Secondo libro dei Maccabei 6

NOVA VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Sed non post multum temporis misit rex senem quendam Athe niensem, quicompelleret Iudaeos, ut se transferrent a patriis legibus et Dei legibus neuterentur;	1 Not long after this the king sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews to abandon the customs of their ancestors and live no longer by the laws of God;
2 contaminare etiam, quod in Hierosolymis erat, templum etcognominare Iovis Olympii, et in Garizim, prout erant hi, qui locuminhabitabant, Iovis Hospitalis.	2 also to profane the temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and that on Mount Gerizim to Zeus the Hospitable, as the inhabitants of the place requested.
3 Pessima autem et universis gravis erat malorumincursio.	3 This intensified the evil in an intolerable and utterly disgusting way.
4 Nam templum luxuria et comissationibus gentium erat plenum,scortantium cum meretricibus et in sacratis porticibus mulieribus adhaerentium,insuper et intro inferentium ea, quae non licebat;	4 The Gentiles filled the temple with debauchery and revelry; they amused themselves with prostitutes and had intercourse with women even in the sacred court. They also brought into the temple things that were forbidden,
5 altare etiam plenum eratillicitis, quae legibus prohibebantur.	5 so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws.
6 Neque autem sabbata custodiebantur,neque dies sollemnes patrii servabantur, nec simpliciter Iudaeum se essequisquam confitebatur.	6 A man could not keep the sabbath or celebrate the traditional feasts, nor even admit that he was a Jew.
7 Ducebantur autem cum amara necessitate per singulosmenses in die natalis regis ad sacrificium et, cum Liberi sacra celebrarentur,cogebantur hedera coronati pompam Libero celebrare.	7 Moreover, at the monthly celebration of the king's birthday the Jews had, from bitter necessity, to partake of the sacrifices, and when the festival of Dionysus was celebrated, they were compelled to march in his procession, wearing wreaths of ivy.
8 Decretum autem exiit inproximas Graecorum civitates, suggerente Ptolemaeo, ut pari modo et ipsiadversus Iudaeos agerent, ut sacrificarent;	8 At the suggestion of the citizens of Ptolemais, a decree was issued ordering the neighboring Greek cities to act in the same way against the Jews: oblige them to partake of the sacrifices,
9 eos autem, qui nollent transire adinstituta Graecorum, interficerent; erat ergo videre instantem miseriam.	9 and put to death those who would not consent to adopt the customs of the Greeks. It was obvious, therefore, that disaster impended.
10 Duaeenim mulieres delatae sunt natos suos circumcidisse; quas infantibus ad uberasuspensis, cum publice per civitatem circumduxissent, per murospraecipitaverunt.	10 Thus, two women who were arrested for having circumcised their children were publicly paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall.
11 Alii vero ad proximas coeuntes speluncas, ut latenterseptimam diem celebrarent, cum indicati essent Philippo, flammis succensi sunt,eo quod verebantur propter religionem sibimet auxilium ferre pro claritatesanctissimi diei.	11 Others, who had assembled in nearby caves to observe the sabbath in secret, were betrayed to Philip and all burned to death. In their respect for the holiness of that day, they had scruples about defending themselves.
12 Obsecro autem eos, qui hunc librum lecturi sunt, ne abhorrescant propteradversos casus, sed reputent illas poenas non ad interitum, sed ad correptionemesse generis nostri.	12 Now I beg those who read this book not to be disheartened by these misfortunes, but to consider that these chastisements were meant not for the ruin but for the correction of our nation.
13 Etenim multo tempore non sinere eos, qui gerunt impie,sed statim ultiones adhibere, magni beneficii est indicium.	13 It is, in fact, a sign of great kindness to punish sinners promptly instead of letting them go for long.
14 Non enim, sicutet in aliis nationibus, Dominus patienter ferens exspectat, ut eas, cumpervenerint in plenitudinem peccatorum, puniat, ita et in nobis statuit esse,	14 Thus, in dealing with other nations, the Lord patiently waits until they reach the full measure of their sins before he punishes them; but with us he has decided to deal differently,
15 ne, peccatis nostris in finem devolutis, demum in nos vindicet;	15 in order that he may not have to punish us more severely later, when our sins have reached their fullness.
16 propter quodnumquam quidem a nobis misericordiam suam amovet, corripiens vero per aerumnaspopulum suum non derelinquit.	16 He never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with misfortunes, he does not abandon his own people.
17 Sed haec nobis ad commonitionem dicta sint;paucis autem veniendum est ad narrationem.	17 Let these words suffice for recalling this truth. Without further ado we must go on with our story.
18 Eleazarus quidam, unus de primoribus scribarum, vir iam aetate provectus etaspectu faciei decorus, aperto ore compellebatur carnem porcinam manducare.	18 Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
19 At ille magis cum illustri fama mortem quam cum exsecratione vitam complectens,voluntarie praeibat ad supplicium,	19 But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he spat out the meat, and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
20 exspuens autem, quemadmodum oportetaccedere eos, qui sustinent non admittere illa, quae non est fas gustare,propter nimium vivendi amorem.	20 as men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
21 Hi autem, qui iniquo sacrificio praepositierant, propter antiquam cum viro amicitiam tollentes eum secreto rogabant, utafferret carnes, quibus uti ei liceret quaeque ab ipso paratae essent, etfingeret se eas manducare, quas rex imperaverat de sacrificii carnibus,	21 Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately, because of their long acquaintance with him, and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could legitimately eat, and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice prescribed by the king;
22 uthoc facto a morte liberaretur et propter veterem cum illis amicitiamconsequeretur humanitatem.	22 in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
23 At ille, consilio decoro inito ac digno aetate etsenectutis eminentia et acquisita nobilique canitie atque optima a puero vitaedisciplina, magis autem sancta et a Deo condita legislatione, consequentersententiam ostendit: cito, dicens, dimitterent ad inferos.	23 But he made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood; and so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God. He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead, explaining:
24 “ Non enimaetati nostrae dignum est fingere, ut multi adulescentium arbitrantes Eleazarumnonaginta annorum transisse ad morem alienigenarum	24 "At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young men would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion.
25 et ipsi propter meamsimulationem et propter modicum et pusillum vitae tempus decipiantur propter me,et exsecrationem atque maculam meae senectuti conquiram.	25 Should I thus dissimulate for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
26 Nam etsi inpraesenti tempore evasero eam, quae ex hominibus est, poenam, manus tamenOmnipotentis nec vivus nec defunctus effugiam.	26 Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men, I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty.
27 Quam ob rem viriliter nuncvita excedendo, senectute quidem dignus apparebo;	27 Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
28 adulescentibus autemexemplum forte reliquero, ut prompto animo ac fortiter pro sacris ac sanctislegibus honesta morte perfungantur ”. Et cum haec dixisset, confestim adsupplicium venit;	28 and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws." He spoke thus, and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
29 ipsis autem, qui eum ducebant, illam, quam paulo antehabuerant erga eum benevolentiam, in iram convertentibus, propterea quodsermones dicti, sicut ipsi arbitrabantur, essent amentia.	29 Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed, now became hostile toward him because what he had said seemed to them utter madness.
30 Cumque coepissetplagis mori, ingemiscens dixit: “ Domino, qui habet sanctam scientiam,manifestum est quia cum a morte possem liberari, duros secundum corpus sustineodolores flagellatus, secundum animam vero propter ipsius timorem libenter haecpatior ”.	30 When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: "The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that, although I could have escaped death, I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging, but also suffering it with joy in my soul because of my devotion to him."
31 Et iste quidem hoc modo vita decessit, non solum iuvenibus, sedet plurimis ex gente mortem suam ad exemplum fortitudinis et memoriam virtutisrelinquens.	31 This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation.