2 Maccabees:Chapter 15

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2 Maccabees:Chapter 15

瑪加伯(下)	2 Maccabees
¹尼加諾爾聽說猶大和他的部下都在撒瑪黎雅附近，便決意要在安息日那天攻擊他們，可確保勝利；	¹Nicanor was informed that the men of Judas were in the neighboring villages of Samaria, so he prepared to safely attack them on the day of the sabbath.
²但那些被迫跟隨他的猶太人卻反對說：「你切不要這樣殘忍兇悍地去屠殺人，應當尊敬觀察萬物者所聖化的日子！」	²The Jews, who were forced to accompany him, said to him, "Do not destroy them so savagely and barbarously, but show respect for the day of the sabbath, for He who sees all has honored this day and sanctified it."
³那罪大惡極的人問道：「天上是否有位命令守安息日的主宰？」	³But the wretch asked if there was indeed a sovereign in heaven who had commanded that the sabbath be holy.
⁴他們率直地答說：「有一位永生的天主，是天上的主宰，他命令守安息日。」	⁴They answered, "It is the living God himself, the Sovereign in heaven, who has commanded us to celebrate the seventh day."
⁵他答說：「在地上我是主宰。我今命你們拿出武器，執行君王的命令！」雖然如此，他卻沒有完成那殘酷的計謀。	⁵"So I, as sovereign on earth, command you to take up arms and carry out the decrees of the king." But he could not bring to completion his evil designs.
⁶可是，尼加諾爾驕傲自大，仍決意要建立一座象徵擊敗猶大和其部下的凱旋坊；	⁶Nicanor was so sure of victory, that he planned to build a monument with the mortal remains of Judas and his men.
⁷瑪加伯卻時常懷着堅定的信念，全心信賴必得到上主的援助，	⁷But Maccabeus, for his part, felt confident and put his trust in God's help.
⁸勸勉自己的同志，不必害怕外邦人的攻擊，只該懷念昔日從天上賜予他們的援助，深信此時全能者也必賜給他們勝利。	⁸He encouraged his men not to fear the attack of the pagans, and not to forget the times God had come to their help, confident that even now God would give them victory.
⁹後又用法律和先知的話來鼓勵他們，又叫他們回憶所經歷的戰爭，使他們都熱情勃發。	⁹He roused their spirit with the words of the Law and the Prophets, reminding them of previous triumphs.
¹⁰激起他們作戰的精神以後，又宣示外邦人如何失信，違犯誓言，遂發出攻擊的命令。	¹⁰Encouraging his men more and more, he finished by showing them the evil of the pagans and how they had betrayed their oath.
¹¹他武裝每個兵士，並不靠盾牌和長槍，而是用極富鼓勵的話向他們講述了一個很可信的夢，──即一個異像──使他們非常高興。	¹¹So he armed them not with the sword or shield but with the certainty that comes from noble words. Then he made them all full of joy by telling them what he saw in a true dream.
¹²他所見的異像是這樣：他看見一個人，舉起雙手為整個猶太民族祈禱。這人就是為人善良敦厚，待人謙和，態度溫雅，善於辭令，自幼勤修各樣德行的前任大司祭敖尼雅。	¹²He had seen Onias, the former High Priest, a courteous, good man, humble in his ways, distinguished in his words and exemplary in his irreproachable conduct since childhood. With arms outstretched, Onias prayed for the whole Jewish community.
¹³接着，又看見一人顯現，同樣為猶太民族祈禱。他頭髮蒼白，體面端雅，尊嚴非凡，令人起敬。	¹³Then, a gray-haired and honorable man appeared, praying in the same way, and characterized by dignity and majesty.
¹⁴敖尼雅便解釋說：「這是愛護弟兄的人，他就是常為百姓及聖城祈禱的，天主的先知耶肋米亞。」	¹⁴Then Onias, the High Priest, said to Judas, "This is he who loves your brothers, he who prays without ceasing for the Jewish people and for the Holy City. He is Jeremiah, the prophet of God."
¹⁵隨後，耶肋米亞伸出右手，交給猶大一把金劍說：	¹⁵And Jeremiah had stretched out his right hand giving a golden sword to Judas, as he said,
¹⁶「你收下這把聖劍！這是天主的恩賜，你要用來擊殺敵人。」	¹⁶"Receive this sword as a gift from God, with which you shall destroy your enemies."
¹⁷聽到了猶大這番美妙言辭的鼓勵，人心大為振作，青年的鬥志因而堅強起來，因此大家決定不再留守營中，要奮勇進攻拚命與敵人決戰，因為京城、宗教與聖殿，都陷在危險中。	¹⁷Encouraged by these beautiful words of Judas, which were able to encourage righteous people and strengthen young souls, they determined not to set up camp with defenses. They decided instead to rush out bravely and take the offensive to settle the matter by fighting bravely, for the Holy City Jerusalem, their religion and the Temple were in danger.
¹⁸他們對妻子、兒女、兄弟及親友並不怎麼掛慮，最掛慮的卻是神聖的聖殿。	¹⁸They considered of secondary importance any concern for their wives, children and friends; because they feared above all for the Temple consecrated to God.
¹⁹留在城中的人也非常焦慮，為那些在外作戰的人放心不下。	¹⁹Regarding those who had stayed in the city, their anxiety was by no means little, since they were worried about the battle that was about to begin in the camp.
²⁰眾人都期待着快要來臨的決戰。那時，敵人都已聚集嚴陣以待，象隊已擺在重要的據點，馬隊已分成左右兩翼。	²⁰Everyone waited for the imminent outcome as the enemies attacked. They had set their troops in place, led the elephants to strategic positions and had the cavalry in the wings.
²¹瑪加伯見配備各樣武器的大軍，及兇猛的象隊已擺好陣勢，便舉手向天，呼求施行奇蹟的上主；他知道勝利並不在乎武器，而在於上主斷定誰應勝利，就使誰勝利。	²¹Then Maccabeus could see this multitude with their weapons of every kind and the ferocious elephants. He stretched forth his hands to heaven and called on the Lord who works marvels, for he knew that God gives victory to those who deserve it, and this does not depend on weapons, but on the will of God.
²²猶大又祈禱說：「無上的主宰！在猶大王希則克雅時，你曾派遣你的天使，斬殺了散乃黑黎布的軍隊約十八萬五千人。	²²So Judas said in prayer, "O Lord, you sent your angel in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he wiped out one hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the army of Sennacherib.
²³上天的主宰，求你現在也派遣一位好天使來，在我們前散佈恐怖驚惶。	²³So now, O Lord of Heaven, send your good angel, before us too, to fill our enemies with fear and terror.
²⁴求你用你大能的手，打擊這些謾罵和攻擊你聖民的人！」他就這樣結束了祈禱。	²⁴Show your power and let your arm strike those who insult you and who come to destroy your holy people." With this, he ended his prayer.
²⁵那時，尼加諾爾率領軍隊，吹着號角，唱着軍歌，蜂擁而來。	²⁵Meanwhile, Nicanor and his men advanced amid blasts of trumpets and shouts of war.
²⁶猶大的部下卻在哀求與祈禱聲中，前去迎敵，	²⁶Judas and his men, for their part, entered into battle with supplication and prayer.
²⁷徒手作戰，心中不住呼求天主，因此擊殺了不下三萬五千人，萬分高興天主明顯的助佑。	²⁷As they fought with their hands, their hearts prayed to God. And being so magnificently strengthened by the manifest presence of God, they killed no less than thirty-five thousand enemies.
²⁸戰後，他們興高彩烈回來時，發覺尼加諾爾穿着全副武裝，臥地陣亡，	²⁸When the battle ended, and they returned rejoicing, they found Nicanor dead, lying on the ground with all his armor.
²⁹一時高聲歡呼，用本國語言稱頌無上的主宰。	²⁹Then they blessed God in their ancestral language amidst shouts and clamors.
³⁰那位完全奉獻身心為同胞奮鬥，一生熱愛民族的猶大，便命人將尼加諾爾的頭和手臂砍下，帶到耶路撒冷去。	³⁰Judas, who had once fully consecrated himself to the welfare of his fellow residents and had never wavered in his affection for them, ordered that Nicanor's head and arms up to the shoulders be cut off and brought to Jerusalem.
³¹他一到那裏，便召集同胞和司祭，又派人將堡壘裏的人召來；然後站在祭壇前，	³¹There he summoned his compatriots and priests. He stood before the altar and ordered them to send for those in the Citadel.
³²將這可惡的尼加諾爾的頭，並將他為褻瀆謾罵全能者聖殿而舉過的手，出示給眾人看。	³²He showed them the head of that wretched, Nicanor, and the hand which that wicked man had raised in pride above the house of God.
³³然後，又割下這邪惡尼加諾爾的舌頭，下令切成碎塊，以飼飛鳥，並將這狂妄的手臂，掛在聖殿前面。	³³He ordered that Nicanor's tongue be cut into pieces and given to the birds, and the hand be hung in front of the sanctuary as punishment for his arrogance.
³⁴那時眾人都向天讚頌榮耀的上主說：「那位保衛聖所不受玷污的，應受讚美！」	³⁴Then they blessed Heaven saying, "Blessed be he who did not let his Sacred House be defiled!"
³⁵猶大又將尼加諾爾的頭，懸在堡壘上，作為上主援助極顯明昭着的記號。	³⁵Finally, Judas ordered that Nicanor's head be hung in the Citadel as a sign of God's help.
³⁶眾人一致決議，不可讓這一天平淡地過去，而該在每年十二月，敘利亞語名「阿達爾」月，十三日，即摩爾德開節前日，隆重慶祝。	³⁶By popular agreement, they decided that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month called Adar in Aramaic, the vespers of the day of Mordecai would be commemorated as a festival day.
³⁷這就是有關尼加諾爾的事。從此以後，京城便由希伯來人佔領。我也就此結束此記述。	³⁷These were the events during the time of Nicanor. As from those days the city remained under the power of the Hebrews, I end my account here.
³⁸此書若敘述得體，編輯完善，這纔是我的願望；若嫌寫得膚淺平凡，但我已盡了我之所能。	³⁸If the narration has been good and well composed, that is indeed what I desired; but if it has been ordinary and indifferent, it is what I was able to do.
³⁹比方人只喝酒，或只喝水，都不免有害；但酒水調和了再喝，纔有滋味，暢快人心；同樣，若史事編纂的巧妙，讀此史事的人，才感興趣。──全書終。	³⁹The readers' pleasure depends on how the account was arranged, just as it is with one who drinks. It does not do any good when one drinks only pure wine or water but wine mixed with water is tasty and delightful. Let this, then, be my last word.

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