II Livro dos Macabeus 12

SAGRADA BIBLIA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Concluídos esses tratados, voltou Lísias para junto do rei, e os judeus voltaram aos trabalhos dos campos.	1 After these agreements were made, Lysias returned to the king, and the Jews went about their farming.
2 No entanto, chefes militares locais, como Timóteo, Apolônio, filho de Jeneu, Jerônimo e Demofonte, e além destes, o cipriarca Nicanor, não lhes davam trégua, nem os deixavam viver em repouso.	2 But some of the local governors, Timothy and Apollonius, son of Gennaeus, as also Hieronymus and Demophon, to say nothing of Nicanor, the commander of the Cyprians, would not allow them to live in peace.
3 Por outro lado, os habitantes de Jope praticaram a seguinte infâmia: convidaram os judeus que habitavam entre eles a subir com suas mulheres e filhos para barcas que eles haviam preparado. Não davam a entender intenção malvada alguma a seu respeito,	3 Some people of Joppa also committed this outrage: they invited the Jews who lived among them, together with their wives and children, to embark on boats which they had provided. There was no hint of enmity toward them;
4 mas pareciam proceder, seguindo uma decisão votada pela cidade. Os judeus, pacíficos e sem suspeitarem, anuíram, mas quando chegaram ao alto-mar foram afogados em número de duzentos pelo menos.	4 this was done by public vote of the city. When the Jews, not suspecting treachery and wishing to live on friendly terms, accepted the invitation, the people of Joppa took them out to sea and drowned at least two hundred of them.
5 Mal soube Judas do crime praticado contra a gente de sua nação, convocou seus homens.	5 As soon as Judas heard of the barbarous deed perpetrated against his countrymen, he summoned his men;
6 Depois de ter invocado a Deus, justo juiz, foi contra os carrascos de seus irmãos e, de noite, ateou fogo ao porto, incendiou as embarcações e passou a fio de espada os que ali se haviam refugiado.	6 and after calling upon God, the just judge, he marched against the murderers of his kinsmen. In a night attack he set the harbor on fire, burnt the boats, and put to the sword those who had taken refuge there.
7 Como a cidade mesma estivesse fechada, afastou-se, mas com a intenção de voltar e exterminar todos os habitantes de Jope.	7 When the gates of the town were shut, he withdrew, intending to come back later and wipe out the entire population of Joppa.
8 Por outro lado, advertido de que os habitantes de Jânia queriam tratar do mesmo modo os judeus que viviam com eles,	8 On hearing that the men of Jamnia planned to give like treatment to the Jews who lived among them,
9 atacou-os naquela mesma noite e incendiou o porto com a esquadra. De Jerusalém, que dista duzentos e quarenta estádios, podia-se observar o clarão do fogo.	9 he attacked the Jamnian populace by night, setting fire to the harbor and the fleet, so that the glow of the flames was visible as far as Jerusalem, thirty miles away.
10 Percorridos já nove estádios, no seu avanço contra Timóteo, lançaram-se sobre eles os árabes em número de pelo menos cinco mil a pé e quinhentos a cavalo.	10 When the Jews had gone about a mile from there in the campaign against Timothy, they were attacked by Arabs numbering at least five thousand foot soldiers, and five hundred horsemen.
11 Travou-se um combate violento, mas, com a ajuda de Deus, os soldados de Judas venceram-nos, e,	11 After a hard fight, Judas and his companions, with God's help, were victorious. The defeated nomads begged Judas to make friends with them and promised to supply the Jews with cattle and to help them in every other way.
12 Crendo que, na verdade, eles lhe poderiam ser úteis, Judas aceitou a paz com eles, e, concluída esta, regressaram às suas tendas.	12 Realizing that they could indeed be useful in many respects, Judas agreed to make peace with them. After the pledge of friendship had been exchanged, the Arabs withdrew to their tents.
13 Em seguida, atacou Judas uma cidade forte, chamada Caspim, cercada de muralhas, habitada por uma mistura de povos.	13 He also attacked a certain city called Caspin, fortified with earthworks and ramparts and inhabited by a mixed population of Gentiles.
14 Confiados na firmeza de seus muros e na abundância de suas provisões, os sitiados mostraram-se excessivamente grosseiros contra as tropas de Judas, lançando-lhes injúrias, blasfêmias e palavras ímpias.	14 Relying on the strength of their walls and their supply of provisions, the besieged treated Judas and his men with contempt, insulting them and even uttering blasphemies and profanity.
15 Judas juntamente com os seus invocaram o grande Senhor do mundo, que, no tempo de Josué, derribou os muros de Jericó sem aríetes nem máquinas de guerra; depois, investiram furiosamente contra a muralha.	15 But Judas and his men invoked the aid of the great Sovereign of the world, who, in the day of Joshua, overthrew Jericho without battering-ram or siege machine; then they furiously stormed the ramparts.
16 Uma vez senhores da cidade pela vontade de Deus, praticaram uma horrorosa carnificina, a ponto de um tanque vizinho, com a largura de dois estádios, parecer cheio de sangue que ali se derramou.	16 Capturing the city by the will of God, they inflicted such indescribable slaughter on it that the adjacent pool, which was about a quarter of a mile wide, seemed to be filled with the blood that flowed into it.
17 Dali, após uma marcha de setecentos e cinqüenta estádios, alcançaram o acampamento fortificado onde habitavam os judeus, chamados tubianeus.	17 When they had gone on some ninety miles, they reached Charax, where there were certain Jews known as Toubiani.
18 Não acharam ali, todavia, Timóteo: ele havia deixado os lugares sem ter conseguido nada, mas deixara num posto uma guarnição muito forte.	18 But they did not find Timothy in that region, for he had already departed from there without having done anything except to leave behind in one place a very strong garrison.
19 Dositeu e Sosípatro, que comandavam tropas de Macabeu, foram atacar esse posto fortificado e mataram todos os homens que Timóteo ali havia colocado, isto é, mais de dez mil.	19 But Dositheus and Sosipater, two of Maccabeus' captains, marched out and destroyed the force of more than ten thousand men that Timothy had left in the stronghold.
20 Macabeu dividiu então seu exército e confiou a cada um deles uma parte; em seguida foi contra Timóteo, acompanhado de cento e vinte mil infantes e dois mil e quinhentos cavaleiros.	20 Meanwhile, Maccabeus divided his army into cohorts, with a commander over each cohort, and went in pursuit of Timothy, who had a force of a hundred and twenty thousand foot soldiers and twenty-five hundred horsemen.
21 Logo que teve conhecimento da chegada de Judas, Timóteo conduziu as mulheres, as cr ianças e as bagagens para um lugar chamado Carnion, porque era um lugar tornado inexpugnável pelos desfiladeiros e de acesso muito difícil.	21 When Timothy learned of the approach of Judas, he sent on ahead of him the women and children, as well as the baggage, to a place called Karnion, which was hard to besiege and even hard to reach because of the difficult terrain of that region.
22 Quando apareceu o primeiro exército de Judas, o terror apoderou-se logo dos inimigos, porque aquele que vê todas as coisas manifestou-se a seus olhos; e fugiram em todas as direções, ferindo-se constantemente uns aos outros e transpassando-se com as suas próprias espadas.	22 But when Judas' first cohort appeared, the enemy was overwhelmed with fear and terror at the manifestation of the All-seeing. Scattering in every direction, they rushed away in such headlong flight that in many cases they wounded one another, pierced by the swords of their own men.
23 Judas perseguiu encarniçadamente esses malfeitores, matando e massacrando até trinta mil homens.	23 Judas pressed the pursuit vigorously, putting the sinners to the sword and destroying as many as thirty thousand men.
24 O próprio Timóteo caiu nas mãos dos homens de Dositeu e de Sosípatro, aos quais pediu com grandes instâncias deixá-lo partir são e salvo, porque tinha em seu poder os pais e mesmo os irmãos da maior parte deles, que poderiam ser maltratados.	24 Timothy himself fell into the hands of the men under Dositheus and Sosipater; but with great cunning, he asked them to spare his life and let him go, because he had in his power the parents and relatives of many of them, and could make these suffer.
25 Dava-lhes numerosas garantias e prometia libertar seus prisioneiros sem fazer-lhes mal; e com isso soltaram-no, para salvar seus irmãos.	25 When he had fully confirmed his solemn pledge to restore them unharmed, they let him go for the sake of saving their brethren.
26 Em seguida, Judas atacou Carnion e o templo de Atargatis e massacrou vinte e cinco mil homens.	26 Judas then marched to Karnion and the shrine of Atargatis, where he killed twenty-five thousand people.
27 Depois dessa perseguição e matança, conduziu suas tropas diante de Efron, cidade forte, onde habitava Lísias e gente de todas as nações. Jovens robustos, colocados em frente à muralha, defendiam-na valentemente: dentro havia grande provisão de máquinas e projéteis.	27 After the defeat and destruction of these, he moved his army to Ephron, a fortified city inhabited by people of many nationalities. Robust young men took up their posts in defense of the walls, from which they fought valiantly; inside were large supplies of machines and missiles.
28 Os judeus invocaram o Soberano que tem o poder de aniquilar as forças dos inimigos, tornaram-se senhores da cidade e mataram ali vinte e cinco mil homens.	28 But the Jews, invoking the Sovereign who forcibly shatters the might of his enemies, got possession of the city and slaughtered twenty-five thousand of the people in it.
29 Dali partiram eles para alcançar a cidade de Citópolis, a seiscentos estádios de Jerusalém.	29 Then they set out from there and hastened on to Scythopolis, seventy-five miles from Jerusalem.
30 Todavia, os judeus que habitavam ali atestaram que os citopolitanos haviam usado de benevolência para com eles e os haviam tratado com deferência no tempo da perseguição.	30 But when the Jews who lived there testified to the good will shown by the Scythopolitans and to their kind treatment even in times of adversity,
31 Judas e os seus agradeceram, pois, a estes e os exortaram a perseverar nessas disposições para com os de sua raça; em seguida entraram em Jerusalém, porque a festa das Semanas se aproximava.	31 Judas and his men thanked them and exhorted them to be well disposed to their race in the future also. Finally they arrived in Jerusalem, shortly before the feast of Weeks.
32 Passada a festa de Pentecostes, foram contra Górgias, chefe militar da Iduméia;	32 After this feast called Pentecost, they lost no time in marching against Gorgias, governor of Idumea,
33 esse saiu-lhes ao encontro com três mil infantes e quatrocentos cavaleiros;	33 who opposed them with three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred horsemen.
34 e travou-se uma batalha na qual pereceram alguns judeus.	34 In the ensuing battle, a few of the Jews were slain.
35 Dositeu, um dos cavaleiros de Baquenor, muito corajoso, apoderou-se de Górgias; retendo-o pela clâmide, arrastava-o à força, a fim de capturar vivo o maldito, quando se precipitou sobre ele um cavaleiro da Trácia, que lhe decepou um ombro, e Górgias fugiu para Marisa.	35 A man called Dositheus, a powerful horseman and one of Bacenor's men, caught hold of Gorgias, grasped his military cloak and dragged him along by main strength, intending to capture the vile wretch alive, when a Thracian horseman attacked Dositheus and cut off his arm at the shoulder. Then Gorgias fled to Marisa.
36 No entanto, as tropas de Esdrin, que combatiam há muito tempo, achavam-se fatigadas; então Judas suplicou ao Senhor que se mostrasse seu aliado e os guiasse no combate.	36 After Esdris and his men had been fighting for a long time and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself their ally and leader in the battle.
37 E, começando a entoar cantos na língua pátria e lançando o grito de guerra, atirou-se inopinadamente sobre os soldados de Górgias e os pôs em fuga.	37 Then, raising a battle cry in his ancestral language, and with songs, he charged Gorgias' men when they were not expecting it and put them to flight.
38 Quando havia reunido seu exército, Judas alcançou a cidade de Odolão e, chegando o sétimo dia da semana, purificaram-se segundo o costume e celebraram ali o sábado.	38 Judas rallied his army and went to the city of Adullam. As the week was ending, they purified themselves according to custom and kept the sabbath there.
39 No dia seguinte, Judas e seus companheiros foram tirar os corpos dos mortos, como era necessário, para depô-los na sepultura ao lado de seus pais.	39 On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs.
40 Ora, sob a túnica de cada um encontraram objetos consagrados aos ídolos de Jânia, proibidos aos judeus pela lei: todos, pois, reconheceram que fora esta a causa de sua morte.	40 But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain.
41 Bendisseram, pois, a mão do justo juiz, o Senhor, que faz aparecer as coisas ocultas,	41 They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden.
42 e puseram-se em oração, para implorar-lhe o perdão completo do pecado cometido. O nobre Judas falou à multidão, exortando-a a evitar qualquer transgressão, ao ver diante dos olhos o mal que havia sucedido aos que foram mortos por causa dos pecados.	42 Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.
43 Em seguida, fez uma coleta, enviando a Jerusalém cerca de dez mil dracmas, para que se oferecesse um sacrifício pelos pecados: belo e santo modo de agir, decorrente de sua crença na ressurreição,	43 He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view;
44 porque, se ele não julgasse que os mortos ressuscitariam, teria sido vão e supérfluo rezar por eles.	44 for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.
45 Mas, se ele acreditava que uma bela recompensa aguarda os que morrem piedosamente,	45 But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.
46 era esse um bom e religioso pensamento; eis por que ele pediu um sacrifício expiatório para que os mortos fossem livres de suas faltas.	46 Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.