II Maccabees 1

¹To the brothers, the Jews, who are throughout Egypt: the brothers, the Jews, who are in Jerusalem and in the region of Judea, send greetings and good peace.

²May God be gracious to you, and may he remember his covenant, which was spoken to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants.

³And may he give all of you the heart to worship him, and to do his will, with a great heart and a willing soul.

⁴May he throw open your heart with his law and with his precepts, and may he create peace.

⁵May he heed your prayers and be reconciled to you, and may he not forsake you in the evil time.

⁶And now, in this place, we are praying for you.

⁷When Demetrius reigned, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we Jews wrote to you during the tribulation and assaults which overcame us in those years, from the time that Jason withdrew from the holy land and from the kingdom.

⁸They burnt the gate, and they shed innocent blood. And we prayed to the Lord and were heard, and we brought forth sacrifices and fine wheat flour, and we kindled the lamps and set forth the loaves.

⁹And now, celebrate the days of shelters in the month of Kislev.

¹⁰In the one hundred and eighty-eighth year, from the people who are at Jerusalem and in Judea, and from the Senate and Judas: to Aristobulus, the magistrate of king Ptolemy, who is of the ancestry of anointed priests, and to those Jews who are in Egypt: greetings and good health.

¹¹Having been freed by God from great peril, we give thanks to him greatly, in as much as we have been struggling against so great a king.

¹²For he caused those who fought against us and against the holy city to burst forth from Persia.

¹³For when the commander himself was in Persia, and with him an immense army, he fell in the temple of Nanea, having been deceived by the counsel of the priests of Nanea.

¹⁴For Antiochus also came to the place with his friends, as if to live with her, and so that he would receive much money in the name of a dowry.

¹⁵And when the priests of Nanea had made the proposal, and he had entered with a few men into the vestibule of the shrine, they closed the temple,

¹⁶after Antiochus had entered. And throwing open a hidden entrance to the temple, they cast stones, and they struck the leader and those who were with him. And, having severed their limbs and cut off their heads, they threw them outside.

¹⁷Blessed be God through all things, who has delivered up the impious.

¹⁸Therefore, establishing the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev, we considered it necessary to signify this to you, so that you, likewise, may keep the day of shelters, and the day of the fire that was given when Nehemiah offered sacrifice, after the temple and the altar had been built.

¹⁹For when our fathers were led into Persia, the priests, who at that time were worshippers of God, secretly took the fire from the altar, and they kept it hidden in a valley, where there was a deep and dry pit, and they kept it safe in that place, in such a way that the place would be unknown to all.

²⁰But when many years had passed, and it pleased God that Nehemiah should be sent by the king of Persia, he sent some of the posterity of those priests who had hidden it to seek the fire. And, just as they told us, they did not find fire, but only deep water.

²¹Then he ordered them to draw it up and to carry it to him. And the priest, Nehemiah, ordered the sacrifices, which had been set out, to be sprinkled with the same water, both the wood and those things that were placed on it.

²²And when this was done, and the time came when the sun shined brightly, which before was in a cloud, there was kindled a great fire, so much so that all were filled with wonder.

²³But all the priests were reciting prayer, while the sacrifice was being consumed, with Jonathan beginning and the rest answering.

²⁴And the prayer of Nehemiah was held in this way: “O Lord God, Creator of all, terrible and strong, just and merciful, you alone are the good King.

²⁵You alone are excellent, you alone are just, and all-powerful, and eternal, who frees Israel from all evil, who created the chosen fathers and sanctified them.

²⁶Receive the sacrifice on behalf of all of your people Israel, and preserve and sanctify your portion.

²⁷Gather together our dispersion, free those who are in servitude to the Gentiles, and respect those who are despised and abhorred, so that the Gentiles may know that you are our God.

²⁸Afflict those who, in their arrogance, are oppressing us and treating us abusively.

²⁹Establish your people in your holy place, just as Moses said.”

³⁰And so the priests sang hymns until the sacrifice had been consumed.

³¹But when the sacrifice had been consumed, Nehemiah ordered the remainder of the water to be poured upon the great stones.

³²When this had been done, a flame was kindled from them, but it was consumed by the light that shined brightly from the altar.

³³In truth, when this thing became known, it was reported to the king of Persia that in the place where the fire had been hidden by those priests who had been led away, water appeared, by which Nehemiah, and those who were with him, purified the sacrifices.

³⁴But the king, considering and examining the matter diligently, made a temple for it, so that he might study what had happened.

³⁵And when he had studied it, he gave the priests many goods and presents, of one kind or another, and using his own hands, he distributed these.

³⁶And Nehemiah called this place Nephthar, which is interpreted as Purification. But with many it is called Nephi.

II Maccabees 1

¹The brethren, the Jews that be at Jerusalem and in the land of Judea, wish unto the brethren, the Jews that are throughout Egypt health and peace:

²God be gracious unto you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants;

³And give you all an heart to serve him, and to do his will, with a good courage and a willing mind;

⁴And open your hearts in his law and commandments, and send you peace,

⁵And hear your prayers, and be at one with you, and never forsake you in time of trouble.

⁶And now we be here praying for you.

⁷What time as Demetrius reigned, in the hundred threescore and ninth year, we the Jews wrote unto you in the extremity of trouble that came upon us in those years, from the time that Jason and his company revolted from the holy land and kingdom,

⁸And burned the porch, and shed innocent blood: then we prayed unto the Lord, and were heard; we offered also sacrifices and fine flour, and lighted the lamps, and set forth the loaves.

⁹And now see that ye keep the feast of tabernacles in the month Casleu.

¹⁰In the hundred fourscore and eighth year, the people that were at Jerusalem and in Judea, and the council, and Judas, sent greeting and health unto Aristobulus, king Ptolemeus’ master, who was of the stock of the anointed priests, and to the Jews that were in Egypt:

¹¹Insomuch as God hath delivered us from great perils, we thank him highly, as having been in battle against a king.

¹²For he cast them out that fought within the holy city.

¹³For when the leader was come into Persia, and the army with him that seemed invincible, they were slain in the temple of Nanea by the deceit of Nanea’s priests.

¹⁴For Antiochus, as though he would marry her, came into the place, and his friends that were with him, to receive money in name of a dowry.

¹⁵Which when the priests of Nanea had set forth, and he was entered with a small company into the compass of the temple, they shut the temple as soon as Antiochus was come in:

¹⁶And opening a privy door of the roof, they threw stones like thunderbolts, and struck down the captain, hewed them in pieces, smote off their heads and cast them to those that were without.

¹⁷Blessed be our God in all things, who hath delivered up the ungodly.

¹⁸Therefore whereas we are now purposed to keep the purification of the temple upon the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, we thought it necessary to certify you thereof, that ye also might keep it, as the feast of the tabernacles, and of the fire, which was given us when Neemias offered sacrifice, after that he had builded the temple and the altar.

¹⁹For when our fathers were led into Persia, the priests that were then devout took the fire of the altar privily, and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water, where they kept it sure, so that the place was unknown to all men.

²⁰Now after many years, when it pleased God, Neemias, being sent from the king of Persia, did send of the posterity of those priests that had hid it to the fire: but when they told us they found no fire, but thick water;

²¹Then commanded he them to draw it up, and to bring it; and when the sacrifices were laid on, Neemias commanded the priests to sprinkle the wood and the things laid thereupon with the water.

²²When this was done, and the time came that the sun shone, which afore was hid in the cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that every man marvelled.

²³And the priests made a prayer whilst the sacrifice was consuming, I say, both the priests, and all the rest, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering thereunto, as Neemias did.

²⁴And the prayer was after this manner; O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, who art fearful and strong, and righteous, and merciful, and the only and gracious King,

²⁵The only giver of all things, the only just, almighty, and everlasting, thou that deliverest Israel from all trouble, and didst choose the fathers, and sanctify them:

²⁶Receive the sacrifice for thy whole people Israel, and preserve thine own portion, and sanctify it.

²⁷Gather those together that are scattered from us, deliver them that serve among the heathen, look upon them that are despised and abhorred, and let the heathen know that thou art our God.

²⁸Punish them that oppress us, and with pride do us wrong.

²⁹Plant thy people again in thy holy place, as Moses hath spoken.

³⁰And the priests sung psalms of thanksgiving.

³¹Now when the sacrifice was consumed, Neemias commanded the water that was left to be poured on the great stones.

³²When this was done, there was kindled a flame: but it was consumed by the light that shined from the altar.

³³So when this matter was known, it was told the king of Persia, that in the place, where the priests that were led away had hid the fire, there appeared water, and that Neemias had purified the sacrifices therewith.

³⁴Then the king, inclosing the place, made it holy, after he had tried the matter.

³⁵And the king took many gifts, and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratify.

³⁶And Neemias called this thing Naphthar, which is as much as to say, a cleansing: but many men call it Nephi.