The Koine Bible

To the brothers, the Jews in Egypt, greeting: the brothers in Jerusalem, the Jews, and those in the country of Judea, good peace.

And may God do good to you, and may he remember his covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, his servants, his faithful ones.

and may he give you all a heart for fearing him and for doing his will with a great heart and with a willing soul

and to open your heart in his law and in the commandments and to make peace

and may he heed your prayers and be reconciled to you and not abandon you in an evil time

And now here we are praying concerning you.

When Demetrius was reigning, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we the Jews have written to you in the affliction and in the crisis that has come upon us in these years, since Jason and those with him withdrew from the holy land and from the kingdom.

and they burned the gate and shed innocent blood, and we entreated the Lord, and we were heard, and we offered sacrifice and fine flour, and we kindled the lamps, and we set out the loaves

And now, that you may keep the days of the feast of Booths of the month Chaselu, in the year one hundred and eighty-eight

Those in Jerusalem and those in Judea and the council of elders and Judas to Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy, being moreover from the lineage of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt, greeting and be well.

Saved from great dangers by God, we give him great thanks, as though drawing up in battle against a king

For he himself drove out those who had drawn up in battle array in the holy city.

For when the ruler had come into Persia, and the force around him, which seemed to be unstoppable, was cut down in the temple of Nanaia by the deceit used by the priests around Nanaia.

For when Antiochus and those with him came to the place to live with her, as friends, for the sake of taking the money for a greater dowry amount

And when the priests of Nanaia had set them out, and he himself had come forward with a few into the enclosure of the precinct, having shut in the sanctuary as Antiochus entered it,

Then, having opened the hidden door of the chamber, hurling stones they struck down the leader, and after making him limbs and removing the heads, they threw them out to those outside.

In all things our God is blessed, who delivered over those who acted impiously

planning to celebrate on the twenty-fifth of Chasleu the purification of the temple, we thought it necessary to make it clear to you, so that you also may celebrate the feast of booths and of the fire, when Nehemiah, who built both the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices

For when our fathers, the priests at that time, who were devout, were being led into Persia, taking from the fire of the altar, they secretly hid it in a hollow of a dry cistern having a structure, in which they made it secure, so that the place would be unknown to all.

And after enough years had passed, when it seemed good to God, Nehemiah, sent by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden it to the fire; but when they reported to us that they had found not fire but thick water, he commanded them, after dipping it, to bring it.

And when the things of the sacrifices had been brought up, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle with the water both the wood and the things lying on it.

And when this had happened and time had passed, both the sun shone forth, having been overcast before, and a great fire was kindled, so that all marveled.

And the priests made the prayer while the sacrifice was being consumed, both the priests and all, Jonathan beginning, and the rest responding as Nehemiah

And the prayer was having this manner: Lord, Lord, the God, the creator of all, the fearful and strong and righteous and merciful, the only king and good.

the only provider, the only righteous and almighty and eternal, the one who saves Israel from every evil, the one who made the fathers chosen and sanctified them

Accept the sacrifice for all your people Israel, and preserve your portion, and sanctify it

Gather together our dispersion, set free those serving among the nations, look upon those despised and detested, and let the nations know that you are our God.

Torment those who oppress and outrage in arrogance

Plant your people into your holy place, as Moses spoke.

But the priests were chanting the hymns

And as the things of the sacrifice were consumed, and the remaining water, Nehemiah ordered larger stones to be poured on it.

And when this had taken place, a flame was kindled, and by the light flashing back from the altar it was consumed.

But when the matter became manifest and was reported to the king of the Persians, that in the place where the priests who had been carried away had hidden the fire, the water appeared, from which also those around Nehemias purified the things of the sacrifice

And when the king had enclosed it, he made a shrine, having tested the matter.

And from those to whom the king granted many diverse things, he received and he shared out.

And those around Nehemiah called this Nephthar, which is interpreted purification, but it is called by many Nephthai