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1 But when Nicanor
understood that Judas was in the places of Samaria, he purposed to set upon
him with all violence on the sabbath day.
2 And when
the Jews that were constrained to follow him, said: Do not act so fiercely
and barbarously, but give honour to the day that is
sanctified: and reverence him that beholdeth all
things:
3 That
unhappy man asked, if there were a mighty One in heaven, that had commanded
the sabbath day to be kept.
4 And when
they answered: There is the living Lord himself in heaven, the mighty One,
that commanded the seventh day to be kept,
5 Then he
said: And I am mighty upon the earth, and I command to take arms, and to do
the king's business. Nevertheless he prevailed not to accomplish his design.
6 So Nicanor being puffed up with exceeding great pride,
thought to set up a public monument of his victory over Judas.
7 But Machabeus ever trusted with all hope that God would help
them.
8 And he
exhorted his people not to fear the coming of the nations, but to remember
the help they had before received from heaven, and now to hope for victory
from the Almighty.
9 And
speaking to them out of the law, and the prophets, and withal putting them in
mind of the battles they had fought before, he made them more cheerful:
10 Then
after he had encouraged them, he shewed withal the
falsehood of the Gentiles, and their breach of oaths.
11 So he
armed every one of them, not with defence of shield
and spear, but with very good speeches and exhortations, and told them a
dream worthy to be believed, whereby he rejoiced them all.
12 Now the
vision was in this manner: Onias who had been high
priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in his looks, gentle in his manners,
and graceful in his speech, and who from a child was exercised in virtues,
holding up his hands, prayed for all the people of the Jews:
13 After
this there appeared also an- other man, admirable for age, and glory, and
environed with great beauty and majesty :
14 Then Onias answering, Raid: This is a lover of his brethren,
and of the people of Israel: this is he that prayeth
much for the people, and for all the holy city, Jeremias
the prophet of God.
15 Whereupon
Jeremias stretched forth his right hand, and gave
to Judas a sword of gold, saying:
16 Take this
holy sword a gift from God, wherewith thou shalt
overthrow the adversaries of my people Israel.
17 Thus
being exhorted with the words of Judas, which were very good, and proper to
stir up the courage, and strengthen the hearts of the young men, they
resolved to fight, and to set upon them manfully : that valour
might decide the matter, because the holy city and the temple were in danger.
18 For
their concern was less for their wives, and children, and for their brethren,
and kinsfolks: but their greatest and principal
fear was for the holiness of the temple.
19 And they
also that were in the city, had no little concern for them that were to be
engaged in battle.
20 And now
when all expected what judgment would be given, and the enemies were at hand,
and the army was set in array, the beasts and the horsemen ranged in
convenient places,
21 Machabeus considering the coming of the multitude, and
the divers preparations of armour, and the
fierceness of the beasts, stretching out his hands to heaven, called upon the
Lord, that worketh wonders, who giveth
victory to them that are worthy, not according to the power of their arms,
but according as it seemeth good to him.
22 And in
his prayer he said after this manner: Thou, O Lord, who didst send thy angel
in the time of Ezechias king of Juda,
and didst kill a hundred and eighty-five thousand of the army of Sennacherib:
23 Send now
also, 0 Lord of heaven, thy good angel before us, for the fear and dread of
the greatness of thy arm,
24 That they
may be afraid, who come with blasphemy against thy holy people. And thus he
concluded his prayer.
25 But Nicanor, and they that were with him came forward, with
trumpets and songs.
26 But
Judas, and they that were with him, encountered them, calling upon God by
prayers:
27 So
fighting with their hands, but praying to the Lord with their hearts, they
slew no less than five and thirty thousand, being greatly cheered with the
presence of God.
28 And when
the battle was over, and they were returning with joy, they understood that Nicanor was slain in his armour.
29 Then
making a shout, and a great noise, they blessed the Almighty Lord in their
own language.
30 And
Judas, who was altogether ready, in body and mind, to die for his countrymen,
commanded that Nicanor's head, and his hand with
the shoulder should be cut off, and carried to Jerusalem.
31 And when
he was come thither, having called together his countrymen, and the priests
to the altar, he sent also for them that were in the castle,
32 And shewing them the head of Nicenor,
and the wicked hand, which he had stretched out, with proud boasts, against
the holy house of the Almighty God,
33 He
commanded also, that the tongue of the wicked Nicanor,
should be cut out and given by pieces to birds, and the hand of the furious
man to be hanged up over against the temple.
34 Then all
blessed the Lord of heaven, saying: Blessed be he that hath kept his own
place undefiled.
35 And he
hung up Nicanor's head in the top of the castle,
that it might be an evident and manifest sign of the help of God.
36 And they
all ordained by a common decree, by no means to let this day pass without
solemnity:
37 But to
celebrate the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, called, in the Syrian
language, the day before Mardochias' day.
38 So these
things being done with relation to Nicanor, and
from that time the city being possessed by the Hebrews, I also will here make
an end of my narration.
39 Which if
I have done well, and as it becometh the history,
it is what I desired: but if not so perfectly, it must be pardoned me.
40 For as
it is hurtful to drink always wine, or always water, but pleasant to use
sometimes the one, and sometimes the other: so if the speech be always nicely
framed, it will not be grateful to the readers. But here it shall be ended.
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1- و بلغ نكانور ان اصحاب يهوذا
في نواحي السامرة فعزم على مفاجاته يوم السبت دون تعرض لخطر الحرب.
2- فقال له اليهود الذين شايعوه اضطرارا لا
تاخذ القوم بهذه القسوة و الخشونة بل ارع حرمة يوم قد اكرمه و قدسه الرقيب على
كل شيء.
3- فسال ذلك الفاجر و هل في السماء قدير امر
بحفظ يوم السبت.
4- فقالوا ان في السماء الرب الحي القدير و هو
الذي اوصى بحفظ اليوم السابع.
5- فقال الرجل و انا ايضا قدير في الارض فامر
باخذ السلاح و امضاء اوامر الملك و لكنه لم يتمكن من قضاء ماربه الخبيث.
6- و كان نكانور بما عنده من الزهو و الصلف
مضمرا ان ينصب تذكارا يشير به الى جميع غلباته على اصحاب يهوذا.
7- و اما المكابي فلم يزل يثق كل
الثقة بان الرب سيؤتيه النصر.
8- فحرض اصحابه ان لا يجزعوا من غارة الامم بل
يذكروا النجدات التي طال ما امدوا بها من السماء و ينتظروا الظفر و النصرة التي
سيؤتونها من عند القدير.
9- ثم كلمهم عن الشريعة و الانبياء و ذكر لهم
الوقائع التي باشروها حتى اذكى حماستهم.
10- و بعدما ثبت عزائمهم شرح لهم كيف نقضت
الامم عهودها و حنثت بايمانها.
11- و سلح كلا منهم بتعزية كلامه الصالح اكثر
مما سلحهم بالتروس و الرماح ثم قص عليهم رؤيا يقينية تجلت له في الحلم فشرح بها
صدورهم اجمعين.
12- و هذه هي الرؤيا قال رايت اونيا الكاهن
الاعظم رجل الخير و الصلاح المهيب المنظر الحليم الاخلاق صاحب الاقوال الرائعة
المواظب منذ صبائه على جميع ضروب الفضائل باسطا يديه و مصليا لاجل جماعة اليهود
باسرها.
13- ثم تراءى لي رجل كريم الشيبة اغر البهاء
عليه جلالة عجيبة سامية.
14- فاجاب اونيا و قال هذا محب الاخوة المكثر
من الصلوات لاجل الشعب و المدينة المقدسة ارميا نبي الله.
15- ثم ان ارميا مد يمينه و ناول يهوذا سيفا
من ذهب و قال.
16- خذ هذا السيف المقدس هبة من عند الله به
تحطم الاعداء.
17- فطابت قلوبهم باقوال يهوذا
الصالحة التي حركت بقوتها حماستهم و اثارت نفوس الشبان و عقدوا عزمهم على ان لا
يعسكروا بل يهجموا بشجاعة و يحاربوا بكل بسالة حتى يفصلوا الامر اذ كانت المدينة
و الاقداس و الهيكل في خطر.
18- و كان اضطرابهم على النساء و
الاولاد و الاخوة و ذوي القرابات ايسر وقعا من خوفهم على الهيكل المقدس الذي كان
هو الخوف الاعظم و الاول.
19- و كان الباقون في المدينة في اضطراب شديد
من قبل القتال الذي كانوا يتوقعونه في الفضاء.
20- و بينا كان الجميع ينتظرون
ما ياول اليه الامر و قد ازدلف العدو و اصطف الجيش و اقيمت الفيلة في مواضعها و
ترتبت الفرسان على الجناحين.
21- تفرس المكابي في كثرة الجيوش و توفر
الاسلحة المختلفة و ضراوة الفيلة فرفع يديه الى السماء و دعا الرب الرقيب صانع
المعجزات لعلمه ان ليس الظفر بالسلاح و لكنه بقضائه يؤتي الظفر من يستحقه.
22- و صلى قائلا انك يا رب قد ارسلت ملاكك في
عهد حزقيا ملك يهوذا فقتل من جند سنحاريب مئة و خمسة و ثمانين الفا.
23- و الان يا ملك السماوات ارسل ملاكا صالحا
امامنا يوقع الرعب و الرعدة و بعظمة ذراعك.
24- ليتروع الذين وافوا على شعبك
المقدس مجدفين و كان يهوذا يصلي هكذا.
25- و اصحاب نكانور يتقدمون بالابواق و
الاغاني.
26- فواقعهم اصحاب يهوذا بالدعاء و الصلوات.
27- و فيما هم يقاتلون بالايدي كانوا يصلون
الى الله في قلوبهم فصرعوا خمسة و ثلاثين الفا و هم في غاية التهلل بمحضر الله و
نصرته.
28- و لما فرغوا من الجهاد و رجعوا مبتهجين
وجدوا نكانور بسلاحه و قد خر قتيلا.
29- حينئذ ارتفع الهتاف و الزجل و سبحوا الملك
العظيم بلسان ابائهم.
30- ثم ان يهوذا الذي لم يزل في مقدمة اهل
وطنه باذلا دونهم جسده و نفسه و راعيا لبني امته المودة التي اثرهم بها منذ
حداثته امر بقطع راس نكانور و يده مع كتفه و حملهما الى اورشليم.
31- و لما بلغ الى هناك دعا بني امته و الكهنة
و قام امام المذبح و استحضر الذين في القلعة.
32- و اراهم راس نكانور الفاحش و يد ذلك
الفاجر التي مدها متجبرا على بيت القدير المقدس.
33- ثم قطع لسان نكانور المنافق و امر بان
يقطع قطعا و يطرح الى الطيور و تعلق يد ذلك الاحمق تجاه الهيكل.
34- و كان الجميع يباركون الى السماء الرب
الحاضر لنصرتهم قائلين تبارك الذي حفظ موضعه من كل دنس.
35- و ربط راس نكانور على القلعة
ليكون دليلا بينا جليا على نصرة الله.
36- ثم رسم الجميع بتوقيع عام ان لا يترك ذلك
اليوم بدون احتفال.
37- بل يكون عيدا و هو اليوم
الثالث عشر من الشهر الثاني عشر الذي يقال له اذار بلسان ارام قبل يوم مردكاي
بيوم واحد.
38- هذا ما تم من امر نكانور و منذ تلك الايام
عادت المدينة في حوزة العبرانيين و ههنا انا ايضا اجعل ختام الكلام.
39- فان كنت قد احسنت التاليف و
اصبت الغرض فذلك ما كنت اتمنى و ان كان قد لحقني الوهن و التقصير فاني قد بذلت
وسعي.
40- ثم كما ان اشرب الخمر وحدها او شرب الماء
وحده مضر و انما تطيب الخمر ممزوجة بالماء و تعقب لذة و طربا كذلك تنميق الكلام
على هذا الاسلوب يطرب مسامع مطالعي التاليف انتهى
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