1 Maccabees
Chapter 14
1 1 In the year one hundred and seventy-two, King Demetrius assembled his army and marched into Media to obtain help so that he could fight Trypho.
一百七十二年，德默特琉王调集军队，开往玛待，以求获得兵源，好与特黎丰决战。
2 2 When Arsaces, king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his generals to take him alive.
波斯和玛待王阿尔撒革听说德默特琉已侵入他的边境，就派遣自己的一员大将去活捉他。
3 The general went forth and defeated the army of Demetrius; he captured him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him in prison.
这位大将前往，击败了德默特琉的军队，将他捉住，解到阿尔撒革王前，阿尔撒革将他囚在监里。
4 The land was at rest all the days of Simon, who sought the good of his nation. His people were delighted with his power and his magnificence throughout his reign.
息孟执政期间，犹大国泰民安，他只谋求自己民族的福利，因此对他的统治，人民心悦诚服。他的荣耀一生常存。
5 As his crowning glory he captured the port of Joppa and made it a gateway to the isles of the sea.
除此荣耀外，又占据了约培，建为海港，辟作通往海岛的口岸；
6 He enlarged the borders of his nation and gained control of the country.
他开拓了本国的疆域，全国都在他权下。
7 He took many enemies prisoners of war and made himself master of Gazara, Beth-zur, and the citadel. He cleansed the citadel of its impurities; there was no one to withstand him.
他安置了大批战俘，征服了革则尔、贝特族尔和耶路撒冷的堡垒；除去城中的不洁，没有人能敌抗他。
8 The people cultivated their land in peace; the land yielded its produce and the trees of the field their fruit.
人都平安耕种田地，土地按时出产，平原上的树木依时结果。
9 Old men sat in the squares, all talking about the good times, while the young men wore the glorious apparel of war.
老者闲坐街头，众人谈论公益，少年身穿盛服和军装。
10 He supplied the cities with food and equipped them with means of defense, till his glorious name reached the ends of the earth.
他为各城储存食粮，用防御工事巩固城池；因此，他的名声传遍了天涯地角。
11 He brought peace to the land, and Israel was filled with happiness.
他使本国得享平安，以色列人皆大欢喜。
12 Every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, with no one to disturb him.
每人安坐在自己的葡萄树及无花果树下，无人前来惊吓。
13 No one was left to attack them in their land; the kings in those days were crushed.
那时国内敌人已经绝迹，列王已被击退。
14 He strengthened all the lowly among his people and was zealous for the law; he suppressed all the lawless and the wicked.
凡国内低下小民，他都予以扶持；他寻求法律，而铲除一切恶徒败类；
15 He made the temple splendid and enriched its equipment.
他尽量使圣殿壮观，增添圣所里的器皿。
16 3 When people heard in Rome and even in Sparta that Jonathan had died, they were deeply grieved.
罗马人及斯巴达人听说约纳堂死了，都很哀伤。
17 But when the Romans heard that his brother Simon had been made high priest in his place and was master of the country and the cities,
他们一听说他哥哥息孟继任作大司祭，掌管国家及各城邑，
18 they sent him inscribed tablets of bronze to renew with him the friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.
便用铜版给他写信，重新与他缔结友好盟约，就如从前与他的两个弟弟犹大和约纳堂所缔结的盟约一样。
19 These were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
这信就在耶路撒冷会众面前宣读了。
20 This is a copy of the letter that the Spartans sent: ＂The rulers and the citizens of Sparta send greetings to Simon the high priest, the elders, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers.
斯巴达人送来的信，抄录如下：＂斯巴达人的首领及城邑，祝大司祭息孟，各位长老，司祭及其余犹太人民弟兄们安好！
21 The envoys you sent to our people have informed us of your glory and fame, and we were happy that they came.
你们派到我国来的使者，将你们的光荣与尊威，一一告诉了我们；我们对他们的光临，都很喜欢。
22 In accordance with what they said we have recorded the following in the public decrees: Since Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater, son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us,
他们所说的话，我们也都这样记在国会大事录上：‘犹太人的使者，安提约古的儿子奴默尼，与雅松的儿子安提帕特，来到我们这里，为与我们重订友好盟约，
23 the people have voted to receive the men with honor, and to deposit a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of Sparta may have a record of them. A copy of this decree has been made for Simon the high priest.＂
百姓对他们曾予以隆重热烈的欢迎，且将他们的话，记载在国会档案内，为给斯巴达人留作纪念。’我们另将这文件的副本，给大司祭息孟呈送一份。＂
24 After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great gold shield weighing a thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with the Romans.
此后，息孟又派遣奴默尼赴罗马，他带有大金盾一座，价值约一千＂米乃＂，以便与他们订立同盟。
25 When the people heard of these things, they said, ＂How can we thank Simon and his sons?
民众一听到这些事，就说＂我们要怎样感谢息孟和他的儿子们呢？
26 He and his brothers and his father's house have stood firm and repulsed Israel's enemies. They have thus preserved its liberty.＂ So they made an inscription on bronze tablets, which they affixed to pillars on Mount Zion.
因为他与他的兄弟们以及他父亲的全家，都表现了英勇的行为，打败了以色列的仇敌，给以色列奠定了自由。＂于是他们将这些史迹刻于铜版，嵌在熙雍山的石柱上。
27 4 The following is a copy of the inscription: ＂On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, that is, the third year under Simon the high priest in Asaramel,
其原文如下：＂一百七十二年，＂厄路尔＂月十八日，大司祭息孟三年，在阿撒辣默耳，
28 in a great assembly of priests, people, rulers of the nation, and elders of the country, the following proclamation was made:
有人在司祭、百姓、民众的首领及全国长老盛大集合时，通告我们说：
29 ＂'Since there have often been wars in our country, Simon, son of the priest Mattathias, descendant of Joarib, and his brothers have put themselves in danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, so that their sanctuary and law might be maintained, and they have thus brought great glory to their nation.
当国内在不断战争中，约阿黎布的后裔，玛塔提雅的儿子息孟，和他的兄弟们，为了支持并维护圣所和法律，冒着性命的危险，抵抗了民族的仇敌，使自己的民族获得了莫大的光荣。
30 After Jonathan had rallied his nation and become their high priest, he was gathered to his kinsmen.
在约纳堂统一自己的国家，作了他们的大司祭，归到他亲族那里之后，
31 When the enemies of the Jews sought to invade and devastate their country and to lay hands on their temple,
犹太人的敌人，便企图进占他们的国土，伸手侵犯圣所；
32 Simon rose up and fought for his nation, spending large sums of his own money to equip the men of his nation's armed forces and giving them their pay.
那时息孟起来，为自己的民族而战，花尽了自己的许多钱财，装备了自己人民中的勇士，发给他们粮饷。
33 He fortified the cities of Judea, especially the frontier city of Beth-zur, where he stationed a garrison of Jewish soldiers, and where previously the enemy's arms had been stored.
他曾在犹太各城邑，并在犹太边境上的贝特族尔设防；敌人从前曾在那里贮藏过武器，所以他便在那里派了犹太人把守。
34 He also fortified Joppa by the sea and Gazara on the border of Azotus, a place previously occupied by the enemy; these cities he resettled with Jews, and furnished them with all that was necessary for their restoration.
他又巩固了靠海的约培和位于阿左托边界的革则尔；敌人从前曾盘踞在那里，所以他就派犹太人居住在那里，凡他们所需要的一切，他都给他们准备了。
35 When the Jewish people saw Simon's loyalty and the glory he planned to bring to his nation, they made him their leader and high priest because of all he had accomplished and the loyalty and justice he had shown his nation. In every way he sought to exalt his people.
民众见到息孟的忠诚，及为自己民族所获得的光荣，便拥护他作自己的领袖和大司祭，因为他行了这一切事；因为他对自己的民族持守正义与忠诚；因为他想尽一切方法，高举自己的百姓。
36 ＂In his time and under his guidance they succeeded in driving the Gentiles out of their country, especially those in the City of David in Jerusalem, who had built for themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth to defile the environs of the temple and inflict grave injury on its purity.
他在世时，凡他所行的无不顺利；他将异民从国内赶走，又赶走在耶路撒冷达味城内为自己建造堡垒的人，因为他们时常从堡垒里出来，污辱圣所的四周，侵犯圣所的圣洁。
37 In this citadel he stationed Jewish soldiers, and he strengthened its fortifications for the defense of the land and the city, while he also raised the wall of Jerusalem to a greater height.
他派犹太士兵在堡垒里驻守，为了国家与城邑的安全，还巩固了这座堡垒，更加高耶路撒冷的城垣。
38 Consequently, King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood,
为此德默特琉王也委任他为大司祭，
39 made him one of his Friends, and conferred the highest honors on him.
将他列为自己朋友之一，加给他很大的光荣；
40 He had indeed heard that the Romans had addressed the Jews as friends, allies, and brothers and that they had received Simon's envoys with honor.
因为君王曾听说：罗马人称犹太人为朋友，为同盟，为兄弟；又听说他们曾热烈地欢迎息孟的使者。
41 ＂'The Jewish people and their priest have, therefore, made the following decisions. Simon shall be their permanent leader and high priest until a true prophet arises.
犹太人和司祭们，都喜欢息孟常作他们的领袖和大司祭，直到一位忠诚的先知兴起为止。
42 He shall act as governor general over them, and shall have charge of the temple, to make regulations concerning its functions and concerning the country, its weapons and strongholds,
也喜欢息孟作他们的统帅，要他管理圣所，要他委派人员执行政务，管理疆域、军械与堡垒；
43 he shall be obeyed by all. All contracts made in the country shall be dated by his name. He shall have the right to wear royal purple and gold ornaments.
喜欢他管理圣所，所有的人都听从他，都以他的名义，书写国内一切公文，并且使他穿上紫袍，戴上金饰。
44 It shall not be lawful for any of the people or priests to nullify any of these decisions, or to contradict the orders given by him, or to convene an assembly in the country without his consent, to be clothed in royal purple or wear an official gold brooch.
无论是平民或司祭，不得废除上述任何一项。他出的命令不得反对。没有他的许可，不得擅自在国内召集会议；不得身穿紫袍，头戴金冠。
45 Whoever acts otherwise or violates any of these prescriptions shall be liable to punishment.
若有人反对此事，或违犯其中任何一项，便是罪犯。
46 ＂'All the people approved of granting Simon the right to act in accord with these decisions,
全民众都赞成给予息孟按这些话实行的权柄。
47 5 and Simon accepted and agreed to act as high priest, governor general, and ethnarch of the Jewish people and priests and to exercise supreme authority over all.'＂
息孟接受了，也乐意作大司祭，作犹太人及众司祭的统帅和元首，主理一切事务。＂
48 It was decreed that this inscription should be engraved on bronze tablets, to be set up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the temple,
遂命人将这篇文字，刻于铜版，嵌在圣所墙壁的显明处。
49 and that copies of it should be deposited in the treasury, where they would be available to Simon and his sons.
并将副本放在银库里，由息孟及其子孙保管。
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Footnotes（注解）
1 [1] The year one hundred and seventy-two: 141-140 B.C. The expedition began most probably in the spring of 140.
2 [2] Arsaces: Arsaces VI, also called Mithridates I, the Parthian king (171-138 B.C.). Parthians had overrun Persia and now held Babylonia, both of which had hitherto belonged to the Seleucid empire. The Greeks and Macedonians in these countries had appealed to Demetrius for help.
3 [16] The embassy to Rome and Sparta was sent soon after Simon's accession to power, and the replies were received before Demetrius' expedition (1 Macc 14:1-3)--probably in 142 B.C.
4 [27] Eighteenth day of Elul: September 13, 140 B.C. Asaramel: a Hebrew name meaning ＂court of the people of God.＂
5 [47] Ethnarch: a subaltern ruler over a racial group whose office needed confirmation by a higher authority within the empire.