2 Maccabees 2:15-29

Good News Translation

¹⁵If you ever need any of these books, let us know, and we will send them.

An Invitation to Celebrate the Festival

¹⁶^(A)Since we are about to celebrate the Festival of Rededication, we are writing to you, advising you to celebrate it as well. ¹⁷God has saved all his people and has restored to all of us our holy land, the kingship, the priesthood, and the Temple services, ¹⁸just 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

¹⁹Jason 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. ²⁰He has described the battles with Antiochus Epiphanes and with his son Eupator, ²¹and 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. ²²They 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.

²³I will now try to summarize in a single book the five volumes written by Jason. ²⁴The number of details and the bulk of material can be overwhelming for anyone who wants to read an account of the events. ²⁵But 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. ²⁶Writing such a summary is a difficult task, demanding hard work and sleepless nights. ²⁷It 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. ²⁸I will leave the matter of details to the original author and attempt to give only a summary of the events. ²⁹I 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.