ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Α´ - 1 Maccabei - Maccabees I 16

LXX	NEW JERUSALEM
1 και ανεβη ιωαννης εκ γαζαρων και απηγγειλεν σιμωνι τω πατρι αυτου α συνετελεσεν κενδεβαιος	1 John then went up from Gezer and reported to his father Simon what Cendebaeus was busy doing.
2 και εκαλεσεν σιμων τους δυο υιους αυτου τους πρεσβυτερους ιουδαν και ιωαννην και ειπεν αυτοις εγω και οι αδελφοι μου και ο οικος του πατρος μου επολεμησαμεν τους πολεμους ισραηλ απο νεοτητος εως της σημερον ημερας και ευοδωθη εν ταις χερσιν ημων ρυσασθαι τον ισραηλ πλεονακις	2 At this, Simon summoned his two elder sons, Judas and John, and said to them, 'My brothers and I,and my father's House, have fought the enemies of Israel from our youth until today, and many a time we havebeen successful in rescuing Israel.
3 νυνι δε γεγηρακα και υμεις δε εν τω ελεει ικανοι εστε εν τοις ετεσιν γινεσθε αντ' εμου και του αδελφου μου και εξελθοντες υπερμαχειτε υπερ του εθνους ημων η δε εκ του ουρανου βοηθεια εστω μεθ' υμων	3 But now I am an old man, while you, by the mercy of Heaven, are the right age; take the place of mybrother and myself, go out and fight for our nation, and may Heaven's aid be with you.'
4 και επελεξεν εκ της χωρας εικοσι χιλιαδας ανδρων πολεμιστων και ιππεις και επορευθησαν επι τον κενδεβαιον και εκοιμηθησαν εν μωδειν	4 He then selected twenty thousand of the country's fighting men and cavalry, and these marchedagainst Cendebaeus, spending the night at Modein.
5 και ανασταντες το πρωι επορευθησαν εις το πεδιον και ιδου δυναμις πολλη εις συναντησιν αυτοις πεζικη και ιππεις και χειμαρρους ην ανα μεσον αυτων	5 Making an early start, they marched into the plain, to find a large army opposing them, both infantryand cavalry; there was, however, a stream-bed in between.
6 και παρενεβαλε κατα προσωπον αυτων αυτος και ο λαος αυτου και ειδεν τον λαον δειλουμενον διαπερασαι τον χειμαρρουν και διεπερασεν πρωτος και ειδον αυτον οι ανδρες και διεπερασαν κατοπισθεν αυτου	6 John drew up facing them, he and his army and, seeing that the men were afraid to cross the stream-bed, crossed over first himself. When his men saw this, they too crossed after him.
7 και διειλεν τον λαον και τους ιππεις εν μεσω των πεζων ην δε ιππος των υπεναντιων πολλη σφοδρα	7 He divided his army into two, with the cavalry in the centre and the infantry on either flank, as the opposing cavalry was very numerous.
8 και εσαλπισαν ταις σαλπιγξιν και ετροπωθη κενδεβαιος και η παρεμβολη αυτου και επεσον εξ αυτων τραυματιαι πολλοι οι δε καταλειφθεντες εφυγον εις το οχυρωμα	8 The trumpets rang out; Cendebaeus and his army were put to flight, many of them fal ing mortal ywounded and the rest of them fleeing to the fortress.
9 τοτε ετραυματισθη ιουδας ο αδελφος ιωαννου ιωαννης δε κατεδιωξεν αυτους εως ηλθεν εις κεδρων ην ωκοδομησεν	9 Then it was that Judas, John's brother, was wounded, but John pursued them until Cendebaeusreached Kedron, which he had rebuilt.
10 και εφυγον εις τους πυργους τους εν τοις αγροις αζωτου και ενεπυρισεν αυτην εν πυρι και επεσον εξ αυτων εις ανδρας δισχιλιους και απεστρεψεν εις την ιουδαιαν μετα ειρηνης	10 Their flight took them as far as the towers in the countryside of Azotus, and John burnt these down.The enemy losses amounted to ten thousand men; John returned safely to Judaea.
11 και πτολεμαιος ο του αβουβου ην καθεσταμενος στρατηγος εις το πεδιον ιεριχω και εσχεν αργυριον και χρυσιον πολυ	11 Ptolemy son of Abubos had been appointed general in command of the Plain of Jericho; he owned agreat deal of silver and gold,
12 ην γαρ γαμβρος του αρχιερεως	12 and was the high priest's son-in-law.
13 και υψωθη η καρδια αυτου και εβουληθη κατακρατησαι της χωρας και εβουλευετο δολω κατα σιμωνος και των υιων αυτου αραι αυτους	13 His ambition was fired; he hoped to make himself master of the whole country and thereforetreacherously began to plot the destruction of Simon and his sons.
14 σιμων δε ην εφοδευων τας πολεις τας εν τη χωρα και φροντιζων της επιμελειας αυτων και κατεβη εις ιεριχω αυτος και ματταθιας και ιουδας οι υιοι αυτου ετους εβδομου και εβδομηκοστου και εκατοστου εν μηνι ενδεκατω ουτος ο μην σαβατ	14 Simon, who was inspecting the towns up and down the country and attending to their administration,had come down to Jericho with his sons Mattathias and Judas, in the year 172, in the eleventh month, the monthof Shebat.
15 και υπεδεξατο αυτους ο του αβουβου εις το οχυρωματιον το καλουμενον δωκ μετα δολου ο ωκοδομησεν και εποιησεν αυτοις ποτον μεγαν και ενεκρυψεν εκει ανδρας	15 The son of Abubos lured them into a smal fortress cal ed Dok, which he had built, where he offeredthem a great banquet, having previously hidden men in the place.
16 και οτε εμεθυσθη σιμων και οι υιοι αυτου εξανεστη πτολεμαιος και οι παρ' αυτου και ελαβον τα οπλα αυτων και επεισηλθον τω σιμωνι εις το συμποσιον και απεκτειναν αυτον και τους δυο υιους αυτου και τινας των παιδαριων αυτου	16 When Simon and his sons were drunk, Ptolemy and his men reached for their weapons, rushed onSimon in the banqueting hall and killed him with his two sons and some of his servants.
17 και εποιησεν αθεσιαν μεγαλην και απεδωκεν κακα αντι αγαθων	17 He thus committed a great act of treachery and rendered evil for good.
18 και εγραψεν ταυτα πτολεμαιος και απεστειλεν τω βασιλει οπως αποστειλη αυτω δυναμεις εις βοηθειαν και παραδω την χωραν αυτων και τας πολεις	18 Ptolemy wrote a report of the affair and sent it to the king, in the expectation of being sentreinforcements and of having the cities and the province made over to him.
19 και απεστειλεν ετερους εις γαζαρα αραι τον ιωαννην και τοις χιλιαρχοις απεστειλεν επιστολας παραγενεσθαι προς αυτον οπως δω αυτοις αργυριον και χρυσιον και δοματα	19 He also sent people to Gezer to murder John, and sent written orders to the military commanders tocome to him so that he could give them silver, gold and presents;
20 και ετερους απεστειλεν καταλαβεσθαι την ιερουσαλημ και το ορος του ιερου	20 and he also sent others to seize control of Jerusalem and the Temple mount.
21 και προδραμων τις απηγγειλεν ιωαννη εις γαζαρα οτι απωλετο ο πατηρ αυτου και οι αδελφοι αυτου και οτι απεσταλκεν και σε αποκτειναι	21 But someone had been too quick for him and had already informed John in Gezer that his father andbrothers had perished, adding, 'He is sending someone to kil you too!'
22 και ακουσας εξεστη σφοδρα και συνελαβεν τους ανδρας τους ελθοντας απολεσαι αυτον και απεκτεινεν αυτους επεγνω γαρ οτι εζητουν αυτον απολεσαι	22 Overcome as John was by the news, he arrested the men who had come to kil him and put them todeath, being forewarned of their murderous design.
23 και τα λοιπα των λογων ιωαννου και των πολεμων αυτου και των ανδραγαθιων αυτου ων ηνδραγαθησεν και της οικοδομης των τειχων ων ωκοδομησεν και των πραξεων αυτου	23 The rest of John's acts, the battles he fought and the exploits he performed, the city wal s he built,and all his other achievements,
24 ιδου ταυτα γεγραπται επι βιβλιω ημερων αρχιερωσυνης αυτου αφ' ου εγενηθη αρχιερευς μετα τον πατερα αυτου .	24 from the day he succeeded his father as high priest, are recorded in the annals of his pontificate.