Now it is found in the descriptions of Jeremias the prophet, that he commanded them that went into captivity, to take the fire, as it hath been signified, and how he gave charge to them that were carried away into captivity.

Invenitur autem in descriptionibus Jeremiæ prophetæ, quod jussit eos ignem accipere qui transmigrabant, ut significatum est, et ut mandavit transmigratis.

You shall also find it set down in the dispositions made by the prophet Jeremias, that he bade the exiles rescue the sacred fire, in the manner aforesaid.

And how he gave them the law that they should not forget the commandments of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, seeing the idols of gold, and silver, and the ornaments of them.

Et dedit illis legem, ne obliviscerentur præcepta Domini, et non exerrarent mentibus, videntes simulacra aurea et argentea, et ornamenta eorum.

Strict charge he gave them, the Lord’s commandments they should keep ever in mind, nor let false gods, all gold and silver and fine array, steal away their hearts;

And with other such like speeches, he exhorted them that they would not remove the law from their heart.

Et alia hujusmodi dicens, hortabatur ne legem amoverent a corde suo.

with much else to confirm them in their regard for the law.

It was also contained in the same writing, how the prophet, being warned by God, commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him, till he came forth to the mountain where Moses went up, and saw the inheritance of God.

Erat autem in ipsa scriptura, quomodo tabernaculum et arcam jussit propheta divino responso ad se facto comitari secum, usquequo exiit in montem in quo Moyses ascendit, et vidit Dei hæreditatem.

And here, in this same document, the story was told, how a divine oracle came to Jeremias, and he must needs go out, with tabernacle and ark to bear him company, to the very mountain Moses climbed long ago, when he had sight of God’s domain.

And when Jeremias came thither he found a hollow cave: and he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door.

Et veniens ibi Jeremias, invenit locum speluncæ: et tabernaculum, et arcam, et altare incensi intulit illuc, et ostium obstruxit.

A cave Jeremias found there, in which he set down tabernacle and ark and incense-altar, and stopped up the entrance behind him.

Then some of them that followed him, came up to mark the place: but they could not find it.

Et accesserunt quidam simul, qui sequebantur, ut notarent sibi locum: et non potuerunt invenire.

There were some that followed; no time they lost in coming up to mark the spot, but find it they could not.

And when Jeremias perceived it, he blamed them, saying: The place shall be unknown, till God gather together the congregation of the people, and receive them to mercy.

Ut autem cognovit Jeremias, culpans illos dixit: Quod ignotus erit locus donec congreget Deus congregationem populi, et propitius fiat:

He, when they told him of it, rebuked their eagerness; Nay, said he, the place must remain ever unknown, till the day when God brings his people together once more, and is reconciled;

And then the Lord will shew these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there shall be a cloud as it was also shewed to Moses, and he shewed it when Solomon prayed that the place might be sanctified to the great God.

et tunc Dominus ostendet hæc, et apparebit majestas Domini, et nubes erit, sicut et Moysi manifestabatur, et sicut cum Salomon petiit ut locus sanctificaretur magno Deo, manifestabat hæc.

then, divinely, the secret shall be made manifest. Then once again the Lord’s majesty shall be seen, and the cloud that enshrines it; the same vision that was granted to Moses, and to Solomon when he prayed that the great God would have his temple on earth;

For he treated wisdom in a magnificent manner: and like a wise man, he offered the sacrifice of the dedication, and of the finishing of the temple.

Magnifice etenim sapientiam tractabat: et ut sapientiam habens, obtulit sacrificium dedicationis et consummationis templi.

Solomon, the master of wisdom, that in his wisdom offered sacrifice to hallow the temple he had made.

And as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven, and consumed the holocaust: so Solomon also prayed, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the holocaust.

Sicut et Moyses orabat ad Dominum, et descendit ignis de cælo et consumpsit holocaustum, sic et Salomon oravit, et descendit ignis de cælo et consumpsit holocaustum.

Prayed Moses, prayed Solomon, and fire came down from heaven to consume the burnt-sacrifice. …

And Moses said: Because the sin offering was not eaten, it was consumed.

Et dixit Moyses: Eo quod non sit comestum quod erat pro peccato, consumptum est.

… Uneaten, Moses said, the victim for fault, and so the fire must consume it. …

So Solomon also celebrated the dedication eight days.

Similiter et Salomon octo diebus celebravit dedicationem.

… No other mind had king Solomon, that for eight days would continue his dedication feast.

And these same things were set down in the memoirs and commentaries of Nehemias: and how he made a library, and gathered together out of the countries, the books both of the prophets, and of David, and the epistles of the kings, and concerning the holy gifts.

Inferebantur autem in descriptionibus et commentariis Nehemiæ hæc eadem: et ut construens bibliothecam congregavit de regionibus libros et prophetarum et David, et epistolas regum, et de donariis.

With all this, dispositions Nehemias made, records Nehemias kept, are in full agreement. He it was founded a library, and there collected histories of king and prophet, and of David himself; dispatches, too, the kings had sent, and inventories of gifts made.

And in like manner Judas also gathered together all such things as were lost by the war we had, and they are in our possession.

Similiter autem et Judas ea quæ deciderant per bellum quod nobis acciderat, congregavit omnia, et sunt apud nos.

And now Judas in his turn has recovered all such records as were lost to us through the late wars, and they are here in our keeping;

Wherefore if you want these things, send some that may fetch them to you.

Si ergo desideratis hæc, mittite qui perferant vobis.

would you be in possession of these, you have but to send and fetch them.

As we are then about to celebrate the purification, we have written unto you: and you shall do well, if you keep the same days.

Acturi itaque purificationem scripsimus vobis: bene ergo facietis, si egeritis hos dies.

Meanwhile, we notify you by these presents of that cleansing ceremony we mean to perform; do us the courtesy to keep holiday on your part.

And we hope that God who hath delivered his people, and hath rendered to all the inheritance, and the kingdom, and the priesthood, and the sanctuary,

Deus autem, qui liberavit populum suum, et reddidit hæreditatem omnibus, et regnum, et sacerdotium, et sanctificationem,

See what deliverance God has sent to his people, restoring to us our common domain, our sovereignty, our priesthood, our temple’s sanctity!

As he promised in the law, will shortly have mercy upon us, and will gather us together from every land under heaven into the holy place.

sicut promisit in lege, speramus quod cito nostri miserebitur, et congregavit de sub cælo in locum sanctum.

Think you not he will fulfil, ere long, the promise made in his law; take pity on us, that are scattered wide as heaven, and on this hallowed soil reunite us?

For he hath delivered us out of great perils, and hath cleansed the place.

Eripuit enim nos de magnis periculis, et locum purgavit.

What meant they else, those great perils overcome, that sanctuary purified at last?…

Now as concerning Judas Machabeus, and his brethren, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar:

De Juda vero Machabæo, et fratribus ejus, et de templi magni purificatione, et de aræ dedicatione,

Speak we of Judas Machabaeus and his brethren, and how the great temple was purified, and the altar hallowed anew;

As also the wars against Antiochus the Illustrious, and his son Eupator:

sed et de præliis quæ pertinent ad Antiochum Nobilem et filium ejus Eupatorem,

of the battles they fought against Antiochus, called the Illustrious, and Eupator, that was his son.

And the manifestations that came from heaven to them, that behaved themselves manfully on the behalf of the Jews, so that, being but a few, they made themselves masters of the whole country, and put to flight the barbarous multitude:

et de illuminationibus quæ de cælo factæ sunt ad eos qui pro Judæis fortiter fecerunt, ita ut universam regionem, cum pauci essent, vindicarent, et barbaram multitudinem fugarent,

Speak we of heavenly manifestations, sent to encourage the champions of Jewry, till at last, though so few, they won back their country, and put the hordes of heathendom to flight.

And recovered again the most renowned temple in all the world, and delivered the city, and restored the laws that were abolished, the Lord with all clemency shewing mercy to them.

et famosissimum in toto orbe templum recuperarent, et civitatem liberarent, et leges quæ abolitæ erant, restituerentur, Domino cum omni tranquillitate propitio facto illis.

Speak we of that temple, the most famous in all the world, by their means recovered, of a city set free, of forgotten laws re-established, and how the Lord, in his great complaisance, shewed them mercy.

And all such things as have been comprised in five books by Jason of Cyrene, we have attempted to abridge in one book.

Itemque ab Jasone Cyrenæo quinque libris comprehensa tentavimus nos uno volumine breviare.

All this, the argument of five books Jason of Cyrene wrote, we have been at pains to abridge within the compass of a single volume.

For considering the multitude of books, and the difficulty that they find that desire to undertake the narrations of histories, because of the multitude of the matter,

Considerantes enim multitudinem librorum, et difficultatem volentibus aggredi narrationes historiarum propter multitudinem rerum,

What would you? There be books a many, and they are hard put to it that would trace the course of history, for the abundance of the matter therein comprised.

We have taken care for those indeed that are willing to read, that it might be a pleasure of mind: and for the studious, that they may more easily commit to memory: and that all that read might receive profit.

curavimus volentibus quidem legere, ut esset animi oblectatio: studiosis vero, ut facilius possint memoriæ commendare: omnibus autem legentibus utilitas conferatur.

And my aim was, if a man would read, read he should and with relish; would a man study, without great ado he should be able to commit all to memory; and so I would serve every man’s turn.

And as to ourselves indeed, in undertaking this work of abridging, we have taken in hand no easy task, yea rather a business full of watching and sweat.

Et nobis quidem ipsis, qui hoc opus breviandi causa suscepimus, non facilem laborem, immo vero negotium plenum vigiliarum et sudoris assumpsimus.

But for me, that undertook the business of abridgement, think you it was light labour? Nay, here was a task all watching and sweat;

But as they that prepare a feast, and seek to satisfy the will of others: for the sake of many, we willingly undergo the labour.

Sicut hi qui præparant convivium, et quærunt aliorum voluntati parere propter multorum gratiam, libenter laborem sustinemus.

yet shoulder the burden I would; host that prepares a banquet must work for other men’s pleasure, and earn nothing but their thanks.

Leaving to the authors the exact handling of every particular, and as for ourselves, according to the plan proposed, studying to be brief.

Veritatem quidem de singulis auctoribus concedentes, ipsi autem secundum datam formam brevitati studentes.

Full information would you have about this or that, I remit you to my author; for myself, I will be true to my own pattern of shortness.

For as the master builder of a new house must have care of the whole building: but he that taketh care to paint it, must seek out fit things for the adorning of it: so must it be judged for us.

Sicut enim novæ domus architecto de universa structura curandum est; ei vero qui pingere curat, quæ apta sunt ad ornatum exquirenda sunt: ita æstimandum est et in nobis.

When a house is first in building, the architect must needs bestow pains on every part of it; not such the painter’s care, he will pick out the surfaces that are most apt for adornment. And so, methinks, it is here;

For to collect all that is to be known, to put the discourse in order, and curiously to discuss every particular point, is the duty of the author of a history:

Etenim intellectum colligere, et ordinare sermonem, et curiosius partes singulas quasque disquirere, historiæ congruit auctori:

to expatiate, to digress, to indulge curiosity on every point, is for the arch-historian;

But to pursue brevity of speech, and to avoid nice declarations of things, is to be granted to him that maketh an abridgment.

brevitatem vero dictionis sectari, et executiones rerum vitare, brevianti concedendum est.

your epitomist will ask leave to study brevity, and let long disquisitions be.

Here then we will begin the narration: let this be enough by way of a preface: for it is a foolish thing to make a long prologue, and to be short in the story itself.

Hinc ergo narrationem incipiemus: de præfatione tantum dixisse sufficiat. Stultum etenim est ante historiam effluere, in ipsa autem historia succingi.

And now, to our matter! Here is preface enough; it were ill done to draw out the preamble, and leave our story cramped for room.