| 瑪加伯下 |
2 Maccabees |
| 1耶路撒冷和猶太全境的猶太兄弟，祝僑居埃及的猶太兄弟安好！並祝和平幸福！ |
1The Jews in Jerusalem and in the land of Judea send greetings to their brethren, the Jews in Egypt, and wish them true peace! |
| 2願天主主記念他與自己的忠僕亞巴郎、依撒格、雅各伯所立的盟約，賜你們滿享幸福！ |
2May God bless you and remember his covenant with his faithful servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. |
| 3願他使你們全心崇拜天主，誠心樂意承行他的旨意！ |
3May he give to all of you a heart to worship him and to do his will readily and generously. |
| 4願他使你們瞭解他的法律和規誡，並賜你們平安！ |
4May he open your heart to his law and his commandments and grant you peace. |
| 5願他俯允你們的祈禱，憐恤你們，在患難中不離棄你們！ |
5May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled to you, and never forsake you in time of adversity. |
| 6現在我們在這裏為你們祈禱。 |
6Even now we are praying for you here. |
| 7在一六九年，德默特琉為王時，我們猶太人曾給你們寫信說：「自從雅松和他的同黨出賣聖地和國家以來，在這些年中，我們遭受了很大的痛苦。 |
7 In the reign of Demetrius, the year one hundred and sixty-nine, we Jews wrote to you during the trouble and violence that overtook us in those years after Jason and his followers had revolted against the holy land and the kingdom, |
| 8當時他們曾燒燬了殿門，傾流了無辜者的血，那時我們只有祈求上主，也獲得垂允；我們遂奉獻了犧牲和素祭，也點上燈，供上餅。 |
8 setting fire to the gatehouse and shedding innocent blood. But we prayed to the Lord, and our prayer was heard; we offered sacrifices and fine flour; we lighted the lamps and set out the loaves of bread. |
| 9現在，盼望你們也過『基色婁』月的帳棚節。書於一八八年。」 |
9 We are now reminding you to celebrate the feast of Booths in the month of Chislev. |
| 10「耶路撒冷和猶太的居民，長老院和猶大，祝仆托肋米王的太傅阿黎斯托步羅──他原是受傅為司祭的後代──並祝一切僑居在埃及的猶太人平安健康！ |
10 Dated in the year one hundred and eighty-eight. The people of Jerusalem and Judea, the senate, and Judas send greetings and good wishes to Aristobulus, counselor of King Ptolemy and member of the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt. |
| 11我們這些被天主從大難中拯救出來的人，應深深感謝天主，因為是他陪伴我們攻打君王， |
11 Since we have been saved by God from grave dangers, we give him great thanks for having fought on our side against the king; |
| 12是他驅遂了進攻聖城的敵人。 |
12it was he who drove out those who fought against the holy city. |
| 13當敵人的魁首率領那所向無敵的軍隊到了波斯時，竟在納納雅廟內，被納納雅女神的司祭設計誘殺，剁為肉泥。 |
13 When their leader arrived in Persia with his seemingly irresistible army, they were cut to pieces in the temple of the goddess Nanea through a deceitful stratagem employed by Nanea's priests. |
| 14起初，安提約古託言要娶納納雅女神為妻，與隨同他的朋友來到此地，想以取妝奩的名義，獲得廟內大批珍寶。 |
14 On the pretext of marrying the goddess, Antiochus with his Friends had come to the place to get its great treasures by way of dowry. |
| 15納納雅廟的司祭把寶物陳列出來，安提約古便帶着少數隨員走進廟院；安提約古一進門，他們就把廟門關上， |
15When the priests of the Nanaeon had displayed the treasures, Antiochus with a few attendants came to the temple precincts. As soon as he entered the temple, the priests locked the doors. |
| 16接着，打開天花板上的密門，拋下石塊，將魁首打死，把他和隨從他的人切成塊，把他們的頭拋給站在外邊的人。── |
16Then they opened a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling, hurled stones at the leader and his companions and struck them down. They dismembered the bodies, cut off their heads and tossed them to the people outside. |
| 17願我們的天主在這一切事上受讚美，因為他把惡人置於死地。 |
17Forever blessed be our God, who has thus punished the wicked! |
| 18『基色婁』月二十五日，我們將要舉行潔殿禮，我們認為必須通知你們，叫你們也過帳棚節和火節，這火節是為紀念乃赫米雅重修聖殿和祭壇以後，獻祭時所出現的火。 |
18 We shall be celebrating the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, so we thought it right to inform you, that you too may celebrate the feast of Booths and of the fire that appeared when Nehemiah, the rebuilder of the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices. |
| 19因為當我們的祖先被擄往波斯去的時候，有幾位虔誠的司祭，取了祭壇上的火，暗藏在一個旱井的穴中，把它封好，不讓人察覺這個地方。 |
19 When our fathers were being exiled to Persia, devout priests of the time took some of the fire from the altar and hid it secretly in the hollow of a dry cistern, making sure that the place would be unknown to anyone. |
| 20過了相當長的歲月，天主願意的時候到了，乃赫米雅便被波斯王遣回故鄉；於是他命昔日藏火的司祭的子孫去找火；但是，當他們給我們說沒有找到那火，只找到一些濃厚的液體時，乃赫米雅便叫他們汲出，給他帶來。 |
20Many years later, when it so pleased God, Nehemiah, commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to look for it. |
| 21獻祭的一切都準備好，乃赫米雅便命司祭把那液體灑在木柴上面所放的犧牲上。 |
21When they informed us that they could not find any fire, but only muddy water, he ordered them to scoop some out and bring it. After the material for the sacrifices had been prepared, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle with the water the wood and what lay on it. |
| 22剛灑上沒有好久，忽然為雲彩遮蔽的太陽，射出光來，這時忽然發出烈火，眾人都驚奇不已。 |
22When this was done and in time the sun, which had been clouded over, began to shine, a great fire blazed up, so that everyone marveled. |
| 23祭物焚燒時，司祭都一起祈禱，眾人也都與司祭們一起祈禱；約納堂領禱，其餘的人都一同隨聲應和，乃赫米雅也在內。 |
23While the sacrifice was being burned, the priests recited a prayer, and all present joined in with them, Jonathan leading and the rest responding with Nehemiah. |
| 24禱文如下：『上主，上主天主，萬物的創造者！你是可敬畏的、大能的、公義的、仁慈的。惟有你是君王，惟有你是聖善， |
24The prayer was as follows: "Lord, Lord God, creator of all things, awesome and strong, just and merciful, the only king and benefactor, |
| 25惟有你好施捨，惟有你是公義、全能和永恒的！是你從一切患難中拯救了以色列，是你選擇了我們的祖先，聖化了他們。 |
25who alone are gracious, just, almighty, and eternal, Israel's savior from all evil, who chose our forefathers and sanctified them: |
| 26求你收納你全以色列人所奉獻的祭獻，保存和祝聖你的產業！ |
26accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel and guard and sanctify your heritage. |
| 27求你把我們四散漂流的人聚集起來，使那些在異民中的奴隸重獲自由，眷顧那些被人輕視和憎惡的，使外方人知道你是我們的天主！ |
27Gather together our scattered people, free those who are the slaves of the Gentiles, look kindly on those who are despised and detested, and let the Gentiles know that you are our God. |
| 28求你懲罰那些欺壓和傲慢侮辱我們的人！ |
28Punish those who tyrannize over us and arrogantly mistreat us. |
| 29求你按梅瑟的話，將你的百姓栽植在你的聖地裏！』 |
29Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses promised." |
| 30接着，司祭們輪流歌唱聖詠。 |
30Then the priests began to sing hymns. |
| 31祭品焚燒完畢，乃赫米雅就下令把剩下的液體倒在大石上， |
31After the sacrifice was burned, Nehemiah ordered the rest of the liquid to be poured upon large stones. |
| 32剛一倒下，便立刻發出火焰，而這火焰被祭壇上發出來的火光吸收了。 |
32As soon as this was done, a flame blazed up, but its light was lost in the brilliance cast from a light on the altar. |
| 33這事一傳出去，就有人報告波斯王說：在被俘的司祭們藏火的地方發現了液體，乃赫米雅和他的同伴用這液體聖潔了祭品。 |
33When the event became known and the king of the Persians was told that, in the very place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire, a liquid was found with which Nehemiah and his people had burned the sacrifices, |
| 34這事證實以後，王命人將那地方修上圍牆，視為聖地。 |
34the king, after verifying the fact, fenced the place off and declared it sacred. |
| 35王遂與得他歡心的人彼此餽送禮物。 |
35To those on whom the king wished to bestow favors he distributed the large revenues he received there. |
| 36乃赫米雅和他的同伴稱這液體為『乃弗塔爾』，即潔淨之意，可是人多稱之為『乃弗泰』。 |
36 Nehemiah and his companions called the liquid nephthar, meaning purification, but most people named it naphtha. |
