Secondus Machabaeorum 1

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Fratribus qui sunt per Ægyptum Judæis, salutem dicunt fratres qui sunt in Jerosolymis Judæi, et qui in regione Judææ, et 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 Benefaciat vobis Deus, et meminerit testamenti sui, quod locutus est ad Abraham, et Isaac, et Jacob servorum suorum fidelium :	2 'May God prosper you, remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his faithfulservants.
3 et det vobis cor omnibus ut colatis eum, et faciatis ejus 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 Adaperiat cor vestrum in lege sua, et in præceptis suis, et faciat pacem.	4 May he open your hearts to his Law and his precepts, and give you peace.
5 Exaudiat orationes vestras, et reconcilietur vobis, nec vos deserat in tempore malo.	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 centesimo sexagesimo nono, nos Judæi scripsimus vobis in tribulatione et impetu qui supervenit nobis in istis annis, ex quo recessit Jason a sancta 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 Portam succenderunt, et effuderunt sanguinem innocentem : et oravimus ad Dominum, et exauditi sumus, et obtulimus sacrificium et similaginem, 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 frequentate dies scenopegiæ 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 octogesimo octavo, populus qui est Jerosolymis et in Judæa, senatusque et Judas, Aristobolo magistro Ptolemæi regis, qui est de genere christorum sacerdotum, et his qui in Ægypto sunt Judæis, 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 liberati, magnifice gratias agimus ipsi, utpote qui adversus talem 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 Ipse enim ebullire fecit de Perside eos qui pugnaverunt contra nos et sanctam civitatem.	12 for he it was who carried off those who had taken up arms against the Holy City.
13 Nam cum in Perside esset dux ipse, et cum ipso immensus exercitus, cecidit in templo Naneæ, consilio deceptus sacerdotum Naneæ.	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 cum ea habitaturus venit ad locum Antiochus et amici ejus, et 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 proposuissent eas sacerdotes Naneæ, et ipse cum paucis ingressus esset intra ambitum fani, clauserunt templum,	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 cum intrasset Antiochus : apertoque occulto aditu templi, mittentes lapides percusserunt ducem et eos qui cum eo erant : et diviserunt membratim, et capitibus amputatis foras projecerunt.	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 tradidit impios.	17 Blessed in al things be our God, who has delivered the sacrilegious over to death!
18 Facturi igitur quinta et vigesima die mensis Casleu purificationem templi, necessarium duximus significare vobis : ut et vos quoque agatis diem scenopegiæ, et diem ignis, qui datus est quando Nehemias ædificato templo et altari obtulit sacrificia.	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 qui tunc cultores Dei erant, acceptum ignem de altari occulte absconderunt in valle, ubi erat puteus altus et siccus, et in eo contutati sunt eum, ita ut omnibus ignotus esset 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 præterissent anni multi, et placuit Deo ut mitteretur Nehemias a rege Persidis, nepotes sacerdotum illorum qui absconderant, misit ad requirendum ignem : et sicut narraverunt nobis, non invenerunt ignem, sed aquam crassam.	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 Et jussit eos haurire, et afferre sibi : et sacrificia quæ imposita erant, jussit sacerdos Nehemias aspergi ipsa aqua : et ligna, et quæ erant superposita.	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 affuit quo sol refulsit, qui prius 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 omnes sacerdotes, dum consummaretur sacrificium, Jonatha inchoante, ceteris autem respondentibus.	23 While the sacrifice was being burned, the priests offered prayer, Jonathan intoning with al the priests,and the rest responding with Nehemiah.
24 Et Nehemiæ erat oratio hunc habens modum : Domine Deus omnium creator, terribilis et fortis, justus et misericors, qui solus est bonus rex,	24 The prayer took this form, "Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, awesome, strong, just, merciful, theonly king and benefactor,
25 solus præstans, solus justus et omnipotens et æternus, qui liberas Israël de omni malo ; 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 pro universo populo tuo Israël, 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 Congrega dispersionem nostram, libera eos qui serviunt gentibus, et contemptos et abominatos 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 Afflige opprimentes nos, et contumeliam facientes in superbia.	28 Punish those who oppress us and affront us by their insolence,
29 Constitue populum tuum in loco sancto tuo, sicut dixit Moyses.	29 and plant your people firmly in your Holy Place, as Moses promised."
30 Sacerdotes autem psallebant hymnos usquequo consumptum esset sacrificium.	30 'The priests then chanted hymns accompanied by the harp.
31 Cum autem consumptum esset sacrificium, ex residua aqua Nehemias jussit lapides majores perfundi.	31 When the sacrifice had been burnt, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured over largestones,
32 Quod ut factum est, ex eis flamma accensa est : sed ex lumine quod refulsit ab 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, renuntiatum est regi Persarum quod in loco in quo ignem absconderent hi qui translati fuerant sacerdotes, aqua apparuit, de qua Nehemias, et qui cum eo erant, purificaverunt sacrificia.	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 Considerans autem rex, et rem diligenter examinans, fecit ei templum, ut probaret quod factum erat :	34 the king, after verifying the facts, had the place enclosed and pronounced sacred.
35 et cum probasset, sacerdotibus donavit multa bona, et alia atque alia munera : et accipiens manu sua, tribuebat eis.	35 To the people on whom the king bestowed it, he granted a part of the considerable revenue hederived from it.
36 Appellavit autem Nehemias hunc locum Nephthar, quod interpretatur Purificatio : vocatur autem apud plures Nephi.	36 Nehemiah and his people termed this stuff "nephtar", which means "purification", but it is commonly cal ed "naphta".