1 Maccabees 1 Then his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took his place. 他的儿子犹大又名玛加伯的,接了他的位。 2 All his brothers and all who had joined his father supported him, and they carried on Israel's war joyfully. 他的众兄弟及附和他父亲的人,都来辅佐他,大家都奋勇为以色列作战。 3 He spread abroad the glory of his people, and put on his breastplate like a giant. He armed himself with weapons of war; he planned battles and protected the camp with his sword. 他增加了自己百姓的光荣,身披甲胄,状似英雄,腰佩兵器,领军作战,持刀护阵, 4 In his actions he was like a lion, like a young lion roaring for prey. 着手行事有如壮狮,捕猎怒号好似幼狮。 5 He pursued the wicked, hunting them out, and those who troubled his people he destroyed by fire. 把歹徒搜查追捕,将加害百姓者以火焚烧。 6 The lawbreakers were cowed by fear of him, and all evildoers were dismayed. By his hand redemption was happily achieved, 于是违法歹徒,不寒而慄;作恶匪类,惊惶失措救国大业,赖其成功。 7 and he afflicted many kings; He made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed forever. 他使许多君王苦恼行事却使雅各伯欢乐,因为他集合了四散的人。 8 He went about the cities of Judah destroying the impious there. He turned away wrath from Israel 他出巡犹大各城,将城中恶徒铲除,从以色列挽回圣怒。 9 and was renowned to the ends of the earth; he gathered together those who were perishing. 他的声名遍传地极,他的纪念永受赞美。 10 1 Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles, together with a large army from Samaria, to fight against Israel. 阿波罗尼调集异民,又从撒玛黎雅调来一支劲旅,要进攻以色列。 11 When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him and defeated and killed him. Many fell wounded, and the rest fled. 犹大一听说,就出兵迎击,将阿波罗尼杀死,敌方伤亡甚众,残敌四散逃命, 12 Their possessions were seized and the sword of Apollonius was taken by Judas, who fought with it the rest of his life. 犹大人夺得了许多物资,犹大取了阿波罗尼的宝剑,一生用来作战。 13 But Seron, commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered many about him, an assembly of faithful men ready for war. 叙利亚的军长色龙,听说犹大召集了很多军民,号召一伙忠诚的犹太人,随他前往作战。 14 So he said, "I will make a name for myself and win glory in the kingdom by defeating Judas and his followers, who have despised the king's command." 就说:"我要成名,在国内受光荣,要战胜犹大和跟随他而轻视王命的人。" 15 And again a large company of renegades advanced with him to help him take revenge on the Israelites. 他于是出征,率领一支强大而凶横的军队,来向以色列子民复仇。 16 2 When he reached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a few men. 当他行近贝特曷龙山坡时,犹大带着一小队兵,前去迎击。 17 But when they saw the army coming against them, they said to Judas: "How can we, few as we are, fight such a mighty host as this? Besides, we are weak today from fasting." 他们一见大军迎面而来,便向犹大说:"我们人数少,怎能攻打这么众多,强大有力的敌人呢?何况我们今天还未用饭,疲乏无力呢!" 18 But Judas said: "It is easy for many to be overcome by a few; in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between deliverance by many or by few; 犹大回答说:"多数人困在少数人手里,是容易的事;用多数或用少数人施救,为上天没有区别。 19 for victory in war does not depend upon the size of the army, but on strength that comes from Heaven. 因为战争的胜利,不在乎军队的多寡,而在乎由天而来的力量。 20 With great presumption and lawlessness they come against us to destroy us and our wives and children and to despoil us; 他们来攻打我们,蛮横傲慢,无法无天。原为铲除我们和我们的妻子儿女,前来洗劫抢掠。 21 but we are fighting for our lives and our laws. 但是我们是为保护性命和法律而战; 22 3 He himself will crush them before us; so do not be afraid of them." 因此天主必会亲自在我们面前粉碎他们;所以千万不要害怕!” 23 When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly upon Seron and his army, who were crushed before him. 他一说完这话,便突然出击,色龙与他的军队不支败退。 24 4 He pursued Seron down the descent of Beth-horon into the plain. About eight hundred of their men fell, and the rest fled to the country of the Philistines. 犹大从贝特曷龙山坡,一直追到平原。敌人阵亡的约有八百,余下的都逃到培肋舍特人的地方去了。 25 Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and dread fell upon the Gentiles about them. 从此众人对犹大和他的兄弟都害怕起来,四周的异民也都为之震惊。 26 His fame reached the king, and all the Gentiles talked about the battles of Judas. 犹大的名声传到了君王那里,异民都称述他的战功。 27 When Antiochus heard about these events, he was angry; so he ordered a muster of all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army. 28 He opened his treasure chests, gave his soldiers a year's pay, and commanded them to be prepared for anything. 打开库房,给军队发了一年的军晌。且嘱咐他们准备应变。 29 He then found that this exhausted the money in his treasury; moreover the income from the province was small, because of the dissension and distress he had brought upon the land by abolishing the laws which had been in effect from of old. 当时他也发觉国库银钱短绌,又因废弃旧制,国内混乱,各地税收大减。 30 He feared that, as had happened more than once, he would not have enough for his expenses and for the gifts that he had previously given with a more liberal hand than the preceding kings. 他怕一两次开支和劳军之后,再不能象从前那样的阔绰,原来他挥霍无度,超过以前的君王。 31 Greatly perplexed, he decided to go to Persia and levy tribute on those provinces, and so raise a large sum of money. 因此心烦意乱,便决意到波斯去向各地征收捐税,大量聚敛银钱。 32 He left Lysias, a nobleman of royal blood, in charge of the king's affairs from the Euphrates River to the frontier of Egypt, 遂留下王族出身的贵人里息雅,托他代理从幼发拉的河直到埃及境界的国政; 33 and commissioned him to take care of his son Antiochus until his own return. 还托他抚育自己的儿子安提约古,直到自己回来。 34 He entrusted to him half of the army, and the elephants, and gave him instructions concerning everything he wanted done. As for the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem, 又将一半的兵力和象队交给他,吩咐他执行自己所决定的一切,尤其是关于犹太和耶路撒冷居民的事: 35 Lysias was to send an army against them to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem and efface their memory from the land. 即要他派遣军队攻打以色列,粉碎他们的力量,扫荡耶路撒冷剩余的居民,将他们的纪念,由那地上除去: 36 He was to settle foreigners in all their territory and distribute their land by lot. 使外方人移居于他们的全境,将他们的土地拈阄分给那些人为产业。 37 5 The king took the remaining half of the army and set out from Antioch, his capital, in the year one hundred and forty-seven; he crossed the Euphrates River and advanced inland. 然后王自己带着其余一半军队,在一四七年,由国都安提约基雅出发,渡过幼发拉的河向高原进发。 38 6 Lysias chose Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, capable men among the King's Friends, 里息雅选派了多黎默乃的儿子仆托肋米、尼加诺尔和哥尔基雅,他们都是国王朋友中最有权势的人。 39 and with them he sent forty thousand men and seven thousand cavalry to invade the land of Judah and ravage it according to the king's orders. 又特派步兵四万和骑兵七千,由他们率领出征犹大地,照国王的命令摧毁那地。 40 7 Setting out with all their forces, they came and pitched their camp near Emmaus in the plain. 于是他们便率领军队出发,到达靠近厄玛乌的平原上扎了营。 41 When the merchants of the country heard of their fame, they came to the camp, bringing fetters and a large sum of silver and gold, to buy the Israelites as slaves. A force from Idumea and from Philistia joined with them. 那一带的商人听说他们来了,就带着许多金银和脚镣,来到营幕,准备收买以色列子民为奴;依杜默雅和培肋舍特的军队,也来参战。 42 Judas and his brothers saw that the situation had become critical now that armies were encamped within their territory; they knew of the orders which the king had given to destroy and utterly wipe out the people. 43 So they said to one another, "Let us restore our people from their ruined estate, and fight for our people and our sanctuary!" 就彼此说:“我们要挽救百姓免于灭亡,要为百姓及圣所而战。” 44 The assembly gathered together to prepare for battle and to pray and implore mercy and compassion. 于是集合会众准备应战,且举行祈祷,恳求仁慈和怜悯。 45 Jerusalem was uninhabited, like a desert; not one of her children entered or came out. The sanctuary was trampled on, and foreigners were in the citadel; it was a habitation of Gentiles. Joy had disappeared from Jacob, and the flute and the harp were silent. 这时,耶路撒冷好似无人居住的旷野,城中已没有一人出入;圣所已被人践踏,城堡已为外方人占据,成了异民的居所,雅各伯家不再欢乐,琴瑟之声业已止息, 46 8 Thus they assembled and went to Mizpah near Jerusalem, because there was formerly at Mizpah a place of prayer for Israel. 于是以色列入集合起来,只有来到耶路撒冷对面的米兹帕;米兹帕原是以色列人昔日祈祷的圣地。 47 That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes. 那天人人禁食,身穿苦衣,头上撒灰,撕裂衣服, 48 9 They unrolled the scroll of the law, to learn about the things for which the Gentiles consulted the images of their idols. 揭开法律书寻问,如同异民寻问他们的偶像一般。 49 10 They brought with them the priestly vestments, the first fruits, and the tithes; and they brought forward the nazirites who had completed the time of their vows. 他们又带来司祭的衣服、初熟的果实和什一的献仪,并叫满期的“纳齐尔”人前来。 50 And they cried aloud to Heaven: "What shall we do with these men, and where shall we take them? 他们大声向上天呼号说:我们对这些人当怎么办?要把他们带到何处? 51 For your sanctuary has been trampled on and profaned, and your priests are in mourning and humiliation. 你的圣所已被践踏污辱;你的司祭已蒙难而忧伤。 52 Now the Gentiles are gathered together against us to destroy us. You know what they plot against us. 异民齐来攻击,要消灭我们!你知道他们对我们所想的是什么。 53 How shall we be able to resist them unless you help us?" 除非你援助我们,我们怎能抵抗他们?” 54 Then they blew the trumpets and cried out loudly. 他们遂吹号角,大声呼喊。 55 After this Judas appointed officers among the people, over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. 此后犹大派定率领军人的千夫长、百夫长、五十夫长和十夫长; 56 He proclaimed that those who were building houses, or were just married, or were planting vineyards, and those who were afraid, could each return to his home, according to the law. 又向修房屋、订婚、种葡萄与胆怯的人说明,按法律他们可以各回本家。 57 Then the army moved off, and they camped to the south of Emmaus. 于是调动军队在厄玛乌以南安营。 58 Judas said: "Arm yourselves and be brave; in the morning be ready to fight these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. 犹大向他们说:“你们应装备起来,作勇敢的士兵,应准备停当,明早向前来攻击我们,毁灭我们和圣所的异民作战, 59 It is better for us to die in battle than to witness the ruin of our nation and our sanctuary. Whatever Heaven wills, he will do." Footnotes(注解) 1 [10] Apollonius: the Mysian commander mentioned in 1 Macc 1:29; 2 Macc 5:24. 2 [16] Beth-horon: the famous pass leading up from the coastal plain to the Judean hill country. Here Joshua won an important battle (Joshua 10:10-11), and in 66 A.D. a Roman force under Cestius was trapped and massacred. 3 [22] He himself: out of reverence for God, the author of 1 Macc prefers to use this and other expressions, such as "Heaven," instead of the divine name. Cf 1 Macc 3:50. 4 [24] About eight hundred: the figures given in this book for strength of armies and number of casualties are not to be taken literally. In accordance with biblical usage, they indicate rather the importance of the battle described or the greatness of the victory. 5 [37] This expedition, in the spring of 165 B.C., resulted in failure; cf 1 Macc 6. 6 [38] Nicanor: the leader of another attack against the Jews four years later. He was finally killed by Judas; cf 1 Macc 7:26-46. 7 [40] Emmaus: probably not the village mentioned in Luke 24:13 but a settlement about twenty miles west of Jerusalem at the edge of the hill country. 8 [46] ...Mizpah a place of prayer for Israel: a holy place established of old eight miles north and slightly west of Jerusalem. It was here that Samuel began to judge the Israelites (1 Sam 7:5-11; 10:17). 9 [48] To learn . . . idols: favorable omens for the coming battle. A contrast is intended between the idol worship of the pagans and the consultation of the word of God by the Jews; cf 2 Macc 8:23. 10 [49] Nazirites: see note on Numbers 6:1-3. |