2 Maccabees 9

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	GREEK BIBLE
1 About that time Antiochus retreated in disgrace from the region of Persia.	1 περι δε τον καιρον εκεινον ετυγχανεν αντιοχος αναλελυκως ακοσμως εκ των περι την περσιδα τοπων
2 He had entered the city called Persepolis and attempted to rob the temple and gain control of the city. Thereupon the people had swift recourse to arms, and Antiochus' men were routed, so that in the end Antiochus was put to flight by the natives and forced to beat a shameful retreat.	2 εισεληλυθει γαρ εις την λεγομενην περσεπολιν και επεχειρησεν ιεροσυλειν και την πολιν συνεχειν διο δη των πληθων ορμησαντων επι την των οπλων βοηθειαν ετραπησαν και συνεβη τροπωθεντα τον αντιοχον υπο των εγχωριων ασχημονα την αναζυγην ποιησασθαι
3 On his arrival in Ecbatana, he learned what had happened to Nicanor and to Timothy's forces.	3 οντι δε αυτω κατ' εκβατανα προσεπεσεν τα κατα νικανορα και τους περι τιμοθεον γεγονοτα
4 Overcome with anger, he planned to make the Jews suffer for the injury done by those who had put him to flight. Therefore he ordered his charioteer to drive without stopping until he finished the journey. Yet the condemnation of Heaven rode with him, since he said in his arrogance, "I will make Jerusalem the common graveyard of the Jews as soon as I arrive there."	4 επαρθεις δε τω θυμω ωετο και την των πεφυγαδευκοτων αυτον κακιαν εις τους ιουδαιους εναπερεισασθαι διο συνεταξεν τον αρματηλατην αδιαλειπτως ελαυνοντα κατανυειν την πορειαν της εξ ουρανου δη κρισεως συνουσης αυτω ουτως γαρ υπερηφανως ειπεν πολυανδριον ιουδαιων ιεροσολυμα ποιησω παραγενομενος εκει
5 So the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him down with an unseen but incurable blow; for scarcely had he uttered those words when he was seized with excruciating pains in his bowels and sharp internal torment,	5 ο δε παντεποπτης κυριος ο θεος του ισραηλ επαταξεν αυτον ανιατω και αορατω πληγη αρτι δε αυτου καταληξαντος τον λογον ελαβεν αυτον ανηκεστος των σπλαγχνων αλγηδων και πικραι των ενδον βασανοι
6 a fit punishment for him who had tortured the bowels of others with many barbarous torments.	6 πανυ δικαιως τον πολλαις και ξενιζουσαις συμφοραις ετερων σπλαγχνα βασανισαντα
7 Far from giving up his insolence, he was all the more filled with arrogance. Breathing fire in his rage against the Jews, he gave orders to drive even faster. As a result he hurtled from the dashing chariot, and every part of his body was racked by the violent fall.	7 ο δ' ουδαμως της αγερωχιας εληγεν ετι δε και της υπερηφανιας επεπληρωτο πυρ πνεων τοις θυμοις επι τους ιουδαιους και κελευων εποξυνειν την πορειαν συνεβη δε και πεσειν αυτον απο του αρματος φερομενου ροιζω και δυσχερει πτωματι περιπεσοντα παντα τα μελη του σωματος αποστρεβλουσθαι
8 Thus he who previously, in his superhuman presumption, thought he could command the waves of the sea, and imagined he could weigh the mountaintops in his scales, was now thrown to the ground and had to be carried on a litter, clearly manifesting to all the power of God.	8 ο δ' αρτι δοκων τοις της θαλασσης κυμασιν επιτασσειν δια την υπερ ανθρωπον αλαζονειαν και πλαστιγγι τα των ορεων οιομενος υψη στησειν κατα γην γενομενος εν φορειω παρεκομιζετο φανεραν του θεου πασιν την δυναμιν ενδεικνυμενος
9 The body of this impious man swarmed with worms, and while he was still alive in hideous torments, his flesh rotted off, so that the entire army was sickened by the stench of his corruption.	9 ωστε και εκ του σωματος του δυσσεβους σκωληκας αναζειν και ζωντος εν οδυναις και αλγηδοσιν τας σαρκας αυτου διαπιπτειν υπο δε της οσμης αυτου παν το στρατοπεδον βαρυνεσθαι την σαπριαν
10 Shortly before, he had thought that he could reach the stars of heaven, and now, no one could endure to transport the man because of this intolerable stench.	10 και τον μικρω προτερον των ουρανιων αστρων απτεσθαι δοκουντα παρακομιζειν ουδεις εδυνατο δια το της οσμης αφορητον βαρος
11 At last, broken in spirit, he began to give up his excessive arrogance, and to gain some understanding, under the scourge of God, for he was racked with pain unceasingly.	11 ενταυθα ουν ηρξατο το πολυ της υπερηφανιας ληγειν τεθραυσμενος και εις επιγνωσιν ερχεσθαι θεια μαστιγι κατα στιγμην επιτεινομενος ταις αλγηδοσιν
12 When he could no longer bear his own stench, he said, "It is right to be subject to God, and not to think one's mortal self divine."	12 και μηδε της οσμης αυτου δυναμενος ανεχεσθαι ταυτ' εφη δικαιον υποτασσεσθαι τω θεω και μη θνητον οντα ισοθεα φρονειν
13 Then this vile man vowed to the Lord, who would no longer have mercy on him,	13 ηυχετο δε ο μιαρος προς τον ουκετι αυτον ελεησοντα δεσποτην ουτως λεγων
14 that he would set free the holy city, toward which he had been hurrying with the intention of leveling it to the ground and making it a common graveyard;	14 την μεν αγιαν πολιν ην σπευδων παρεγινετο ισοπεδον ποιησαι και πολυανδριον οικοδομησαι ελευθεραν αναδειξαι
15 he would put on perfect equality with the Athenians all the Jews, whom he had judged not even worthy of burial, but fit only to be thrown out with their children to be eaten by vultures and wild animals;	15 τους δε ιουδαιους ους διεγνωκει μηδε ταφης αξιωσαι οιωνοβρωτους δε συν τοις νηπιοις εκριψειν θηριοις παντας αυτους ισους αθηναιοις ποιησειν
16 he would adorn with the finest offerings the holy temple which he had previously despoiled; he would restore all the sacred vessels many times over; and would provide from his own revenues the expenses required for the sacrifices.	16 ον δε προτερον εσκυλευσεν αγιον νεω καλλιστοις αναθημασιν κοσμησειν και τα ιερα σκευη πολυπλασια παντα αποδωσειν τας δε επιβαλλουσας προς τας θυσιας συνταξεις εκ των ιδιων προσοδων χορηγησειν
17 Besides all this, he would become a Jew himself and visit every inhabited place to proclaim there the power of God.	17 προς δε τουτοις και ιουδαιον εσεσθαι και παντα τοπον οικητον επελευσεσθαι καταγγελλοντα το του θεου κρατος
18 But since God's punishment had justly come upon him, his sufferings were not lessened, so he lost hope for himself and wrote the following letter to the Jews in the form of a supplication. It read thus: Death of Antiochus	18 ουδαμως δε ληγοντων των πονων επεληλυθει γαρ επ' αυτον δικαια η του θεου κρισις τα κατ' αυτον απελπισας εγραψεν προς τους ιουδαιους την υπογεγραμμενην επιστολην ικετηριας ταξιν εχουσαν περιεχουσαν δε ουτως
19 "To my esteemed Jewish citizens, Antiochus, their king and general, sends hearty greetings and best wishes for their health and happiness.	19 τοις χρηστοις ιουδαιοις τοις πολιταις πολλα χαιρειν και υγιαινειν και ευ πραττειν βασιλευς και στρατηγος αντιοχος
20 If you and your children are well and your affairs are going as you wish, I thank God very much, for my hopes are in heaven.	20 ει ερρωσθε και τα τεκνα και τα ιδια κατα γνωμην εστιν υμιν εις ουρανον την ελπιδα εχων
21 Now that I am ill, I recall with affection the esteem and good will you bear me. On returning from the regions of Persia, I fell victim to a troublesome illness; so I thought it necessary to form plans for the general welfare of all.	21 υμων την τιμην και την ευνοιαν εμνημονευον φιλοστοργως επαναγων εκ των κατα την περσιδα τοπων και περιπεσων ασθενεια δυσχερειαν εχουση αναγκαιον ηγησαμην φροντισαι της κοινης παντων ασφαλειας
22 Actually, I do not despair about my health, since I have great hopes of recovering from my illness.	22 ουκ απογινωσκων τα κατ' εμαυτον αλλα εχων πολλην ελπιδα εκφευξεσθαι την ασθενειαν
23 Nevertheless, I know that my father, whenever he went on campaigns in the hinterland, would name his successor,	23 θεωρων δε οτι και ο πατηρ καθ' ους καιρους εις τους ανω τοπους εστρατοπεδευσεν ανεδειξεν τον διαδεξαμενον
24 so that, if anything unexpected happened or any unwelcome news came, the people throughout the realm would know to whom the government had been entrusted, and so not be disturbed.	24 οπως εαν τι παραδοξον αποβαινη η και προσαγγελθη τι δυσχερες ειδοτες οι κατα την χωραν ω καταλελειπται τα πραγματα μη επιταρασσωνται
25 I am also bearing in mind that the neighboring rulers, especially those on the borders of our kingdom, are on the watch for opportunities and waiting to see what will happen. I have therefore appointed as king my son Antiochus, whom I have often before entrusted and commended to most of you, when I made hurried visits to the outlying provinces. I have written to him the letter copied below.	25 προς δε τουτοις κατανοων τους παρακειμενους δυναστας και γειτνιωντας τη βασιλεια τοις καιροις επεχοντας και προσδοκωντας το αποβησομενον αναδεδειχα τον υιον αντιοχον βασιλεα ον πολλακις ανατρεχων εις τας επανω σατραπειας τοις πλειστοις υμων παρεκατετιθεμην και συνιστων γεγραφα δε προς αυτον τα υπογεγραμμενα
26 Therefore I beg and entreat each of you to remember the general and individual benefits you have received, and to continue to show good will toward me and my son.	26 παρακαλω ουν υμας και αξιω μεμνημενους των ευεργεσιων κοινη και κατ' ιδιαν εκαστον συντηρειν την ουσαν ευνοιαν εις εμε και τον υιον
27 I am confident that, following my policy, he will treat you with mildness and kindness in his relations with you."	27 πεπεισμαι γαρ αυτον επιεικως και φιλανθρωπως παρακολουθουντα τη εμη προαιρεσει συμπεριενεχθησεσθαι υμιν
28 So this murderer and blasphemer, after extreme sufferings, such as he had inflicted on others, died a miserable death in the mountains of a foreign land.	28 ο μεν ουν ανδροφονος και βλασφημος τα χειριστα παθων ως ετερους διεθηκεν επι ξενης εν τοις ορεσιν οικτιστω μορω κατεστρεψεν τον βιον
29 His foster brother Philip brought the body home; but fearing Antiochus' son, he later withdrew into Egypt, to Ptolemy Philometor.	29 παρεκομιζετο δε το σωμα φιλιππος ο συντροφος αυτου ος και διευλαβηθεις τον υιον αντιοχου προς πτολεμαιον τον φιλομητορα εις αιγυπτον διεκομισθη