1 τοις αδελφοις τοις κατ' αιγυπτον ιουδαιοις χαιρειν οι αδελφοι οι εν ιεροσολυμοις ιουδαιοι και οι εν τη χωρα της ιουδαιας ειρηνην αγαθην | 1 The Jews in Jerusalem and in the land of Judea send greetings to their brethren, the Jews in Egypt, and wish them true peace! |
2 και αγαθοποιησαι υμιν ο θεος και μνησθειη της διαθηκης αυτου της προς αβρααμ και ισαακ και ιακωβ των δουλων αυτου των πιστων | 2 May God bless you and remember his covenant with his faithful servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. |
3 και δωη υμιν καρδιαν πασιν εις το σεβεσθαι αυτον και ποιειν αυτου τα θεληματα καρδια μεγαλη και ψυχη βουλομενη | 3 May he give to all of you a heart to worship him and to do his will readily and generously. |
4 και διανοιξαι την καρδιαν υμων εν τω νομω αυτου και εν τοις προσταγμασιν και ειρηνην ποιησαι | 4 May he open your heart to his law and his commandments and grant you peace. |
5 και επακουσαι υμων των δεησεων και καταλλαγειη υμιν και μη υμας εγκαταλιποι εν καιρω πονηρω | 5 May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled to you, and never forsake you in time of adversity. |
6 και νυν ωδε εσμεν προσευχομενοι περι υμων | 6 Even now we are praying for you here. |
7 βασιλευοντος δημητριου ετους εκατοστου εξηκοστου ενατου ημεις οι ιουδαιοι γεγραφαμεν υμιν εν τη θλιψει και εν τη ακμη τη επελθουση ημιν εν τοις ετεσιν τουτοις αφ' ου απεστη ιασων και οι μετ' αυτου απο της αγιας γης και της βασιλειας | 7 In the reign of Demetrius, the year one hundred and sixty-nine, we Jews wrote to you during the trouble and violence that overtook us in those years after Jason and his followers had revolted against the holy land and the kingdom, |
8 και ενεπυρισαν τον πυλωνα και εξεχεαν αιμα αθωον και εδεηθημεν του κυριου και εισηκουσθημεν και προσηνεγκαμεν θυσιαν και σεμιδαλιν και εξηψαμεν τους λυχνους και προεθηκαμεν τους αρτους | 8 setting fire to the gatehouse and shedding innocent blood. But we prayed to the Lord, and our prayer was heard; we offered sacrifices and fine flour; we lighted the lamps and set out the loaves of bread. |
9 και νυν ινα αγητε τας ημερας της σκηνοπηγιας του χασελευ μηνος ετους εκατοστου ογδοηκοστου και ογδοου | 9 We are now reminding you to celebrate the feast of Booths in the month of Chislev. |
10 οι εν ιεροσολυμοις και οι εν τη ιουδαια και η γερουσια και ιουδας αριστοβουλω διδασκαλω πτολεμαιου του βασιλεως οντι δε απο του των χριστων ιερεων γενους και τοις εν αιγυπτω ιουδαιοις χαιρειν και υγιαινειν | 10 Dated in the year one hundred and eighty-eight. The people of Jerusalem and Judea, the senate, and Judas send greetings and good wishes to Aristobulus, counselor of King Ptolemy and member of the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt. |
11 εκ μεγαλων κινδυνων υπο του θεου σεσωσμενοι μεγαλως ευχαριστουμεν αυτω ως αν προς βασιλεα παρατασσομενοι | 11 Since we have been saved by God from grave dangers, we give him great thanks for having fought on our side against the king; |
12 αυτος γαρ εξεβρασεν τους παραταξαμενους εν τη αγια πολει | 12 it was he who drove out those who fought against the holy city. |
13 εις την περσιδα γενομενος γαρ ο ηγεμων και η περι αυτον ανυποστατος δοκουσα ειναι δυναμις κατεκοπησαν εν τω της ναναιας ιερω παραλογισμω χρησαμενων των περι την ναναιαν ιερεων | 13 When their leader arrived in Persia with his seemingly irresistible army, they were cut to pieces in the temple of the goddess Nanea through a deceitful stratagem employed by Nanea's priests. |
14 ως γαρ συνοικησων αυτη παρεγενετο εις τον τοπον ο τε αντιοχος και οι συν αυτω φιλοι χαριν του λαβειν τα χρηματα πλειονα εις φερνης λογον | 14 On the pretext of marrying the goddess, Antiochus with his Friends had come to the place to get its great treasures by way of dowry. |
15 και προθεντων αυτα των ιερεων του ναναιου κακεινου προσελθοντος μετ' ολιγων εις τον περιβολον του τεμενους συγκλεισαντες το ιερον ως εισηλθεν αντιοχος | 15 When the priests of the Nanaeon had displayed the treasures, Antiochus with a few attendants came to the temple precincts. As soon as he entered the temple, the priests locked the doors. |
16 ανοιξαντες την του φατνωματος κρυπτην θυραν βαλλοντες πετρους συνεκεραυνωσαν τον ηγεμονα και μελη ποιησαντες και τας κεφαλας αφελοντες τοις εξω παρερριψαν | 16 Then they opened a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling, hurled stones at the leader and his companions and struck them down. They dismembered the bodies, cut off their heads and tossed them to the people outside. |
17 κατα παντα ευλογητος ημων ο θεος ος παρεδωκεν τους ασεβησαντας | 17 Forever blessed be our God, who has thus punished the wicked! |
18 μελλοντες αγειν εν τω χασελευ πεμπτη και εικαδι τον καθαρισμον του ιερου δεον ηγησαμεθα διασαφησαι υμιν ινα και αυτοι αγητε σκηνοπηγιας και του πυρος οτε νεεμιας ο οικοδομησας το τε ιερον και το θυσιαστηριον ανηνεγκεν θυσιας | 18 We shall be celebrating the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, so we thought it right to inform you, that you too may celebrate the feast of Booths and of the fire that appeared when Nehemiah, the rebuilder of the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices. |
19 και γαρ οτε εις την περσικην ηγοντο ημων οι πατερες οι τοτε ευσεβεις ιερεις λαβοντες απο του πυρος του θυσιαστηριου λαθραιως κατεκρυψαν εν κοιλωματι φρεατος ταξιν εχοντος ανυδρον εν ω κατησφαλισαντο ωστε πασιν αγνωστον ειναι τον τοπον | 19 When our fathers were being exiled to Persia, devout priests of the time took some of the fire from the altar and hid it secretly in the hollow of a dry cistern, making sure that the place would be unknown to anyone. |
20 διελθοντων δε ετων ικανων οτε εδοξεν τω θεω αποσταλεις νεεμιας υπο του βασιλεως της περσιδος τους εκγονους των ιερεων των αποκρυψαντων επεμψεν επι το πυρ ως δε διεσαφησαν ημιν μη ευρηκεναι πυρ αλλα υδωρ παχυ εκελευσεν αυτους αποβαψαντας φερειν | 20 Many years later, when it so pleased God, Nehemiah, commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to look for it. |
21 ως δε ανηνεχθη τα των θυσιων εκελευσεν τους ιερεις νεεμιας επιρραναι τω υδατι τα τε ξυλα και τα επικειμενα | 21 When they informed us that they could not find any fire, but only muddy water, he ordered them to scoop some out and bring it. After the material for the sacrifices had been prepared, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle with the water the wood and what lay on it. |
22 ως δε εγενετο τουτο και χρονος διηλθεν ο τε ηλιος ανελαμψεν προτερον επινεφης ων ανηφθη πυρα μεγαλη ωστε θαυμασαι παντας | 22 When this was done and in time the sun, which had been clouded over, began to shine, a great fire blazed up, so that everyone marveled. |
23 προσευχην δε εποιησαντο οι ιερεις δαπανωμενης της θυσιας οι τε ιερεις και παντες καταρχομενου ιωναθου των δε λοιπων επιφωνουντων ως νεεμιου | 23 While the sacrifice was being burned, the priests recited a prayer, and all present joined in with them, Jonathan leading and the rest responding with Nehemiah. |
24 ην δε η προσευχη τον τροπον εχουσα τουτον κυριε κυριε ο θεος ο παντων κτιστης ο φοβερος και ισχυρος και δικαιος και ελεημων ο μονος βασιλευς και χρηστος | 24 The prayer was as follows: "Lord, Lord God, creator of all things, awesome and strong, just and merciful, the only king and benefactor, |
25 ο μονος χορηγος ο μονος δικαιος και παντοκρατωρ και αιωνιος ο διασωζων τον ισραηλ εκ παντος κακου ο ποιησας τους πατερας εκλεκτους και αγιασας αυτους | 25 who alone are gracious, just, almighty, and eternal, Israel's savior from all evil, who chose our forefathers and sanctified them: |
26 προσδεξαι την θυσιαν υπερ παντος του λαου σου ισραηλ και διαφυλαξον την μεριδα σου και καθαγιασον | 26 accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel and guard and sanctify your heritage. |
27 επισυναγαγε την διασποραν ημων ελευθερωσον τους δουλευοντας εν τοις εθνεσιν τους εξουθενημενους και βδελυκτους επιδε και γνωτωσαν τα εθνη οτι συ ει ο θεος ημων | 27 Gather together our scattered people, free those who are the slaves of the Gentiles, look kindly on those who are despised and detested, and let the Gentiles know that you are our God. |
28 βασανισον τους καταδυναστευοντας και εξυβριζοντας εν υπερηφανια | 28 Punish those who tyrannize over us and arrogantly mistreat us. |
29 καταφυτευσον τον λαον σου εις τον τοπον τον αγιον σου καθως ειπεν μωυσης | 29 Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses promised." |
30 οι δε ιερεις επεψαλλον τους υμνους | 30 Then the priests began to sing hymns. |
31 καθως δε ανηλωθη τα της θυσιας και το περιλειπομενον υδωρ ο νεεμιας εκελευσεν λιθους μειζονας καταχειν | 31 After the sacrifice was burned, Nehemiah ordered the rest of the liquid to be poured upon large stones. |
32 ως δε τουτο εγενηθη φλοξ ανηφθη του δε απο του θυσιαστηριου αντιλαμψαντος φωτος εδαπανηθη | 32 As soon as this was done, a flame blazed up, but its light was lost in the brilliance cast from a light on the altar. |
33 ως δε φανερον εγενηθη το πραγμα και διηγγελη τω βασιλει των περσων οτι εις τον τοπον ου το πυρ εκρυψαν οι μεταχθεντες ιερεις το υδωρ εφανη αφ' ου και οι περι τον νεεμιαν ηγνισαν τα της θυσιας | 33 When the event became known and the king of the Persians was told that, in the very place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire, a liquid was found with which Nehemiah and his people had burned the sacrifices, |
34 περιφραξας δε ο βασιλευς ιερον εποιησεν δοκιμασας το πραγμα | 34 the king, after verifying the fact, fenced the place off and declared it sacred. |
35 και οις εχαριζετο ο βασιλευς πολλα διαφορα ελαμβανεν και μετεδιδου | 35 To those on whom the king wished to bestow favors he distributed the large revenues he received there. |
36 προσηγορευσαν δε οι περι τον νεεμιαν τουτο νεφθαρ ο διερμηνευεται καθαρισμος καλειται δε παρα τοις πολλοις νεφθαι | 36 Nehemiah and his companions called the liquid nephthar, meaning purification, but most people named it naphtha. |