Secondo libro dei Maccabei 7

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Contigit autem et septem fra tres una cum matre apprehen sos compelli arege attingere contra fas carnes porcinas, flagris et nervis cruciatos.	1 It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them totaste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges.
2 Unusautem ex illis exstans prior locutor sic ait: “ Quid es quaesiturus, et quidvis discere a nobis? Parati sumus mori magis quam patrias leges praevaricari ”.	2 One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, 'What are you trying to find out from us? Weare prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.'
3 Iratus itaque rex iussit sartagines et ollas succendi.	3 The king, in a fury, ordered pans and cauldrons to be heated over a fire.
4 Quibus statimsuccensis, iussit ei, qui prior illorum fuerat locutus, amputari linguam et,cute capitis abstracta, summas quoque manus et pedes ei praescindi, ceteris eiusfratribus et matre inspicientibus.	4 As soon as these were red-hot, he commanded that their spokesman should have his tongue cut out,his head scalped and his extremities cut off, while the other brothers and his mother looked on.
5 Et cum iam per omnia inutilis factus esset,iussit eum igne admoveri adhuc spirantem et torreri in sartagine. Cum autemvapor sartaginis diu diffunderetur, ceteri una cum matre invicem se hortabanturmori fortiter ita dicentes:	5 When he had been rendered completely helpless, the king gave orders for him to be brought, stilbreathing, to the fire and fried alive in a pan. As the smoke from the pan drifted about, his mother and the restencouraged one another to die nobly, with such words as these,
6 “ Dominus Deus aspicit et veritate in nobisconsolatur, quemadmodum per personam contestantis cantici declaravit Moyses: “Etin servis suis consolabitur” ”.	6 'The Lord God is watching and certainly feels sorry for us, as Moses declared in his song, which clearlystates that "he wil take pity on his servants." '
7 Mortuo itaque illo primo hoc modo,sequentem deducebant ad illudendum; et cute capitis eius cum capillis abstracta,interrogabant, si manducaret prius quam toto corpore per membra singulapuniretur.	7 When the first had left the world in this way, they brought the second forward to be tortured. Afterstripping the skin from his head, hair and al , they asked him, 'Wil you eat some pork, before your body istortured limb by limb?'
8 At ille respondens patria voce dixit: “ Non faciam ”. Propterquod et iste, sequenti loco, tormenta suscepit sicut primus.	8 Replying in his ancestral tongue, he said, 'No!' So he too was put to the torture in his turn.
9 Et in ultimospiritu constitutus, sic ait: “ Tu quidem, scelestissime, de praesenti vitanos perdis; sed rex mundi defunctos nos pro suis legibus in aeternam vitaeresurrectionem suscitabit ”.	9 With his last breath he exclaimed, 'Cruel brute, you may discharge us from this present life, but theKing of the world wil raise us up, since we die for his laws, to live again for ever.'
10 Post hunc tertius illudebatur; et linguampostulatus cito protulit et manus constanter extendit	10 After him, they tortured the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldlyheld out his hands,
11 et fortiter ait: “ Ecaelo ista possideo et propter illius leges haec ipsa despicio et ab ipso rursusme ea recepturum spero ”,	11 courageously saying, 'Heaven gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I have no concern forthem; from him I hope to receive them again.'
12 ita ut rex et, qui cum ipso erant, mirarenturadulescentis animum, quomodo pro nihilo duceret cruciatus.	12 The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man's courage and his utter indifference tosuffering.
13 Et hoc itadefuncto, quartum vexabant similiter torquentes;	13 When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same torments and tortures.
14 et, cum iam esset ad mortem,sic ait: “ Potius est ab hominibus morti datos spem exspectare a Deo, iterumab ipso resuscitandos; tibi enim resurrectio ad vitam non erit ”.	14 When he neared his end he cried, 'Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men's hands, yet relyingon God's promise that we shal be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection to new life.'
15 Etdeinceps quintum, cum admovissent, vexabant;	15 Next they brought forward the fifth and began torturing him.
16 at ille respiciens in eum dixit:“ Potestatem inter homines habens, cum sis corruptibilis, facis, quod vis;noli autem putare genus nostrum a Deo esse derelictum;	16 But he looked at the king and said, 'You have power over human beings, mortal as you are, and canact as you please. But do not think that our race has been deserted by God.
17 tu autem patientersustine et videbis maiestatem virtutis ipsius, qualiter te et semen tuumtorquebit ”.	17 Only wait, and you wil see in your turn how his mighty power wil torment you and your descendants.'
18 Post hunc ducebant sextum, et is mori incipiens ait: “ Nolifrustra errare; nos enim propter nosmetipsos haec patimur peccantes in Deumnostrum, et digna admiratione facta sunt in nobis:	18 After him, they led out the sixth, and his dying words were these, 'Do not delude yourself: we aresuffering like this through our own fault, having sinned against our own God; hence, appal ing things havebefal en us-
19 tu autem ne existimes tibiimpune futurum, quod contra Deum pugnare tentaveris ”.	19 but do not think you yourself wil go unpunished for attempting to make war on God.'
20 Supra modum autem mater mirabilis et bona memoria digna, quae pereuntesseptem filios sub unius diei tempore conspiciens bono animo ferebat propterspem, quam in Dominum habebat.	20 But the mother was especial y admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watchedthe death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and bravely endured it because of her hopes in the Lord.
21 Singulos illorum hortabatur voce patria, fortirepleta sensu et femineam cogitationem masculino excitans animo, dicens ad eos:	21 Indeed she encouraged each of them in their ancestral tongue; fil ed with noble conviction, shereinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them,
22 “ Nescio qualiter in utero meo apparuistis neque ego spiritum et vitamdonavi vobis et singulorum vestrorum compagem non sum ego modulata;	22 'I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, Ihad not the shaping of your every part.
23 sed enimmundi creator, qui formavit hominis nativitatem quique omnium invenit originem,et spiritum et vitam vobis iterum cum misericordia reddet, sicut nuncvosmetipsos despicitis propter leges eius ”.	23 And hence, the Creator of the world, who made everyone and ordained the origin of al things, wil inhis mercy give you back breath and life, since for the sake of his laws you have no concern for yourselves.'
24 Antiochus autem contemni searbitratus, simul et exprobrantem dedignans vocem, cum adhuc adulescentiorsuperesset, non solum verbis hortabatur, sed et cum iuramento affirmabat sedivitem simul et beatum facturum, translatum a patriis legibus, et amicumhabiturum et officia ei crediturum.	24 Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice; and as theyoungest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both richand happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his Friend and entrust himwith public office.
25 Sed ad haec cum adulescens nequaquamintenderet, vocavit rex matrem et suadebat ei, ut adulescenti fieret suasor insalutem.	25 The young man took no notice at al , and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her toadvise the youth to save his life.
26 Cum autem multis eam verbis esset hortatus, promisit suasuram sefilio.	26 After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son.
27 Itaque inclinata ad illum, irridens crudelem tyrannum sic ait patriavoce: “ Fili, miserere mei, quae te in utero novem mensibus portavi et lactriennio dedi et alui et in aetatem istam perduxi et nutricem me tibi exhibui.	27 Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in their ancestral tongue, 'Myson, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and rearedyou to the age you are now, and provided for you.
28 Peto, nate, ut aspicias ad caelum et terram et quae in ipsis sunt, universavidens intellegas quia non ex his, quae erant, fecit illa Deus; et hominum genusita fit.	28 I implore you, my child, look at the earth and sky and everything in them, and consider how God madethem out of what did not exist, and that human beings come into being in the same way.
29 Ne timeas carnificem istum, sed dignus fratribus tuis effectussuscipe mortem, ut in illa miseratione cum fratribus tuis te recipiam ”.	29 Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that Imay receive you back with them in the day of mercy.'
30 Cum haec illa adhuc diceret, ait adulescens: “ Quem sustinetis? Non oboediopraecepto regis, sed obtempero praecepto legis, quae data est patribus nostrisper Moysen.	30 She had hardly finished, when the young man said, 'What are you all waiting for? I wil not complywith the king's ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses.
31 Tu vero, qui inventor omnis malitiae factus es in Hebraeos, noneffugies manus Dei.	31 As for you, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you wil certainly not escapethe hands of God.
32 Nos enim pro peccatis nostris haec patimur;	32 We are suffering for our own sins;
33 et sinobis propter increpationem et correptionem ille vivens Dominus noster modicumiratus est, sed iterum reconciliabitur servis suis.	33 and if, to punish and discipline us, our living Lord is briefly angry with us, he wil be reconciled with usin due course.
34 Tu autem, o sceleste etomnium hominum flagitiosissime, noli frustra extolli elatus vanis spebus, infilios caeli levata manu;	34 But you, unholy wretch and wickedest of vil ains, what cause have you for pride, nourishing vainhopes and raising your hand against his servants? -
35 nondum enim omnipotentis atque intuitoris Deiiudicium effugisti.	35 for you have not yet escaped the judgement of God the almighty, the al -seeing.
36 Nam fratres nostri, modico nunc dolore sustentato, subDei testamentum aeternae vitae reciderunt; tu vero iudicio Dei iustas superbiaetuae poenas exsolves.	36 Our brothers, having endured brief pain, for the sake of ever-flowing life have died for the covenant ofGod, while you, by God's judgement, wil have to pay the just penalty for your arrogance.
37 Ego autem, sicut et fratres mei, et corpus et animamtrado pro patriis legibus, invocans Deum maturius genti nostrae propitium fieri,teque cum tormentis et verberibus confiteri quod ipse est Deus solus;	37 I too, like my brothers, surrender my body and life for the laws of my ancestors, begging God quicklyto take pity on our nation, and by trials and afflictions to bring you to confess that he alone is God,
38 in mevero et in fratribus meis restitit Omnipotentis ira, quae super omne genusnostrum iuste superducta est ”.	38 so that with my brothers and myself there may be an end to the wrath of the Almighty, rightly let looseon our whole nation.'
39 Tunc rex accensus ira in hunc super omnescrudelius desaevit, indigne ferens se derisum.	39 The king fel into a rage and treated this one more cruel y than the others, for he was himself smartingfrom the young man's scorn.
40 Et hic itaque mundus obiit peromnia in Domino confidens.	40 And so the last brother met his end undefiled and with perfect trust in the Lord.
41 Novissima autem post filios et mater consumptaest.	41 The mother was the last to die, after her sons.
42 Igitur de sacrificiis et de nimiis crudelitatibus satis sit dictum.	42 But let this be sufficient account of the ritual meals and monstrous tortures.