1.亚力山大反对犹大三年以后，有人报告犹大!和他的军队说，德米特利，也就是塞琉古的儿子，已经带着强大的军队和舰队，开进了特里波利的港口，Al′cimus Speaks against Judas Three years later, word came to Judas and his men that Deme′trius, the son of Seleu′cus, had sailed into the harbor of Trip′olis with a strong army and a fleet,
2.并且已经占领了那国，除掉了安提阿古和他的监护人吕西亚。and had taken possession of the country, having made away with Anti′ochus and his guardian Lys′ias.
3.当时，有一个名叫亚尔基摩的，曾经是大祭司，但在分离的时候，他故意使自己变得不洁，他知道自己不可能再安全，也不能再接近圣坛，Now a certain Al′cimus, who had formerly been high priest but had wilfully defiled himself in the times of separation, realized that there was no way for him to be safe or to have access again to the holy altar,
4.他大约在一百五十一年，前往见德米特利王，献上金冠和棕榈树枝，以及从圣殿取来的几根常见的橄榄枝。在那一天，他保持沉默。and went to King Deme′trius in about the one hundred and fifty-first year, presenting to him a crown of gold and a palm, and besides these some of the customary olive branches from the temple. During that day he kept quiet.
5.但当他被德米特律召唤到议会会议，并被问及犹太人的意图和打算时，他找到了进一步实现他狂妄目的的机会。他回答：But he found an opportunity that furthered his mad purpose when he was invited by Deme′trius to a meeting of the council and was asked about the disposition and intentions of the Jews. He answered:
6.被称为哈西迪人的犹太人，以犹大·马加比为首领，仍然继续着战争，煽动叛乱，不让王国得到安宁。“Those of the Jews who are called Haside′ans, whose leader is Judas Maccabe′us, are keeping up war and stirring up sedition, and will not let the kingdom attain tranquillity.
7.因此我已经放弃了我祖先的荣耀——我指的是大祭司的职位——现在我来到这里，Therefore I have laid aside my ancestral glory—I mean the high priesthood—and have now come here,
8.首先，因为我真诚地关心国王的利益，其次，因为我也关心我的同胞。因为我提到的那些人的愚蠢行为，使得我们的整个国家现在陷入了不小的灾难。first because I am genuinely concerned for the interests of the king, and second because I have regard also for my fellow citizens. For through the folly of those whom I have mentioned our whole nation is now in no small misfortune.
9.大王既然熟知这件事，求您顾念我们的国家和困苦的百姓，施以您平时对众人所施的恩惠。Since you are acquainted, O king, with the details of this matter, deign to take thought for our country and our hard-pressed nation with the gracious kindness which you show to all.
10.只要犹大还活着，政府就不可能找到安宁。For as long as Judas lives, it is impossible for the government to find peace.”
11.他说完了这些话以后，王的其他朋友，他们都与犹大为敌，更加激怒了德米特律。When he had said this, the rest of the king’s friends, who were hostile to Judas, quickly inflamed Deme′trius still more.
12.他立即选中尼卡诺，尼卡诺曾经指挥过战象，就任命他为犹太总督，并派他出发And he immediately chose Nica′nor, who had been in command of the elephants, appointed him governor of Judea, and sent him off
13.并命令他们杀死犹大，驱散他的部下，并设立阿尔基摩斯为最大的圣殿的大祭司。with orders to kill Judas and scatter his men, and to set up Al′cimus as high priest of the greatest temple.
14.犹大各处的外邦人，因为曾经逃避犹大，就都来投靠尼卡诺，他们以为犹太人遭遇灾祸和不幸，对他们自己来说就是好运。And the Gentiles throughout Judea, who had fled before Judas, flocked to join Nica′nor, thinking that the misfortunes and calamities of the Jews would mean prosperity for themselves.
15.尼加诺与犹大交好 犹太人听说尼加诺来了，并且外邦人也聚集了，就把尘土洒在头上，祈求那位永远立下自己子民、并常常显现自己扶持自己产业的主。Nicanor Makes Friends with Judas When the Jews heard of Nica′nor’s coming and the gathering of the Gentiles, they sprinkled dust upon their heads and prayed to him who established his own people for ever and always upholds his own heritage by manifesting himself.
16.在领袖的命令下，他们立即从那里出发，并在一个叫德绍的村庄与敌人交战。At the command of the leader, they set out from there immediately and engaged them in battle at a village called Dessau.
17.西蒙是犹大的兄弟，他曾遇到尼卡挪，但由于敌人突然引起的惊恐，他暂时受到了阻碍。Simon, the brother of Judas, had encountered Nica′nor, but had been temporarily checked because of the sudden consternation created by the enemy.
18.尽管如此，尼卡诺听说了犹大和他的战士们为保卫国家而表现出的勇猛和战斗中的勇气，于是他不愿意通过流血来解决问题。Nevertheless Nica′nor, hearing of the valor of Judas and his men and their courage in battle for their country, shrank from deciding the issue by bloodshed.
19.因此他派遣波西狄尼、塞奥多图和玛他提亚去交换友好盟约的誓言。Therefore he sent Posido′nius and Theod′otus and Mattathi′as to give and receive pledges of friendship.
20.在所有条件都被充分考虑之后，领袖向众人说明，并且显然大家都持有相同的意见，他们便同意了这份契约。When the terms had been fully considered, and the leader had informed the people, and it had appeared that they were of one mind, they agreed to the covenant.
21.领袖们定下了一天的日期，相约单独会面。每一方的军队中都有一辆战车驶出，摆放着荣誉席位；And the leaders set a day on which to meet by themselves. A chariot came forward from each army; seats of honor were set in place;
22.犹大在要害之处预先摆设了武装人员，以防备敌人突然发动叛乱，他们举行了适当的会议。Judas posted armed men in readiness at key places to prevent sudden treachery on the part of the enemy; they held the proper conference.
23.尼加诺留在耶路撒冷，不做任何出格的事，只是解散了聚集的人群。Nica′nor stayed on in Jerusalem and did nothing out of the way, but dismissed the flocks of people that had gathered.
24.他常常让犹大在他身边，他很喜欢这个人。And he kept Judas always in his presence; he was warmly attached to the man.
25.他催促他结婚生子，于是他结了婚，安定下来，与人共处。And he urged him to marry and have children; so he married, settled down, and shared the common life.
26.尼加诺反对犹大 当阿尔基摩斯看到他们彼此之间的良好关系时，他拿起他们所立的约，去见德米特利。 他告诉德米特利，尼加诺对政府不忠，因为他任命了那个反对王国的阴谋者犹大为他的继承人。Nicanor Turns against Judas But when Al′cimus noticed their good will for one another, he took the covenant that had been made and went to Deme′trius. He told him that Nica′nor was disloyal to the government, for he had appointed that conspirator against the kingdom, Judas, to be his successor.
27.国王很兴奋，并被那坏的人的虚假指控激怒，写信给尼卡诺，表示他对盟约不满，并命令他立即将马加比送到安提阿作为囚犯。The king became excited and, provoked by the false accusations of that depraved man, wrote to Nica′nor, stating that he was displeased with the covenant and commanding him to send Maccabe′us to Antioch as a prisoner without delay.
28.当这消息传到尼卡诺的耳中时，他很烦恼和伤心，因为他不得不取消他们的协议，而那个人并没有做错什么。When this message came to Nica′nor, he was troubled and grieved that he had to annul their agreement when the man had done no wrong.
29.由于不能直接违抗国王，他便等待时机，想通过计策来实现这一目标。Since it was not possible to oppose the king, he watched for an opportunity to accomplish this by a stratagem.
30.但马加比注意到尼加诺对他更加严厉，接见他也比平常粗鲁得多，他因此断定尼加诺的严厉并非出于善意。于是他聚集了不少人，躲避尼加诺。But Maccabe′us, noticing that Nica′nor was more austere in his dealings with him and was meeting him more rudely than had been his custom, concluded that this austerity did not spring from the best motives. So he gathered not a few of his men, and went into hiding from Nica′nor.
31.当他后来知道自己被那人巧妙地智胜时，他便来到宏伟而神圣的寺庙，当时祭司们正在献上惯常的祭祀，他命令他们将那人交出来。When the latter became aware that he had been cleverly outwitted by the man, he went to the great and holy temple while the priests were offering the customary sacrifices, and commanded them to hand the man over.
32.他们奉誓声明不知道他要找的那个人在哪里，And when they declared on oath that they did not know where the man was whom he sought,
33.他向圣所伸出右手，发誓说：“如果你们不将犹大交给我作为囚犯，我将把上帝的这块地方夷为平地，拆毁祭坛，并在这里为狄俄尼索斯建造一座宏伟的庙宇。”he stretched out his right hand toward the sanctuary, and swore this oath: “If you do not hand Judas over to me as a prisoner, I will level this precinct of God to the ground and tear down the altar, and I will build here a splendid temple to Diony′sus.”
34.说完这些，他就离开了。然后祭司们向天伸出手，呼唤我们国家的常在保卫者，用以下的话语：Having said this, he went away. Then the priests stretched forth their hands toward heaven and called upon the constant Defender of our nation, in these words:
35.“万物的主，你不需要任何东西，你却乐意在我们中间有一个殿宇作为你的居所；“O Lord of all, who hast need of nothing, thou wast pleased that there be a temple for thy habitation among us;
36.现在，圣洁的主，万圣之主，求你永远保守这座刚刚被洁净的殿堂，保持它的纯洁。so now, O holy One, Lord of all holiness, keep undefiled for ever this house that has been so recently purified.”
37.拉西斯为国捐躯 有一个拉西斯，是耶路撒冷的长老之一，被告发给尼卡诺，他是一个热爱同胞、深受爱戴的人，因为他的美好意愿，被称为犹太人的父亲。Razis Dies for His Country A certain Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nica′nor as a man who loved his fellow citizens and was very well thought of and for his good will was called father of the Jews.
38.因为在以前的时候，当他还没有与外邦人来往的时候，他曾经因为犹太教而被控告，并且为犹太教他曾经以极大的热心冒着身心的危险。For in former times, when there was no mingling with the Gentiles, he had been accused of Judaism, and for Judaism he had with all zeal risked body and life.
39.尼加诺想要显明他对犹太人的仇恨，就派了五百多名兵丁去抓拿他；Nica′nor, wishing to exhibit the enmity which he had for the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him;
40.因为他以为抓住他就能对他们造成伤害。for he thought that by arresting him he would do them an injury.
41.军队即将攻占塔楼，并强行打开庭院的大门时，他们命令拿来火，烧掉大门。被围住的拉齐斯落在自己的剑上，When the troops were about to capture the tower and were forcing the door of the courtyard, they ordered that fire be brought and the doors burned. Being surrounded, Razis fell upon his own sword,
42.宁愿光荣地死去，也不愿落入罪人之手，遭受有辱其高贵出身的凌辱。preferring to die nobly rather than to fall into the hands of sinners and suffer outrages unworthy of his noble birth.
43.然而在激烈的斗争中，他没有打中目标，人群现在正从门口涌进来。他勇敢地跑上墙头，然后壮烈地跳入人群中。But in the heat of the struggle he did not hit exactly, and the crowd was now rushing in through the doors. He bravely ran up on the wall, and manfully threw himself down into the crowd.
44.但当他们迅速退开时，一个空隙出现，他掉进了空隙的中央。But as they quickly drew back, a space opened and he fell in the middle of the empty space.
45.仍然活着并且怒火中烧，他站起来，尽管他的血液涌出，伤势严重，他冲过人群，站在一块陡峭的岩石上，Still alive and aflame with anger, he rose, and though his blood gushed forth and his wounds were severe he ran through the crowd; and standing upon a steep rock,
46.他的血液已经完全流尽，他撕裂自己的内脏，用双手抓住它们，向人群抛去，同时呼唤生命和灵的主将它们归还给他。这就是他死去的方式。with his blood now completely drained from him, he tore out his entrails, took them with both hands and hurled them at the crowd, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to give them back to him again. This was the manner of his death.