Secondo libro dei Maccabei 9

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Eodem autem tempore Anti ochus inhoneste revertebatur de regionibus circaPersidem.	1 At about the same time, Antiochus was beating a disorderly retreat from Persia.
2 Intraverat enim in eam, quae dicitur Persepolis, et tentavitexspoliare templum et civitatem opprimere; quapropter, multitudine ad armorumauxilium concurrente, in fugam versi sunt; et contigit ut Antiochus in fugamversus ab indigenis turpiter rediret.	2 He had entered the city cal ed Persepolis, planning to rob the temple and occupy the city; but thepopulation at once sprang to arms to defend themselves, with the result that Antiochus was routed by theinhabitants and forced to beat a humiliating retreat.
3 Et cum esset circa Ecbatana, nuntiatasunt ea, quae erga Nicanorem et Timotheum gesta sunt.	3 On his arrival in Ecbatana he learned what had happened to Nicanor and to Timotheus' forces.
4 Elatus autem iraarbitrabatur se etiam iniuriam illorum, qui se fugaverant, in Iudaeosretorquere; ideoque iussit, ut auriga sine intermissione iter perficeret,caelesti iam eum comitante iudicio. Ita enim superbe locutus erat: “ Congeriemsepulcri Iudaeorum Hierosolymam faciam, cum venero illo ”.	4 Flying into a passion, he resolved to make the Jews pay for the disgrace inflicted by those who hadrouted him, and with this in mind he ordered his charioteer to drive without stopping and get the journey over.But the sentence of Heaven was already hanging over him. In his pride, he had said, 'When I reach Jerusalem, Ishall turn it into a mass grave for the Jews.'
5 Sed qui universa conspicit, Dominus, Deus Israel, percussit eum insanabili etinvisibili plaga; et continuo ut is finivit sermonem, apprehendit eum dolordirus viscerum et amara internorum tormenta,	5 But the al -seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with an incurable and unseen complaint. Thewords were hardly out of his mouth when he was seized with an incurable pain in his bowels and withexcruciating internal torture;
6 perquam iuste, quippe qui multiset novis cruciatibus aliorum torserat viscera.	6 and this was only right, since he had inflicted many barbaric tortures on the bowels of others.
7 Ille vero nullo modo abarrogantia cessabat; super hoc autem superbia repletus erat, ignem spirans animoin Iudaeos et praecipiens iter accelerari. Contigit autem, ut et ille caderet decurru, qui ferebatur impetu, et gravi lapsu corruens in omnibus corporis membrisvexaretur.	7 Even so, he in no way diminished his arrogance; stil bursting with pride, breathing fire in his wrathagainst the Jews, he was in the act of ordering an even keener pace when the chariot gave a sudden lurch andout he fel and, in this serious fal , was dragged along, every joint of his body wrenched out of place.
8 Isque, qui nuper videbatur fluctibus maris imperare propter superhominem iactantiam et in statera montium altitudines appendere, humiliatus adterram in gestatorio portabatur manifestam Dei virtutem omnibus ostendens,	8 He who only a little while before had thought in his superhuman boastfulness he could command thewaves of the sea, he who had imagined he could weigh mountain peaks in a balance, found himself flat on theground and then being carried in a litter, a visible demonstration to al of the power of God,
9 itaut de oculis impii vermes scaturirent, ac viventis in doloribus et maeroribuscarnes eius diffluerent, illiusque odore totus exercitus gravaretur propterputredinem.	9 in that the very eyes of this godless man teemed with worms and his flesh rotted away while helingered on in agonising pain, and the stench of his decay sickened the whole army.
10 Et qui paulo ante sidera caeli contingere se arbitrabatur, eumnemo poterat propter intolerabilem foetoris gravitatem portare.	10 A short while before, he had thought to grasp the stars of heaven; now no one could bring himself toact as his bearer, for the stench was intolerable.
11 Hinc igitur coepit multum superbiae deponere confractus et ad agnitionemvenire divina plaga, per momenta doloribus extensus.	11 Then and there, as a consequence, in his shattered state, he began to shed his excessive pride andcome to his senses under the divine lash, spasms of pain overtaking him.
12 Et, cum nec ipsefoetorem suum ferre posset, ita ait: “ Iustum est subditum esse Deo etmortalem non superbe sentire ”.	12 His stench being unbearable even to himself, he exclaimed, 'It is right to submit to God; no mortalshould aspire to equality with the Godhead.'
13 Orabat autem hic scelestus Dominum, ei nonamplius miserturum, ita dicens:	13 The wretch began to pray to the Master, who would never take pity on him now, declaring
14 sanctam quidem civitatem, ad quam festinansveniebat, ut eam solo aequalem faceret ac sepulcrum congestorum strueret,liberam ostendere;	14 that the holy city, towards which he had been speeding to rase it to the ground and turn it into a massgrave, should be declared free;
15 Iudaeos autem, quos decreverat nec sepultura quidem sedignos habiturum, sed avibus devorandos cum parvulis se feris proiecturum, omneshos aequales Atheniensibus facturum;	15 as for the Jews, whom he had considered as not even worth burying, so much carrion to be thrownout with their children for birds and beasts to prey on, he would give them al equal rights with the Athenians;
16 templum vero sanctum, quod priusexspoliaverat, pulcherrimis donis ornaturum et sacra vasa multiplicia cuncta seredditurum, et pertinentes ad sacrificia sumptus de redditibus suispraestaturum;	16 the holy Temple which he had once plundered he would now adorn with the finest offerings; he wouldrestore al the sacred vessels many times over; he would defray from his personal revenue the expensesincurred for the sacrifices;
17 super haec autem et Iudaeum se futurum et omnem locumhabitabilem perambulaturum praedicantem Dei potestatem.	17 and, to crown al , he would himself turn Jew and visit every inhabited place, proclaiming the power ofGod.
18 Sed omnino non cessantibus doloribus — supervenerat enim in eum iustum Deiiudicium — semetipsum desperans scripsit ad Iudaeos hanc infra rescriptamepistulam modum deprecationis habentem, haec continentem:	18 Finding no respite at al from his suffering, God's just sentence having overtaken him, he abandonedal hope for himself and wrote the Jews the letter transcribed below, which takes the form of an appeal in theseterms:
19 “ Optimis civibusIudaeis plurimam salutem et bene valere et esse felices, rex et dux Antiochus.	19 'To the excel ent Jews, to the citizens, Antiochus, king and commander-in-chief, sends heartygreetings, wishing them al health and prosperity.
20 Si bene valetis et filii vestri, et res vestrae ex sententia sunt vobis,precans refero quidem Deo maximam gratiam, in caelum spem habens;	20 'If you and your children are wel and your affairs as you would wish, we are profoundly thankful.
21 ego vero ininfirmitate constitutus eram, vestri autem honoris et benevolentiae memineramcum affectione. Reversus de Persidis locis et in infirmitatem incidens molestiamhabentem, necessarium duxi pro communi omnium securitate curam habere.	21 For my part, I cherish affectionate memories of you. 'On my return from the country of Persia I felseriously il , and thought it necessary to make provision for the common security of al .
22 Nondesperans memetipsum, sed spem multam habens effugiendi infirmitatem,	22 Not that I despair of my condition, for I have great hope of shaking off the malady,
23 respiciens autem quod et pater meus, quibus temporibus in superiora loca duxitexercitum, ostendit, qui susciperet principatum;	23 but considering how my father, whenever he was making an expedition into the uplands, woulddesignate his successor
24 ut, si quid contrariumaccideret aut etiam quid difficile nuntiaretur, scientes hi, qui circa regionemerant, cui esset rerum summa derelicta, non turbarentur.	24 so that, in case of any unforeseen event or disquieting rumour, the people of the provinces mightknow to whom he had left the conduct of affairs, and thus remain undisturbed;
25 Ad haec autemconsiderans de proximo potentes et vicinos regno temporibus insidiantes eteventum exspectantes, designavi filium Antiochum regem, quem saepe recurrens insuperiora regna plurimis vestrum committebam et commendabam; et scripsi ad eum,quae subiecta sunt.	25 furthermore, being wel aware that the sovereigns on our frontiers and the neighbours of our realm arewatching for opportunities and waiting to see what wil happen, I have designated as king my son Antiochus,whom I have more than once entrusted and commended to most of you when I was setting out for the uplandsatrapies; a transcript of my letter to him is appended hereto.
26 Oro itaque vos et peto memores beneficiorum publice etprivatim, ut unusquisque conservet hanc, quam habetis benevolentiam in me et infilium.	26 I therefore urge and require you, being mindful of the benefits both public and personal received fromme, that you each persist in those sentiments of goodwil that you harbour towards me.
27 Confido enim eum modeste et humane, sequentem propositum meum,vobiscum acturum ”.	27 I am confident that he wil pursue my own policy with benevolence and humanity, and wil proveaccommodating to your interests.'
28 Igitur homicida et blasphemus pessima perpessus, ut ipse alios tractaverat,peregre in montibus miserabili obitu vita functus est.	28 And so this murderer and blasphemer, having endured sufferings as terrible as those which he hadmade others endure, met his pitiable fate, and ended his life in the mountains far from his home.
29 Transferebat autemcorpus Philippus collactaneus eius, qui etiam metuens filium Antiochi adPtolemaeum Philometorem in Aegyptum se contulit.	29 His comrade Philip brought back his body, and then, fearing Antiochus' son, withdrew to Egypt, to thecourt of Ptolemy Philometor.