top 4 Maccabees ch 13

Chapter 13

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]
1 Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν τῶν μέχρι θανάτου πόνων ὑπερεφρόνησαν οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοί, συνομολογεῖται πανταχόθεν ὅτι αὐτοδέσποτός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός. 1 If then, the seven brethren despised troubles even unto death, it is confessed on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the passions.
2 εἰ γὰρ τοῖς πάθεσι δουλωθέντες ἐμιαροφάγησαν, ἐλέγομεν ἄν τούτοις αὐτοὺς νενικῆσθαι· 2 For just as if, had they as slaves to the passions, eaten of the unholy, we should have said that they had been conquered by the;
3 νυνὶ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐπαινουμένῳ παρὰ θεῷ λογισμῷ περιεγένοντο τῶν παθῶν, 3 now it is not so: but by means of the reasoning which is praised by God, they mastered their passions.
4 ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν παριδεῖν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῆς διανοίας, ἐπεκράτησαν γὰρ καὶ πάθους καὶ πόνων. 4 And it is impossible to overlook the leadership of reflection: for it gained the victory over both passions and troubles.
5 πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν τούτοις τὴν τῆς εὐλογιστίας παθοκράτειαν ὁμολογεῖν, οἳ τῶν μὲν διὰ πυρὸς ἀλγηδόνων οὐκ ἐπεστράφησαν; 5 How, then, can we avoid according to these men mastery of passion through right reasoning, since they drew not back from the pains of fire?
6 καθάπερ γὰρ προβλῆτες λιμένων πύργοι τὰς τῶν κυμάτων ἀπειλὰς ἀνακόπτοντες γαληνὸν παρέχουσι τοῖς εἰσπλέουσι τὸν ὅρμον, 6 For just as by means of towers projecting in front of harbours men break the threatening waves, and thus assure a still course to vessels entering port,
7 οὕτως ἡ ἑπτάπυργος τῶν νεανίσκων εὐλογιστία τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ὀχυρώσασα λιμένα τὴν τῶν παθῶν ἐνίκησεν ἀκολασίαν. 7 so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the intemperance of passions.
8 ἱερὸν γὰρ εὐσεβείας στήσαντες χορὸν παρεθάρσυνον ἀλλήλους λέγοντες 8 For having arranged a holy choir of piety, they encouraged one another, saying,
9 ἀδελφικῶς ἀποθάνωμεν, ἀδελφοί, περὶ τοῦ νόμου· μιμησώμεθα τοὺς τρεῖς τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀσσυρίας νεανίσκους, οἳ τῆς ἰσοπολίτιδος καμίνου κατεφρόνησαν. 9 Brothers, may we die brotherly for the law. Let us imitate the three young men in Assyria who despised the equally afflicting furnace.
10 μὴ δειλανδρήσωμεν πρὸς τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπίδειξιν. 10 Let us not be cowards in the manifestation of piety.
11 καὶ ὁ μέν θάρρει, ἀδελφέ ἔλεγεν, ὁ δέ εὐγενῶς καρτέρησον, 11 And one said, Courage, brother; and another, Nobly endure.
12 ὁ δὲ καταμνησθεὶς ἔλεγεν μνήσθητε πόθεν ἐστέ ἢ τίνος πατρὸς χειρὶ σφαγιασθῆναι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ὑπέμεινεν Ἰσαάκ. 12 And another, Remember of what stock ye are; and by the hand of our father Isaac endured to be slain for the sake of piety.
13 εἷς δὲ ἕκαστος ἀλλήλους ὁμοῦ πάντες ἐφορῶντες φαιδροὶ καὶ μάλα θαρραλέοι ἑαυτούς, ἔλεγον, τῷ θεῷ ἀφιερώσωμεν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας τῷ δόντι τὰς ψυχὰς καὶ χρήσωμεν τῇ περὶ τὸν νόμον φυλακῇ τὰ σώματα. 13 And one and all, looking on each other serene and confident, said, Let us sacrifice with all our heart our souls to God who gave them, and employ our bodies for the keeping of the law.
14 μὴ φοβηθῶμεν τὸν δοκοῦντα ἀποκτέννειν· 14 Let us not fear him who thinketh he killeth;
15 μέγας γὰρ ψυχῆς ἀγὼν καὶ κίνδυνος ἐν αἰωνίῳ βασάνῳ κείμενος τοῖς παραβᾶσι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ 15 for great is the trial of soul and danger of eternal torment laid up for those who transgress the commandment of God.
16 καθοπλισώμεθα τοιγαροῦν τὴν τοῦ θείου λογισμοῦ παθοκρατείαν. 16 Let us arm ourselves, therefore, in the abnegation of the divine reasoning.
17 οὕτω γὰρ θανόντας ἡμᾶς Ἁβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ὑποδέξονται καὶ πάντες οἱ πατέρες ἐπαινέσουσιν. 17 If we suffer thus, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob will receive us, and all the fathers will commend us.
18 καὶ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀποσπωμένων αὐτῶν ἀδελφῶν ἔλεγον οἱ περιλειπόμενοι μὴ καταισχύνῃς ἡμᾶς ἀδελφέ, μηδὲ ψεύσῃ τοὺς προαποθανόντας ἡμῶν ἀδελφούς. 18 And as each one of the brethren was haled away, the rest exclaimed, Disgrace us not, O brother, nor falsify those who died before you.
19 οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀδελφότητος φίλτρα, ἅπερ ἡ θεία καὶ πάνσοφος πρόνοια διὰ πατέρων τοῖς γεννωμένοις ἐμέρισεν καὶ διὰ τῆς μητρῴας φυτεύσασα γαστρός, 19 Now you are not ignorant of the charm of brotherhood, which the Divine and all wise Providence hath imparted through fathers to children, and hath engendered through the mother’s womb.
20 ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἴσον ἀδελφοὶ κατοικήσαντες χρόνον καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ πλασθέντες καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ αἵματος αὐξηθέντες καὶ διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ψυχῆς τελεσφορηθέντες 20 In which these brothers having remained an equal time, and having been formed for the same period, and been increased by the same blood, and having been perfected through the same principle of life,
21 καὶ διὰ τῶν ἴσων ἀποτεχθέντες χρόνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν γαλακτοποτοῦντες πηγῶν, ἀφ᾿ ὧν συντρέφονται ἐναγκαλισμάτων φιλάδελφοι ψυχαί· 21 and having been brought forth at equal intervals, and having sucked milk from the same fountains, hence their brotherly souls are reared up lovingly together;
22 καὶ αὔξονται σφοδρότερον διὰ συντροφίας καὶ τῆς καθ᾿ ἡμέραν συνηθείας καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παιδείας καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐν νόμῳ θεοῦ ἀσκήσεως. 22 and increase the more powerfully by reason of this simultaneous rearing, and by daily intercourse, and by other education, and exercise in the law of God.
23 οὕτως δὴ τοίνυν καθεστηκυίης συμπαθοῦς τῆς φιλαδελφίας οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ συμπαθέστερον ἔσχον πρὸς ἀλλήλους. 23 Brotherly love being thus sympathetically constituted, the seven brethren had a more sympathetic mutual harmony.
24 νόμῳ γὰρ τῷ αὐτῷ παιδευθέντες καὶ τὰς αὐτὰς ἐξασκήσαντες ἀρετὰς καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ συντραφέντες βίῳ μᾶλλον ἑαυτοὺς ἠγάπων. 24 For being educated in the same law, and practising the same virtues, and reared up in a just course of life, they increased this harmony with each other.
25 ἡ γὰρ ὁμοζηλία τῆς καλοκἀγαθίας ἐπέτεινεν αὐτῶν τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους εὔνοιαν καὶ ὁμόνοιαν· 25 For a like ardour for what is right and honourable increased their fellow-feeling towards each other.
26 σὺν γὰρ τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ ποθεινοτέραν αὑτοῖς κατεσκεύαζον τὴν φιλαδελφίαν. 26 For it acting along with religion, made their brotherly feeling more desirable to them.
27 ἀλλ᾿ ὅμως καίπερ τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῆς συνηθείας καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἠθῶν τὰ τῆς ἀδελφότητος αὐτοῖς φίλτρα συναυξόντων ἀνέσχοντο διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς οἱ ὑπολειπόμενοι, τοὺς καταικιζομένους ὁρῶντες μέχρι θανάτου βασανιζομένους, 27 And yet, although nature and intercourse and virtuous morals increased their brotherly love those who were left endured to behold their brethren, who were illused for their religion, tortured even unto death.