瑪加伯下:Chapter 2

瑪加伯下:Chapter 2

瑪加伯下	2 Maccabees
¹文獻上記載：耶肋米亞先知曾命令充軍的人，如上面所說的，攜帶着聖火；	¹ You will find in the records, not only that Jeremiah the prophet ordered the deportees to take some of the aforementioned fire with them,
²並且也記載着：先知曾給他們一部法律，使他們不要忘記天主的誡命，也不要因為看見一些金銀的偶像和偶像身上的裝飾，就神志昏迷；	²but also that the prophet, in giving them the law, admonished them not to forget the commandments of the Lord or be led astray in their thoughts, when seeing the gold and silver idols and their ornaments.
³並且還用其他類似的言詞，勸勉他們不要讓自己的心遠離法律。	³With other similar words he urged them not to let the law depart from their hearts.
⁴在文獻上又記載着：當先知登上梅瑟為觀望天主的產業所上過的山時，受天主的勸告，命他帶着會幕和約櫃上去。	⁴ The same document also tells how the prophet, following a divine revelation, ordered that the tent and the ark should accompany him and how he went off to the mountain which Moses climbed to see God's inheritance.
⁵耶肋米亞到了那裏，看見一個大洞，就把會幕、約櫃以及焚香壇放在裏面，然後堵上洞門。	⁵When Jeremiah arrived there, he found a room in a cave in which he put the tent, the ark, and the altar of incense; then he blocked up the entrance.
⁶後有幾個同來的伴侶折回去，沿路作上記號，可是沒有再找到。	⁶Some of those who followed him came up intending to mark the path, but they could not find it.
⁷耶肋米亞知道了這事，就責斥他們說：這地方不可叫任何人知道；等到天主施行仁慈，再把百姓集合起來的時候，	⁷When Jeremiah heard of this, he reproved them: "The place is to remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows them mercy.
⁸天主纔能指示這一些東西的所在；那時上主的榮耀和雲彩將再出現，像梅瑟的時候，又像撒羅滿為使聖殿受聖祈禱的時候出現的一樣。	⁸ Then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord will be seen in the cloud, just as it appeared in the time of Moses and when Solomon prayed that the Place might be gloriously sanctified."
⁹又記載這位智慧者，如何奉獻了聖殿祝聖和落成的祭獻。	⁹It is also related how Solomon in his wisdom offered a sacrifice at the dedication and the completion of the temple.
¹⁰當撒羅滿祈禱時，有火降下，焚燒了全燔祭品，就如從前梅瑟祈禱上主時，有火從天降下焚燒了祭品一樣。	¹⁰Just as Moses prayed to the Lord and fire descended from the sky and consumed the sacrifices, so Solomon also prayed and fire came down and burned up the holocausts.
¹¹梅瑟說：人不能吃贖罪祭品，應當把它焚毀。	¹¹ Moses had said, "Because it had not been eaten, the sin offering was burned up."
¹²撒羅滿也同樣舉行了八天的慶祝。	¹²Solomon also celebrated the feast in the same way for eight days.
¹³此外，在史記上和乃赫米雅的回憶錄上都有同樣的記載；而且還記載乃赫米雅怎樣建立了圖書館，怎樣搜集了列王、眾先知和達味的書藉，以及諸王有關饋贈的書札等事。	¹³ Besides these things, it is also told in the records and in Nehemiah's Memoirs how he collected the books about the kings, the writings of the prophets and of David, and the royal letters about sacred offerings.
¹⁴同樣猶大也把因我們所遭遇的戰禍，而散失了的一切文獻搜集起來。這些文獻現在存在我們這裏。	¹⁴In like manner Judas also collected for us the books that had been scattered because of the war, and we now have them in our possession.
¹⁵若你們需要的話，請你們打發人來取。	¹⁵If you need them, send messengers to get them for you.
¹⁶因為我們正要舉行潔殿禮，所以纔給你們寫信，請你們也好好地過這些日子。	¹⁶As we are about to celebrate the feast of the purification of the temple, we are writing to you requesting you also to please celebrate the feast.
¹⁷天主既然拯救了自己的全體百姓，又把產業、國家、司祭職和祝聖禮交給了自己所有的人，	¹⁷It is God who has saved all his people and has restored to all of them their heritage, the kingdom, the priesthood, and the sacred rites,
¹⁸正如他在法律書上所預許的。希望天主快快憐憫我們，從天下各處把我們聚集到聖所裏，因為他已從大患難中拯救了我們，潔淨了聖所。」	¹⁸as he promised through the law. We trust in God, that he will soon have mercy on us and gather us together from everywhere under the heavens to his holy Place, for he has rescued us from great perils and has purified his Place.
¹⁹關於猶大瑪加伯和他的弟兄所作的一切，他怎樣清潔了偉大的聖殿，怎樣祝聖了祭壇，	¹⁹This is the story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, of the purification of the great temple, the dedication of the altar,
²⁰怎樣與安提約古厄丕法乃及他的兒子歐帕托爾作戰，	²⁰ the campaigns against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator,
²¹怎樣天主從天顯現，援助了那些勇敢為猶太教作戰的人，致使少數的人能克服全境，驅逐野蠻的大軍；	²¹and of the heavenly manifestations accorded to the heroes who fought bravely for Judaism, so that, few as they were, they seized the whole land, put to flight the barbarian hordes,
²²又怎樣天主大慈大悲地憐憫了他們，使他們收回了舉世聞名的聖殿，恢復了京城的自由，重整了快要廢棄的法律等等事項，	²²regained possession of the world-famous temple, liberated the city, and reestablished the laws that were in danger of being abolished, while the Lord favored them with all his generous assistance.
²³基勒乃人雅松共寫了五卷，我們現在要把這五卷縮為一卷。	²³All this, which Jason of Cyrene set forth in detail in five volumes, we will try to condense into a single book.
²⁴我們有見於數字的混亂，以及有心研究歷史的人因材料繁雜所遭遇的困難，	²⁴In view of the flood of statistics, and the difficulties encountered by those who wish to plunge into historical narratives where the material is abundant,
²⁵就設法縮短，使喜愛閱讀的人得到愉快，使愛好背誦史事的人易於牢記，使一般手執這書的讀者獲得裨益。	²⁵we have aimed to please those who prefer simple reading, as well as to make it easy for the studious who wish to commit things to memory, and to be helpful to all.
²⁶從事這項摘要的工作，為我們並不是一件容易的事，而是一項使人流汗和失眠的工作，	²⁶For us who have taken upon ourselves the labor of making this digest, the task, far from being easy, is one of sweat and of sleepless nights,
²⁷並不比準備筵席的人，想使眾客都稱心，更容易；但我們為了為大眾服務，纔欣然擔負起這項艱苦的工作。	²⁷just as the preparation of a festive banquet is no light matter for one who thus seeks to give enjoyment to others. Similarly, to win the gratitude of many we will gladly endure these inconveniences,
²⁸讓歷史家對每一件事作詳細的分析罷！這裏我們只遵守撰寫撮要的規律。	²⁸while we leave the responsibility for exact details to the original author, and confine our efforts to giving only a summary outline.
²⁹就如建築新房的工程師，只注意建築的大體，而負責鑲嵌和繪壁的技師，該設法使各項裝飾恰到好處；我想為我們也就是如此。	²⁹As the architect of a new house must give his attention to the whole structure, while the man who undertakes the decoration and the frescoes has only to concern himself with what is needed for ornamentation, so I think it is with us.
³⁰至於精研深究，詳述一切史事，和苦心的考查，那是歷史家的任務；	³⁰To enter into questions and examine them thoroughly from all sides is the task of the professional historian;
³¹言簡意賅，刪除繁冗，這纔是寫撮要者的本意。	³¹but the man who is making an adaptation should be allowed to aim at brevity of expression and to omit detailed treatment of the matter.
³²現在我們就開始敘述，對以上說的不再加添，因為若是寫歷史撮要，而在前面作冗長的序言，這未免太可笑了！	³²Here, then, we shall begin our account without further ado; it would be nonsense to write a long preface to a story and then abbreviate the story itself.