Secondo libro dei Maccabei 6

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
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 Shortly afterwards, the king sent Gerontes the Athenian to force the Jews to violate their ancestralcustoms 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 and to profane the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and the one on MountGerizim to Zeus, Patron of Strangers, as the inhabitants of the latter place had requested.
3 Pessima autem et universis gravis erat malorumincursio.	3 The advent of these evils was painful y hard for al the people to bear.
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 Temple was fil ed with revel ing and debauchery by the gentiles, who took their pleasure withprostitutes and had intercourse with women in the sacred precincts, introducing other indecencies besides.
5 altare etiam plenum eratillicitis, quae legibus prohibebantur.	5 The altar of sacrifice was loaded with victims proscribed by the law as profane.
6 Neque autem sabbata custodiebantur,neque dies sollemnes patrii servabantur, nec simpliciter Iudaeum se essequisquam confitebatur.	6 No one might either keep the Sabbath or observe the traditional feasts, or so much as admit to being aJew.
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 People were driven by harsh compulsion to take part in the monthly ritual meal commemorating theking's birthday; and when a feast of Dionysus occurred, they were forced to wear ivy wreaths and walk in theDionysiac procession.
8 Decretum autem exiit inproximas Graecorum civitates, suggerente Ptolemaeo, ut pari modo et ipsiadversus Iudaeos agerent, ut sacrificarent;	8 A decree was issued at the instance of the people of Ptolemais for the neighbouring Greek cities,enforcing the same conduct on the Jews there, obliging them to share in the sacrificial meals,
9 eos autem, qui nollent transire adinstituta Graecorum, interficerent; erat ergo videre instantem miseriam.	9 and ordering the execution of those who would not voluntarily conform to Greek customs. So it becameclear that disaster was imminent.
10 Duaeenim mulieres delatae sunt natos suos circumcidisse; quas infantibus ad uberasuspensis, cum publice per civitatem circumduxissent, per murospraecipitaverunt.	10 For example, two women were charged with having circumcised their children. They were paradedpublicly round the town, with their babies hung at their breasts, and then hurled over the city wal .
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 Other people, who had assembled in some near-by caves to keep the seventh day without attractingattention, were denounced to Philip, and were then al burnt to death together, since their consciences would notal ow them to defend themselves, out of respect for the holiness of the day.
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 urge anyone who may read this book not to be dismayed at these calamities, but to reflect thatsuch visitations are intended not to destroy our race but to discipline it.
13 Etenim multo tempore non sinere eos, qui gerunt impie,sed statim ultiones adhibere, magni beneficii est indicium.	13 Indeed, when evil-doers are not left for long to their own devices but incur swift retribution, it is a signof great benevolence.
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 In the case of other nations, the Master waits patiently for them to attain the ful measure of their sinsbefore he punishes them, but with us he has decided to deal differently,
15 ne, peccatis nostris in finem devolutis, demum in nos vindicet;	15 rather than have to punish us later, when our sins come to ful measure.
16 propter quodnumquam quidem a nobis misericordiam suam amovet, corripiens vero per aerumnaspopulum suum non derelinquit.	16 And so he never entirely withdraws his mercy from us; he may discipline us by some disaster, but hedoes not desert his own people.
17 Sed haec nobis ad commonitionem dicta sint;paucis autem veniendum est ad narrationem.	17 Let this be said simply by way of reminder; we must return to our story without more ado.
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 teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most nobleappearance, had his mouth forced open, to make him eat a piece of pork.
19 At ille magis cum illustri fama mortem quam cum exsecratione vitam complectens,voluntarie praeibat ad supplicium,	19 But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, walked of his own accord to thetorture of the wheel,
20 exspuens autem, quemadmodum oportetaccedere eos, qui sustinent non admittere illa, quae non est fas gustare,propter nimium vivendi amorem.	20 having spat the stuff out, as befits those with the courage to reject what is not lawful to taste, ratherthan live.
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 The people supervising the ritual meal, forbidden by the Law, because of the length of time for whichthey had known him, took him aside and privately urged him to have meat brought of a kind he could properlyuse, prepared by himself, and only pretend to eat the portions of sacrificial meat as prescribed by the king;
22 uthoc facto a morte liberaretur et propter veterem cum illis amicitiamconsequeretur humanitatem.	22 this action would enable him to escape death, by availing himself of an act of kindness prompted bytheir long friendship.
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 having taken a noble decision worthy of his years and the dignity of his great age and the wel -earned distinction of his grey hairs, worthy too of his impeccable conduct from boyhood, and above al of theholy legislation established by God himself, he answered accordingly, telling them to send him at once to Hades.
24 “ Non enimaetati nostrae dignum est fingere, ut multi adulescentium arbitrantes Eleazarumnonaginta annorum transisse ad morem alienigenarum	24 'Pretence', he said, 'does not befit our time of life; many young people would suppose that Eleazar atthe age of ninety had conformed to the foreigners' way of life
25 et ipsi propter meamsimulationem et propter modicum et pusillum vitae tempus decipiantur propter me,et exsecrationem atque maculam meae senectuti conquiram.	25 and, because I had played this part for the sake of a paltry brief spel of life, might themselves be ledastray on my account; I should only bring defilement and disgrace 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 though for the moment I avoid execution by man, I can never, living or dead, elude the grasp ofthe Almighty.
27 Quam ob rem viriliter nuncvita excedendo, senectute quidem dignus apparebo;	27 Therefore if I am man enough to quit this life here and now, I shal 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 shal have left the young a noble example of how to make a good death, eagerly andgenerously, for the venerable and holy laws.' So saying, he walked straight to the wheel,
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 while those who were escorting him, recently so wel disposed towards him, turned against him afterthis declaration, which they regarded as sheer 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 He for his part, just before he died under the blows, gave a sigh and said, 'The Lord whose knowledgeis holy sees clearly that, though I might have escaped death, from awe of him I gladly endure these agonies ofbody under the lash, and that in my soul I am glad to suffer.'
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 was how he died, leaving his death as an example of nobility and a record of virtue not only forthe young but for the greater part of the nation.