| 1 Por essa mesma ocasião, voltava Antíoco da Pérsia, coberto de vergonha. | 1 About that time, as it happened, Antiochus had retreated in disorder from the region of Persia. |
| 2 Pois, entrando na cidade que se chamava Persépolis, ele havia tentado saquear o templo e apoderar-se da cidade. O povo, porém, se revoltou e pegou em armas, para defender-se. Com isso, Antíoco viu-se forçado pelos habitantes dessa região a começar uma retirada humilhante. | 2 For he had entered the city called Persepolis, and attempted to rob the temples and control the city. Therefore the people rushed to the rescue with arms, and Antiochus and his men were defeated, with the result that Antiochus was put to flight by the inhabitants and beat a shameful retreat. |
| 3 Encontrando-se perto de Ecbátana, soube da derrota de Nicanor e do exército de Timóteo. | 3 While he was in Ecbatana, news came to him of what had happened to Nicanor and the forces of Timothy. |
| 4 Num arroubo de cólera, resolveu desforrar imediatamente nos judeus o mal que lhe haviam feito os que o tinham obrigado a fugir. Deu ordem ao condutor de seu carro de prosseguir sem parar, a fim de conseguir o mais depressa possível seu intento. Na realidade, a sentença do céu já havia caído sobre ele. Exclamava com presunção: “Assim que chegar, farei de Jerusalém o sepulcro dos judeus”. | 4 Transported with rage, he conceived the idea of turning upon the Jews the injury done by those who had put him to flight; so he ordered his charioteer to drive without stopping until he completed the journey. But the judgment of heaven rode with him! For in his arrogance he said, "When I get there I will make Jerusalem a cemetery of Jews." |
| 5 Mas o Senhor, Deus de Israel, que tudo vê, feriu-o com um mal implacável e misterioso. Mal acabara de pronunciar essas palavras, aconteceu que ele foi assaltado por atrozes dores nas entranhas e agudos tormentos no interior. | 5 But the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him an incurable and unseen blow. As soon as he ceased speaking he was seized with a pain in his bowels for which there was no relief and with sharp internal tortures-- |
| 6 E era muito justo, pois ele mesmo havia rasgado as entranhas aos outros por inauditos tormentos! | 6 and that very justly, for he had tortured the bowels of others with many and strange inflictions. |
| 7 Todavia, em nada desistiu da sua arrogância. Pelo contrário, sempre cheio de soberba, exalava contra os judeus o fogo de sua cólera e ordenava que se apressasse a caminhada. Repentinamente, caiu da carroça, arrancado pela violência da corrida. Na queda fatal, quebrou todos os membros. | 7 Yet he did not in any way stop his insolence, but was even more filled with arrogance, breathing fire in his rage against the Jews, and giving orders to hasten the journey. And so it came about that he fell out of his chariot as it was rushing along, and the fall was so hard as to torture every limb of his body. |
| 8 O homem que, pouco antes, julgando-se acima da natureza humana, pensava poder dominar as frotas do mar e pesar as montanhas nos pratos de sua balança, ei-lo agora estendido sobre a terra, em seguida levado numa liteira, provando assim aos olhos de todos o poder de Deus. | 8 Thus he who had just been thinking that he could command the waves of the sea, in his superhuman arrogance, and imagining that he could weigh the high mountains in a balance, was brought down to earth and carried in a litter, making the power of God manifest to all. |
| 9 Chegou a tal ponto que o corpo vivo do ímpio fervilhava de vermes e as carnes se soltavam em pedaços entre dores atrozes. O mau cheiro da podridão, que enchia o ar, causava náuseas ao exército. | 9 And so the ungodly man's body swarmed with worms, and while he was still living in anguish and pain, his flesh rotted away, and because of his stench the whole army felt revulsion at his decay. |
| 10 Aquele que até há pouco sonhava tocar os astros do céu, agora ninguém podia suportá-lo por causa do mau cheiro que dele saía! | 10 Because of his intolerable stench no one was able to carry the man who a little while before had thought that he could touch the stars of heaven. |
| 11 Foi então que, derribado, ele começou a perder o orgulho excessivo e a compreender melhor, torturado sob os castigos de Deus pelos constantes sofrimentos. | 11 Then it was that, broken in spirit, he began to lose much of his arrogance and to come to his senses under the scourge of God, for he was tortured with pain every moment. |
| 12 Incapaz de suportar sua própria infecção: “É justo – disse ele – submeter-se a Deus e, como simples mortal, não se querer igualar a ele”. | 12 And when he could not endure his own stench, he uttered these words: "It is right to be subject to God, and no mortal should think that he is equal to God." |
| 13 O celerado rezava ao Senhor, de quem não haveria de receber compaixão. | 13 Then the abominable fellow made a vow to the Lord, who would no longer have mercy on him, stating |
| 14 Prometia dar a liberdade à cidade santa, para a qual ele se encaminhava, a fim de arrasá-la e fazer dela um sepulcro. | 14 that the holy city, which he was hastening to level to the ground and to make a cemetery, he was now declaring to be free; |
| 15 Dizia ele que tornaria iguais aos atenienses todos os judeus que havia julgado indignos de sepultura e bons para serem atirados com seus filhos às aves do céu e aos animais selvagens como pasto.* | 15 and the Jews, whom he had not considered worth burying but had planned to throw out with their children to the beasts, for the birds to pick, he would make, all of them, equal to citizens of Athens; |
| 16 Ornaria com ricas prendas aquele templo que havia despojado antes, restituiria multiplicados os vasos sagrados, proveria com suas próprias rendas todas as despesas necessárias para os sacrifícios. | 16 and the holy sanctuary, which he had formerly plundered, he would adorn with the finest offerings; and the holy vessels he would give back, all of them, many times over; and the expenses incurred for the sacrifices he would provide from his own revenues; |
| 17 Além disso, ele mesmo se tornaria judeu e percorreria todos os lugares habitados, proclamando o poder de Deus. | 17 and in addition to all this he also would become a Jew and would visit every inhabited place to proclaim the power of God. |
| 18 Mas suas dores não se atenuavam porque o justo castigo de Deus pesava sobre ele. Então, desesperado em vista de seu estado, escreveu aos judeus a seguinte carta, verdadeira súplica, assim exarada: | 18 But when his sufferings did not in any way abate, for the judgment of God had justly come upon him, he gave up all hope for himself and wrote to the Jews the following letter, in the form of a supplication. This was its content: |
| 19 “Aos dedicados súditos judeus, saudações, bem-estar e felicidade, da parte de Antíoco, rei e chefe do exército! | 19 "To his worthy Jewish citizens, Antiochus their king and general sends hearty greetings and good wishes for their health and prosperity. |
| 20 Se vós e vossos filhos passais bem e se vos sucedem todas as coisas como desejais, agradeço a Deus, em quem ponho minha esperança. | 20 If you and your children are well and your affairs are as you wish, I am glad. As my hope is in heaven, |
| 21 Quanto a mim, estou prostrado pela doença, mas me lembro com prazer dos vossos sentimentos de respeito e da benevolência para comigo. Ao voltar das regiões da Pérsia, surpreendido por um mal cruel, julguei necessário providenciar a segurança de todos. | 21 I remember with affection your esteem and good will. On my way back from the region of Persia I suffered an annoying illness, and I have deemed it necessary to take thought for the general security of all. |
| 22 Não que me desespere de meu estado, ao contrário, tenho a firme esperança de restabelecer-me desta enfermidade. | 22 I do not despair of my condition, for I have good hope of recovering from my illness, |
| 23 Todavia, me lembro de que meu pai designava seu sucessor cada vez que partia em expedição às províncias superiores. | 23 but I observed that my father, on the occasions when he made expeditions into the upper country, appointed his successor, |
| 24 Ele queria que no caso de uma desgraça ou má notícia, os habitantes do país não se perturbassem, uma vez que soubessem a quem confiar os negócios. | 24 so that, if anything unexpected happened or any unwelcome news came, the people throughout the realm would not be troubled, for they would know to whom the government was left. |
| 25 Eu sei, ademais, que os príncipes que me rodeiam e os vizinhos do reino estão de atalaia e espreitam os acontecimentos; por isso, já designei meu filho Antíoco para rei, a quem, em outras ocasiões, confiei e recomendei a maior parte de vós, quando partia para outras terras. A ele escrevi a carta abaixo transcrita: | 25 Moreover, I understand how the princes along the borders and the neighbors to my kingdom keep watching for opportunities and waiting to see what will happen. So I have appointed my son Antiochus to be king, whom I have often entrusted and commended to most of you when I hastened off to the upper provinces; and I have written to him what is written here. |
| 26 Rogo-vos, portanto, e peço que, em memória de meus benefícios para convosco, tanto gerais, como particulares, tenhais para com meu filho a mesma benevolência que para comigo, | 26 I therefore urge and beseech you to remember the public and private services rendered to you and to maintain your present good will, each of you, toward me and my son. |
| 27 pois estou convencido de que ele seguirá minhas intenções e agirá convosco com moderação e humanidade”. | 27 For I am sure that he will follow my policy and will treat you with moderation and kindness." |
| 28 Assim, esse carrasco e blasfemador pereceu miseravelmente, distante, nas montanhas, em meio àqueles sofrimentos que ele mesmo havia infligido aos outros. | 28 So the murderer and blasphemer, having endured the more intense suffering, such as he had inflicted on others, came to the end of his life by a most pitiable fate, among the mountains in a strange land. |
| 29 Filipe, seu amigo de infância, trasladou seu corpo. Em seguida, partiu para o Egito, para junto de Ptolomeu Filométor, para escapar ao filho de Antíoco.* | 29 And Philip, one of his courtiers, took his body home; then, fearing the son of Antiochus, he betook himself to Ptolemy Philometor in Egypt. |
