ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Α´ - 1 Maccabei - Maccabees I 15

GREEK BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 και απεστειλεν αντιοχος υιος δημητριου του βασιλεως επιστολας απο των νησων της θαλασσης σιμωνι ιερει και εθναρχη των ιουδαιων και παντι τω εθνει	1 Antiochus, son of King Demetrius, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to all the nation,
2 και ησαν περιεχουσαι τον τροπον τουτον βασιλευς αντιοχος σιμωνι ιερει μεγαλω και εθναρχη και εθνει ιουδαιων χαιρειν	2 which read as follows: "King Antiochus sends greetings to Simon, the priest and ethnarch, and to the Jewish nation.
3 επει τινες λοιμοι κατεκρατησαν της βασιλειας των πατερων ημων βουλομαι δε αντιποιησασθαι της βασιλειας οπως αποκαταστησω αυτην ως ην το προτερον εξενολογησα δε πληθος δυναμεων και κατεσκευασα πλοια πολεμικα	3 Whereas certain villains have gained control of the kingdom of my ancestors, I intend to reclaim it, that I may restore it to its former state. I have recruited a large number of mercenary troops and equipped warships
4 βουλομαι δε εκβηναι κατα την χωραν οπως μετελθω τους κατεφθαρκοτας την χωραν ημων και τους ηρημωκοτας πολεις πολλας εν τη βασιλεια μου	4 to make a landing in my country and take revenge on those who have ruined it and laid waste many cities in my realm.
5 νυν ουν ιστημι σοι παντα τα αφεματα α αφηκαν σοι οι προ εμου βασιλεις και οσα αλλα δοματα αφηκαν σοι	5 "Now, therefore, I confirm to you all the tax exemptions that the kings before me granted you and whatever other privileges they conferred on you.
6 και επετρεψα σοι ποιησαι κομμα ιδιον νομισμα τη χωρα σου	6 I authorize you to coin your own money, as legal tender in your country.
7 ιερουσαλημ δε και τα αγια ειναι ελευθερα και παντα τα οπλα οσα κατεσκευασας και τα οχυρωματα α ωκοδομησας ων κρατεις μενετω σοι	7 Jerusalem and its temple shall be free. All the weapons you have prepared and all the strongholds you have built and now occupy shall remain in your possession.
8 και παν οφειλημα βασιλικον και τα εσομενα βασιλικα απο του νυν και εις τον απαντα χρονον αφιεσθω σοι	8 All debts, present or future, due to the royal treasury shall be canceled for you, now and for all time.
9 ως δ' αν κρατησωμεν της βασιλειας ημων δοξασομεν σε και το εθνος σου και το ιερον δοξη μεγαλη ωστε φανεραν γενεσθαι την δοξαν υμων εν παση τη γη	9 When we recover our kingdom, we will greatly honor you and your nation and the temple, so that your glory will be manifest in all the earth."
10 ετους τεταρτου και εβδομηκοστου και εκατοστου εξηλθεν αντιοχος εις την γην των πατερων αυτου και συνηλθον προς αυτον πασαι αι δυναμεις ωστε ολιγους ειναι συν τρυφωνι	10 In the year one hundred and seventy-four Antiochus invaded the land of his ancestors, and all the troops rallied to him, so that few were left with Trypho.
11 και εδιωξεν αυτον αντιοχος και ηλθεν εις δωρα φευγων την επι θαλασσης	11 Pursued by Antiochus, Trypho fled to Dor, by the sea,
12 ηδει γαρ οτι επισυνηκται επ' αυτον τα κακα και αφηκαν αυτον αι δυναμεις	12 realizing what a mass of troubles had come upon him now that his soldiers had deserted him.
13 και παρενεβαλεν αντιοχος επι δωρα και συν αυτω δωδεκα μυριαδες ανδρων πολεμιστων και οκτακισχιλια ιππος	13 Antiochus encamped before Dor with a hundred and twenty thousand infantry and eight thousand horsemen.
14 και εκυκλωσεν την πολιν και τα πλοια απο θαλασσης συνηψαν και εθλιβε την πολιν απο της γης και της θαλασσης και ουκ ειασεν ουδενα εκπορευεσθαι ουδε εισπορευεσθαι	14 While he invested the city, his ships closed in along the coast, so that he blockaded it by land and sea and let no one go in or out.
15 και ηλθεν νουμηνιος και οι παρ' αυτου εκ ρωμης εχοντες επιστολας τοις βασιλευσιν και ταις χωραις εν αις εγεγραπτο ταδε	15 Meanwhile, Numenius and his companions left Rome with letters such as this addressed to various kings and countries:
16 λευκιος υπατος ρωμαιων πτολεμαιω βασιλει χαιρειν	16 "Lucius, Consul of the Romans, sends greetings to King Ptolemy.
17 οι πρεσβευται των ιουδαιων ηλθον προς ημας φιλοι ημων και συμμαχοι ανανεουμενοι την εξ αρχης φιλιαν και συμμαχιαν απεσταλμενοι απο σιμωνος του αρχιερεως και του δημου των ιουδαιων	17 Certain envoys of the Jews, our friends and allies, have come to us to renew their earlier alliance of friendship. They had been sent by Simon the high priest and the Jewish people,
18 ηνεγκαν δε ασπιδα χρυσην απο μνων χιλιων	18 and they brought with them a gold shield worth a thousand minas.
19 ηρεσεν ουν ημιν γραψαι τοις βασιλευσιν και ταις χωραις οπως μη εκζητησωσιν αυτοις κακα και μη πολεμησωσιν αυτους και τας πολεις αυτων και την χωραν αυτων και ινα μη συμμαχωσιν τοις πολεμουσιν προς αυτους	19 Therefore we have decided to write to various kings and countries, that they are not to harm them, or wage war against them or their cities or their country, and are not to assist those who fight against them.
20 εδοξεν δε ημιν δεξασθαι την ασπιδα παρ' αυτων	20 We have also decided to accept the shield from them.
21 ει τινες ουν λοιμοι διαπεφευγασιν εκ της χωρας αυτων προς υμας παραδοτε αυτους σιμωνι τω αρχιερει οπως εκδικηση αυτους κατα τον νομον αυτων	21 If, then, any troublemakers from their country take refuge with you, hand them over to Simon the high priest, so that he may punish them according to their law."
22 και ταυτα εγραψεν δημητριω τω βασιλει και ατταλω και αριαραθη και αρσακη	22 The consul sent similar letters to Kings Demetrius, Attalus, Ariarthes and Arsaces;
23 και εις πασας τας χωρας και σαμψαμη και σπαρτιαταις και εις δηλον και εις μυνδον και εις σικυωνα και εις την καριαν και εις σαμον και εις την παμφυλιαν και εις λυκιαν και εις αλικαρνασσον και εις ροδον και εις φασηλιδα και εις κω και εις σιδην και εις αραδον και γορτυναν και κνιδον και κυπρον και κυρηνην	23 to all the countries--Sampsames, Sparta, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos, Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene.
24 το δε αντιγραφον τουτων εγραψαν σιμωνι τω αρχιερει	24 A copy of the letter was also sent to Simon the high priest.
25 αντιοχος δε ο βασιλευς παρενεβαλεν επι δωρα εν τη δευτερα προσαγων δια παντος αυτη τας χειρας και μηχανας ποιουμενος και συνεκλεισεν τον τρυφωνα του εκπορευεσθαι και εισπορευεσθαι	25 When King Antiochus was encamped before Dor, he assaulted it continuously both with troops and with the siege machines he had made. He blockaded Trypho by preventing anyone from going in or out.
26 και απεστειλεν αυτω σιμων δισχιλιους ανδρας εκλεκτους συμμαχησαι αυτω και αργυριον και χρυσιον και σκευη ικανα	26 Simon sent to Antiochus' support two thousand elite troops, together with gold and silver and much equipment.
27 και ουκ ηβουλετο αυτα δεξασθαι αλλα ηθετησεν παντα οσα συνεθετο αυτω το προτερον και ηλλοτριουτο αυτω	27 But he refused to accept the aid; in fact, he broke all the agreements he had previously made with Simon and became hostile toward him.
28 και απεστειλεν προς αυτον αθηνοβιον ενα των φιλων αυτου κοινολογησομενον αυτω λεγων υμεις κατακρατειτε της ιοππης και γαζαρων και της ακρας της εν ιερουσαλημ πολεις της βασιλειας μου	28 He sent Athenobius, one of his Friends, to confer with Simon and say: "You are occupying Joppa and Gazara and the citadel of Jerusalem; these are cities of my kingdom.
29 τα ορια αυτων ηρημωσατε και εποιησατε πληγην μεγαλην επι της γης και εκυριευσατε τοπων πολλων εν τη βασιλεια μου	29 You have laid waste their territories, done great harm to the land, and taken possession of many districts in my realm.
30 νυν ουν παραδοτε τας πολεις ας κατελαβεσθε και τους φορους των τοπων ων κατεκυριευσατε εκτος των οριων της ιουδαιας	30 Therefore, give up the cities you have seized and the tribute money of the districts outside the territory of Judea of which you have taken possession;
31 ει δε μη δοτε αντ' αυτων πεντακοσια ταλαντα αργυριου και της καταφθορας ης κατεφθαρκατε και των φορων των πολεων αλλα ταλαντα πεντακοσια ει δε μη παραγενομενοι εκπολεμησομεν υμας	31 or instead, pay me five hundred talents of silver for the devastation you have caused and five hundred talents more for the tribute money of the cities. If you do not do this, we will come and make war on you."
32 και ηλθεν αθηνοβιος ο φιλος του βασιλεως εις ιερουσαλημ και ειδεν την δοξαν σιμωνος και κυλικειον μετα χρυσωματων και αργυρωματων και παραστασιν ικανην και εξιστατο και απηγγειλεν αυτω τους λογους του βασιλεως	32 So Athenobius, the king's Friend, came to Jerusalem and on seeing the splendor of Simon's court, the gold and silver plate on the sideboard, and the rest of his rich display, he was amazed. When he gave him the king's message,
33 και αποκριθεις σιμων ειπεν αυτω ουτε γην αλλοτριαν ειληφαμεν ουτε αλλοτριων κεκρατηκαμεν αλλα της κληρονομιας των πατερων ημων υπο δε εχθρων ημων ακριτως εν τινι καιρω κατεκρατηθη	33 Simon said to him in reply: "We have not seized any foreign land; what we took is not the property of others, but our ancestral heritage which for a time had been unjustly held by our enemies.
34 ημεις δε καιρον εχοντες αντεχομεθα της κληρονομιας των πατερων ημων	34 Now that we have the opportunity, we are holding on to the heritage of our ancestors.
35 περι δε ιοππης και γαζαρων ων αιτεις αυται εποιουν εν τω λαω πληγην μεγαλην και την χωραν ημων τουτων δωσομεν ταλαντα εκατον	35 As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, the men of these cities were doing great harm to our people and laying waste our country; however, we are willing to pay you a hundred talents for these cities."
36 και ουκ απεκριθη αυτω λογον απεστρεψεν δε μετα θυμου προς τον βασιλεα και απηγγειλεν αυτω τους λογους τουτους και την δοξαν σιμωνος και παντα οσα ειδεν και ωργισθη ο βασιλευς οργην μεγαλην	36 Athenobius made no reply, but returned to the king in anger. When he told him of Simon's words, of his splendor, and of all he had seen, the king fell into a violent rage.
37 τρυφων δε εμβας εις πλοιον εφυγεν εις ορθωσιαν	37 Trypho had gotten aboard a ship and escaped to Orthosia.
38 και κατεστησεν ο βασιλευς τον κενδεβαιον επιστρατηγον της παραλιας και δυναμεις πεζικας και ιππικας εδωκεν αυτω	38 Then the king appointed Cendebeus commander-in-chief of the seacoast, and gave him infantry and cavalry forces.
39 και ενετειλατο αυτω παρεμβαλλειν κατα προσωπον της ιουδαιας και ενετειλατο αυτω οικοδομησαι την κεδρων και οχυρωσαι τας πυλας και οπως πολεμη τον λαον ο δε βασιλευς εδιωκε τον τρυφωνα	39 He ordered him to move his troops against Judea and to fortify Kedron and strengthen its gates, so that he could launch attacks against the Jewish people. Meanwhile the king went in pursuit of Trypho.
40 και παρεγενηθη κενδεβαιος εις ιαμνειαν και ηρξατο του ερεθιζειν τον λαον και εμβατευειν εις την ιουδαιαν και αιχμαλωτιζειν τον λαον και φονευειν	40 When Cendebeus came to Jamnia, he began to harass the people and to make incursions into Judea, where he took people captive or massacred them.
41 και ωκοδομησεν την κεδρων και απεταξεν εκει ιππεις και δυναμεις οπως εκπορευομενοι εξοδευωσιν τας οδους της ιουδαιας καθα συνεταξεν αυτω ο βασιλευς	41 As the king ordered, he fortified Kedron and stationed horsemen and infantry there, so that they could go out and patrol the roads of Judea.