瑪加伯下:Chapter 15

瑪加伯下: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；	¹When Nicanor learned that Judas and his companions were in the territory of Samaria, he decided to attack them in all safety on the day of rest.
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 follow him pleaded, "Do not massacre them in that way, like a savage barbarian, but show respect for the day which the All-seeing has exalted with holiness above all other days."
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？」	³At this the thrice-sinful wretch asked if there was a ruler in heaven who prescribed the keeping of the sabbath day.
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。」	⁴When they replied that there was indeed such a ruler in heaven, the living LORD himself, who commanded the observance of the sabbath 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。	⁵he said, "I, on my part, am ruler on earth, and my orders are that you take up arms and carry out the king's business." Nevertheless he did not succeed in carrying out his cruel plan.
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；	⁶ In his utter boastfulness and arrogance Nicanor had determined to erect a public monument of victory over 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 remained confident, fully convinced that he would receive help from the LORD.
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 urged his men not to fear the enemy, but mindful of the help they had received from Heaven in the past, to expect that now, too, victory would be given them by the Almighty.
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。	⁹ By encouraging them with words from the law and the prophets, and by reminding them of the battles they had already won, he filled them with fresh enthusiasm.
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。	¹⁰Having stirred up their courage, he gave his orders and pointed out at the same time the perfidy of the Gentiles and their violation of oaths.
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。	¹¹When he had armed each of them, not so much with the safety of shield and spear as with the encouragement of noble words, he cheered them all by relating a dream, a kind of vision, worthy of belief.
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。	¹² What he saw was this: Onias, the former high priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in appearance, gentle in manners, distinguished in speech, and trained from childhood in every virtuous practice, was praying with outstretched arms 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 in the same way another man appeared, distinguished by his white hair and dignity, and with an air about him of extraordinary, majestic authority.
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。」	¹⁴ Onias then said of him, "This is God's prophet Jeremiah, who loves his brethren and fervently prays for his people and their holy city."
¹⁵隨後，耶肋米亞伸出右手，交給猶大一把金劍說：	¹⁵Stretching out his right hand, Jeremiah presented a gold sword to Judas. As he gave it to him 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"Accept this holy sword as a gift from God; with it you shall crush your adversaries."
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 Judas' noble words, which had power to instill valor and stir young hearts to courage, the Jews determined not to delay, but to charge gallantly and decide the issue by hand-to-hand combat with the utmost courage, since their city and its temple with the sacred vessels 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 were not so much concerned about their wives and children or their brothers and kinsmen; their first and foremost fear was for the consecrated sanctuary.
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。	¹⁹Those who remained in the city suffered a like agony, anxious as they were about the battle in the open country.
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 now awaited the decisive moment. The enemy were already drawing near with their troops drawn up in battle line, their elephants placed in strategic positions, and their cavalry stationed on the flanks.
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。	²¹Maccabeus, contemplating the hosts before him, their elaborate equipment, and the fierceness of their elephants, stretched out his hands toward heaven and called upon the LORD who works miracles; for he knew that it is not through arms but through the LORD'S decision that victory is won by those who deserve it.
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。	²²He prayed to him thus: "You, O LORD, sent your angel in the days of King Hezekiah of Judea, and he slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand men of Sennacherib's army.
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。	²³Sovereign of the heavens, send a good angel now to spread fear and dread before us.
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。	²⁴By the might of your arm may those be struck down who have blasphemously come against 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。	²⁵Nicanor and his men advanced to the sound of trumpets and battle songs.
²⁶猶大的部下卻在哀求與祈禱聲中，前去迎敵，	²⁶But Judas and his men met the army with supplication and prayers.
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。	²⁷Fighting with their hands and praying to God with their hearts, they laid low at least thirty-five thousand, and rejoiced greatly over this manifestation of God's power.
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 was over and they were joyfully departing, they discovered Nicanor lying there in all his armor;
²⁹一時高聲歡呼，用本國語言稱頌無上的主宰。	²⁹so they raised tumultuous shouts in their native tongue in praise of the divine Sovereign.
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。	³⁰Then Judas, who was ever in body and soul the chief defender of his fellow citizens, and had maintained from youth his affection for his countrymen, ordered Nicanor's head and whole right arm to be cut off and taken 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，	³¹ When he arrived there, he assembled his countrymen, stationed the priests before the altar, and sent 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 vile Nicanor's head and the wretched blasphemer's arm that had been boastfully stretched out against the holy dwelling of the Almighty.
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 cut out the tongue of the godless Nicanor, saying he would feed it piecemeal to the birds and would hang up the other wages of his folly opposite the temple.
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！」	³⁴At this, everyone looked toward heaven and praised the Lord who manifests his divine power, saying, "Blessed be he who has kept his own Place undefiled!"
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。	³⁵Judas hung up Nicanor's head on the wall of the citadel, a clear and evident proof to all of the Lord'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。	³⁶ By public vote it was unanimously decreed never to let this day pass unobserved, but to celebrate it on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar in Aramaic, the eve of Mordecai's 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。	³⁷Since Nicanor's doings ended in this way, with the city remaining in possession of the Hebrews from that time on, I will bring my own story to an end here too.
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 it is well written and to the point, that is what I wanted; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that is the best I could 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。	³⁹Just as it is harmful to drink wine alone or water alone, whereas mixing wine with water makes a more pleasant drink that increases delight, so a skillfully composed story delights the ears of those who read the work. Let this, then, be the end.