious places, he made no small slaughter of the enemies
7 Ille vero nullo modo abarrogantia cessabat; super hoc autem superbia repletus erat, ignem spirans animoin Iudaeos et praecipiens iter accelerari. Contigit autem, ut et ille caderet decurru, qui ferebatur impetu, et gravi lapsu corruens in omnibus corporis membrisvexaretur.	7 And especially in the nights he went upon these expeditions, and the fame of his valour was spread abroad every where.
8 Isque, qui nuper videbatur fluctibus maris imperare propter superhominem iactantiam et in statera montium altitudines appendere, humiliatus adterram in gestatorio portabatur manifestam Dei virtutem omnibus ostendens,	8 Then Philip, seeing that the man gained ground by little and little, and that things for the most part succeeded prosperously with him, wrote to Ptolemee the governor of Celesyria and Phenicia, to send aid to the king's affairs.
9 itaut de oculis impii vermes scaturirent, ac viventis in doloribus et maeroribuscarnes eius diffluerent, illiusque odore totus exercitus gravaretur propterputredinem.	9 And he with all speed sent Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, giving him no fewer than twenty thousand armed men of different nations, to root out the whole race of the Jews, joining also with him Gorgias, a good soldier, and of great experience in matters of war.
10 Et qui paulo ante sidera caeli contingere se arbitrabatur, eumnemo poterat propter intolerabilem foetoris gravitatem portare.	10 And Nicanor purposed to raise for the king the tribute of two thousand talents, that was to be given to the Romans, by making so much money of the captive Jews:
11 Hinc igitur coepit multum superbiae deponere confractus et ad agnitionemvenire divina plaga, per momenta doloribus extensus.	11 Wherefore he sent immediately to the cities upon the sea coast, to invite men together to buy up the Jewish slaves, promising that they should have ninety slaves for one talent, not reflecting on the vengeance, which was to follow him from the Almighty.
12 Et, cum nec ipsefoetorem suum ferre posset, ita ait: “ Iustum est subditum esse Deo etmortalem non superbe sentire ”.	12 Now when Judas found that Nicanor was coming, he imparted to the Jews that were with him, that the enemy was at hand.
13 Orabat autem hic scelestus Dominum, ei nonamplius miserturum, ita dicens:	13 And some of them being afraid, and distrusting the justice of God, fled away:
14 sanctam quidem civitatem, ad quam festinansveniebat, ut eam solo aequalem faceret ac sepulcrum congestorum strueret,liberam ostendere;	14 Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord, that he would deliver them from the wicked Nicanor, who had sold them before he came near them:
15 Iudaeos autem, quos decreverat nec sepultura quidem sedignos habiturum, sed avibus devorandos cum parvulis se feris proiecturum, omneshos aequales Atheniensibus facturum;	15 And if not for their sakes, yet for the covenant that he had made with their fathers, and for the sake of his holy and glorious name that was invoked upon them.
16 templum vero sanctum, quod priusexspoliaverat, pulcherrimis donis ornaturum et sacra vasa multiplicia cuncta seredditurum, et pertinentes ad sacrificia sumptus de redditibus suispraestaturum;	16 But Machabeus calling together seven thousand that were with him, exhorted them not to be reconciled to the enemies, nor to fear the multitude of the enemies who came wrongfully against them, but to fight manfully:
17 super haec autem et Iudaeum se futurum et omnem locumhabitabilem perambulaturum praedicantem Dei potestatem.	17 Setting before their eyes the injury they had unjustly done the holy place, and also the injury they had done to the city, which had been shamefully abused, besides their destroying the ordinances of the fathers.
18 Sed omnino non cessantibus doloribus — supervenerat enim in eum iustum Deiiudicium — semetipsum desperans scripsit ad Iudaeos hanc infra rescriptamepistulam modum deprecationis habentem, haec continentem:	18 For, said he, they trust in their weapons, and in their boldness: but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who at a beck can utterly destroy both them that come against us, and the whole world.
19 “ Optimis civibusIudaeis plurimam salutem et bene valere et esse felices, rex et dux Antiochus.	19 Moreover he put them in mind also of the helps their fathers had received from God: and how under Sennacherib a hundred and eighty-five thousand had been destroyed.
20 Si bene valetis et filii vestri, et res vestrae ex sententia sunt vobis,precans refero quidem Deo maximam gratiam, in caelum spem habens;	20 And of the battle that they had fought against the Galatians in Babylonia, how they, being in all but six thousand, when it came to the point, and Macedonians their companions were a stand, slew a hundred and twenty thousand, because of the help they had from heaven, and for this they received many favours.
21 ego vero ininfirmitate constitutus eram, vestri autem honoris et benevolentiae memineramcum affectione. Reversus de Persidis locis et in infirmitatem incidens molestiamhabentem, necessarium duxi pro communi omnium securitate curam habere.	21 With these words they were greatly encouraged, and disposed even to die for the laws and their country.
22 Nondesperans memetipsum, sed spem multam habens effugiendi infirmitatem,	22 So he appointed his brethren cap over each division of his army, Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving to one fifteen hundred men.
23 respiciens autem quod et pater meus, quibus temporibus in superiora loca duxitexercitum, ostendit, qui susciperet principatum;	23 And after the holy Book had been read to them by Esdras, and he had given them for a watchword, The help of God: himself leading the first band, he joined battle with Nicanor:
24 ut, si quid contrariumaccideret aut etiam quid difficile nuntiaretur, scientes hi, qui circa regionemerant, cui esset rerum summa derelicta, non turbarentur.	24 And the Almighty being their helper, they slew above nine thousand men: and having wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor's army, they obliged them to fly.
25 Ad haec autemconsiderans de proximo potentes et vicinos regno temporibus insidiantes eteventum exspectantes, designavi filium Antiochum regem, quem saepe recurrens insuperiora regna plurimis vestrum committebam et commendabam; et scripsi ad eum,quae subiecta sunt.	25 And they took the money of them that came to buy them, and they pursued them on every side.
26 Oro itaque vos et peto memores beneficiorum publice etprivatim, ut unusquisque conservet hanc, quam habetis benevolentiam in me et infilium.	26 But they came back for want of time: for it was the day before the sabbath: and therefore they did not continue the pursuit.
27 Confido enim eum modeste et humane, sequentem propositum meum,vobiscum acturum ”.	27 But when they had gathered together their arms and their spoils, they kept the sabbath: blessing the Lord who had delivered them that day, distilling the beginning of mercy upon them.
28 Igitur homicida et blasphemus pessima perpessus, ut ipse alios tractaverat,peregre in montibus miserabili obitu vita functus est.	28 Then after the sabbath they divided the spoils to the feeble and the orphans, and the widows: and the rest they took for themselves and their servants.
29 Transferebat autemcorpus Philippus collactaneus eius, qui etiam metuens filium Antiochi adPtolemaeum Philometorem in Aegyptum se contulit.	29 When this was done, and they had all made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled to his servants unto the end.
	30 Moreover they slew above twenty thousand of them that were with Timotheus and Bacchides who fought them, and they made themselves masters of the high strong holds: and they divided amongst them many spoils, giving equal portions to the feeble, the fatherless and the widows, yea and the aged also.
	31 And when they had carefully gathered together their arms, they laid them all up in convenient places, and the residue of their spoils they carried to Jerusalem :
	32 They slew also Philarches who was with Timotheus, a wicked man, who had many ways afflicted the Jews.
	33 And when they kept the feast of the victory at Jerusalem, they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire to the holy gates, who had taken refuge in a certain house, rendering to him a worthy reward for his impieties:
	34 But as for that most wicked man Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to the sale of the Jews,
	35 Being through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom he had made no account, laying; aside his garment of glory, fleeing through the midland country, he came alone to Antioch, being rendered very unhappy by the destruction of his army.
	36 And he that had promised to levy the tribute for the Romans by the means of the captives of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had God for their protector, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws appointed by him.