2 Maccabees 1

1The Jewish brothers in Jerusalem and the land of Judea, to their Jewish brothers in Egypt: Greetings and good peace.

τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς κατ᾿ Αἴγυπτον Ιουδαίοις χαίρειν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ οἱ ἐν Ιεροσολύμοις Ιουδαῖοι καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῆς Ιουδαίας εἰρήνην ἀγαθήν

2'May God do good to you, and may He remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, His faithful servants.

καὶ ἀγαθοποιήσαι ὑμῖν ὁ θεὸς καὶ μνησθείη τῆς διαθήκης αὐτοῦ τῆς πρὸς Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ τῶν πιστῶν

3May He give all of you a heart to worship Him and do His will with a strong heart and willing soul.

καὶ δῴη ὑμῖν καρδίαν πᾶσιν εἰς τὸ σέβεσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ποιεῖν αὐτοῦ τὰ θελήματα καρδίᾳ μεγάλῃ καὶ ψυχῇ βουλομένῃ

4May He open your heart to His law and His commandments, and may He bring you peace.

καὶ διανοίξαι τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασιν καὶ εἰρήνην ποιήσαι

5May He hear your prayers and be reconciled to you, and may He not forsake you in an evil time.

καὶ ἐπακούσαι ὑμῶν τῶν δεήσεων καὶ καταλλαγείη ὑμῖν καὶ μὴ ὑμᾶς ἐγκαταλίποι ἐν καιρῷ πονηρῷ

6We are now praying for you here.

καὶ νῦν ὧδέ ἐσμεν προσευχόμενοι περὶ ὑμῶν

7'In the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, in the reign of Demetrius, we Jews wrote to you at the culminating point of the affliction that came upon us, in those years from the time Jason and his followers revolted against the holy land and the kingdom,

βασιλεύοντος Δημητρίου ἔτους ἑκατοστοῦ ἑξηκοστοῦ ἐνάτου ἡμεῖς οἱ Ιουδαῖοι γεγράφαμεν ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ θλίψει καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀκμῇ τῇ ἐπελθούσῃ ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἔτεσιν τούτοις ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἀπέστη Ἰάσων καὶ οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁγίας γῆς καὶ τῆς βασιλείας

8and burned the gate and shed innocent blood. We prayed to the Lord and we were heard. So we offered sacrifice and fine flour, lit the lamps, and set out the loaves.

καὶ ἐνεπύρισαν τὸν πυλῶνα καὶ ἐξέχεαν αἷμα ἀθῶον καὶ ἐδεήθημεν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ εἰσηκούσθημεν καὶ προσηνέγκαμεν θυσίαν καὶ σεμίδαλιν καὶ ἐξήψαμεν τοὺς λύχνους καὶ προεθήκαμεν τοὺς ἄρτους

9Now then, celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and eighty-eighth year.'

καὶ νῦν ἵνα ἄγητε τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς σκηνοπηγίας τοῦ Χασελευ μηνός ἔτους ἑκατοστοῦ ὀγδοηκοστοῦ καὶ ὀγδόου

10'Those in Jerusalem and in Judea, and the senate and Judas, to Aristobulus, who is from the family of the anointed priests and is the teacher of Ptolemy the king, and to the Jews who are in Egypt, greetings and good health.

οἱ ἐν Ιεροσολύμοις καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ Ιουδαίᾳ καὶ ἡ γερουσία καὶ Ιουδας Ἀριστοβούλῳ διδασκάλῳ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ βασιλέως ὄντι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ τῶν χριστῶν ἱερέων γένους καὶ τοῖς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ Ιουδαίοις χαίρειν καὶ ὑγιαίνειν

11'Since we were saved by God from great dangers, we thank Him abundantly as those drawn up in battle order against a king.

ἐκ μεγάλων κινδύνων ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ σεσῳσμένοι μεγάλως εὐχαριστοῦμεν αὐτῷ ὡς ἂν πρὸς βασιλέα παρατασσόμενοι

12For He drove out those who fought against the holy city.

αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐξέβρασεν τοὺς παραταξαμένους ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ πόλει

13And when Antiochus their leader reached Persia with a force around him that seemed irresistible, they were cut to pieces in the temple of Nanea through a deception employed by the priests of Nanea.

εἰς τὴν Περσίδα γενόμενος γὰρ ὁ ἡγεμὼν καὶ ἡ περὶ αὐτὸν ἀνυπόστατος δοκοῦσα εἶναι δύναμις κατεκόπησαν ἐν τῷ τῆς Ναναίας ἱερῷ παραλογισμῷ χρησαμένων τῶν περὶ τὴν Ναναίαν ἱερέων

14For Antiochus, together with his friends, arrived at the temple to marry her, for the sake of obtaining most of its treasures as a dowry.

ὡς γὰρ συνοικήσων αὐτῇ παρεγένετο εἰς τὸν τόπον ὅ τε Ἀντίοχος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ φίλοι χάριν τοῦ λαβεῖν τὰ χρήματα πλείονα εἰς φερνῆς λόγον

15When the priests of the temple of Nanea set out the treasures, and Antiochus, with a few men, had come inside the enclosed wall of the sacred precinct, they closed the temple as soon as he entered it.

καὶ προθέντων αὐτὰ τῶν ἱερέων τοῦ Ναναίου κἀκείνου προσελθόντος μετ᾿ ὀλίγων εἰς τὸν περίβολον τοῦ τεμένους συγκλείσαντες τὸ ἱερόν ὡς εἰσῆλθεν Ἀντίοχος

16Then they opened the secret door of the ceiling and threw stones. They struck down the governor and his men, dismembered them, and took their heads and threw them to the people outside.

ἀνοίξαντες τὴν τοῦ φατνώματος κρυπτὴν θύραν βάλλοντες πέτρους συνεκεραύνωσαν τὸν ἡγεμόνα καὶ μέλη ποιήσαντες καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀφελόντες τοῖς ἔξω παρέρριψαν

17Blessed in every way be our God, who delivered up the ungodly men.

κατὰ πάντα εὐλογητὸς ἡμῶν ὁ θεός ὃς παρέδωκεν τοὺς ἀσεβήσαντας

18'Since on the twenty-fifth day of Chislev we will celebrate the purification of the temple, we thought it needful to notify you that you might also celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and the feast of the fire, when Nehemiah, who built the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices.

μέλλοντες ἄγειν ἐν τῷ Χασελευ πέμπτῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τὸν καθαρισμὸν τοῦ ἱεροῦ δέον ἡγησάμεθα διασαφῆσαι ὑμῖν ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἄγητε σκηνοπηγίας καὶ τοῦ πυρός ὅτε Νεεμιας ὁ οἰκοδομήσας τό τε ἱερὸν καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἀνήνεγκεν θυσίας

19For when our fathers were led captive to Persia, the pious priests of that time took some of the fire off the altar and hid it secretly in the hollow of a dry well, where they sealed it, so the place would be unknown to anyone.

καὶ γὰρ ὅτε εἰς τὴν Περσικὴν ἤγοντο ἡμῶν οἱ πατέρες οἱ τότε εὐσεβεῖς ἱερεῖς λαβόντες ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου λαθραίως κατέκρυψαν ἐν κοιλώματι φρέατος τάξιν ἔχοντος ἄνυδρον ἐν ᾧ κατησφαλίσαντο ὥστε πᾶσιν ἄγνωστον εἶναι τὸν τόπον

20But after enough years had passed, when it pleased God, Nehemiah was sent away by the king of Persia, and he appointed the descendants of the priests who hid the fire to get it. When they reported to us that they had not found the fire but rather a thick liquid, he commanded them to dip it out and bring it.

διελθόντων δὲ ἐτῶν ἱκανῶν ὅτε ἔδοξεν τῷ θεῷ ἀποσταλεὶς Νεεμιας ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς Περσίδος τοὺς ἐκγόνους τῶν ἱερέων τῶν ἀποκρυψάντων ἔπεμψεν ἐπὶ τὸ πῦρ ὡς δὲ διεσάφησαν ἡμῖν μὴ εὑρηκέναι πῦρ ἀλλὰ ὕδωρ παχύ ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς ἀποβάψαντας φέρειν

21But when the things of the sacrifices were brought to be offered, Nehemiah told the priests to sprinkle the liquid on the wood and the things laid upon it.

ὡς δὲ ἀνηνέχθη τὰ τῶν θυσιῶν ἐκέλευσεν τοὺς ἱερεῖς Νεεμιας ἐπιρρᾶναι τῷ ὕδατι τά τε ξύλα καὶ τὰ ἐπικείμενα

22When this was done and some time had elapsed, and the sun, which had been clouded over, shone forth, a great fire flared up, causing everyone to marvel.

ὡς δὲ ἐγένετο τοῦτο καὶ χρόνος διῆλθεν ὅ τε ἥλιος ἀνέλαμψεν πρότερον ἐπινεφὴς ὤν ἀνήφθη πυρὰ μεγάλη ὥστε θαυμάσαι πάντας

23While the sacrifice was being consumed, the priests and everyone offered prayer. Jonathan led and all the rest responded, as did Nehemiah.

προσευχὴν δὲ ἐποιήσαντο οἱ ἱερεῖς δαπανωμένης τῆς θυσίας οἵ τε ἱερεῖς καὶ πάντες καταρχομένου Ιωναθου τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἐπιφωνούντων ὡς Νεεμιου

24'The prayer was offered as follows: 'O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, fearful, mighty, righteous, and merciful, the only King and Good One,

ἦν δὲ ἡ προσευχὴ τὸν τρόπον ἔχουσα τοῦτον κύριε κύριε ὁ θεός ὁ πάντων κτίστης ὁ φοβερὸς καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ δίκαιος καὶ ἐλεήμων ὁ μόνος βασιλεὺς καὶ χρηστός

25You only are bountiful, alone righteous, almighty, and eternal. You save Israel from every evil, and You chose our fathers and sanctified them.

ὁ μόνος χορηγός ὁ μόνος δίκαιος καὶ παντοκράτωρ καὶ αἰώνιος ὁ διασῴζων τὸν Ισραηλ ἐκ παντὸς κακοῦ ὁ ποιήσας τοὺς πατέρας ἐκλεκτοὺς καὶ ἁγιάσας αὐτούς

26Accept this sacrifice on behalf of all Your people Israel, and protect Your portion, and sanctify it.

πρόσδεξαι τὴν θυσίαν ὑπὲρ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ σου Ισραηλ καὶ διαφύλαξον τὴν μερίδα σου καὶ καθαγίασον

27Gather our scattered people, free those enslaved among the Gentiles, look upon the rejected and despised, and make the Gentiles know that You are our God.

ἐπισυνάγαγε τὴν διασπορὰν ἡμῶν ἐλευθέρωσον τοὺς δουλεύοντας ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν τοὺς ἐξουθενημένους καὶ βδελυκτοὺς ἔπιδε καὶ γνώτωσαν τὰ ἔθνη ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν

28Torment the oppressors and those insolent with arrogance.

βασάνισον τοὺς καταδυναστεύοντας καὶ ἐξυβρίζοντας ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ

29Plant Your people in Your holy place, as Moses said.'

καταφύτευσον τὸν λαόν σου εἰς τὸν τόπον τὸν ἅγιόν σου καθὼς εἶπεν Μωυσῆς

30'Then the priests sang hymns,

οἱ δὲ ἱερεῖς ἐπέψαλλον τοὺς ὕμνους

31and when the things of the sacrifice were consumed, Nehemiah ordered that the remaining liquid should be poured upon large stones.

καθὼς δὲ ἀνηλώθη τὰ τῆς θυσίας καὶ τὸ περιλειπόμενον ὕδωρ ὁ Νεεμιας ἐκέλευσεν λίθους μείζονας καταχεῖν

32When this was done, a flame flared up; but when a light from the altar shone in turn, the flame went out.

ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐγενήθη φλὸξ ἀνήφθη τοῦ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἀντιλάμψαντος φωτὸς ἐδαπανήθη

33Now when this became known, the matter was reported to the king of the Persians. He was told that in the place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire, the liquid had appeared from which Nehemiah and his men purified the sacrifice.

ὡς δὲ φανερὸν ἐγενήθη τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ διηγγέλη τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Περσῶν ὅτι εἰς τὸν τόπον οὗ τὸ πῦρ ἔκρυψαν οἱ μεταχθέντες ἱερεῖς τὸ ὕδωρ ἐφάνη ἀφ᾿ οὗ καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν Νεεμιαν ἥγνισαν τὰ τῆς θυσίας

34So the king investigated the matter, enclosed the place, and made it sacred.

περιφράξας δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἱερὸν ἐποίησεν δοκιμάσας τὸ πρᾶγμα

35Then the king exchanged many excellent gifts with those he favored.

καὶ οἷς ἐχαρίζετο ὁ βασιλεύς πολλὰ διάφορα ἐλάμβανεν καὶ μετεδίδου

36Nehemiah and his men called this 'nephthar,' which means 'purification,' but by most people it is called 'nephtha.'

προσηγόρευσαν δὲ οἱ περὶ τὸν Νεεμιαν τοῦτο νεφθαρ ὃ διερμηνεύεται καθαρισμός καλεῖται δὲ παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς νεφθαι