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1 To the brethren the Jews that are I
throughout Egypt, the brethren, the Jews that are in Jerusalem, and in the
land of Judea, send health, and good peace.
2 May God
be gracious to you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, and
Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants:
3 And give
you all a heart to worship him, and to do his will with a great heart, and a
willing mind.
4 May he
open your heart in his law, and in his commandments, and send you peace.
5 May he
hear your prayers, and be reconciled unto you, and never forsake you in the
evil time.
6 And now
here we are praying for you.
7 When
Demetrius reigned, in the year one hundred and sixty-nine, we Jews wrote to
you, in the trouble, and violence, that came upon us in those years, after
Jason withdrew himself from the holy land, and from the kingdom.
8 They
burnt the gate, and shed innocent blood: then we prayed to the Lord, and were
heard, and we offered sacrifices, and fine flour, and lighted the lamps, and
set forth the leaves.
9 And now
celebrate ye the days of Scenopegia in the month of
Casleu.
10 In the
year Bone hundred and eighty- eight, the people that is at Jerusalem, and in
Judea, and the senate, and Judas, to Aristobolus,
the preceptor of king Ptolemee, who is of the stock
of the anointed priests, and to the Jews that are in Egypt, health and
welfare.
11 Having
been delivered by God out of great dangers, we give him great thanks,
forasmuch as we have been in war with such a king.
12 For he
made numbers of men swarm out of Persia that have fought against us, and the
holy city.
13 For when
the leader himself was in Persia, and with him a very great army, he fell in
the temple of Nanea, being deceived by the counsel
of the priests of Nanea.
14 For
Antiochus, with his friends, came to the place as though he would marry her,
and that he might receive great sums of money under the title of a dowry.
15 And when
the priests of Nanea had set it forth, and he with
a small company had entered into the compass of the temple, they shut the
temple,
16 When
Antiochus was came in: and opening a secret entrance of the temple, they cast
stones and slew the leader, and them that were with him, and hewed them in
pieces, and cutting off their heads they threw them forth.
17 Blessed
be God in all things, who hath delivered up the wicked.
18 Therefore
whereas we purpose to keep the purification of the temple on the five and
twentieth day of the month of Casleu, we thought it
necessary to signify it to you: that you also may keep the day of Scenopegia, and the day of the fire, that was given when Nehemias offered sacrifice, after the temple and the
altar was built.
19 For when
our fathers were led in Persia, the priests that then were worshippers of God
took privately the fire from the altar, and hid it in a valley where there
was a deep pit without water, and there they kept it safe,
20 But when
many years had passed, and it pleased God that Nehemias
should be sent by the king of Persia, he sent some of the posterity of those
priests that had hid it, to seek for the fire: and as they told us, they
found no fire, but thick water.
21 Then he
bade them draw it up, and bring it to him: and the priest Nehemias
commanded the sacrifices that were laid on, to be sprinkled with the same
water, both the wood, and the things that were laid upon it.
22 And when
this was done, and the time came that the sun shone out, which before was in
a cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that all wondered.
23 And all
the priests made prayer, while the sacrifice was consuming, Jonathan
beginning, and the rest answering.
24 And the
prayer of Nehemias was after this manner: 0 Lord
God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just and merciful, who alone
art the goad king,
25 Who alone
art gracious, who alone art just, and almighty, and eternal, who deliverest Israel from all evil, who didst choose the
fathers and didst sanctify them :
26 Receive
the sacrifice for all thy people Israel, and preserve thy own portion, and
sanctify it.
27 Gather
together our scattered people, deliver them that are slaves to the Gentiles,
and look upon them that are despised and abhorred: that the Gentiles may know
that thou art our God.
28 Punish
them that oppress us, and that treat us injuriously with pride.
29 Establish
thy people in thy holy place, as Moses hath spoken.
30 And the
priests sung hymns till the sacrifice was consumed.
31 And when
the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemias commanded the
water that was left to be poured out upon the great stones.
32 Which
being done, there -was kindled a dame from them: but it was consumed by the
light that shined from the altar.
33 And when
this matter became public, it was told to the king of Persia, that in the
place where the priests that were led away, had hid the fire, there appeared
water, with which Nehemias and they that were with
him had purified the sacrifices.
34 And the
king considering, and diligently examining the matter, made a temple for it,
that he might prove what had happened.
35 And when
he had proved it, he gave the priests many goods, and divers presents, and he
took end distributed them to them with his own hand.
36 And Nehemias called this place Nephthar,
which is interpreted purification. But many call it Nephi.
37 90 that
the place was unknown to all men.
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1- الى الاخوة اليهود الذين في
مصر سلام اليكم من الاخوة اليهود الذين في اورشليم و بلاد اليهودية اطيب السلام.
2- ليبارككم الله و يذكر عهده مع ابراهيم و
اسحق و يعقوب عبيده الامناء.
3- و ليؤتكم جميعا قلبا لان تعبدوه و تصنعوا
مشيئته بصدر مشروح و نفس راضية.
4- و يفتح قلوبكم لشريعته و وصاياه و يجعلكم
في سلام.
5- و ليستجب لصلواتكم و يتب عليكم و لا يخذلكم
في اوان السوء.
6- و نحن ههنا نصلي من اجلكم.
7- كنا نحن اليهود قد كتبنا
اليكم في عهد ديمتريوس في السنة المئة و التاسعة و الستين حين الضيق و الشدة
التي نزلت بنا في تلك السنين بعد انصراف ياسون و الذين معه من الارض المقدسة و
المملكة.
8- فانهم احرقوا الباب و سفكوا الدم الزكي
فابتهلنا الى الرب فاستجاب لنا و قربنا الذبيحة و السميذ و اوقدنا السرج و قدمنا
الخبز.
9- فالان عليكم ان تعيدوا ايام المظال التي في
شهر كسلو.
10- في السنة المئة و الثامنة و الثمانين من
سكان اورشليم و اليهودية و الشيوخ و يهوذا الى ارسطوبولس مؤدب بطلماوس الملك
الذي من ذرية الكهنة المسحاء و الى اليهود الذين في مصر سلام و عافية.
11- نشكر الله الشكر الجزيل على انه خلصنا من
اخطار جسيمة عند مناصبتنا للملك.
12- و دحر الذين يقاتلوننا في المدينة
المقدسة.
13- فانه اذ كان الملك في فارس يقود جيشا لا
يثبت امامه احد نكبوا في هيكل النناية بحيلة احتالها عليهم كهنة النناية.
14- و ذلك انه جاء انطيوكس و من معه من اصحابه
الى هناك متظاهرا بانه يريد ان يقارنها و في نفسه ان ياخذ الاموال على سبيل
الصداق.
15- فابرز كهنة النناية الاموال و دخل هو مع
نفر يسير الى داخل المعبد ثم اغلقوا الهيكل.
16- فلما دخل انطيوكس فتحوا بابا خفيا كان في
ارض الهيكل و قذفوا حجارة رجموا بها القائد ثم قطعوهم قطعا و حزوا رؤوسهم و
القوها الى الذين كانوا في الخارج.
17- ففي كل شيء تبارك الهنا الذي اسلم الكفرة.
18- و بعد فاذ كنا مزمعين ان
نعيد عيد تطهير الهيكل في اليوم الخامس و العشرين من شهر كسلو راينا من الواجب
ان نعلن اليكم ان تعيدوا انتم ايضا عيد المظال و النار التي ظهرت حين بنى نحميا
الهيكل و المذبح و قدم الذبيحة.
19- فانه حين اجلي اباؤنا الى فارس اخذ بعض
اتقياء الكهنة من نار المذبح سرا و خباوها في جوف بئر لا ماء فيها و حافظوا
عليها بحيث بقي الموضع مجهولا عند الجميع.
20- و بعد انقضاء سنين كثيرة حين شاء الله
ارسل ملك فارس نحميا الى هنا فبعث اعقاب الكهنة الذين خباوا النار لالتماسها الا
انهم كما حدثونا لم يجدوا نارا بل ماء خاثرا.
21- فامرهم ان يغرفوا و ياتوا به و لما احضرت
الذبائح امر نحميا الكهنة ان ينضحوا بهذا الماء الخشب و الموضوع عليه.
22- فصنعوا كذلك و لما برزت الشمس و قد كانت
محجوبة بالغيم اتقدت نار عظيمة حتى تعجب الجميع.
23- و عند احراق الذبيحة كان الكهنة كلهم
يصلون و كان يوناتان يبدا و الباقون يجيبونه.
24- و هذا ما صلى به نحميا ايها الرب الرب
الاله خالق الكل المرهوب القوي العادل الرحيم يا من هو وحده الملك و البار.
25- يا من هو وحده المتفضل العادل القدير
الازلي مخلص اسرائيل من كل شر الذي اصطفى اباءنا و قدسهم.
26- تقبل الذبيحة من اجل جميع شعبك اسرائيل و
صن ميراثك و قدسه.
27- و اجمع شتاتنا و اعتق المستعبدين عند
الامم و انظر الى الممتهنين و الممقوتين و لتعلم الامم انك انت الهنا.
28- و عاقب الظالمين و القاذفين بتجبر.
29- و اغرس شعبك في مكانك المقدس كما قال
موسى.
30- و كان الكهنة يرنمون
بالاناشيد.
31- و لما احرقت الذبيحة امر
نحميا بان يريقوا ما بقي من الماء على الحجارة الكبيرة.
32- فلما صنعوا ذلك اتقد اللهيب فاطفاه النور
المنبعث من المذبح.
33- فشاع ذلك و اخبر ملك فارس ان الموضع الذي
خبا فيه الكهنة النار حين جلائهم قد ظهر فيه ماء و به طهر الذين مع نحميا
الذبيحة.
34- فسيجه الملك و صيره مقدسا بعد الفحص عن
الامر.
35- و انعطف الملك اليهم و اخذ عطايا كثيرة و
وهبها لهم.
36- و سماه الذين مع نحميا نفطار اي تطهيرا و
يعرف عند كثيرين بنفطاي
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