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Second Book of Machabees
chapter 1
1
To the
brethren the Jews that are I throughout Egypt, the brethren, the Jews that are
in Jerusalem, and in the land of Judea, send health, and good peace.
2 May God be gracious to you, and remember his covenant
that he made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants:
3 And give you all a heart to worship him, and to do
his will with a great heart, and a willing mind.
4 May he open your heart in his law, and in his
commandments, and send you peace.
5 May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled unto you,
and never forsake you in the evil time.
6 And now here we are praying for you.
7 When Demetrius reigned, in the year one hundred and
sixty-nine, we Jews wrote to you, in the trouble, and violence, that came upon
us in those years, after Jason withdrew himself from the holy land, and from
the kingdom.
8 They burnt the gate, and shed innocent blood: then we
prayed to the Lord, and were heard, and we offered sacrifices, and fine flour,
and lighted the lamps, and set forth the leaves.
9 And now celebrate ye the days of Scenopegia in the
month of Casleu.
10 In the year Bone hundred and eighty- eight, the
people that is at Jerusalem, and in Judea, and the senate, and Judas, to
Aristobolus, the preceptor of king Ptolemee, who is of the stock of the
anointed priests, and to the Jews that are in Egypt, health and welfare.
11 Having been delivered by God out of great dangers,
we give him great thanks, forasmuch as we have been in war with such a king.
12 For he made numbers of men swarm out of Persia that
have fought against us, and the holy city.
13 For when the leader himself was in Persia, and with
him a very great army, he fell in the temple of Nanea, being deceived by the
counsel of the priests of Nanea.
14 For Antiochus, with his friends, came to the place
as though he would marry her, and that he might receive great sums of money
under the title of a dowry.
15 And when the priests of Nanea had set it forth, and
he with a small company had entered into the compass of the temple, they shut
the temple,
16 When Antiochus was came in: and opening a secret
entrance of the temple, they cast stones and slew the leader, and them that
were with him, and hewed them in pieces, and cutting off their heads they threw
them forth.
17 Blessed be God in all things, who hath delivered up
the wicked.
18 Therefore whereas we purpose to keep the
purification of the temple on the five and twentieth day of the month of
Casleu, we thought it necessary to signify it to you: that you also may keep
the day of Scenopegia, and the day of the fire, that was given when Nehemias
offered sacrifice, after the temple and the altar was built.
19 For when our fathers were led in Persia, the priests
that then were worshippers of God took privately the fire from the altar, and
hid it in a valley where there was a deep pit without water, and there they
kept it safe,
90 that the place was unknown to all men.
20 But when many years had passed, and it pleased God
that Nehemias should be sent by the king of Persia, he sent some of the
posterity of those priests that had hid it, to seek for the fire: and as they
told us, they found no fire, but thick water.
21 Then he bade them draw it up, and bring it to him:
and the priest Nehemias commanded the sacrifices that were laid on, to be
sprinkled with the same water, both the wood, and the things that were laid
upon it.
22 And when this was done, and the time came that the
sun shone out, which before was in a cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so
that all wondered.
23 And all the priests made prayer, while the sacrifice
was consuming, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering.
24 And the prayer of Nehemias was after this manner: 0
Lord God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just and merciful, who
alone art the goad king,
25 Who alone art gracious, who alone art just, and
almighty, and eternal, who deliverest Israel from all evil, who didst choose
the fathers and didst sanctify them :
26 Receive the sacrifice for all thy people Israel, and
preserve thy own portion, and sanctify it.
27 Gather together our scattered people, deliver them
that are slaves to the Gentiles, and look upon them that are despised and
abhorred: that the Gentiles may know that thou art our God.
28 Punish them that oppress us, and that treat us
injuriously with pride.
29 Establish thy people in thy holy place, as Moses
hath spoken.
30 And the priests sung hymns till the sacrifice was
consumed.
31 And when the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemias
commanded the water that was left to be poured out upon the great stones.
32 Which being done, there -was kindled a dame from
them: but it was consumed by the light that shined from the altar.
33 And when this matter became public, it was told to
the king of Persia, that in the place where the priests that were led away, had
hid the fire, there appeared water, with which Nehemias and they that were with
him had purified the sacrifices.
34 And the king considering, and diligently examining
the matter, made a temple for it, that he might prove what had happened.
35 And when he had proved it, he gave the priests many
goods, and divers presents, and he took end distributed them to them with his
own hand.
36 And Nehemias called this place Nephthar, which is
interpreted purification. But many call it Nephi.
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