2 Maccabees 1
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1THE brethren the Iewes, which be at Ierusalem, & they that are in the countrey of Iudea, vnto the brethren the Iewes, that are thorowout Egypt, send salutation, and prosperitie. 2God be gracious vnto you and remember his couenant made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob his faithful seruants, 3And giue you all an heart, to worship him, and to do his wil with a whole heart and with a willing minde, 4And open your hearts in his Law, and commandements, and send you peace, 5And heare your prayers, and be reconciled with you, and neuer forsake you in time of trouble. 6Thus now we praye here for you. 7When Demetrius reigned, in the hundreth, threscore and nine yere, we Iewes wrote vnto you in the trouble, and violence that came vnto vs in those yeres, after that Iason, and his companie departed out of the holie land and kingdome, 8And burnt the porche, and shed innocent blood. Then we praid vnto the Lord, and were heard: we offred sacrifices and fine floure, and lighted the lampes, and set forthe the bread. 9Now therefore kepe ye the dayes of the feast of the Tabernacles in the moneth "Chasleu. 10¶In the hundreth, fourescore and eight yere, the people that was at Ierusalem, and in Iudea, and the counsel and Iudas, vnto Aristobulus King Ptolemeus master, which is of the stocke of the annointed Priests, & to the Iewes that are in Egypt, sendeth greting and helth. 11In so muche as God hathe deliuered vs from great perils, we thanke him highly, as thogh we had ouercome the King. 12For he broght them into Persia by heapes, that foght against the holie citie. 13For albeit the captaine, and the armie, that was with him, semed inuincible, yet they were slaine in the temple of Nanea, by the disceit of Naneas Priests. 14For Antiochus, as thogh he wolde dwell with her, came thether, he, and his friends with him, to receiue money vnder the title of a dowrie. 15But when the Priests of Nanea had laid it forthe, and he was entred with a smale companie within the Temple, they shut the Temple, when Antiochus was come in. 16And by opening a priuie dore of the vaute, they cast stones, as it were thunder, vpon the captaine & his, and hauing bruised them in pieces, they cut of their heads & threwe them to those that were without. 17God be blessed in all things, which hathe deliuered vp the wicked. 18Whereas we are now purposed to kepe the purification of the Temple vpon the fiue & twentie day of the moneth Chasleu, we thoght it necessarie to certifie you thereof, that ye also might kepe the feast of the Tabernacles, & of the fyre which was giuen vs when Neemias offred sacrifice, after that he had buylt the Temple, and the altar. 19For when as our fathers were led away vnto Persia, the Priests, which soght the honor of God, toke the*fyre of the altar priuely, and hid it in an hollow pit, which was drie in the bottom, & therein they kept it, so that the place was vnknowen vnto euerie man. 20Now after manie yeres when it pleased God that Neemias shulde be sent from the King of Persia, he sent of the posteritie of those Priests, which had hid it to fetche the fyre, and as they tolde vs, they founde no fyre, but thicke water. 21Then commanded he them to drawe it vp, end to bring it: and when the things apperteining to the sacrifices were broght, Neemias commanded the Priests to sprinkle the wood, and the things laid thereupon with water. 22When this was done, and the time came that the sunne shone, which afore was hid in the cloude, there was a great fyre kindled, so that euerie man marueiled. 23Now the Priests, and all prayed, while the sacrifice was consuming: Ionathan began, and the other answered thereunto. 24And the prayer of Neemias was after this maner, O Lord, Lord God maker of all things, which art feareful, and strong, & righteous, and merciful, and the onelie and gracious King, 25Onely liberal, onely iuste and almightie and euerlasting, thou that deliuerest Israel from all trouble, and hast chosen the fathers, and sanctified them, 26Receiue the sacrifice for thy whole people of Israel, and preserue thine owne porcion, and sanctifie it. 27Gather those together, that are scatered from vs: deliuer them that serue among the heathen: loke vpon them which are despised, and abhorred, that the heathen may knowe that thou art our God. 28Punish them that oppresse vs, and with pride do vs wrong. 29Plant thy people againe in thine holie place *as Moyses hathe spoken. 30And the Priests sang psalmes thereunto. 31Now when the sacrifice was consumed, Neemias commanded the great stones to be sprinkled with the residue of the water. 32Which when it was done, there was kindled a flame, which was consumed by the light, that shined from the altar. 33¶So when this matter was knowen, it was tolde the King of Persia, that in the place where the Priests, which were led away, had hid fyre, there appeared water, wherewith Neemias and his companie had purified the sacrifices. 34The King tryed out the thing, and closed the place about, and made it holie. 35And to them that the King fauoured, he gaue and bestowed manie giftes. 36And Neemias called the same place Ephthar, which is to say, purification: but manie men call it ″Nephthar.