ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Β´ - 2 Maccabei- Maccabees II 13

LXX	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 τω δε ενατω και τεσσαρακοστω και εκατοστω ετει προσεπεσεν τοις περι τον ιουδαν αντιοχον τον ευπατορα παραγενεσθαι συν πληθεσιν επι την ιουδαιαν	1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men learned that Antiochus Eupator was invading Judea with a large force,
2 και συν αυτω λυσιαν τον επιτροπον και επι των πραγματων εκαστον εχοντα δυναμιν ελληνικην πεζων μυριαδας ενδεκα και ιππεων πεντακισχιλιους τριακοσιους και ελεφαντας εικοσι δυο αρματα δε δρεπανηφορα τριακοσια	2 and that with him was Lysias, his guardian, who was in charge of the government. They led a Greek army of one hundred and ten thousand foot soldiers, fifty-three hundred horsemen, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with scythes.
3 συνεμειξεν δε αυτοις και μενελαος και παρεκαλει μετα πολλης ειρωνειας τον αντιοχον ουκ επι σωτηρια της πατριδος οιομενος δε επι της αρχης κατασταθησεσθαι	3 Menelaus also joined them, and with great duplicity kept urging Antiochus on, not for the welfare of his country, but in the hope of being established in office.
4 ο δε βασιλευς των βασιλεων εξηγειρεν τον θυμον του αντιοχου επι τον αλιτηριον και λυσιου υποδειξαντος τουτον αιτιον ειναι παντων των κακων προσεταξεν ως εθος εστιν εν τω τοπω προσαπολεσαι αγαγοντας εις βεροιαν	4 But the King of kings aroused the anger of Antiochus against the scoundrel. When the king was shown by Lysias that Menelaus was to blame for all the trouble, he ordered him to be taken to Beroea and executed there in the customary local method.
5 εστιν δε εν τω τοπω πυργος πεντηκοντα πηχεων πληρης σποδου ουτος δε οργανον ειχεν περιφερες παντοθεν αποκρημνον εις την σποδον	5 There is at that place a tower seventy-five feet high, full of ashes, with a circular rim sloping down steeply on all sides toward the ashes.
6 ενταυθα τον ιεροσυλιας ενοχον η και τινων αλλων κακων υπεροχην πεποιημενον απαντες προσωθουσιν εις ολεθρον	6 A man guilty of sacrilege or notorious for certain other crimes is brought up there and then hurled down to destruction.
7 τοιουτω μορω τον παρανομον συνεβη θανειν μηδε της γης τυχοντα μενελαον	7 In such a manner was Menelaus, the transgressor of the law, fated to die; he was deprived even of decent burial.
8 πανυ δικαιως επει γαρ συνετελεσατο πολλα περι τον βωμον αμαρτηματα ου το πυρ αγνον ην και η σποδος εν σποδω τον θανατον εκομισατο	8 It was altogether just that he who had committed so many sins against the altar with its pure fire and ashes should meet his death in ashes.
9 τοις δε φρονημασιν ο βασιλευς βεβαρβαρωμενος ηρχετο τα χειριστα των επι του πατρος αυτου γεγονοτων ενδειξομενος τοις ιουδαιοις	9 The king was advancing, his mind full of savage plans for inflicting on the Jews worse things than those they suffered in his father's time.
10 μεταλαβων δε ιουδας ταυτα παρηγγειλεν τω πληθει δι' ημερας και νυκτος επικαλεισθαι τον κυριον ει ποτε και αλλοτε και νυν επιβοηθειν τοις του νομου και πατριδος και ιερου αγιου στερεισθαι μελλουσιν	10 When Judas learned of this, he urged the people to call upon the LORD night and day, to help them now, if ever,
11 και τον αρτι βραχεως ανεψυχοτα λαον μη εασαι τοις δυσφημοις εθνεσιν υποχειριους γενεσθαι	11 when they were about to be deprived of their law, their country, and their holy temple; and not to allow this nation, which had just begun to revive, to be subjected again to blasphemous Gentiles.
12 παντων δε το αυτο ποιησαντων ομου και καταξιωσαντων τον ελεημονα κυριον μετα κλαυθμου και νηστειων και προπτωσεως επι ημερας τρεις αδιαλειπτως παρακαλεσας αυτους ο ιουδας εκελευσεν παραγινεσθαι	12 When they had all joined in doing this, and had implored the merciful LORD continuously with weeping and fasting and prostrations for three days, Judas encouraged them and told them to stand ready.
13 καθ' εαυτον δε συν τοις πρεσβυτεροις γενομενος εβουλευσατο πριν εισβαλειν του βασιλεως το στρατευμα εις την ιουδαιαν και γενεσθαι της πολεως εγκρατεις εξελθοντας κριναι τα πραγματα τη του θεου βοηθεια	13 After a private meeting with the elders, he decided that, before the king's army could invade Judea and take possession of the city, the Jews should march out and settle the matter with God's help.
14 δους δε την επιτροπην τω κτιστη του κοσμου παρακαλεσας τους συν αυτω γενναιως αγωνισασθαι μεχρι θανατου περι νομων ιερου πολεως πατριδος πολιτειας περι δε μωδειν εποιησατο την στρατοπεδειαν	14 Leaving the outcome to the Creator of the world, and exhorting his followers to fight nobly to death for the laws, the temple, the city, the country, and the government, he pitched his camp near Modein.
15 αναδους δε τοις περι αυτον συνθημα θεου νικην μετα νεανισκων αριστων κεκριμενων επιβαλων νυκτωρ επι την βασιλικην αυλην την παρεμβολην ανειλεν εις ανδρας δισχιλιους και τον πρωτευοντα των ελεφαντων συν τω κατ' οικιαν οντι συνεκεντησεν	15 Giving his men the battle cry "God's Victory," he made a night attack on the king's pavilion with a picked force of the bravest young men and killed about two thousand in the camp. They also slew the lead elephant and its rider.
16 και το τελος την παρεμβολην δεους και ταραχης επληρωσαν και εξελυσαν ευημερουντες	16 Finally they withdrew in triumph, having filled the camp with terror and confusion.
17 υποφαινουσης δε ηδη της ημερας τουτο εγεγονει δια την επαρηγουσαν αυτω του κυριου σκεπην	17 Day was just breaking when this was accomplished with the help and protection of the LORD.
18 ο δε βασιλευς ειληφως γευμα της των ιουδαιων ευτολμιας κατεπειρασεν δια μεθοδων τους τοπους	18 The king, having had a taste of the Jews' daring, tried to take their positions by a stratagem.
19 και επι βαιθσουρα φρουριον οχυρον των ιουδαιων προσηγεν ετροπουτο προσεκρουεν ηλαττονουτο	19 So he marched against Beth-zur, a strong fortress of the Jews; but he was driven back, checked, and defeated.
20 τοις δε ενδον ιουδας τα δεοντα εισεπεμψεν	20 Judas then sent supplies to the men inside,
21 προσηγγειλεν δε τα μυστηρια τοις πολεμιοις ροδοκος εκ της ιουδαικης ταξεως ανεζητηθη και κατελημφθη και κατεκλεισθη	21 but Rhodocus, of the Jewish army, betrayed military secrets to the enemy. He was found out, arrested, and imprisoned.
22 εδευτερολογησεν ο βασιλευς τοις εν βαιθσουροις δεξιαν εδωκεν ελαβεν απηει προσεβαλεν τοις περι τον ιουδαν ηττων εγενετο	22 The king made a second attempt by negotiating with the men of Beth-zur. After giving them his pledge and receiving theirs, he withdrew
23 μετελαβεν απονενοησθαι τον φιλιππον εν αντιοχεια τον απολελειμμενον επι των πραγματων συνεχυθη τους ιουδαιους παρεκαλεσεν υπεταγη και ωμοσεν επι πασι τοις δικαιοις συνελυθη και θυσιαν προσηγαγεν ετιμησεν τον νεω και τον τοπον εφιλανθρωπησεν	23 and attacked Judas and his men. But he was defeated. Next he heard that Philip, who was left in charge of the government in Antioch had rebelled. Dismayed, he parleyed with the Jews, submitted to their terms, and swore to observe their rights. Having come to this agreement, he offered a sacrifice, and honored the temple with a generous donation.
24 και τον μακκαβαιον απεδεξατο κατελιπεν στρατηγον απο πτολεμαιδος εως των γερρηνων ηγεμονιδην	24 He approved of Maccabeus and left him as military and civil governor of the territory from Ptolemais to the region of the Gerrenes.
25 ηλθεν εις πτολεμαιδα εδυσφορουν περι των συνθηκων οι πτολεμαεις εδειναζον γαρ υπερ ων ηθελησαν αθετειν τας διασταλσεις	25 When he came to Ptolemais, the people of that city were angered by the peace treaty; in fact they were so indignant that they wanted to annul its provisions.
26 προσηλθεν επι το βημα λυσιας απελογησατο ενδεχομενως συνεπεισεν κατεπραυνεν ευμενεις εποιησεν ανεζευξεν εις αντιοχειαν ουτω τα του βασιλεως της εφοδου και της αναζυγης εχωρησεν	26 But Lysias took the platform, defended the treaty as well as he could and won them over by persuasion. After calming them and gaining their good will, he returned to Antioch. That is how the king's attack and withdrawal went.