1 The brothers, the Yahuḏim that are at Yerushalayim and in the land of Yahuḏah desire health and peace to the brothers, the Yahuḏim that are throughout Mitsrayim.
2 Elohim show favour to you, and remember His Covenant that He made with Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Ya’aqoḇ His trustworthy servants;
3 and give you all a heart to serve Him and to do His desire with good courage and an eager mind.
4 And open your hearts in His Torah and Commands, and send you peace,
5 and hear your prayers, and be at one with you, and never forsake you in time of trouble.
6 And now we are here praying for you.
7 Such time as Dĕmĕtrios reigned, in the hundred and sixty-ninth year, we the Yahuḏim wrote to you in the extreme trouble that came upon us in those years, from the time that Yason and his company revolted from the qodesh land and reign,
8 and burned the porch and shed innocent blood; we then prayed to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and were heard, We also offered slaughterings and fine flour, and lit the lamps, and put out the loaves.
9 And now, see that you guard the Feast of Sukkoth in the month Kislĕw.
10 In the hundred and eighty-eighth year, the people that were at Yerushalayim and in Yahuḏah, and the council, and Yahuḏah, sent greeting and health to Aristobulus, Sovereign Ptolemaeus’ master, who was of the descendants of the anointed kohenim, and to the Yahuḏim that were in Mitsrayim.
11 In so far as Elohim has delivered us from great perils, we thank Him highly, as having been in battle against a sovereign.
12 For He threw out those that fought within the qodesh city.
13 For when the leader had come to Paras, and the army with him that seemed invincible, they were slain in the temple of Nanaia by deceit of the priests of Nanaia.
14 For Antioḵos and his friends that were with him came into the place as though he would marry her, to receive silver in name of a dowry.
15 Which when the priests of Nanaia had presented and he had entered into the surrounds of the temple with a small company, they shut the temple as soon as Antioḵos had come in.
16 And opening a secret door of the roof, they threw stones like thunderbolts, and struck down the captain, cut them in pieces, smote off their heads and threw them to those that were outside.
17 Baruḵ be our Elohim in all, who has delivered up the wicked.
18 Therefore now that we have purposed to guard the purification of the Hĕyḵal on the twenty-fifth day of the month Kislĕw, we thought it necessary to notify you of this, that you also might guard it, as the Feast of the Sukkoth, and of the fire which was given to us when Neḥemyah brought an offering after he had built the Hĕyḵal and the altar.
19 For when our fathers were led into Paras, the kohenim that were then dedicated took the fire of the altar secretly, and hid it in a hollow place of a well without water, where they kept it safe, so that the place was unknown to all men.
20 Now after many years, when it pleased Elohim, Neḥemyah, having been sent from the sovereign of Paras, sent the descendants of those kohenim that had hid the fire. But when they told us they found no fire, but thick water;
21 he then commanded them to draw it up, and to bring it. And when the slaughterings were laid, Neḥemyah commanded the kohenim to sprinkle the wood and the matters laid upon it with the water.
22 When this was done, and the time came that the sun shone, which was hid in the cloud before, there was a great fire kindled, so that every man marvelled.
23 And the kohenim made a prayer while the slaughtering was consumed; both the kohenim and all the rest – Yahonathan beginning, and the rest answering to it – as Neḥemyah did.
24 And the prayer was after this manner: “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Aḏonai, Elohim, Creator of all things who is awesome and mighty and righteous and showing favour and the only kind Sovereign,
25 the only Giver of all things, the only righteous, almighty and everlasting. You who delivers Yisra’ĕl from all trouble and chose the fathers and qadosh them.
26 “Receive the offering for all Your people Yisra’ĕl and preserve Your own portion and qadosh them.
27 “Gather together those that are scattered from us, deliver those that serve among the gentiles, look upon those who are despised and abhorred and let the gentiles know that You are our Elohim.
28 “Punish those that oppress us and do evil to us with pride.
29 “Plant Your people again in Your qodesh place as Mosheh has spoken.”
30 And the kohenim sang songs of thanksgiving.
31 Now when the offering was consumed, Neḥemyah commanded the water that was left to be poured on the great stones.
32 When this was done, there was a flame kindled, and it was added to by the light that shone from the altar.
33 So when this matter was known, it was told the sovereign of Paras, that in the place where the kohenim that were led away had hid the fire, there appeared water, and that Neḥemyah had purified the offerings with it.
34 Then the sovereign, enclosing the place, qadosh it, after he had examined the matter.
35 And the sovereign took many gifts, and bestowed them on those whom he would esteem.
36 And Neḥemyah called this Naphthar, which is to say, a cleansing; but many men call it Nephtar.