top 4 Maccabees ch 12

Chapter 12

Verses: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]
1 Ὡς δὲ καὶ οὗτος ἀπέθανεν καταβληθεὶς εἰς λέβητα, ὁ ἕβδομος παρεγίνετο πάντων νεώτερος. 1 When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the caldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward:
2 ὃν κατοικτίρας ὁ τύραννος, καίπερ δεινῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κακισθείς, ὁρῶν ἤδη τὰ δεσμὰ περικείμενα 2 whom the tyrant pitying, though he had been dreadfully reproached by his brethren,
3 πλησιέστερον αὐτὸν μετεπέμψατο καὶ παρηγορεῖν ἐπειρᾶτο λέγων· 3 seeing him already encompassed with chains, had him brought nearer, and endeavoured to counsel him, saying,
4 τῆς μὲν τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ἀπονοίας τὸ τέλος ὁρᾷς· διὰ γὰρ ἀπείθειαν στρεβλωθέντες τεθνᾶσιν. 4 Thou seest the end of the madness of thy brethren: for they have died to torture through disobedience; and you, if disobedient, having been miserably tormented, will yourself perish prematurely.
5 σὺ δὲ εἰ μὲν μὴ πεισθείης, τάλας βασανισθεὶς καὶ αὐτὸς τεθνήξῃ πρὸ ὥρας, 5 But if you obey, you shall be my friend, and have a charge over the affairs of the kingdom.
6 πεισθεὶς δὲ φίλος ἔσῃ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀφηγήσῃ πραγμάτων. 6 And having thus exhorted him, he sent for the mother of the boy; that, by condoling with her for the loss of so many sons, he might incline her, through the hope of safety, to render the survivor obedient.
7 καὶ ταῦτα παρακαλῶν τὴν μητέρα τοῦ παιδὸς μετεπέμψατο, ὅπως αὐτὴν ἐλεήσας τοσούτων υἱῶν στερηθεῖσαν παρορμήσειεν ἐπὶ τὴν σωτήριον εὐπείθειαν τὸν περιλειπόμενον. 7 And he, after his mother had urged him on in the Hebrew tongue, (as we shall soon relate) saith,
8 ὁ δὲ τῆς μητρὸς τῇ Ἑβραΐδι φωνῇ προτρεψαμένης αὐτόν, ὡς ἐροῦμεν μετὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον, 8 Release me that I may speak to the king and all his friends.
9 λύσατέ μέ φησιν, εἴπω τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φίλοις πᾶσιν. 9 And they, rejoicing exceedingly at the promise of the youth, quickly let him go.
10 καὶ ἐπιχαρέντες μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ παιδὸς ταχέως ἔλυσαν αὐτόν. 10 And he, running up to the pans, said,
11 καὶ δραμὼν ἐπὶ πλησίον τῶν τηγάνων 11 Impious tyrant, and most blasphemous man, wert thou not ashamed, having received prosperity and a kingdom from God, to slay His servants, and to rack the doers of godliness?
12 ἀνόσιέ, φησιν, καὶ πάντων πονηρῶν ἀσεβέστατε τύραννε, οὐκ ᾐδέσθης παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λαβὼν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοὺς θεράποντας αὐτοῦ κατακτεῖναι καὶ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀσκητὰς στρεβλῶσαι; 12 Wherefore the divine vengeance is reserving thee for eternal fire and torments, which shall cling to thee for all time.
13 ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ταμιεύσεταί σὲ ἡ δίκη πυκνοτέρῳ καὶ αἰωνίῳ πυρὶ καὶ βασάνοις, αἳ εἰς ὅλον τὸν αἰῶνα οὐκ ἀνήσουσίν σὲ. 13 Wert thou not ashamed, man as thou art, yet most savage, to cut out the tongues of men of like feeling and origin, and having thus abused to torture them?
14 οὐκ ᾐδέσθης ἄνθρωπος ὤν, θηριωδέστατε, τοὺς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς καὶ ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν γεγονότας στοιχείων γλωττοτομῆσαι καὶ τοῦτον καταικίσας τὸν τρόπον βασανίσαι. 14 But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion towards God.
15 ἀλλ᾿ οἱ μὲν εὐγενῶς ἀποθανόντες ἐπλήρωσαν τὴν εἰς τὸν θεὸν εὐσέβειαν, σὺ δὲ κακῶς οἰμώξεις τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγωνιστὰς ἀναιτίως ἀποκτεῖνας. 15 But thou shalt groan according to thy deserts for having slain without cause the champions of virtue.
16 ὅθεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀποθνῄσκειν μέλλων ἔφη 16 Wherefore, he continued, I myself, being about to die,
17 οὐκ ἀπαυτομολῶ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου ἀριστείας· 17 will not forsake my brethren.
18 ἐπικαλοῦμαι δὲ τὸν πατρῷον θεὸν ὅπως ἵλεως γένηται τῷ ἔθνει ἡμῶν. 18 And I call upon the God of my fathers to be merciful to my race.
19 σὲ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν βίῳ καὶ θανόντα τιμωρήσεται. 19 But thee, both living and dead, he will punish.
20 καὶ ταῦτα κατευξάμενος ἑαυτὸν ἔρριψε κατὰ τῶν τηγάνων, καὶ οὕτως ἀπέδωκεν. 20 Thus having prayed, he hurled himself into the pans; and so expired.