II Maccabees 1

¹To britheren Jewis, that ben scaterid thorouy Egipt, britheren, that ben in Jerusalem, Jewis, and that ben in the cuntre of Judee, seien heelthe and good pees.

²God do wel to you, and haue mynde of his testament, that he spak to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that ben of the noumbre of his trewe seruauntis;

³and yyue he herte to you alle, that ye worschipe hym, and do the wille of hym with greet herte and wilful soule.

⁴Opene he youre herte in his lawe, and in hise heestis, and make he pees;

⁵here he graciousli youre preieris, and be recounceld to you, nether forsake you in yuel tyme.

⁶And now we ben here preiynge for you.

⁷While Demetrie regneth in the hundrid yeer and sixtithe and nynthe, we Jewis han writun to you in tribulacioun and fersnesse, that cam aboue to vs in these yeeris, and sithen Jason wente out of the hooli lond and rewme.

⁸Thei brenten the yate, and schedden out innocent blood; and we preieden to the Lord, and we ben graciousli herd, and we han offrid sacrifice, and clene flour, and han tendid lanternes, and han put forth looues.

⁹And now make ye solempne the daies of Cenefegye, `ether clensyng of the temple, of the monethe Caslew.

¹⁰In the hundrid yeer and eiyte and eiytithe, the puple that is in Jerusalem and in Judee, and the elde men, and Judas, to Aristoble, maister of Tolome, kyng, that is of the kyn anoyntid prestis, and to hem that ben in Egipt, Jewis, helthe of soule, and helthe of bodi.

¹¹We delyuered of God fro grete perelis, don thankyngis to hym hugely, as we that han fouyten ayens sich a kyng.

¹²For he made for to buyle out of Persis hem that fouyten ayens vs and the hooli citee.

¹³For whi whanne the duyk hym silf was in Persis, and with hym a greet oost, he felle in the temple of Nauee, and was disseyued bi councel of the prest of Nauee.

¹⁴Forsothe Antiok cam to the place as to dwellynge with hym, and his frendis, and for to take many richessis bi name of dower.

¹⁵And whanne prestis of Nauee hadden put forth tho, and he with fewe entride with ynne the cumpas of the temple, thei closiden the temple, whanne Antiok hadde entrid.

¹⁶And whanne the pryuy entre of the temple was openyd, thei threwen stoonys, and smytiden the duik, and hem that weren with hym, and thei departiden lememeel; and whanne the heedis weren gird of, thei castiden out forth.

¹⁷Bi alle thingis blessid be God, that bitook vnpitouse men.

¹⁸Therfor we to makynge clensyng of the temple, in the fyue and twentithe dai of the monethe Caslew, ledden nedeful for to signefie to you, that and ye do also the dai of Scenofegie, and the dai of fier, that was youun, whanne Neemye offride sacrifices, after that the temple and auter weren bildid.

¹⁹For whi whanne oure fadris weren led in to Persis, prestis that thanne weren worschiperis of God, hidden priueli fier takun of the auter, in a valei, where was a deep pit and drie; and there ynne thei kepten it, so that the place was vnknowun to alle men.

²⁰Forsothe whanne many yeeris hadden passid, and it pleside to God that Neemye was sent fro the kyng of Persis, he sente the sones sones of tho prestis that hidden, for to seke fier; and as thei telden to vs, thei founden not fier, but fat water.

²¹And he comaundide hem `for to drawe, and brynge to hym. And Neemye, preest, comaundide the sacrifices, that weren put on, for to be spreynt with the water, tho and the trees, and tho thingis that weren put aboue.

²²And as this was don, and the tyme cam, in which the sunne schon ayen, that bifore was in cloude, a greet fier was kyndlid, so that alle men wondriden.

²³Forsothe alle prestis maden preier, while the sacrifice was endid; and Jonathas bigan, and othere forsothe answeriden.

²⁴And the preier of Neemye was hauynge this maner. Lord God, maker of nouyt of alle thingis, dredeful and strong, iust and merciful, which aloone art good kyng,

²⁵aloone yyuynge, aloone iust, and almyyti, and with out bigynnyng and ende, which delyuerist Israel fro al yuel, which madist fadris chosun, and halewidist hem;

²⁶take thou sacrifice for al thi puple Israel, and kepe thi part, and halewe.

²⁷Gadere oure scateryng, delyuere hem that seruen to hethene men, and biholde thou dispisid men, and maad abhomynable, that hethene men wite, that thou art oure God.

²⁸Turmente thou men oppressynge vs, and doynge dispit in pride.

²⁹Ordeyne thi puple in thin hooli place, as Moises seide.

³⁰Forsothe prestis sungen ympnes, til the sacrifice was endid.

³¹Forsothe whanne the sacrifice was endid, Neemye comaundide the more stoonys for to be bisched of the residue watir;

³²and as this thing was don, flawme was kyndlid of hem, but it was wastid of the liyt, that ayen schynede of the auter.

³³Forsothe after that the thing was knowun, it was teld to the kyng of Persis, that in the place in which the prestis that weren translatid, hadden hid fier, water apperide, of which Neemye and thei that weren with hym clensiden sacrifices.

³⁴Forsothe the kyng bihelde and diligentli examynede the thing, and made a temple to hym, for to preue that thing that was don.

³⁵And whanne he hadde preued, he yaf many goodis to prestis, and othere yiftis; and he took with his hoond, and he yaf to hem.

³⁶Forsothe Neemye clepte this place Nepthar, that is interpretid, `ether expowned, clensyng; forsothe anentis many it is clepid 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.