2 Maccabees 2
The second chapter of 2
Maccabees is offered here in the Revised Standard version; the first
chapter can be found here.
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One
finds in the records that Jeremiah the prophet ordered those who were being
deported to take some of the fire, as has been told, 
and
that the prophet after giving them the law instructed those who were being
deported not to forget the commandments of the Lord, nor to be led astray
in their thoughts upon seeing the gold and silver statues and their adornment. 
And
with other similar words he exhorted them that the law should not depart
from their hearts.
It
was also in the writing that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered
that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out
to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of
God. 
And
Jeremiah came and found a cave, and he brought there the tent and the ark
and the altar of incense, and he sealed up the entrance. 
Some
of those who followed him came up to mark the way, but could not find it. 
When
Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: "The place shall
be unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. 
And
then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and
the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as
Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated."
It
was also made clear that being possessed of wisdom Solomon offered sacrifice
for the dedication and completion of the temple. 
Just
as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven and devoured
the sacrifices, so also Solomon prayed, and the fire came down and consumed
the whole burnt offerings. 
And
Moses said, "They were consumed because the sin offering had not been eaten." 
Likewise
Solomon also kept the eight days.
The same things
are reported in the records and in the memoirs of Nehemiah, and also that
he founded a library and collected the books about the kings and prophets,
and the writings of David, and letters of kings about votive offerings. 
In
the same way Judas also collected all the books that had been lost on account
of the war which had come upon us, and they are in our possession. 
So
if you have need of them, send people to get them for you.
Since, therefore,
we are about to celebrate the purification, we write to you. Will you therefore
please keep the days? 
It
is God Who has saved all His people, and has returned the inheritance to
all, and the kingship and priesthood and consecration, 
as
He promised through the law. For we have hope in God that He will soon
have mercy upon us and will gather us from everywhere under heaven into
his holy place, for He has rescued us from great evils and has purified
the place.
Introduction by the author
The story of Judas
Maccabeus and his brothers, and the purification of the great temple, and
the dedication of the altar, 
and
further the wars against Antiochus
Epiphanes and his son Eupator, 
and
the appearances which came from heaven to those who strove zealously on
behalf of Judaism, so that though few in number they seized the whole land
and pursued the barbarian hordes, 
and
recovered the temple famous throughout the world and freed the city and
restored the laws that were about to be abolished, while the Lord with
great kindness became gracious to them 
-
all this, which has been set forth by Jason of Cyrene
in five volumes, we shall attempt to condense into a single book.
For considering
the flood of numbers involved and the difficulty there is for those who
wish to enter upon the narratives of history because of the mass of material, 
we
have aimed to please those who wish to read, to make it easy for those
who are inclined to memorize, and to profit all readers.
For us who have
undertaken the toil of abbreviating, it is no light matter but calls for
sweat and loss of sleep, 
just
as it is not easy for one who prepares a banquet and seeks the benefit
of others. However, to secure the gratitude of many we will gladly endure
the uncomfortable toil, 
leaving
the responsibility for exact details to the compiler, while devoting our
effort to arriving at the outlines of the condensation.
For as the master
builder of a new house must be concerned with the whole construction, while
the one who undertakes its painting and decoration has to consider only
what is suitable for its adornment, such in my judgment is the case with
us. 
It is the
duty of the original historian to occupy the ground and to discuss matters
from every side and to take trouble with details, 
but
the one who recasts the narrative should be allowed to strive for brevity
of expression and to forego exhaustive treatment.
At this point therefore
let us begin our narrative, adding only so much to what has already been
said; for it is foolish to lengthen the preface while cutting short the
history itself.
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Latest revision: 6 December 2006
