Jeremiah Hides the Tent of the Lord's Presence
1 “We know from the records that Jeremiah the prophet instructed the people who were being taken into exile to hide some of the fire from the altar, as we have just mentioned. 2 We also know that he taught them God's Law and warned them not to be deceived by the ornamented gold and silver idols which they would see in the land of their exile. 3 And then he urged them never to abandon the Law.
4 “These same records also tell us that Jeremiah, acting under divine guidance, commanded the Tent of the Lord's Presence and the Covenant Box to follow him to the mountain where Moses had looked down on the land which God had promised our people. 5 When Jeremiah got to the mountain, he found a huge cave and there he hid the Tent of the Lord's Presence, the Covenant Box, and the altar of incense. Then he sealed up the entrance.
6 “Some of Jeremiah's friends tried to follow him and mark the way, but they could not find the cave. 7 When Jeremiah learned what they had done, he reprimanded them, saying, ‘No one must know about this place until God gathers his people together again and shows them mercy. 8 At that time he will reveal where these things are hidden, and the dazzling light of his presence will be seen in the cloud, as it was in the time of Moses and on the occasion when Solomon prayed that the Temple might be dedicated in holy splendor.’
How Solomon Celebrated the Festival
9 “We are also told how the wise King Solomon offered a sacrifice of dedication at the completion of the Temple, 10 and that when he prayed, fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices, just as it had done earlier when Moses prayed. 11 Moses had explained that the sin offering was consumed by fire because it was not eaten. 12 Solomon celebrated the festival for eight days.
Nehemiah's Library
13 “These same facts are found in the royal records and in the memoirs of Nehemiah, who established a library and collected the writings of David, letters of the kings concerning offerings, and books about the kings and prophets. 14 Judas also collected the books that had been scattered because of the war, and we still have them. 15 If you ever need any of these books, let us know, and we will send them.
An Invitation to Celebrate the Festival
16 “Since we are about to celebrate the Festival of Rededication, we are writing to you, advising you to celebrate it as well. 17 God has saved all his people and has restored to all of us our holy land, the kingship, the priesthood, and the Temple services, 18 just as he promised in his Law. He has rescued us from terrible evils and has purified the Temple, and we are confident that in his mercy he will soon gather us to his holy Temple from every nation under the sun.”
Author's Preface
19 Jason of Cyrene has recorded in five volumes the story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, the purification of the great Temple, and the dedication of its altar. 20 He has described the battles with Antiochus Epiphanes and with his son Eupator, 21 and he has told of the heavenly visions that appeared to those who fought bravely and enthusiastically to defend Judaism. Our forces were few in number, but they plundered the entire country and routed the heathen forces. 22 They recaptured the Temple famous throughout the world, liberated Jerusalem, and restored the laws that were in danger of being abolished. They were able to do all these things because the Lord was merciful and kind to them.
23 I will now try to summarize in a single book the five volumes written by Jason. 24 The number of details and the bulk of material can be overwhelming for anyone who wants to read an account of the events. 25 But I have attempted to simplify it for all readers; those who read for sheer pleasure will find enjoyment and those who want to memorize the facts will not find it difficult. 26 Writing such a summary is a difficult task, demanding hard work and sleepless nights. 27 It is as difficult as preparing a banquet that people of different tastes will enjoy. But I am happy to undergo this hardship in order to please my readers. 28 I will leave the matter of details to the original author and attempt to give only a summary of the events. 29 I am not the builder of a new house who is concerned with every detail of the structure, but simply a painter whose only concern is to make the house look attractive. 30 The historian must master his subject, examine every detail, and then explain it carefully, 31 but whoever is merely writing a summary should be permitted to give a brief account without going into a detailed discussion. 32 So then, without any further comment, I will begin my story. It would be foolish to write such a long introduction that the story itself would have to be cut short.
Nehemiab ge tentommi, arki tsî altars tsîna ra sâu.
1 “Xoaǁguiga xu da ǂan ǃkhais ge kēbo-aob Jeremiab ge khoen hîa ge ǃhao ǃhūb ǃoa sîbēhena, ǀnai da go mî hâ i khami altarǀaes di ǃâ-en nî sâu ti mîmā hâ isa. 2 ǁKhāti da ǂans ge ǁîb ge ǁîna Elob di ǂhanuba ǁkhāǁkhā tsî ǃkhâikhomsa, in tā ǃhuniǀurib tsî ǀhaiǀurib ǀkha anu-anuhe hâ ǁgôa-elon hîan ǃhao ǃhūb ǃnâ nî mûn xa tā ǂgaeǂhapuhe. 3 ǁÎb ge ǁîna tātsēn ǂhanuba ǀuru tide ǃkhaisa ge ǂgan.
4 “ǁKhā xoaǁguigu ge Jeremiab ra elosi ǂgaeǂguis ǃnaka Tentommi tsî ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes tsîra ūsao tsî Moseb ge ǁîba xu Elob ge sida ǁaesa ǀumis ase mîmâiba ǃhūba kō, ǃhommi ai ǂoa ǃkhaisa ra mîba da. 5 Jeremiab ge ǃhommi tawa sī tsî kai ǁhoa-e hō tsî Tentommi, ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes tsî ǀanǀanaltars tsîna ǁnāpa sâu tsî dao-amsa ge ǃnau-am.
6 “ǀNî ǀhōsagu Jeremiab digu ge daoba gu nî ǃkhōmâi ti hâ ǂâis ǀkha ǁîba ge sao, xawe gu ge ǁhoasa ge hō ǁoa i. 7 Jeremiab ge ǁîgu ge tare-e dī ǃkhaisab ge ǂan, o ǁîga ǃgabe tsî ge mî: ‘Khoe-i xare-i ge Elob ǁîb khoena ǁkhawa ǀhaoǀhao tsî ǁîb ǀkhomma ǁgau tamas kōse nē ǃkhaisa ǂan tide. 8 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge ǃKhūba mâpan nē xūna sâuhe hâ ǃkhaisa nî ǂhaiǂhai, tsîb ge ǃKhūb di ǂkhaisiba ǃâus ǃnâ Moseb ǁaeb ǃnân ge ǁgauhe hâ i khami tsî Salomob ge Tempeli nî ǀō-aisase khaihe ti ǂgan hâ i ǁaeb ais khami nî ǂhai.’
Salomob ge ǁâudīǀgaub
9 “ǁKhāti da ge nē gā-ai gao-aob Salomob ge Tempeli di ǀkhaeǂgāhes tawa dītoaheb geo, ǁguibasa dī ti ge mîbahe. 10 Tsî ǀgoreb ra hîas ge ǀaesa ǀhomma xu ǁgôaxa tsî aiǃâ i ge Moseb ge ǀgore, o īs ǁkhās khami ǁguibasa ge ǂhubiǂui. 11 Moseb ge ǁoreǁguibas ge ǂûhe tamas ge hâ i amaga ǀaes xa ǂhubiǂuihe ti ge mîǃā. 12 Salomob ge ǁkhaisa tsēde ge ǁâudī.
Nehemiab di ǂkhaniǀkhupiǁgâus
13 “ǁKhā xūn ge gaosi xoaǁguigu tsî ǂâiǂâisenǂkhanidi Nehemiab hîa ge ǂkhaniǀkhupiǁgâusa ǂnubib tsî Davidi xa ge xoahe ǂkhanin, gao-aogu di sîǂkhanidi, ǁguibadi xa ra ǃgûdi tsî ǁkhāti gao-aogu tsî kēbo-aogu xa hâna ge ǀhaoǀhao. 14 Judab tsîn ge ǁkhāti torob xa ǃaromahe hâse ge aoxūhe hâ i ǂkhanina ge ǀhaoǀhao tsî da ge ǁîn tsîna nēsis kōse ūhâ. 15 Nē ǂkhanidi xa du ga ǀguisa ǂhâba, o ǂanǂan da, î da sîba du.
ǁÂudīb ǃaroma hâ ǁkhauǂuis
16 “Nēsi da ǃAnusib di ǁÂudīb ǀkha ra tsoatsoa, o da ge sado ra xoaba tsî ra ǀapemā, î du sadu tsîna ǁîba ǁâudī. 17 Elob ge ǁîb di hoaraga ǁaesa ge sâu, tsîb ge sida, sida di ǃanu ǃhūb, gao-aosis, pristersis tsî tempelǃoabadi tsîna 18 ǁîb di ǂhanub ǃnâb mîmâi hâ khami ge mā-oa. ǁÎb ge ǂkhababa xu ge ore da tsî Tempela ǁkhawa ge ǃanuǃanu. ǁNās ǃaroma da ge ra ǂgom Elob ǀkhomxa da tsî ǃhūbaib di ǃhaodi hoade xu ǀhaoǀhao tsî ǁîb di ǃanu Tempeli ǃoa nî ǂgaeǂgui da ǃkhaisa.”
Xoa-aob di ǂgaeǂguiǂgās
19 Sireneǁîb Jasonni ge koro ǂkhanide Juda Makabaeub tsî ǁîb ǃgâsagu, ǃanuǃanuhes kai Tempeli dis tsî ǀkhaeǂgāhes altars dis tsîn xa ge xoa. 20 ǁÎb ge Antioxub Epifaneb tsî ǁîb ôab Eupatori hâkha ǀkha ge hâ i torogu tsîna xoaǃgāǃgā 21 tsî ǀhomma xu ge Judaǁî ǂgoms ǃaroma ge ǀgaisase gere ǃkhamn ǃoa hā aidi tsîn xa ge mîba da. Sida toroǃkhamaogu ge ǀoro gu ge i, xawe ǁîn di hoaraga ǃhūba hîkākā tsî ǀūbetoroǃkhamaoga ge sauruǂui. 22 ǁÎn ge hoaraga ǃhūbaib ǃnâ ǂanǂansa Tempela ǁkhawa ū-oa, Jerusalemsa ǃnoraǃnora tsî ǂhanugu hîa gere dībēhe ǂgaoga ǁkhawa ge ǂnûiǂgā. ǃKhūb ge ǁîna ǀkhom tsî ǁîn ǃoa ǃgâi i, xui-aon ge hoa xūna ge dī ǁkhā i.
23 Jasonni Sirenes dib ge koro ǂkhanidi ǃnâ xoa xūna ta ǀgui ǂkhanis ǃnâ nî ǃkhōǃnubuǃnubu ǃkhaisa ta ge nî dītsâ. 24 ǂGui ǃgôab di ǂōrisa ǃâdi tsî ǂguisib kuru-ūhe hâ xūn dib ge ǃnaeǃkhaide ra khomai ǂgao-i hoa-i ǃaroma ǃgomsib ase ī ǁkhā. 25 Xawe ta ge hoa khomai-aona ta nî supusupuba ǃkhaisa ge dîtsâ. ǁNān hîa ǁkhoab ǃaroma ra khomain ge ǁkhoaxasiba nî hō tsî ǀnîn hîa amaba ra ǁkhāǁkhāsenǂgā ǂgaon ge ǃgombahe tide. 26 Nēti ī ǃkhōǀhaosa xoas ge ǃgom, ǀgaisa sîsenna ǂhâba tsî ǁom ǁoa tsuxugu tsîna ǃkhōǂgā hâ. 27 ǃKharagaǃnâgu ǁkhoaga ūhâ khoen nî ǃgâiaǂgaoǃnâ ǁâudība aiǂhomis ǁkhās khami a ǃgom. Xawe ta ge ra ǃgâiaǂgao, ti khomai-aona ta nî ǂkhîǂkhîga nē ǃgomsib ǃnâ ǃkharusa. 28 Tita ge ǂōrisa ǃâde ǂguro xoa-aoba nî ǁnāxūba tsî ǃnaeǃkhaide ǃkhōǀhaos ǀguisa nî dītsâ. 29 Tita ge ǀasa om-i di omao tama hâ hîa omǀgaub xa nî ǂhansenta, xawe ta ge oms nî îsase mûsen ǃkhais xa ra ǂhansen ǂkhau-aos ǀguisa i. 30 ǃNaeǃkhaidi xoa-aob ge ǁîb di ǁkhāǁkhāǃâsa nî ǂan, tsî ǁîsa ǃgâise nî ǁguiǃā, 31 xawe ǂkhanisa ǃkhōǀhaos ǀguisa ra dī xoa-aogu ge ǃnubuse ǀgui xoa tsî gu nî ǂōrisa ǃâde xūǂui ǃkhais tsîna nî mā-amhe. 32 ǁNā-amaga age nēsi ǂgui xū-e khom tamase ti ǁgaeǂhôas ǀkha nî tsoatsoa. Gâsib ase i ge nî ī, aigowasa gaxugaxu tsî ǃnaeǃkhais ǀkhāsa ǃnubuǃnubusa.
