2 मक्काबियों 2

1Now it is found in the descriptions of Jeremias the prophet, that he commanded them that went into captivity, to take the fire, as it hath been signified, and how he gave charge to them that were carried away into captivity.

2And how he gave them the law that they should not forget the commandments of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, seeing the idols of gold, and silver, and the ornaments of them.

3And with other such like speeches, he exhorted them that they would not remove the law from their heart.

4It was also contained in the same writing, how the prophet, being warned by God, commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him, till he came forth to the mountain where Moses went up, and saw the inheritance of God.

5And when Jeremias came thither he found a hollow cave: and he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door.

6Then some of them that followed him, came up to mark the place: but they could not And it.

7And when Jeremias perceived it, he blamed them, saying: The place shall be unknown, till God gather together the congregation of the people, and receive them to mercy.

8And then the Lord will shew these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there shall be a cloud as it was also shewed to Moses, and he shewed it when Solomon prayed that the place might be sanctified to the great God.

9For he treated wisdom in a magnificent manner: and like a wise man, he offered the sacrifice of the dedication, and of the finishing of the temple.

10And as Moses prayed to the Lord and fire came down from heaven, and consumed the holocaust: so Solomon also prayed, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the holocaust.

11And Moses said: Because the sin offering was not eaten, it was consumed.

12So Solomon also celebrated the dedication eight days.

13And these same things were set down in the memoirs and commentaries of Nehemias: and how he made a library, and gathered together out of the countries, the books both of the prophets, and of David, and the epistles of the kings. and concerning the holy gifts.

14And in like manner Judas also gathered together all such things as were lost by the war we had, and they are in our possession.

15Wherefore if you want these things, send some that may fetch them to you.

16As we are then about to celebrate the purification, we have written unto you: and you shall do well, if you keep the same days.

17And we hope that God who hath delivered his people, and hath rendered to all the inheritance, and the kingdom, and the priesthood, and the sanctuary,

18As he promised in the law, will shortly have mercy upon us, and will gather us together from every land under heaven into the holy place.

19For he hath delivered us out of great perils, and hath cleansed the place.

20Now as concerning Judas Machabeus. and his brethren, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication o the altar:

21As also the wars against Antioch the Illustrious, and his son Eupator:

22And the manifestations that from heaven to them, that behaved themselves manfully on the behalf of the Jews, so that, being but a few, they made themselves masters of the whole country, and put to flight; the barbarous multitude:

23And recovered again the most renowned temple in all the world, and delivered the city, and restored the laws that were abolished, the Lord with all clemency shewing mercy to them.

24And all such things as have been comprised in five books by Jason of Cyrene, we have attempted to abridge in one book.

25For considering the multitude of books, and the difficulty that they find that desire to undertake the narrations of histories, because of the multitude of the matter,

26We have taken care for those indeed that are willing to read, that it might be a pleasure of mind: and for the studious, that they may more easily commit to memory: and that all that read might receive profit.

27And as to ourselves indeed, in undertaking this work of abridging, we have taken in hand no easy task, yea rather a business full of watching and sweat.

28But as they that prepare a feast, and seek to satisfy the will of others: for the sake of many, we willingly undergo the labour.

29Leaving to the authors the exact handling of every particular, and as for ourselves, according to the plan proposed, studying to be brief.

30For as the master builder of a new house must have care of the whole building: but he that taketh care to paint it, must seek out fit things for the adorning of it: so must it be judged for us.

31For to collect all that is to be known, to put the discourse in order, and curiously to discuss every particular point, is the duty of the author of a history:

32But to pursue brevity of speech, and to avoid nice declarations of things, is to be granted to him that maketh an abridgment.

33Here then we will begin the narration: let this be enough by way of a preface: for it is a foolish thing to make a long prologue, and to be short in the story itself.

1Invenitur autem in descriptionibus Jeremiæ prophetæ, quod jussit eos ignem accipere qui transmigrabant, ut significatum est, et ut mandavit transmigratis.

2Et dedit illis legem, ne obliviscerentur præcepta Domini, et non exerrarent mentibus, videntes simulacra aurea et argentea, et ornamenta eorum.

3Et alia hujusmodi dicens, hortabatur ne legem amoverent a corde suo.

4Erat autem in ipsa scriptura, quomodo tabernaculum et arcam jussit propheta divino responso ad se facto comitari secum, usquequo exiit in montem in quo Moyses ascendit, et vidit Dei hæreditatem.

5Et veniens ibi Jeremias, invenit locum speluncæ: et tabernaculum, et arcam, et altare incensi intulit illuc, et ostium obstruxit.

6Et accesserunt quidam simul, qui sequebantur, ut notarent sibi locum: et non potuerunt invenire.

7Ut autem cognovit Jeremias, culpans illos dixit: Quod ignotus erit locus donec congreget Deus congregationem populi, et propitius fiat:

8et tunc Dominus ostendet hæc, et apparebit majestas Domini, et nubes erit, sicut et Moysi manifestabatur, et sicut cum Salomon petiit ut locus sanctificaretur magno Deo, manifestabat hæc.

9Magnifice etenim sapientiam tractabat: et ut sapientiam habens, obtulit sacrificium dedicationis et consummationis templi.

10Sicut et Moyses orabat ad Dominum, et descendit ignis de cælo et consumpsit holocaustum, sic et Salomon oravit, et descendit ignis de cælo et consumpsit holocaustum.

11Et dixit Moyses: Eo quod non sit comestum quod erat pro peccato, consumptum est.

12Similiter et Salomon octo diebus celebravit dedicationem.

13Inferebantur autem in descriptionibus et commentariis Nehemiæ hæc eadem: et ut construens bibliothecam congregavit de regionibus libros et prophetarum et David, et epistolas regum, et de donariis.

14Similiter autem et Judas ea quæ deciderant per bellum quod nobis acciderat, congregavit omnia, et sunt apud nos.

15Si ergo desideratis hæc, mittite qui perferant vobis.

16Acturi itaque purificationem scripsimus vobis: bene ergo facietis, si egeritis hos dies.

17Deus autem, qui liberavit populum suum, et reddidit hæreditatem omnibus, et regnum, et sacerdotium, et sanctificationem,

18sicut promisit in lege, speramus quod cito nostri miserebitur, et congregavit de sub cælo in locum sanctum.

19Eripuit enim nos de magnis periculis, et locum purgavit.

20De Juda vero Machabæo, et fratribus ejus, et de templi magni purificatione, et de aræ dedicatione,

21sed et de præliis quæ pertinent ad Antiochum Nobilem et filium ejus Eupatorem,

22et de illuminationibus quæ de cælo factæ sunt ad eos qui pro Judæis fortiter fecerunt, ita ut universam regionem, cum pauci essent, vindicarent, et barbaram multitudinem fugarent,

23et famosissimum in toto orbe templum recuperarent, et civitatem liberarent, et leges quæ abolitæ erant, restituerentur, Domino cum omni tranquillitate propitio facto illis.

24Itemque ab Jasone Cyrenæo quinque libris comprehensa tentavimus nos uno volumine breviare.

25Considerantes enim multitudinem librorum, et difficultatem volentibus aggredi narrationes historiarum propter multitudinem rerum,

26curavimus volentibus quidem legere, ut esset animi oblectatio: studiosis vero, ut facilius possint memoriæ commendare: omnibus autem legentibus utilitas conferatur.

27Et nobis quidem ipsis, qui hoc opus breviandi causa suscepimus, non facilem laborem, immo vero negotium plenum vigiliarum et sudoris assumpsimus.

28Sicut hi qui præparant convivium, et quærunt aliorum voluntati parere propter multorum gratiam, libenter laborem sustinemus.

29Veritatem quidem de singulis auctoribus concedentes, ipsi autem secundum datam formam brevitati studentes.

30Sicut enim novæ domus architecto de universa structura curandum est; ei vero qui pingere curat, quæ apta sunt ad ornatum exquirenda sunt: ita æstimandum est et in nobis.

31Etenim intellectum colligere, et ordinare sermonem, et curiosius partes singulas quasque disquirere, historiæ congruit auctori:

32brevitatem vero dictionis sectari, et executiones rerum vitare, brevianti concedendum est.

33Hinc ergo narrationem incipiemus: de præfatione tantum dixisse sufficiat. Stultum etenim est ante historiam effluere, in ipsa autem historia succingi.

1Now it is found in the descriptions of the prophet Jeremiah that he ordered those who transmigrated to take the fire, just as it was signified and as he ordered, into the transmigration.

2And he gave them the law, so that they would never forget the commandments of the Lord, and so that they would not go astray in their minds, seeing the idols of gold and silver, and their ornaments.

3And in this manner, with other sayings, he exhorted them, lest they remove the law from their heart.

4Furthermore, it was in the same writing, how the prophet, by divine response, ordered that the tabernacle and the ark be made to accompany him, until he exited from the mountain, where Moses ascended and saw the inheritance of God.

5And arriving there, Jeremiah found a place in a cave. And he brought both the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense into that place, and he obstructed the opening.

6And certain ones of those who followed him, approached to make note of the location, but they were not able to find it.

7But when Jeremiah knew of it, he blamed them, saying: “The place shall be unknown, until God shall gather together the congregation of the people, and until he may be favorably inclined.

8And then the Lord will reveal these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there will be a cloud, just as it was also manifested to Moses, and just as he manifested these when Solomon petitioned that the place should be sanctified to the great God.

9For he also drew upon wisdom magnificently, and so, having wisdom, he offered the sacrifice of the dedication and the consummation of the temple.

10And, just as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire descended from heaven and consumed the holocaust, so also Solomon prayed and fire descended from heaven and consumed the holocaust.

11And Moses said that it was consumed because the sin offering was not eaten.

12And similarly, Solomon also celebrated the eight days of the dedication.

13Moreover, these same things were put into the descriptions and commentaries of Nehemiah, including how, when constructing a library, he gathered together from the regions the books of the Prophets, and of David, and the epistles of the kings, and from the holy gifts.

14And, similarly, Judas also gathered together all the things that were destroyed by the war that befell us, and these are with us.

15Therefore, if you desire these things, send those who may carry them to you.

16And so, since we will be celebrating the purification, we wrote to you. Therefore, you will do well, if you keep these days.

17But we hope that God, who has freed his people and has rendered to all the inheritance, and the kingdom, and the priesthood, and sanctification,

18just as he promised in the law, will quickly have mercy on us and will gather us together from under heaven into the holy place.

19For he has rescued us from great perils, and he has purged the place.

20The truth about Judas Maccabeus, and his brothers, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar,

21and also about the battles, which pertain to Antiochus the illustrious, and his son, Eupator,

22and about the illuminations, which came from heaven to those who acted on behalf of the Jews with fortitude, was such that they, though few, vindicated the entire region and put to flight a multitude of the barbarous,

23and recovered the most famous temple in the whole world, and freed the city, and restored the laws that were abolished. For the Lord, with all tranquility, was acting favorably toward them.

24And similar things as have been comprised in five books by Jason the Cyrenean, we have attempted to abridge into one volume.

25For, considering the multitude of the books, and the difficulty that those who are willing to undertake the narrations of histories find, due to the multitude of events,

26we have taken care, so that, indeed, those who are willing to read may have delights of the mind, and so that, in truth, the studious may more easily be able to commit it to memory, and also so that all readers may find it useful.

27And indeed, we ourselves, who have taken up the task of abridging this work, have no easy labor. For, in truth, more correctly, we have assumed an activity full of vigilance and sweat.

28Just as those who prepare a feast also seek to be attentive to the will of others, for the sake of the gratitude of many, we willingly undertake the labor.

29Indeed, leaving to the authors the truths about particular details, we instead have been devoted to this form, striving to be brief.

30For, just as the architect of a new house will have concern for the entire structure, and, in truth, he who takes care to paint it will seek out what is fitting to adorn it, so also should such things be considered by us.

31Moreover, to collect knowledge, and to order words, and to discuss every particular point attentively, is the duty of the author of a history.

32Yet truly, to pursue brevity of speech, and to shun the extension of matters, is conceded to an abbreviator.

33Therefore, here we will begin the narration. Let so much be sufficient to say in preface. For it is foolish to go on and on before the account, when the account itself is succinct.