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.

II Maccabees 1

¹To the brethren, the Jews that are throughout Egypt; the brethren, the Jews that are in Jerusalem, and in the land of Judea, send health and good peace.

²May God be gracious to you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants:

³And give you all a heart to worship him, and to do his will with a great heart, and a willing mind.

⁴May he open your heart in his law, and in his commandments, and send you peace.

⁵May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled unto you, and never forsake you in the evil time.

⁶And now here we are praying for you.

⁷When 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.

⁸They 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 loaves.

⁹And now celebrate ye the days of Scenopegia in the month of Casleu.

¹⁰In the year one 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.

¹¹Having been delivered by God out of great dangers, we give him great thanks, forasmuch as we have been in war with such a king.

¹²For he made numbers of men swarm out of Persia, that have fought against us, and the holy city.

¹³For 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.

¹⁴For 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.

¹⁵And 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,

¹⁶When Antiochus was come 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.

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

¹⁸Therefore, 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.

¹⁹For when our fathers were led into 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, so that the place was unknown to all men.

²⁰But 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.

²¹Then 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.

²²And 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.

²³And all the priests made prayer, while the sacrifice was consuming, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering.

²⁴And the prayer of Nehemias was after this manner: O Lord God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just and merciful, who alone art the good king,

²⁵Who 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:

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

²⁷Gather 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

²⁸Punish them that oppress us, and that treat us injuriously with pride.

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

³⁰And the priests sung hymns till the sacrifice was consumed.

³¹And when the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemias commanded the water that was left to be poured out upon the great stones.

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

³³And 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.

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

³⁵And when he had proved it, he gave the priests many goods, and divers presents, and he took and distributed them to them with his own hand.

³⁶And Nehemias called this place Nephthar, which is interpreted purification. But many call it Nephi.