ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Β´ - 2 Maccabei- Maccabees II 7

GREEK BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 συνεβη δε και επτα αδελφους μετα της μητρος συλλημφθεντας αναγκαζεσθαι υπο του βασιλεως απο των αθεμιτων υειων κρεων εφαπτεσθαι μαστιξιν και νευραις αικιζομενους	1 It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them totaste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges.
2 εις δε αυτων γενομενος προηγορος ουτως εφη τι μελλεις ερωταν και μανθανειν ημων ετοιμοι γαρ αποθνησκειν εσμεν η παραβαινειν τους πατριους νομους	2 One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, 'What are you trying to find out from us? Weare prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.'
3 εκθυμος δε γενομενος ο βασιλευς προσεταξεν τηγανα και λεβητας εκπυρουν	3 The king, in a fury, ordered pans and cauldrons to be heated over a fire.
4 των δε παραχρημα εκπυρωθεντων τον γενομενον αυτων προηγορον προσεταξεν γλωσσοτομειν και περισκυθισαντας ακρωτηριαζειν των λοιπων αδελφων και της μητρος συνορωντων	4 As soon as these were red-hot, he commanded that their spokesman should have his tongue cut out,his head scalped and his extremities cut off, while the other brothers and his mother looked on.
5 αχρηστον δε αυτον τοις ολοις γενομενον εκελευσεν τη πυρα προσαγειν εμπνουν και τηγανιζειν της δε ατμιδος εφ' ικανον διαδιδουσης του τηγανου αλληλους παρεκαλουν συν τη μητρι γενναιως τελευταν λεγοντες ουτως	5 When he had been rendered completely helpless, the king gave orders for him to be brought, stilbreathing, to the fire and fried alive in a pan. As the smoke from the pan drifted about, his mother and the restencouraged one another to die nobly, with such words as these,
6 ο κυριος ο θεος εφορα και ταις αληθειαις εφ' ημιν παρακαλειται καθαπερ δια της κατα προσωπον αντιμαρτυρουσης ωδης διεσαφησεν μωυσης λεγων και επι τοις δουλοις αυτου παρακληθησεται	6 'The Lord God is watching and certainly feels sorry for us, as Moses declared in his song, which clearlystates that "he wil take pity on his servants." '
7 μεταλλαξαντος δε του πρωτου τον τροπον τουτον τον δευτερον ηγον επι τον εμπαιγμον και το της κεφαλης δερμα συν ταις θριξιν περισυραντες επηρωτων ει φαγεσαι προ του τιμωρηθηναι το σωμα κατα μελος	7 When the first had left the world in this way, they brought the second forward to be tortured. Afterstripping the skin from his head, hair and al , they asked him, 'Wil you eat some pork, before your body istortured limb by limb?'
8 ο δε αποκριθεις τη πατριω φωνη προσειπεν ουχι διοπερ και ουτος την εξης ελαβεν βασανον ως ο πρωτος	8 Replying in his ancestral tongue, he said, 'No!' So he too was put to the torture in his turn.
9 εν εσχατη δε πνοη γενομενος ειπεν συ μεν αλαστωρ εκ του παροντος ημας ζην απολυεις ο δε του κοσμου βασιλευς αποθανοντας ημας υπερ των αυτου νομων εις αιωνιον αναβιωσιν ζωης ημας αναστησει	9 With his last breath he exclaimed, 'Cruel brute, you may discharge us from this present life, but theKing of the world wil raise us up, since we die for his laws, to live again for ever.'
10 μετα δε τουτον ο τριτος ενεπαιζετο και την γλωσσαν αιτηθεις ταχεως προεβαλεν και τας χειρας ευθαρσως προετεινεν	10 After him, they tortured the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldlyheld out his hands,
11 και γενναιως ειπεν εξ ουρανου ταυτα κεκτημαι και δια τους αυτου νομους υπερορω ταυτα και παρ' αυτου ταυτα παλιν ελπιζω κομισασθαι	11 courageously saying, 'Heaven gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I have no concern forthem; from him I hope to receive them again.'
12 ωστε αυτον τον βασιλεα και τους συν αυτω εκπλησσεσθαι την του νεανισκου ψυχην ως εν ουδενι τας αλγηδονας ετιθετο	12 The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man's courage and his utter indifference tosuffering.
13 και τουτου δε μεταλλαξαντος τον τεταρτον ωσαυτως εβασανιζον αικιζομενοι	13 When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same torments and tortures.
14 και γενομενος προς το τελευταν ουτως εφη αιρετον μεταλλασσοντας υπ' ανθρωπων τας υπο του θεου προσδοκαν ελπιδας παλιν αναστησεσθαι υπ' αυτου σοι μεν γαρ αναστασις εις ζωην ουκ εσται	14 When he neared his end he cried, 'Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men's hands, yet relyingon God's promise that we shal be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection to new life.'
15 εχομενως δε τον πεμπτον προσαγοντες ηκιζοντο	15 Next they brought forward the fifth and began torturing him.
16 ο δε προς αυτον ιδων ειπεν εξουσιαν εν ανθρωποις εχων φθαρτος ων ο θελεις ποιεις μη δοκει δε το γενος ημων υπο του θεου καταλελειφθαι	16 But he looked at the king and said, 'You have power over human beings, mortal as you are, and canact as you please. But do not think that our race has been deserted by God.
17 συ δε καρτερει και θεωρει το μεγαλειον αυτου κρατος ως σε και το σπερμα σου βασανιει	17 Only wait, and you wil see in your turn how his mighty power wil torment you and your descendants.'
18 μετα δε τουτον ηγον τον εκτον και μελλων αποθνησκειν εφη μη πλανω ματην ημεις γαρ δι' εαυτους ταυτα πασχομεν αμαρτοντες εις τον εαυτων θεον αξια θαυμασμου γεγονεν	18 After him, they led out the sixth, and his dying words were these, 'Do not delude yourself: we aresuffering like this through our own fault, having sinned against our own God; hence, appal ing things havebefal en us-
19 συ δε μη νομισης αθωος εσεσθαι θεομαχειν επιχειρησας	19 but do not think you yourself wil go unpunished for attempting to make war on God.'
20 υπεραγοντως δε η μητηρ θαυμαστη και μνημης αγαθης αξια ητις απολλυμενους υιους επτα συνορωσα μιας υπο καιρον ημερας ευψυχως εφερεν δια τας επι κυριον ελπιδας	20 But the mother was especial y admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watchedthe death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and bravely endured it because of her hopes in the Lord.
21 εκαστον δε αυτων παρεκαλει τη πατριω φωνη γενναιω πεπληρωμενη φρονηματι και τον θηλυν λογισμον αρσενι θυμω διεγειρασα λεγουσα προς αυτους	21 Indeed she encouraged each of them in their ancestral tongue; fil ed with noble conviction, shereinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them,
22 ουκ οιδ' οπως εις την εμην εφανητε κοιλιαν ουδε εγω το πνευμα και την ζωην υμιν εχαρισαμην και την εκαστου στοιχειωσιν ουκ εγω διερρυθμισα	22 'I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, Ihad not the shaping of your every part.
23 τοιγαρουν ο του κοσμου κτιστης ο πλασας ανθρωπου γενεσιν και παντων εξευρων γενεσιν και το πνευμα και την ζωην υμιν παλιν αποδιδωσιν μετ' ελεους ως νυν υπερορατε εαυτους δια τους αυτου νομους	23 And hence, the Creator of the world, who made everyone and ordained the origin of al things, wil inhis mercy give you back breath and life, since for the sake of his laws you have no concern for yourselves.'
24 ο δε αντιοχος οιομενος καταφρονεισθαι και την ονειδιζουσαν υφορωμενος φωνην ετι του νεωτερου περιοντος ου μονον δια λογων εποιειτο την παρακλησιν αλλα και δι' ορκων επιστου αμα πλουτιειν και μακαριστον ποιησειν μεταθεμενον απο των πατριων και φιλον εξειν και χρειας εμπιστευσειν	24 Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice; and as theyoungest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both richand happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his Friend and entrust himwith public office.
25 του δε νεανιου μηδαμως προσεχοντος προσκαλεσαμενος ο βασιλευς την μητερα παρηνει γενεσθαι του μειρακιου συμβουλον επι σωτηρια	25 The young man took no notice at al , and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her toadvise the youth to save his life.
26 πολλα δε αυτου παραινεσαντος επεδεξατο πεισειν τον υιον	26 After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son.
27 προσκυψασα δε αυτω χλευασασα τον ωμον τυραννον ουτως εφησεν τη πατριω φωνη υιε ελεησον με την εν γαστρι περιενεγκασαν σε μηνας εννεα και θηλασασαν σε ετη τρια και εκθρεψασαν σε και αγαγουσαν εις την ηλικιαν ταυτην και τροφοφορησασαν	27 Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in their ancestral tongue, 'Myson, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and rearedyou to the age you are now, and provided for you.
28 αξιω σε τεκνον αναβλεψαντα εις τον ουρανον και την γην και τα εν αυτοις παντα ιδοντα γνωναι οτι ουκ εξ οντων εποιησεν αυτα ο θεος και το των ανθρωπων γενος ουτω γινεται	28 I implore you, my child, look at the earth and sky and everything in them, and consider how God madethem out of what did not exist, and that human beings come into being in the same way.
29 μη φοβηθης τον δημιον τουτον αλλα των αδελφων αξιος γενομενος επιδεξαι τον θανατον ινα εν τω ελεει συν τοις αδελφοις σου κομισωμαι σε	29 Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that Imay receive you back with them in the day of mercy.'
30 ετι δε ταυτης καταληγουσης ο νεανιας ειπεν τινα μενετε ουχ υπακουω του προσταγματος του βασιλεως του δε προσταγματος ακουω του νομου του δοθεντος τοις πατρασιν ημων δια μωυσεως	30 She had hardly finished, when the young man said, 'What are you all waiting for? I wil not complywith the king's ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses.
31 συ δε πασης κακιας ευρετης γενομενος εις τους εβραιους ου μη διαφυγης τας χειρας του θεου	31 As for you, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you wil certainly not escapethe hands of God.
32 ημεις γαρ δια τας εαυτων αμαρτιας πασχομεν	32 We are suffering for our own sins;
33 ει δε χαριν επιπληξεως και παιδειας ο ζων κυριος ημων βραχεως επωργισται και παλιν καταλλαγησεται τοις εαυτου δουλοις	33 and if, to punish and discipline us, our living Lord is briefly angry with us, he wil be reconciled with usin due course.
34 συ δε ω ανοσιε και παντων ανθρωπων μιαρωτατε μη ματην μετεωριζου φρυαττομενος αδηλοις ελπισιν επι τους ουρανιους παιδας επαιρομενος χειρα	34 But you, unholy wretch and wickedest of vil ains, what cause have you for pride, nourishing vainhopes and raising your hand against his servants? -
35 ουπω γαρ την του παντοκρατορος εποπτου θεου κρισιν εκπεφευγας	35 for you have not yet escaped the judgement of God the almighty, the al -seeing.
36 οι μεν γαρ νυν ημετεροι αδελφοι βραχυν υπενεγκαντες πονον αεναου ζωης υπο διαθηκην θεου πεπτωκασιν συ δε τη του θεου κρισει δικαια τα προστιμα της υπερηφανιας αποιση	36 Our brothers, having endured brief pain, for the sake of ever-flowing life have died for the covenant ofGod, while you, by God's judgement, wil have to pay the just penalty for your arrogance.
37 εγω δε καθαπερ οι αδελφοι και σωμα και ψυχην προδιδωμι περι των πατριων νομων επικαλουμενος τον θεον ιλεως ταχυ τω εθνει γενεσθαι και σε μετα ετασμων και μαστιγων εξομολογησασθαι διοτι μονος αυτος θεος εστιν	37 I too, like my brothers, surrender my body and life for the laws of my ancestors, begging God quicklyto take pity on our nation, and by trials and afflictions to bring you to confess that he alone is God,
38 εν εμοι δε και τοις αδελφοις μου στησαι την του παντοκρατορος οργην την επι το συμπαν ημων γενος δικαιως επηγμενην	38 so that with my brothers and myself there may be an end to the wrath of the Almighty, rightly let looseon our whole nation.'
39 εκθυμος δε γενομενος ο βασιλευς τουτω παρα τους αλλους χειριστως απηντησεν πικρως φερων επι τω μυκτηρισμω	39 The king fel into a rage and treated this one more cruel y than the others, for he was himself smartingfrom the young man's scorn.
40 και ουτος ουν καθαρος μετηλλαξεν παντελως επι τω κυριω πεποιθως	40 And so the last brother met his end undefiled and with perfect trust in the Lord.
41 εσχατη δε των υιων η μητηρ ετελευτησεν	41 The mother was the last to die, after her sons.
42 τα μεν ουν περι τους σπλαγχνισμους και τας υπερβαλλουσας αικιας επι τοσουτον δεδηλωσθω	42 But let this be sufficient account of the ritual meals and monstrous tortures.