28 When the engagement was over and they were returning again with joy, they recognised Nicanor lying dead in full armour. 29 Then there was shouting and noise, and they blessed the Sovereign Lord in the language of their ancestors. 30 He who in all things was in body and soul the foremost champion of his fellow-citizens, he who kept through life the good will of his youth towards his countrymen, ordered that Nicanor’s head be cut off with his hand and arm, and that they be brought to Jerusalem. 31 When he had arrived there and had called his countrymen together and set the priests before the altar, he sent for those who were in the citadel. 32 Showing the head of the vile Nicanor and the hand of that profane man, which with proud brags he had stretched out against the holy house of the Almighty, 33 and cutting out the tongue of the impious Nicanor, he said that he would give it in pieces to the birds, and hang up these rewards of his folly near the sanctuary. 34 They all, looking up to heaven, blessed the Lord who had manifested himself, saying, “Blessed is he who has preserved his own place undefiled!” 35 He hung Nicanor’s head and shoulder from the citadel, a clear sign evident to all of the help of the Lord. 36 They all ordained with a common decree to in no way let this day pass undistinguished, but to mark with honour the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (it is called Adar in the Syrian language), the day before the day of Mordecai.
37 This then having been the account of the attempt of Nicanor, and the city having from those times been held by the Hebrews, I also will here make an end of my book. 38 If I have written well and to the point in my story, this is what I myself desired; but if its poorly done and mediocre, this is the best I could do. 39 For as it is †distasteful to drink wine alone and likewise to drink water alone, ‡while the mingling of wine with water at once gives full pleasantness to the flavour; so also the fashioning of the language delights the ears of those who read the story.
Here is the end.
† 1:8: Gr. loaves
† 2:4: Gr. and when. The Greek text here is probably corrupt.
‡ 2:11: See Leviticus 10:16 and 9:24.
§ 2:24: Or, weariness
† 3:5: Greek Thraseas
‡ 3:22: Gr. safe with all security.
§ 3:35: Gr. greatest.
† 4:4: Compare 2 Maccabees 4:21. See also 2 Maccabees 3:5. The Greek as commonly read means Apollonius, as being the governor…Phoenicia, did rage, and increase etc.
‡ 4:5: Gr. multitude.
§ 4:9: Gr. through his.
† 4:19: See ver. 9.
‡ 4:20: Some authorities read the bearers.
§ 4:21: The exact meaning of the Greek word is uncertain.
† 4:29: Gr. successor.
‡ 4:31: Gr. successor.
† 5:9: See 1 Maccabees 12:7.
‡ 5:23: Some authorities read towards the Jews, he sent. The Greek text of this sentence is uncertain.
§ 5:23: Compare 2 Maccabees 4:9, 19; 9:19.
† 5:24: Gr. Μυσάρχην, which also may mean ruler of the Mysians.
† 6:1: Or, Geron an Athenian
‡ 6:4: Or, idled with their fellows
§ 6:15: Or, when our sins have come to their height
† 6:15: Gr. end.
‡ 6:23: The Greek text appears to be corrupt.
§ 6:23: Some authorities read manner of life.
† 6:23: Gr. legislation.
‡ 6:28: Gr. one that has left behind.
§ 6:29: The Greek text of this verse is uncertain.
† 6:30: Or, blows
† 7:5: Gr. useless.
‡ 7:6: Or, comforted in
§ 7:6: See Deuteronomy 31:21 and 32:36.
† 7:16: Gr. him.
‡ 7:22: Or, breath
§ 7:23: Or, breath
† 7:24: Gr. make him one that is counted happy.
‡ 7:24: See 2 Maccabees 8:9.
§ 7:36: Gr. short pain of ever-flowing life.
† 7:36: Gr. fallen. By the omission of one Greek letter the words would signify having endured a short pain, have now drunk of ever-flowing life under God’s covenant.
‡ 7:37: Gr. propitious.
§ 7:38: Some authorities read may be stayed.
† 8:6: The Greek text of verses 6 and 7 is uncertain.
‡ 8:9: See 1 Maccabees 10:65. Compare 2 Maccabees 1:14; 7:24; 10:13; 14:11; 1 Maccabees 2:18.
§ 8:11: Gr. bodies.
† 8:11: Gr. bodies.
‡ 8:13: The Greek text here is uncertain.
§ 8:20: Gr. Galatians.
† 8:20: Some authorities read eight.
‡ 8:24: Gr. disabled in their limbs.
§ 8:25: Or, while
† 8:27: The exact meaning of this clause is uncertain.
‡ 8:27: Gr. their weapons…the spoils of the enemy.
§ 8:28: Or, wounded Gr. shamefully handled.
† 8:30: Or, wounded Gr. shamefully handled.
‡ 8:31: The exact meaning of this clause is uncertain.
§ 8:31: Gr. of them.
† 8:32: That is, probably, the captain of an irregular auxiliary force. Some write Phylarches, as a proper name.
‡ 8:33: The Greek text here is perhaps corrupt.
§ 8:33: Or, country
† 8:33: Or, porches
‡ 8:33: Or, a solitary hut
§ 8:35: Gr. having made himself solitary.
† 8:35: Or, having won the greatest possible favour by reason of the destruction of his army
‡ 8:36: Or, because of this their way of life Gr. because of this manner.
† 9:1: Or, with dishonour
‡ 9:2: Or, temples
§ 9:5: Gr. remediless.
† 9:8: Or, showing manifestly to all the power of God
‡ 9:14: Gr. build.
† 10:3: Gr. firing.
‡ 10:6: Or, not long before they kept the feast of tabernacles by wandering
§ 10:10: That is, son of a good father.
† 10:13: See 2 Maccabees 8:9
‡ 10:13: The Greek text here is corrupt.
§ 10:26: Gr. propitious.
† 10:26: See Exodus 23:22.
‡ 10:27: Gr. were by themselves.
§ 10:29: Some authorities read and leading on the Jews; who also, taking.
† 10:32: See ver. 37.
‡ 10:35: Gr. passion as of wild animals.
† 11:3: Or, on all the sacred places of the heathen
‡ 11:5: One stadia was roughly 189 metres or 618 feet, so 5 stadia was about a little less than 1 km or a little more than half a mile.
§ 11:8: Gr. a panoply.
† 11:9: Gr. wound.
‡ 11:14: The Greek text here is corrupt.
§ 11:16: Gr. multitude.
† 11:21: This month name is not found elsewhere, and is perhaps corrupt.
‡ 11:23: Or, should not be disquieted but
§ 11:30: Gr. right hand.
† 11:38: Gr. Be in good health.
† 12:4: Gr. they also.
‡ 12:4: Gr. after.
§ 12:9: a furlong is about 201 metres or 220 yards, so 240 furlongs is about 48 km. or 30 miles
† 12:10: a furlong is about 201 metres or 220 yards, so 9 furlongs is about 1.8 km. or 1 1/8 miles
‡ 12:11: Gr. them.
§ 12:16: a furlong is about 201 metres or 220 yards, so 2 furlongs is about 402 metres or 1/4 mile
† 12:17: a furlong is about 201 metres or 220 yards, so 750 furlongs is about 151 km. or 94 miles
‡ 12:17: That is, men of Tob: see Judges 11:3, 2 Samuel 10:6, and compare 1 Maccabees 5:13.
§ 12:20: Gr. them.
† 12:21: Compare Carnain,1 Maccabees 5:26, 43, 44.
‡ 12:24: Gr. and the result will be that these be disregarded. The Greek text here is perhaps corrupt.
§ 12:24: Or, have been shown
† 12:26: Compare Carnain, 1 Maccabees 5:26, 43, 44.
‡ 12:27: The Greek text here is perhaps corrupt.
§ 12:27: Gr. in front of.
† 12:28: Some authorities read weight.
‡ 12:28: Or, his enemies
§ 12:29: a furlong is about 201 metres or 220 yards, so 600 furlongs is about 121 km. or 75 miles
† 12:35: The Greek text is uncertain.
‡ 12:35: Compare 1 Maccabees 5:65.
§ 12:38: Gr. Odollam.
† 12:39: The Greek text here is uncertain.
‡ 12:39: Or, and to bring them back to be with their kinsmen in the sepulchres
§ 12:40: Perhaps these were consecrated images of the idols.
† 12:45: Gr. fall asleep.
‡ 12:45: Or, on the side of godliness
† 13:5: Gr. contrivance or machine.
‡ 13:8: Gr. about.
§ 13:9: Some authorities read indignant.
† 13:12: Gr. and implored.
‡ 13:13: Some authorities read the Lord.
§ 13:14: Some authorities read Creator.
† 13:15: The Greek text here is probably corrupt.
‡ 13:15: Gr. house.
§ 13:16: Gr. camp.
† 13:17: Gr. him.
‡ 13:24: The form of this word is uncertain. Compare Girzites (or Gizrites), 1 Samuel 27:8. One manuscript reads Gerarenes.
§ 13:26: Gr. came forward to the tribune or judgement seat.
† 14:6: That is, Chasidim.
‡ 14:7: Some authorities read a second time.
§ 14:11: Or, the king’s friends likewise
† 14:11: See 2 Maccabees 8:9.
‡ 14:13: Gr. greatest.
§ 14:14: See 2 Maccabees 5:27.
† 14:16: The Greek text of this verse and the next is corrupt.
‡ 14:20: Or, people Gr. multitudes.
§ 14:26: Or, and the covenants that had been made, took occasion and came
† 14:31: Or, though he was conscious that he had been nobly defeated by
‡ 14:31: Gr. the man
§ 14:31: Gr. greatest.
† 14:33: Or, chapel Gr. enclosure.
‡ 14:35: Gr. tabernacling.
§ 14:41: Or, people Gr. multitudes.
† 14:44: Or, the void place
‡ 14:46: Some authorities read the same.
† 15:6: Gr. carrying his neck high.
‡ 15:20: Gr. animals.
§ 15:20: Or, stationed for convenient action
† 15:21: Gr. multitudes.
‡ 15:21: Gr. animals.
§ 15:22: Gr. camp.
† 15:39: Or, hurtful
‡ 15:39: Gr. but even as.
1 Esdras
The First Book of Esdras
The First Book
