2 Macabeus 15

1Mas Nicanor, sabendo que Judas e os seus estavam nos lugares fortes da região de Samaria, resolveu atacá-los sem nenhum perigo no dia de sábado.

1But Nicanor, hearing that Judas and his company were in the strong places about Samaria, resolved without any danger to set upon them on the sabbath day.

2Contudo, os judeus que eram obrigados a acompanhá-lo diziam: Não os destruas tão cruel e barbaramente, mas honra aquele dia que o que tudo vê honrou com santidade acima dos outros dias.

2Nevertheless the Jews that were compelled to go with him said, O destroy not so cruelly and barbarously, but give honour to that day, which he, that seeth all things, hath honoured with holiness above all other days.

3Então aquele malvadíssimo perguntou se havia no céu um Poderoso que tivesse mandado guardar o dia de sábado.

3Then the most ungracious wretch demanded, if there were a Mighty one in heaven, that had commanded the sabbath day to be kept.

4E, dizendo eles: Há no céu o Senhor vivo e poderoso, que mandou guardar o sétimo dia,

4And when they said, There is in heaven a living Lord, and mighty, who commanded the seventh day to be kept:

5disse o outro: E eu também sou poderoso na terra, e mando tomar as armas e executar os negócios do rei. Contudo, não conseguiu realizar o seu ímpio desígnio.

5Then said the other, And I also am mighty upon earth, and I command to take arms, and to do the king’s business. Yet he obtained not to have his wicked will done.

6Assim Nicanor, com excessiva soberba e altivez, resolveu erguer um monumento público da sua vitória sobre Judas e os que estavam com ele.

6So Nicanor in exceeding pride and haughtiness determined to set up a publick monument of his victory over Judas and them that were with him.

7Mas o Macabeu tinha sempre firme confiança de que o Senhor o ajudaria.

7But Maccabeus had ever sure confidence that the Lord would help him:

8Por isso exortava o seu povo a não temer a vinda dos gentios contra eles, mas a lembrar-se do socorro que em outros tempos tinham recebido do céu, e a esperar agora a vitória e o auxílio que lhes viria do Todo-Poderoso.

8Wherefore he exhorted his people not to fear the coming of the heathen against them, but to remember the help which in former times they had received from heaven, and now to expect the victory and aid, which should come unto them from the Almighty.

9E, consolando-os com a lei e os profetas, e recordando-lhes também as batalhas que antes haviam vencido, tornou-os mais animosos.

9And so comforting them out of the law and the prophets, and withal putting them in mind of the battles that they won afore, he made them more cheerful.

10E, tendo-lhes despertado o ânimo, deu-lhes as suas ordens, mostrando-lhes ao mesmo tempo a falsidade dos gentios e a violação dos juramentos.

10And when he had stirred up their minds, he gave them their charge, shewing them therewithall the falsehood of the heathen, and the breach of oaths.

11Assim armou cada um deles, não tanto com a defesa de escudos e lanças, quanto com palavras boas e consoladoras; e além disso contou-lhes um sonho digno de fé, como se tivesse sido realidade, que muito os alegrou.

11Thus he armed every one of them, not so much with defence of shields and spears, as with comfortable and good words: and beside that, he told them a dream worthy to be believed, as if it had been so indeed, which did not a little rejoice them.

12E esta foi a sua visão: Onias, que fora sumo sacerdote, homem virtuoso e bom, venerável no trato, manso de caráter, de linguagem digna, e exercitado desde a infância em toda virtude, com as mãos levantadas, orava por toda a comunidade dos judeus.

12And this was his vision: That Onias, who had been high priest, a virtuous and a good man, reverend in conversation, gentle in condition, well spoken also, and exercised from a child in all points of virtue, holding up his hands prayed for the whole body of the Jews.

13Feito isto, apareceu do mesmo modo um homem de cabelos brancos e muito glorioso, de admirável e excelsa majestade.

13This done, in like manner there appeared a man with gray hairs, and exceeding glorious, who was of a wonderful and excellent majesty.

14Então Onias respondeu, dizendo: Este é o amigo dos irmãos, que muito ora pelo povo e pela cidade santa, Jeremias, o profeta de Deus.

14Then Onias answered, saying, This is a lover of the brethren, who prayeth much for the people, and for the holy city, to wit, Jeremias the prophet of God.

15Então Jeremias, estendendo a mão direita, deu a Judas uma espada de ouro, e, ao dá-la, disse assim:

15Whereupon Jeremias holding forth his right hand gave to Judas a sword of gold, and in giving it spake thus,

16Toma esta espada santa, presente de Deus, com a qual ferirás os adversários.

16Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with the which thou shalt wound the adversaries.

17Assim, bem encorajados pelas palavras de Judas, que eram muito boas e capazes de incitar ao valor e de fortalecer o coração dos jovens, resolveram não acampar, mas atacá-los corajosamente e decidir a questão valorosamente no combate, porque a cidade, e o santuário, e o templo estavam em perigo.

17Thus being well comforted by the words of Judas, which were very good, and able to stir them up to valour, and to encourage the hearts of the young men, they determined not to pitch camp, but courageously to set upon them, and manfully to try the matter by conflict, because the city and the sanctuary and the temple were in danger.

18Pois o cuidado que tinham pelas mulheres, e pelos filhos, e pelos irmãos, e parentes, era para eles o de menor importância; mas o maior e principal temor era pelo santo templo.

18For the care that they took for their wives, and their children, their brethren, and folks, was in least account with them: but the greatest and principal fear was for the holy temple.

19Também os que estavam na cidade tinham não pequena angústia, perturbados pelo combate fora dela.

19Also they that were in the city took not the least care, being troubled for the conflict abroad.

20E, quando todos esperavam o desfecho, e os inimigos já se tinham aproximado, e o exército estava em ordem de batalha, e os animais postos em lugar conveniente, e os cavaleiros dispostos nas alas,

20And now, when as all looked what should be the trial, and the enemies were already come near, and the army was set in array, and the beasts conveniently placed, and the horsemen set in wings,

21o Macabeu, vendo a vinda da multidão, e os diversos aparatos de armas, e a ferocidade dos animais, estendeu as mãos para o céu e invocou o Senhor que opera prodígios, sabendo que a vitória não vem pelas armas, mas que ele a dá aos que são dignos, como lhe parece bem.

21Maccabeus seeing the coming of the multitude, and the divers preparations of armour, and the fierceness of the beasts, stretched out his hands toward heaven, and called upon the Lord that worketh wonders, knowing that victory cometh not by arms, but even as it seemeth good to him, he giveth it to such as are worthy:

22Por isso orou desta maneira: Ó Senhor, tu enviaste o teu anjo no tempo de Ezequias, rei da Judeia, e mataste no exército de Senaqueribe cento e oitenta e cinco mil;

22Therefore in his prayer he said after this manner; O Lord, thou didst send thine angel in the time of Ezekias king of Judea, and didst slay in the host of Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand:

23agora também, ó Senhor do céu, envia um anjo bom diante de nós, para medo e terror deles;

23Wherefore now also, O Lord of heaven, send a good angel before us for a fear and dread unto them;

24e pela força do teu braço sejam aterrorizados os que vêm blasfemando contra o teu povo santo. E assim terminou.

24And through the might of thine arm let those be stricken with terror, that come against thy holy people to blaspheme. And he ended thus.

25Então Nicanor e os que estavam com ele avançaram com trombetas e cânticos.

25Then Nicanor and they that were with him came forward with trumpets and songs.

26Mas Judas e os seus enfrentaram os inimigos com invocação e oração.

26But Judas and his company encountered the enemies with invocation and prayer.

27De modo que, pelejando com as mãos e orando a Deus com o coração, mataram não menos de trinta e cinco mil homens; pois pela manifestação de Deus ficaram grandemente alegres.

27So that fighting with their hands, and praying unto God with their hearts, they slew no less than thirty and five thousand men: for through the appearance of God they were greatly cheered.

28E, terminada a batalha, voltando com alegria, reconheceram Nicanor, que jazia morto com a sua armadura.

28Now when the battle was done, returning again with joy, they knew that Nicanor lay dead in his harness.

29Então levantaram grande clamor e alvoroço, louvando o Todo-Poderoso na língua dos seus pais.

29Then they made a great shout and a noise, praising the Almighty in their own language.

30E Judas, que em corpo e alma fora sempre o primeiro defensor dos cidadãos, e que conservara por toda a vida o seu amor aos compatriotas, mandou cortar a cabeça de Nicanor e a mão com o ombro, e levá-las a Jerusalém.

30And Judas, who was ever the chief defender of the citizens both in body and mind, and who continued his love toward his countrymen all his life, commanded to strike off Nicanor’s head, and his hand with his shoulder, and bring them to Jerusalem.

31E, chegando ali, e tendo convocado os da sua nação e posto os sacerdotes diante do altar, mandou chamar os da cidadela,

31So when he was there, and called them of his nation together, and set the priests before the altar, he sent for them that were of the tower,

32e mostrou-lhes a cabeça do vil Nicanor e a mão daquele blasfemo, que ele estendera com soberbas jactâncias contra o santo templo do Todo-Poderoso.

32And shewed them vile Nicanor’s head, and the hand of that blasphemer, which with proud brags he had stretched out against the holy temple of the Almighty.

33E, tendo cortado a língua do ímpio Nicanor, mandou que a dessem em pedaços às aves, e que pendurassem diante do templo a paga da sua loucura.

33And when he had cut out the tongue of that ungodly Nicanor, he commanded that they should give it by pieces unto the fowls, and hang up the reward of his madness before the temple.

34Assim todos louvaram, voltados para o céu, o Senhor glorioso, dizendo: Bendito seja aquele que guardou sem mancha o seu próprio lugar.

34So every man praised toward the heaven the glorious Lord, saying, Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled.

35Pendurou também a cabeça de Nicanor na cidadela, sinal evidente e manifesto a todos do socorro do Senhor.

35He hanged also Nicanor’s head upon the tower, an evident and manifest sign unto all of the help of the Lord.

36E ordenaram todos, por decreto comum, que de modo algum deixassem passar aquele dia sem solenidade, mas celebrassem o décimo terceiro dia do duodécimo mês, que na língua síria se chama Adar, véspera do dia de Mardoqueu.

36And they ordained all with a common decree in no case to let that day pass without solemnity, but to celebrate the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which in the Syrian tongue is called Adar, the day before Mardocheus’ day.

37Assim se passaram as coisas com Nicanor; e desde aquele tempo os hebreus ficaram senhores da cidade. E aqui darei fim.

37Thus went it with Nicanor: and from that time forth the Hebrews had the city in their power. And here will I make an end.

38Se o fiz bem, e como convém à história, é isso o que eu desejava; mas, se o fiz de modo fraco e medíocre, é o que pude alcançar.

38And if I have done well, and as is fitting the story, it is that which I desired: but if slenderly and meanly, it is that which I could attain unto.

39Pois, assim como é prejudicial beber só vinho ou só água, e o vinho misturado com água é agradável e deleita o paladar, assim também o discurso bem composto deleita os ouvidos dos que leem a história. E aqui será o fim.

39For as it is hurtful to drink wine or water alone; and as wine mingled with water is pleasant, and delighteth the taste: even so speech finely framed delighteth the ears of them that read the story. And here shall be an end.