top 4 Maccabees ch 8

Chapter 8

Verses: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]
1 διὰ τοῦτό γέ τοι καὶ μειρακίσκοι τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας λογισμῷ φιλοσοφοῦντες χαλεπωτέρων βασανιστηρίων ἐπεκράτησαν. 1 Whence it is, that even boys, imbued with the philosophy of religious reasoning, have conquered still more bitter tortures:
2 ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην πεῖραν ἐνικήθη περιφανῶς ὁ τύραννος μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἀναγκάσαι γέροντα μιαροφαγῆσαι, τότε δὴ σφόδρα περιπαθῶς ἐκέλευσεν ἄλλους ἐκ τῆς λείας τῶν Ἑβραίων ἀγαγεῖν, καὶ εἰ μὲν μιαροφαγήσαιεν, ἀπολύειν φαγόντας, εἰ δ᾿ ἀντιλέγοιεν, πικρότερον βασανίζειν. 2 for when the tyrant was manifestly vanquished in his first attempt, in being unable to force the old man to eat the unclean thing, then, indeed, vehemently swayed with passion, he commanded to bring others of the adult Hebrews, and if they would eat of the unclean thing, to let them go when they had eaten; but if they objected, to torment them more grievously.
3 ταῦτα διαταξαμένου τοῦ τυράννου, παρῆσαν ἀγομένην μετὰ γεραιᾶς μητρὸς ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ καλοί τε καὶ αἰδήμονες καὶ γενναῖοι καὶ ἐν παντὶ χαρίεντες. 3 The tyrant having given this charge, seven brethren were brought into his presence, along with their aged mother, handsome, and modest, and well-born, and altogether comely.
4 οὓς ἰδὼν ὁ τύραννος καθάπερ ἐν χορῷ μέσην τὴν μητέρα περιέχοντας ἥσθετο ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς καὶ τῆς εὐπρεπείας ἐκπλαγεὶς καὶ τῆς εὐγενείας προσεμειδίασεν αὐτοῖς καὶ πλησίον καλέσας ἔφη 4 Whom, when the tyrant beheld, encircling their mother as in a dance, he was pleased at them; and being struck with their becoming and ingenuous mien, smiled upon them, and calling them near, said:
5 ὦ νεανίαι, φιλοφρόνως ἐγὼ καθ᾿ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου ὑμῶν θαυμάζω, τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τοσούτων ἀδελφῶν ὑπερτιμῶν οὐ μόνον συμβουλεύω μὴ μανῆναι τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ προβασανισθέντι γέροντι μανίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρακαλῶ συνείξαντάς μοι τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπολαύειν φιλίας· 5 O youths, with favourable feelings, I admire the beauty of each of you; and greatly honouring so numerous a band of brethren, I not only counsel you not to share the madness of the old man who has been tortured before, but I do beg you to yield, and to enjoy my friendship;
6 δυναίμην δ᾿ ἄν ὥσπερ κολάζειν τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντάς μου τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασιν, οὕτω καὶ εὐεργετεῖν τοὺς εὐπειθοῦντάς μοι. 6 for I possess the power, not only of punishing those who disobey my commands, but of doing good to those who obey them.
7 πιστεύσατε οὖν καὶ ἀρχὰς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐμῶν πραγμάτων ἡγεμονικὰς λήμψεσθε ἀρνησάμενοι τὸν πάτριον ὑμῶν τῆς πολιτείας θεσμόν· 7 Put confidence in me, then, and you shall receive places of authority in my government, if you forsake your national ordinance,
8 καὶ μεταλαβόντες Ἐλληνικοῦ βίου καὶ μεταδιαιτηθέντες ἐντρυφήσατε ταῖς νεότησιν ὑμῶν· 8 and, conforming to the Greek mode of life, alter your rule, and revel in youth’s delights.
9 ἐπεί, ἐὰν ὀργίλως με διάθησθε διὰ τῆς ἀπειθείας, ἀναγκάσετέ με ἐπὶ δειναῖς κολάσεσιν ἕνα ἕκαστον ὑμῶν διὰ τῶν βασάνων ἀπολέσαι. 9 For if you provoke me by your disobedience, you will compel me to destroy you, every one, with terrible punishments by tortures.
10 κατελεήσατε οὖν ἑαυτούς, οὓς καὶ ὁ πολέμιος ἔγωγε καὶ τῆς ἡλικίας καὶ τῆς εὐμορφίας οἰκτίρομαι. 10 Have mercy, then, upon your own selves, whom I, although an enemy, compassionate for your age and comeliness.
11 οὐ διαλογιεῖσθε τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ἀπειθήσασιν πλὴν τοῦ μετὰ στρεβλῶν ἀποθανεῖν ἀπόκειται; 11 Will you not reason upon this—that if you disobey, there will be nothing left for you but to die in tortures?
12 ταῦτα δὲ λέγων ἐκέλευσεν εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν τιθέναι τὰ βασανιστήρια, ὅπως καὶ διὰ τοῦ φόβου πείσειεν αὐτοὺς μιαροφαγῆσαι. 12 Thus speaking, he ordered the instruments of torture to be brought forward, that very fear might prevail upon them to eat unclean meat.
13 ὡς δὲ τροχούς τε καὶ ἀρθρέμβολα, στρεβλωτήριά τε καὶ τροχαντῆρας καὶ καταπέλτας καὶ λέβητας, τήγανά τε καὶ δακτυλήθρας καὶ χεῖρας σιδηρᾶς καὶ σφῆνας καὶ τὰ ζώπυρα τοῦ πυρὸς οἱ δορυφόροι προέθεσαν, ὑπολαβὼν ὁ τύραννος ἔφη 13 And when the spearman brought forward the wheels, and the racks, and the hooks, and catapultae, and caldrons, pans, and finger-racks, and iron hands and wedges, and bellows, the tyrant continue:
14 μειράκια, φοβήθητε, καὶ ἣν σέβεσθε δίκην, ἵλεως ὑμῖν ἔσται δι᾿ ἀνάγκην παρανομήσασιν. 14 Fear, young men, and the righteousness which ye worship will be merciful to you if you err from compulsion.
15 οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐπαγωγὰ καὶ ὁρῶντες δεινὰ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐφοβήθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντεφιλοσόφησαν τῷ τυράννῳ καὶ διὰ τῆς εὐλογιστίας τὴν τυραννίδα αὐτοῦ κατέλυσαν. 15 Now they having listened to these words of persuasion, and seeing the fearful instruments, not only were not afraid, but even answered the arguments of the tyrant, and through their good reasoning destroyed his power.
16 καίτοι λογισώμεθα, εἰ δειλόψυχοί τινες ἦσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἄνανδροι, ποίοις ἄν ἐχρήσαντο λόγοις; οὐχὶ τούτοις; 16 Now let us consider the matter: had any of them been weak-spirited and cowardly among them, what reasonings would they have employed but these?
17 ὦ τάλανες ἡμεῖς καὶ λίαν ἀνόητοι· βασιλέως ἡμᾶς καλοῦντος καὶ ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ παρακαλοῦντος, εἰ πεισθείημεν αὐτῷ, 17 O wretched that we are, and exceeding senseless! when the king exhorts us, and calls us to his bounty, should we not obey him?
18 τί βουλήμασιν κενοῖς ἑαυτοὺς εὐφραίνομεν καὶ θανατηφόρον ἀπείθειαν τολμῶμεν; 18 Why do we cheer ourselves with vain counsels, and venture upon a disobedience bringing death?
19 οὐ φοβηθησόμεθα, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, τὰ βασανιστήρια καὶ λογιούμεθα τὰς τῶν βασάνων ἀπειλὰς καὶ φευξόμεθα τὴν κενοδοξίαν ταύτην καὶ ὀλεθροφόρον ἀλαζονείαν; 19 Shall we not fear, O brethren, the instruments of torture and weigh the threatenings of torment and shun this vain-glory and destructive pride?
20 ἐλεήσωμεν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἡλικίας καὶ κατοικτίρωμεν τὸ τῆς μητρὸς γῆρας 20 Let us have compassion upon our age and relent over the years of our mother.
21 καὶ ἐνθυμηθῶμεν ὅτι ἀπειθοῦντες τεθνηξόμεθα. 21 And let us bear in mind that we shall be dying as rebels.
22 συγγνώσεται δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ ἡ θεία δίκη δι᾿ ἀνάγκην τὸν βασιλέα φοβηθεῖσιν. 22 And Divine Justice will pardon us if we fear the king through necessity.
23 τί ἐξάγομεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῦ ἡδίστου βίου καὶ ἀποστεροῦμεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῦ γλυκέος κόσμου; 23 Why withdraw ourselves from a most sweet life, and deprive ourselves of this pleasant world?
24 μὴ βιαζώμεθα τὴν ἀνάγκην μηδὲ κενοδοξήσωμεν ἐπὶ τῇ ἑαυτῶν στρέβλῃ. 24 Let us not oppose necessity, nor seek vain-glory by our own excruciation.
25 οὐδ᾿ αὐτὸς ὁ νόμος ἑκουσίως ἡμᾶς θανατοῖ φοβηθέντας τὰ βασανιστήρια. 25 The law itself is not forward to put us to death, if we dread torture.
26 πόθεν ἡμῖν ἡ τοσαύτη ἐντέτηκε φιλονεικία καὶ ἡ θανατηφόρος ἀρέσκει καρτερία, παρὸν μετὰ ἀταραξίας ζῆν τῷ βασιλεῖ πεισθέντας; 26 Whence has such angry zeal taken root in us, and such fatal obstinacy approved itself to us, when we might live unmolested by the king?
27 ἀλλὰ τούτων οὐδὲν εἶπον οἱ νεανίαι βασανίζεσθαι μέλλοντες οὐδὲ ἐνεθυμήθησαν. 27 But nothing of this kind did the young men say or think when about to be tortured.
28 ἦσαν γὰρ περίφρονες τῶν παθῶν καὶ αὐτοκράτορες τῶν ἀλγηδόνων, 28 For they were well aware of the sufferings, and masters of the pains.
29 ὥστε ἅμα τῷ παύσασθαι τὸν τύραννον συμβουλεύοντα αὐτοῖς μιαροφαγῆσαι, πάντες διὰ μιᾶς φωνῆς ὁμοῦ ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ψυχῆς εἶπον 29 So that as soon as the tyrant had ceased counseling them to eat the unclean, they altogether with one voice, as from the same heart said: