Chapter 55
Examples of love
| 1 Ἵνα δὲ καὶ ὑποδείγματα ἐθνῶν ἐνέγκωμεν. πολλοὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ ἡγούμενοι, λοιμικοῦ τινος ἐνστάντος καιροῦ, χρησμοδοτηθέντες παρέδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς θάνατον, ἵνα ῥύσωνται διὰ τοῦ ἑαυτῶν αἵματος τοὺς πολίτας· πολλοὶ ἐξεχώρησαν ἰδίων πόλεων, ἵνα μὴ στασιάζωσιν ἐπὶ πλεῖον. | Okay, let's bring forward some examples of the Gentiles, too. In a time of pestilence, many kings and rulers, having followed the advice of oracles, have given up themselves to death in order that they might rescue their citizens through their own blood. Many have left their own cities so that there might be no more rebellion. |
| 2 ἐπιστάμεθα πολλοὺς ἐν ἡμῖν παραδεδωκότας ἑαυτοὺς εἰς δεσμά, ὅπως ἑτέρους λυτρώσονται· πολλοὶ ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν εἰς δουλείαν, καὶ λαβόντες τὰς τιμὰς αὐτῶν ἑτέρους ἐψώμισαν. |
We know that many among us have surrendered themselves to prison chains in order to ransom others.
Many have sold themselves into slavery, and with the money they received for themselves, they have fed others. |
| 3 πολλαὶ γυναῖκες ἐνδυναμωθεῖσαι διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπετελέσαντο πολλὰ ἀνδρεῖα. | Many women, having been strengthened by the grace of God, have performed many manly deeds. |
| 4 Ἰουδὶθ ἡ μακαρία, ἐν συγκλεισμῷ οὔσης τῆς πόλεως, ᾐτήσατο παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐαθῆναι αὐτὴν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων. | When the city was under siege, blessed Judith asked the elders that she might be permitted to go into the enemy's camp. |
| 5 παραδοῦσα οὖν ἑαυτὴν τῷ κινδύνῳ ἐξῆλθεν δι᾿ ἀγάπην τῆς πατρίδος καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ὄντος ἐν συγκλεισμῷ, καὶ παρέδωκεν κύριος Ὀλοφέρνην ἐν χειρὶ θηλείας. | So she gave herself up to danger and went forth because of her love for her country and its people who were under siege. And the Lord delivered Holophernes into the hand of a woman. |
| 6 οὐχ ἧττον[1] καὶ ἡ τελεία κατὰ πίστιν Ἐσθὴρ κινδύνῳ ἑαυτὴν παρέβαλεν, ἵνα τὸ ἔθνος[2] τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ μέλλον ἀπολέσθαι ῥύσηται· διὰ γὰρ τῆς νηστείας καὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεως αὐτῆς ἠξίωσεν τὸν παντεπόπτην δεσπότην[3] τῶν αἰώνων· ὃς ἰδὼν τὸ ταπεινὸν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς ἐρύσατο τὸν λαόν ὧν χάριν ἐκινδύνευσεν. | The danger wasn't less that Esther also faced. In perfect faith, she endangered herself so that she might deliver the twelve tribes of Israel when they were about to perish. For through her fasting and humiliation, she prayed to the all-seeing Master, the God of the ages. When He saw the humility of her soul, He delivered the people for her sake in facing danger. |
[2] Alt. text: δωδεκάφυλον. ⇧