2 Maccabees 4

NEW JERUSALEM	VULGATA
1 The Simon mentioned above as the informer against the funds and against his country beganslandering Onias, insinuating that the latter had been responsible for the assault on Heliodorus and himself hadcontrived this misfortune.	1 Simon autem prædictus, pecuniarum et patriæ delator, male loquebatur de Onia, tamquam ipse Heliodorum instigasset ad hæc, et ipse fuisset incentor malorum :
2 Simon now had the effrontery to name this benefactor of the city, this protector of his compatriots, thiszealot for the laws, as an enemy of the public good.	2 provisoremque civitatis, ac defensorem gentis suæ, et æmulatorem legis Dei, audebat insidiatorem regni dicere.
3 This hostility reached such proportions that murders were actual y committed by some of Simon'sagents,	3 Sed cum inimicitiæ in tantum procederent ut etiam per quosdam Simonis necessarios homicidia fierent,
4 and at this point Onias, recognising how mischievous this rivalry was, and aware that Apol onius son ofMenestheus, the general commanding Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, was encouraging Simon in his malice,	4 considerans Onias periculum contentionis, et Apollonium insanire, utpote ducem Cœlesyriæ et Phœnicis, ad augendam malitiam Simonis ad regem se contulit,
5 went to see the king, not to play the accuser of his fel ow-citizens, but having the public and privatewelfare of the entire people at heart.	5 non ut civium accusator, sed communem utilitatem apud semetipsum universæ multitudinis considerans.
6 He saw that, without some intervention by the king, an orderly administration would no longer bepossible, nor would Simon put a stop to his fol y.	6 Videbat enim sine regali providentia impossibile esse pacem rebus dari, nec Simonem posse cessare a stultitia sua.
7 When Seleucus had departed this life and Antiochus styled Epiphanes had succeeded to the kingdom,Jason, brother of Onias, usurped the high priesthood:	7 Sed post Seleuci vitæ excessum, cum suscepisset regnum Antiochus, qui Nobilis appellabatur, ambiebat Jason frater Oniæ summum sacerdotium :
8 he approached the king with a promise of three hundred and sixty talents of silver, with eighty talents tocome from some other source of revenue.	8 adito rege, promittens ei argenti talenta trecenta sexaginta, et ex redditibus aliis talenta octoginta,
9 He further committed himself to paying another hundred and fifty, if the king would empower him to setup a gymnasium and youth centre, and to register the Antiochists of Jerusalem.	9 super hæc promittebat et alia centum quinquaginta, si potestati ejus concederetur, gymnasium et ephebiam sibi constituere, et eos qui in Jerosolymis erant, Antiochenos scribere.
10 When the king gave his assent, Jason, as soon as he had seized power, imposed the Greek way oflife on his fel ow-countrymen.	10 Quod cum rex annuisset, et obtinuisset principatum, statim ad gentilem ritum contribules suos transferre cœpit,
11 He suppressed the liberties which the kings had graciously granted to the Jews at the instance ofJohn, father of that Eupolemus who was later to be sent on an embassy to negotiate a treaty of friendship andal iance with the Romans and, overthrowing the lawful institutions, introduced new usages contrary to the Law.	11 et amotis his quæ humanitatis causa Judæis a regibus fuerant constituta per Joannem patrem Eupolemi, qui apud Romanos de amicitia et societate functus est legatione legitima, civium jura destituens, prava instituta sanciebat.
12 He went so far as to found a gymnasium at the very foot of the Citadel, and to fit out the noblest of hisyoung men in the petasos.	12 Etenim ausus est sub ipsa arce gymnasium constituere, et optimos quosque epheborum in lupanaribus ponere.
13 Godless wretch that he was and no true high priest, Jason set no bounds to his impiety; indeed thehellenising process reached such a pitch	13 Erat autem hoc non initium, sed incrementum quoddam, et profectus gentilis et alienigenæ conversationis, propter impii et non sacerdotis Jasonis nefarium, et inauditum scelus :
14 that the priests ceased to show any interest in serving the altar; but, scorning the Temple andneglecting the sacrifices, they would hurry, on the stroke of the gong, to take part in the distribution, forbidden bythe Law, of the oil on the exercise ground;	14 ita ut sacerdotes jam non circa altaris officia dediti essent, sed contempto templo et sacrificiis neglectis, festinarent participes fieri palæstræ et præbitionis ejus injustæ, et in exercitiis disci.
15 setting no store by the honours of their fatherland, they esteemed hel enic glories best of al .	15 Et patrios quidem honores nihil habentes, græcas glorias optimas arbitrabantur :
16 But al this brought its own retribution; the very people whose way of life they envied, whom theysought to resemble in everything, proved to be their enemies and executioners.	16 quarum gratia periculosa eos contentio habebat, et eorum instituta æmulabantur, ac per omnia his consimiles esse cupiebant, quos hostes et peremptores habuerant.
17 It is no smal thing to violate the divine laws, as the period that fol owed wil demonstrate.	17 In leges enim divinas impie agere impune non cedit : sed hoc tempus sequens declarabit.
18 On the occasion of the quadrennial games at Tyre in the presence of the king,	18 Cum autem quinquennalis agon Tyri celebraretur, et rex præsens esset,
19 the vile Jason sent an embassy of Antiochists from Jerusalem, taking with them three hundred silverdrachmas for the sacrifice to Hercules. But even those who brought the money did not think it would be right tospend it on the sacrifice and decided to reserve it for some other item of expenditure;	19 misit Jason facinorosus ab Jerosolymis viros peccatores, portantes argenti didrachmas trecentas in sacrificum Herculis : quas postulaverunt hi qui asportaverant ne in sacrificiis erogarentur, quia non oporteret, sed in alios sumptus eas deputari.
20 and so what the sender had intended for the sacrifice to Hercules was in fact applied, at thesuggestion of those who brought it, to the construction of triremes.	20 Sed hæ oblatæ sunt quidem ab eo qui miserat in sacrificium Herculis : propter præsentes autem datæ sunt in fabricam navium triremium.
21 Apollonius son of Menestheus had been sent to Egypt to attend the wedding of King Philometor.Antiochus, having learnt that the latter had become hostile to his affairs, began thinking about his own safety:that was why he had come to Joppa. He then moved to Jerusalem,	21 Misso autem in Ægyptum Apollonio Mnesthei filio propter primates Ptolemæi Philometoris regis, cum cognovisset Antiochus alienum se a negotiis regni effectum, propriis utilitatibus consulens, profectus inde venit Joppen, et inde Jerosolymam.
22 where he was given a magnificent welcome by Jason and the city, and escorted in by torchlight withacclamation. After which, he marched his army into Phoenicia.	22 Et magnifice ab Jasone et civitate susceptus, cum facularum luminibus et laudibus ingressus est : et inde in Phœnicen exercitum convertit.
23 When three years had passed, Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the Simon mentioned above, toconvey the money to the king and to complete negotiations on various essential matters.	23 Et post triennii tempus, misit Jason Menelaum supradicti Simonis fratrem portantem pecunias regi, et de negotiis necessariis responsa perlaturum.
24 But Menelaus, on being presented to the king, flattered him by his own appearance of authority, andso secured the high priesthood for himself, outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver.	24 At ille commendatus regi, cum magnificasset faciem potestatis ejus, in semetipsum retorsit summum sacerdotium, superponens Jasoni talenta argenti trecenta.
25 He returned with the royal mandate, bringing nothing worthy of the high priesthood and supportedonly by the fury of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage beast.	25 Acceptisque a rege mandatis, venit, nihil quidem habens dignum sacerdotio : animos vero crudelis tyranni, et feræ beluæ iram gerens.
26 Thus Jason, who had supplanted his own brother, was in turn supplanted by a third, and obliged totake refuge in Ammanitis.	26 Et Jason quidem, qui proprium fratrem captivaverat, ipse deceptus profugus in Ammanitem expulsus est regionem.
27 As for Menelaus, he secured the office, but defaulted altogether on the sums promised to the king,	27 Menelaus autem principatum quidem obtinuit : de pecuniis vero regi promissis, nihil agebat, cum exactionem faceret Sostratus, qui arci erat præpositus,
28 although Sostratus, the commandant of the Citadel, whose business it was to collect the revenue,kept demanding payment. The pair of them in consequence were summoned before the king,	28 nam ad hunc exactio vectigalium pertinebant : quam ob causam utrique ad regem sunt evocati.
29 Menelaus leaving his brother Lysimachus as deputy high priest, while Sostratus left Crates, thecommander of the Cypriots, to act for him.	29 Et Menelaus amotus est a sacerdotio, succedente Lysimacho fratre suo : Sostratus autem prælatus est Cypriis.
30 While al this was going on, it happened that the people of Tarsus and Mal us revolted, because theirtowns had been given as a present to Antiochis, the king's concubine.	30 Et cum hæc agerentur, contigit Tharsenses et Mallotas seditionem movere, eo quod Antiochidi regis concubinæ dono essent dati.
31 The king therefore hurried off to settle the affair, leaving Andronicus, one of his dignitaries, to act ashis deputy.	31 Festinanter itaque rex venit sedare illos, relicto suffecto uno ex comitibus suis Andronico.
32 Thinking he had found a favourable opportunity, Menelaus abstracted a number of golden vesselsfrom the Temple and presented them to Andronicus, and managed to sel others to Tyre and the surroundingcities.	32 Ratus autem Menelaus accepisse se tempus opportunum, aurea quædam vasa e templo furatus donavit Andronico, et alia vendiderat Tyri, et per vicinas civitates.
33 On receiving clear evidence to this effect, Onias retired to a place of sanctuary at Daphne nearAntioch and then taxed him with it.	33 Quod cum certissime cognovisset Onias, arguebat eum, ipse in loco tuto se continens Antiochiæ secus Daphnem.
34 Menelaus then had a quiet word with Andronicus, urging him to get rid of Onias. Andronicus soughtout Onias and, resorting to the trick of offering him his right hand on oath, succeeded in persuading him, despitethe latter's lingering suspicions, to leave sanctuary; whereupon, in defiance of al justice, he immediately put himto death.	34 Unde Menelaus accedens ad Andronicum, rogabat ut Oniam interficeret. Qui cum venisset ad Oniam, et datis dextris cum jurejurando (quamvis esset ei suspectus) suasisset de asylo procedere, statim eum peremit, non veritus justitiam.
35 The result was that not only Jews but many people of other nationalities were appalled and outragedby the unjust murder of this man.	35 Ob quam causam non solum Judæi, sed aliæ quoque nationes indignabantur, et moleste ferebant de nece tanti viri injusta.
36 On the king's return from the region of Cilicia, the Jews of the capital, and those Greeks who sharedtheir hatred of the crime, appealed to him about the unjustified murder of Onias.	36 Sed regressum regem de Ciliciæ locis adierunt Judæi apud Antiochiam, simul et Græci, conquerentes de iniqua nece Oniæ.
37 Antiochus was profoundly grieved and fil ed with pity, and he wept for the prudence and moderation ofthe dead man.	37 Contristatus itaque animo Antiochus propter Oniam, et flexus ad misericordiam, lacrimas fudit, recordatus defuncti sobrietatem et modestiam :
38 Burning with indignation, he immediately stripped Andronicus of the purple, tore his garments off himand, parading him through the length of the city, rid the world of the assassin on the very spot where he had laidimpious hands on Onias, the Lord dealing out to him the punishment he deserved.	38 accensisque animis Andronicum purpura exutum, per totam civitatem jubet circumduci : et in eodem loco in quo in Oniam impietatem commiserat, sacrilegum vita privari, Domino illi condignam retribuente pœnam.
39 Now Lysimachus with the connivance of Menelaus had committed many sacrilegious thefts in the city,and when the facts became widely known, the populace rose against Lysimachus, who had already disposed ofmany pieces of gold plate.	39 Multis autem sacrilegiis in templo a Lysimacho commissis Menelai consilio, et divulgata fama, congregata est multitudo adversum Lysimachum multo jam auro exportato.
40 The infuriated mob was becoming menacing, and Lysimachus armed nearly three thousand men andtook aggressive action; the troops were led by a certain Auranus, a man advanced in years and no less in folly.	40 Turbis autem insurgentibus, et animis ira repletis, Lysimachus armatis fere tribus millibus iniquis manibus uti cœpit, duce quodam tyranno, ætate pariter et dementia provecto.
41 Recognising this act of aggression as the work of Lysimachus, some snatched up stones, otherscudgels, while others scooped up handfuls of ashes lying at hand, and al hurled everything indiscriminately atLysimachus' men,	41 Sed ut intellexerunt conatum Lysimachi, alii lapides, alii fustes validos arripuere : quidam vero cinerem in Lysimachum jecere.
42 to such effect that they wounded many of them, even kil ing a few, and routed them all; thesacrilegious thief himself they kil ed near the Treasury.	42 Et multi quidem vulnerati, quidam autem et prostrati, omnes vero in fugam conversi sunt : ipsum etiam sacrilegum secus ærarium interfecerunt.
43 As a result of this, legal proceedings were taken against Menelaus.	43 De his ergo cœpit judicium adversus Menelaum agitari.
44 When the king came down to Tyre, three men deputed by the Senate pleaded their case before him.	44 Et cum venisset rex Tyrum, ad ipsum negotium detulerunt missi tres viri a senioribus.
45 Menelaus, seeing the case had gone against him, promised a substantial sum to Ptolemy son ofDorymenes if he would influence the king in his favour.	45 Et cum superaretur Menelaus, promisit Ptolemæo multas pecunias dare ad suadendum regi.
46 Ptolemy then took the king aside into a colonnade, as though for a breath of fresh air, and persuadedhim to change his mind;	46 Itaque Ptolemæus in quodam atrio positum quasi refrigerandi gratia regem adiit, et deduxit a sententia :
47 the king then dismissed the charges against Menelaus, the cause of al this evil, while he condemnedto death the other poor wretches who, had they pleaded even before Scythians, would have been let off scot-free.	47 et Menelaum quidem universæ malitiæ reum criminibus absolvit : miseros autem qui, etiamsi apud Scythas causam dixissent, innocentes judicarentur, hos morte damnavit.
48 No time was lost in carrying out this unjust punishment on those who had championed the cause ofthe city, the townships and the sacred vessels.	48 Cito ergo injustam pœnam dederunt, qui pro civitate, et populo, et sacris vasis causam prosecuti sunt.
49 Some Tyrians even were so outraged by the crime that they provided sumptuously for their funeral,	49 Quam ob rem Tyrii quoque indignati, erga sepulturam eorum liberalissimi extiterunt.
50 while, as a result of the greed of the powerful, Menelaus remained in power, growing more wickedthan ever and establishing himself as the chief enemy of his fellow-citizens.	50 Menelaus autem, propter eorum qui in potentia erant avaritiam, permanebat in potestate, crescens in malitia ad insidias civium.