2 Maccabees
Chapter 15
1 When Nicanor learned that Judas and his companions were in the territory of Samaria, he decided to attack them in all safety on the day of rest.
尼加诺尔听说犹大和他的部下都在撒玛黎雅附近，便决意要在安息日那天攻击他们，可确保胜利；
2 The Jews who were forced to follow him pleaded, ＂Do not massacre them in that way, like a savage barbarian, but show respect for the day which the All-seeing has exalted with holiness above all other days.＂
但那些被迫跟随他的犹太人却反对说：＂你切不要这样残忍凶悍地去屠杀人，应当尊敬观察万物者所圣化的日子！＂
3 At this the thrice-sinful wretch asked if there was a ruler in heaven who prescribed the keeping of the sabbath day.
那罪大恶极的人问道：＂天上是否有位命令守安息日的主宰？＂
4 When they replied that there was indeed such a ruler in heaven, the living LORD himself, who commanded the observance of the sabbath day,
他们率直地答说：＂有一位永生的天主是天上的主宰，他命令守安息日。＂
5 he said, ＂I, on my part, am ruler on earth, and my orders are that you take up arms and carry out the king's business.＂ Nevertheless he did not succeed in carrying out his cruel plan.
他答说：＂在地上我是主宰。我命令你们拿出武器，执行君王的命令！＂虽然如此，他却没有完成那残酷的计谋。
6 1 In his utter boastfulness and arrogance Nicanor had determined to erect a public monument of victory over Judas and his men. 、
可是尼加诺尔骄傲自大，仍决意要建立一座象征击败犹大和其部下的凯旋坊；
7 But Maccabeus remained confident, fully convinced that he would receive help from the LORD.
玛加伯却时常怀着坚定的信念，全心信赖必得到上主的援助，
8 He urged his men not to fear the enemy, but mindful of the help they had received from Heaven in the past, to expect that now, too, victory would be given them by the Almighty. 、
劝勉自己的同伴，不必害怕外邦人的攻击，只该怀念昔日从天上赐予他们的援助，深信此时全能者也必赐给他们胜利。
9 2 By encouraging them with words from the law and the prophets, and by reminding them of the battles they had already won, he filled them with fresh enthusiasm.
后又用法律和先知的话来鼓励他们，又叫他们回忆所经历的战争，使他们都热情勃发。
10 Having stirred up their courage, he gave his orders and pointed out at the same time the perfidy of the Gentiles and their violation of oaths.
激起他们作战的精神以后，又宣示外邦人如何失信，违犯誓言，遂发出攻击的命令。
11 When he had armed each of them, not so much with the safety of shield and spear as with the encouragement of noble words, he cheered them all by relating a dream, a kind of vision, worthy of belief.
他武装每个兵士，并不靠盾牌和长枪，而是用极富鼓励的话向他们讲述了一个很可信的梦，——即一个异象——使他们非常高兴。
12 3 What he saw was this: Onias, the former high priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in appearance, gentle in manners, distinguished in speech, and trained from childhood in every virtuous practice, was praying with outstretched arms for the whole Jewish community. 、
他所见的异象是这样的：他看见一个人，举起双手为整个犹太民族祈祷。这人就是为人善良敦厚，待人谦和，态度温雅，善于辞令，自幼勤修各样德行的前任大司祭敖尼雅。
13 Then in the same way another man appeared, distinguished by his white hair and dignity, and with an air about him of extraordinary, majestic authority.
接着，又看见一人显现，同样为犹太民族祈祷。他头发苍白，体面端雅尊严非凡，令人起敬。
14 4 Onias then said of him, ＂This is God's prophet Jeremiah, who loves his brethren and fervently prays for his people and their holy city.＂
敖尼雅便解释说：＂这就是爱护弟兄，常为百姓及圣城祈祷，天主的先知耶肋米亚。＂
15 Stretching out his right hand, Jeremiah presented a gold sword to Judas. As he gave it to him he said,
随后耶肋米亚伸出右手，交给犹大一把金剑说：
16 ＂Accept this holy sword as a gift from God; with it you shall crush your adversaries.＂
＂你收下这把圣剑，这是天主的恩赐，你要用来击杀敌人！＂
17 Encouraged by Judas' noble words, which had power to instill valor and stir young hearts to courage, the Jews determined not to delay, but to charge gallantly and decide the issue by hand-to-hand combat with the utmost courage, since their city and its temple with the sacred vessels were in danger.
有了犹大这番美妙言辞的鼓励，人心大为振作，青年的斗志因而坚强，大家决定不再留守营中，却要奋勇向前进攻，拼命与敌人决战，因为京城、宗教与圣殿，都陷在危险中。
18 They were not so much concerned about their wives and children or their brothers and kinsmen; their first and foremost fear was for the consecrated sanctuary.
他们对妻子、儿女、兄弟及亲友并不怎么挂虑，最挂虑的却是神圣的圣殿。
19 Those who remained in the city suffered a like agony, anxious as they were about the battle in the open country.
留在城中的人也非常焦虑，为那些在外作战的人放心不下。
20 Everyone now awaited the decisive moment. The enemy were already drawing near with their troops drawn up in battle line, their elephants placed in strategic positions, and their cavalry stationed on the flanks.
众人都期待着快要来临的决战。那时，敌人都已聚集严阵以待，象队已摆在重要的据点，马队已分成左右两翼。
21 Maccabeus, contemplating the hosts before him, their elaborate equipment, and the fierceness of their elephants, stretched out his hands toward heaven and called upon the LORD who works miracles; for he knew that it is not through arms but through the LORD'S decision that victory is won by those who deserve it.
玛加伯见配备各样武器的大军，及凶猛的象队已摆好阵势，便举手向天，呼求施行奇迹的上主；他知道胜利并不在乎武器，而在于上主断定谁应胜利，就使谁胜利。
22 He prayed to him thus: ＂You, O LORD, sent your angel in the days of King Hezekiah of Judea, and he slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand men of Sennacherib's army.
犹大又祈祷说：“无上的主宰！在犹大王希则克雅时，你曾派遣你的天使，斩杀了里散乃黎黑布的军队约十八万五千人。
23 Sovereign of the heavens, send a good angel now to spread fear and dread before us.
上天的主宰，求你现在也派遣一位好天使来，在我们前散布恐怖惊惶。
24 By the might of your arm may those be struck down who have blasphemously come against your holy people!＂ With this he ended his prayer.
求你用你大能的手，打击这些谩骂和攻击你圣民的人！”他就这样结束了祈祷。
25 Nicanor and his men advanced to the sound of trumpets and battle songs.
那时，尼加诺尔率领军队，吹着号角，唱着军歌，蜂拥而来。
26 But Judas and his men met the army with supplication and prayers.
犹大的部下却在哀求与祈祷声中，前去迎敌，
27 Fighting with their hands and praying to God with their hearts, they laid low at least thirty-five thousand, and rejoiced greatly over this manifestation of God's power.
徒手作战，心中不住呼求天主，因此击杀了不下三万五千人，万分高兴天主明显的助佑。
28 When the battle was over and they were joyfully departing, they discovered Nicanor lying there in all his armor;
战后，他们兴高彩烈回来时，发觉尼加诺尔穿着全副武装，卧地阵亡，
29 so they raised tumultuous shouts in their native tongue in praise of the divine Sovereign.
一时高声欢呼，用本国语言称颂无上的主宰。
30 Then Judas, who was ever in body and soul the chief defender of his fellow citizens, and had maintained from youth his affection for his countrymen, ordered Nicanor's head and whole right arm to be cut off and taken to Jerusalem.
那位完全奉献身心为同胞奋斗，一生热爱民族的犹大便命人将尼加诺尔的头和手臂砍下，带到耶路撒冷去。
31 5 When he arrived there, he assembled his countrymen, stationed the priests before the altar, and sent for those in the citadel.
他一到那里，便召集同胞和司祭，又派人将堡垒里的人召来；然后站在祭坛前，
32 He showed them the vile Nicanor's head and the wretched blasphemer's arm that had been boastfully stretched out against the holy dwelling of the Almighty.
将这可恶的尼加诺尔的头，并将他为亵渎谩骂全能者圣殿而举过的手，出示给众人看。
33 He cut out the tongue of the godless Nicanor, saying he would feed it piecemeal to the birds and would hang up the other wages of his folly opposite the temple.
然后又割下这邪恶尼加诺尔的舌头，下令切成碎块，以饲飞鸟，并将这狂妄的手臂，挂在圣殿前面。
34 At this, everyone looked toward heaven and praised the Lord who manifests his divine power, saying, ＂Blessed be he who has kept his own Place undefiled!＂
那时众人部向天赞颂荣耀的上主说：“那位保卫圣所不受玷污的，应受赞美！”
35 Judas hung up Nicanor's head on the wall of the citadel, a clear and evident proof to all of the Lord's help.
犹大又将尼加诺尔的头，悬在堡垒上，作为上主援助极显明昭著的记号。
36 6 By public vote it was unanimously decreed never to let this day pass unobserved, but to celebrate it on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar in Aramaic, the eve of Mordecai's Day.
众人一致决议不可让这一天平淡地过去，而该在每年十二月，叙利亚语名“阿达尔”月十三日，即摩尔德开节前日，隆重庆祝。
37 Since Nicanor's doings ended in this way, with the city remaining in possession of the Hebrews from that time on, I will bring my own story to an end here too.
这就是有关尼加诺尔的事。从此以后，京城便由希伯来人占领。我也就此结束我的著作。
38 If it is well written and to the point, that is what I wanted; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that is the best I could do.
此书若叙述得体，编辑完善，这才是我的愿望；若嫌写得肤浅平凡，但我已尽了我之所能。
39 Just as it is harmful to drink wine alone or water alone, whereas mixing wine with water makes a more pleasant drink that increases delight, so a skillfully composed story delights the ears of those who read the work. Let this, then, be the end.
比方人只喝酒，或只喝水，都不免有害；但酒水调和了再喝，才有滋味，畅快人心；同样，若史事编纂的巧妙，读此史事的人，才感兴趣——全书终。
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Footnotes（注解）
1 [6] Public monument of victory: a heap of stones covered with the arms and armor of the fallen enemy.
2 [9] The law and the prophets: the first of the three parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, called the sacred books (1 Macc 12:9).
3 [12] Onias, the former high priest: Onias III (2 Macc 3:1-40). Evidently the author believed that the departed just were in some way alive even before the resurrection.
4 [14] Jeremiah: regarded by the postexilic Jews as one of the greatest figures in their history; cf 2 Macc 2:1; Matthew 16:14. Who . . . prays for his people: a clear belief in the intercession of the saints.
5 [31] Those in the citadel: presumably Jewish soldiers; actually, the citadel was still in the possession of the Syrians.
6 [36] Mordecai's Day: the feast of Purim, celebrated on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar (Esther 9:17-22).