1 Maccabees 2

1In those days Mattathias, the son of John of the tribe of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, rose up from Jerusalem and settled in Modein.

ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἀνέστη Ματταθιας υἱὸς Ιωαννου τοῦ Συμεων ἱερεὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ιωαριβ ἀπὸ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν Μωδεϊν

2He had five sons: John, called Gaddi;

καὶ αὐτῷ υἱοὶ πέντε Ιωαννης ὁ ἐπικαλούμενος Γαδδι

3Simon, called Thassi;

Σιμων ὁ καλούμενος Θασσι

4Judas, called Maccabeus;

Ιουδας ὁ καλούμενος Μακκαβαῖος

5Eleazar, called Avaran; and Jonathan, called Apphus.

Ελεαζαρ ὁ καλούμενος Αυαραν Ιωναθης ὁ καλούμενος Απφους

6He saw the blasphemies taking place in Judah and Jerusalem,

καὶ εἶδεν τὰς βλασφημίας τὰς γινομένας ἐν Ιουδα καὶ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ

7and said: 'Alas, why was I born to see this, The ruin of my people, The destruction of the holy city, And to live there when it was delivered Into the hand of the enemy, The sanctuary into the hand of foreigners.

καὶ εἶπεν οἴμμοι ἵνα τί τοῦτο ἐγεννήθην ἰδεῖν τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ μου καὶ τὸ σύντριμμα τῆς ἁγίας πόλεως καὶ καθίσαι ἐκεῖ ἐν τῷ δοθῆναι αὐτὴν ἐν χειρὶ ἐχθρῶν τὸ ἁγίασμα ἐν χειρὶ ἀλλοτρίων

8Her temple has become like a man without honor.

ἐγένετο ὁ ναὸς αὐτῆς ὡς ἀνὴρ ἄδοξος

9Her glorious vessels were carried away into captivity; Her infants have been slain in the streets, Her young men with the sword of the enemy.

τὰ σκεύη τῆς δόξης αὐτῆς αἰχμάλωτα ἀπήχθη ἀπεκτάνθη τὰ νήπια αὐτῆς ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις αὐτῆς οἱ νεανίσκοι αὐτῆς ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἐχθροῦ

10What nation has not inherited her palaces And taken hold of her spoils?

ποῖον ἔθνος οὐκ ἐκληρονόμησεν βασίλεια καὶ οὐκ ἐκράτησεν τῶν σκύλων αὐτῆς

11All her adornment has been removed: In place of freedom, she has become a slave;

πᾶς ὁ κόσμος αὐτῆς ἀφῃρέθη ἀντὶ ἐλευθέρας ἐγένετο εἰς δούλην

12And behold, our sanctuary, Our beauty and our glory have been laid waste, And the Gentiles have desecrated it.

καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ ἅγια ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ καλλονὴ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ δόξα ἡμῶν ἠρημώθη καὶ ἐβεβήλωσαν αὐτὰ τὰ ἔθνη

13Why should we live any longer?'

ἵνα τί ἡμῖν ἔτι ζωή

14Thus Mattathias and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned exceedingly.

καὶ διέρρηξεν Ματταθιας καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ περιεβάλοντο σάκκους καὶ ἐπένθησαν σφόδρα

15Now those from the king who were enforcing the apostasy journeyed to the city of Modein to make them offer sacrifice,

καὶ ἦλθον οἱ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ καταναγκάζοντες τὴν ἀποστασίαν εἰς Μωδεϊν τὴν πόλιν ἵνα θυσιάσωσιν

16and many from Israel also came with them. So Mattathias and his sons gathered together.

καὶ πολλοὶ ἀπὸ Ισραηλ πρὸς αὐτοὺς προσῆλθον καὶ Ματταθιας καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ συνήχθησαν

17Then those from the king spoke to Mattathias, saying, 'You are a great and glorious leader in this city and supported by your sons and brothers.

καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ εἶπον τῷ Ματταθια λέγοντες ἄρχων καὶ ἔνδοξος καὶ μέγας εἶ ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ καὶ ἐστηρισμένος υἱοῖς καὶ ἀδελφοῖς

18Now come, be the first to follow the decree of the king, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah have done, and those who remain in Jerusalem; and you and your sons will be among the king's friends, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many rewards.'

νῦν πρόσελθε πρῶτος καὶ ποίησον τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως ὡς ἐποίησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες Ιουδα καὶ οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἐν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἔσῃ σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου τῶν φίλων τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου δοξασθήσεσθε ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ καὶ ἀποστολαῖς πολλαῖς

19Then Mattathias answered, speaking with a loud voice, 'Though all the Gentiles in the house of the kingdom of the king obey him, and each turns from the worship of their fathers and chooses to follow his commands,

καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Ματταθιας καὶ εἶπεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τὰ ἐν οἴκῳ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ βασιλέως ἀκούουσιν αὐτοῦ ἀποστῆναι ἕκαστος ἀπὸ λατρείας πατέρων αὐτοῦ καὶ ᾑρετίσαντο ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ

20my sons and my brothers and I will continue in the covenant of our fathers.

κἀγὼ καὶ οἱ υἱοί μου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου πορευσόμεθα ἐν διαθήκῃ πατέρων ἡμῶν

21Far be it from us to forsake the law and the ordinances.

ἵλεως ἡμῖν καταλιπεῖν νόμον καὶ δικαιώματα

22We will not obey the words of the king to turn aside from our worship to the right or to the left.'

τῶν λόγων τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ ἀκουσόμεθα παρελθεῖν τὴν λατρείαν ἡμῶν δεξιὰν ἢ ἀριστεράν

23When he finished saying these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of everyone to sacrifice upon the altar in Modein in accordance with the king's decree.

καὶ ὡς ἐπαύσατο λαλῶν τοὺς λόγους τούτους προσῆλθεν ἀνὴρ Ιουδαῖος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς πάντων θυσιάσαι ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ ἐν Μωδεϊν κατὰ τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως

24When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal, and his heart trembled and poured forth anger in judgment. Then he ran and slew him upon the altar.

καὶ εἶδεν Ματταθιας καὶ ἐζήλωσεν καὶ ἐτρόμησαν οἱ νεφροὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν θυμὸν κατὰ τὸ κρίμα καὶ δραμὼν ἔσφαξεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν

25So he killed the king's man who wanted to offer sacrifice at that time, and he tore down the altar.

καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν ἀναγκάζοντα θύειν ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ καὶ τὸν βωμὸν καθεῖλεν

26Thus he had zeal for the law, just as Phinehas had against Zambri the son of Salome.

καὶ ἐζήλωσεν τῷ νόμῳ καθὼς ἐποίησεν Φινεες τῷ Ζαμβρι υἱῷ Σαλωμ

27Then Mattathias cried out with a loud voice in the city, saying, 'Every one who has zeal for the law and holds to the covenant, let him follow me.'

καὶ ἀνέκραξεν Ματταθιας ἐν τῇ πόλει φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων πᾶς ὁ ζηλῶν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ ἱστῶν διαθήκην ἐξελθέτω ὀπίσω μου

28So he and his sons fled into the mountains and left behind whatever they had in the city.

καὶ ἔφυγεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ ὄρη καὶ ἐγκατέλιπον ὅσα εἶχον ἐν τῇ πόλει

29Then many who sought righteousness and judgment went down to the desert to live there,

τότε κατέβησαν πολλοὶ ζητοῦντες δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα εἰς τὴν ἔρημον καθίσαι ἐκεῖ

30they, their sons, their women, and their cattle, because evils increased severely against them.

αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν ὅτι ἐσκληρύνθη ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς τὰ κακά

31It was also announced to the king's men and the soldiers in Jerusalem, the city of David, that certain men who had scattered when the command of the king was made known had gone into hiding in the desert.

καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τοῖς ἀνδράσιν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν αἳ ἦσαν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ πόλει Δαυιδ ὅτι κατέβησαν ἄνδρες οἵτινες διεσκέδασαν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς τοὺς κρύφους ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

32Thus, many ran after them, tracked them down, marched against them, and engaged them in battle on the Sabbath day.

καὶ ἔδραμον ὀπίσω αὐτῶν πολλοὶ καὶ κατελάβοντο αὐτοὺς καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς καὶ συνεστήσαντο πρὸς αὐτοὺς πόλεμον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων

33Then they said to them, 'Now, come out and do the will of the king and you shall live.'

καὶ εἶπον πρὸς αὐτούς ἕως τοῦ νῦν ἐξελθόντες ποιήσατε κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ζήσεσθε

34But they answered, 'We will not come out, nor will we do the will of the king to desecrate the Sabbath day.'

καὶ εἶπον οὐκ ἐξελευσόμεθα οὐδὲ ποιήσομεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως βεβηλῶσαι τὴν ἡμέραν τῶν σαββάτων

35So the enemy rushed into battle against them.

καὶ ἐτάχυναν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς πόλεμον

36Yet they did not answer them, nor did they cast a stone, nor did they block up their hiding places,

καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ λίθον ἐνετίναξαν αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ ἐνέφραξαν τοὺς κρύφους

37saying, 'Let us all die in our innocence. Heaven and earth will testify for us that you destroyed us unjustly.'

λέγοντες ἀποθάνωμεν πάντες ἐν τῇ ἁπλότητι ἡμῶν μαρτυρεῖ ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ ὅτι ἀκρίτως ἀπόλλυτε ἡμᾶς

38So the king's men rose against them in battle on the Sabbath, and they died along with their women, children, and cattle, as many as a thousand people.

καὶ ἀνέστησαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἐν πολέμῳ τοῖς σάββασιν καὶ ἀπέθανον αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν ἕως χιλίων ψυχῶν ἀνθρώπων

39Then Mattathias and his friends grieved for them exceedingly.

καὶ ἔγνω Ματταθιας καὶ οἱ φίλοι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπένθησαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς σφόδρα

40So each one said to his neighbor, 'If we do as our brothers did and fail to fight against the Gentiles for our life and our ordinances, they will quickly wipe us off the earth.'

καὶ εἶπεν ἀνὴρ τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἐὰν πάντες ποιήσωμεν ὡς οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἐποίησαν καὶ μὴ πολεμήσωμεν πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν δικαιωμάτων ἡμῶν νῦν τάχιον ὀλεθρεύσουσιν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς

41So they resolved on that day, saying, 'Every man who comes against us for battle on the Sabbath day, let us war against him, and we shall not all die as our brothers did in their hiding places.'

καὶ ἐβουλεύσαντο τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ λέγοντες πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἐὰν ἔλθῃ ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς εἰς πόλεμον τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων πολεμήσωμεν κατέναντι αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν πάντες καθὼς ἀπέθανον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς κρύφοις

42Then the synagogue of the Hasideans gathered with them, a mighty army from Israel, everyone who willingly offered himself for the law.

τότε συνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς συναγωγὴ Ασιδαίων ἰσχυροὶ δυνάμει ἀπὸ Ισραηλ πᾶς ὁ ἑκουσιαζόμενος τῷ νόμῳ

43Everyone who escaped from evils was added to them and became their support.

καὶ πάντες οἱ φυγαδεύοντες ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν προσετέθησαν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐγένοντο αὐτοῖς εἰς στήριγμα

44So they formed an army, and struck the sinners in their wrath and the lawless men in their anger. The rest fled to the Gentiles to be rescued.

καὶ συνεστήσαντο δύναμιν καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτῶν καὶ ἄνδρας ἀνόμους ἐν θυμῷ αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἔφυγον εἰς τὰ ἔθνη σωθῆναι

45Mattathias and his allies also surrounded the altars and tore them down,

καὶ ἐκύκλωσεν Ματταθιας καὶ οἱ φίλοι αὐτοῦ καὶ καθεῖλον τοὺς βωμοὺς

46and they circumcised the uncircumcised boys by force, as many as they found in the mountains of Israel.

καὶ περιέτεμον τὰ παιδάρια τὰ ἀπερίτμητα ὅσα εὗρον ἐν ὁρίοις Ισραηλ ἐν ἰσχύι

47Thus they pursued the sons of arrogance, and the undertaking prospered in their hand.

καὶ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ὑπερηφανίας καὶ κατευοδώθη τὸ ἔργον ἐν χειρὶ αὐτῶν

48They took the law out of the hand of the Gentiles and the kings, and did not allow the sinners to dominate them.

καὶ ἀντελάβοντο τοῦ νόμου ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκαν κέρας τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ

49Then the days approached for Mattathias to die, and he spoke to his sons, saying, 'Now arrogance and scorn and the time of destruction and furious anger have been strengthened.

καὶ ἤγγισαν αἱ ἡμέραι Ματταθιου ἀποθανεῖν καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ νῦν ἐστηρίσθη ὑπερηφανία καὶ ἐλεγμὸς καὶ καιρὸς καταστροφῆς καὶ ὀργὴ θυμοῦ

50Therefore, children, be zealous for the law, and offer your lives for the covenant of our fathers;

νῦν τέκνα ζηλώσατε τῷ νόμῳ καὶ δότε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ὑπὲρ διαθήκης πατέρων ἡμῶν

51and remember the deeds our fathers did in their generations, and receive great honor and an everlasting name.

καὶ μνήσθητε τὰ ἔργα τῶν πατέρων ἃ ἐποίησαν ἐν ταῖς γενεαῖς αὐτῶν καὶ δέξασθε δόξαν μεγάλην καὶ ὄνομα αἰώνιον

52Was not Abraham found faithful in trial, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness?

Αβρααμ οὐχὶ ἐν πειρασμῷ εὑρέθη πιστός καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην

53And Joseph at the time of his trouble kept the commandment and became ruler of Egypt.

Ιωσηφ ἐν καιρῷ στενοχωρίας αὐτοῦ ἐφύλαξεν ἐντολὴν καὶ ἐγένετο κύριος Αἰγύπτου

54Phinehas our father showed true zeal and received a covenant of eternal priesthood.

Φινεες ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ζηλῶσαι ζῆλον ἔλαβεν διαθήκην ἱερωσύνης αἰωνίας

55Joshua fulfilled the word and became a judge in Israel.

Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῷ πληρῶσαι λόγον ἐγένετο κριτὴς ἐν Ισραηλ

56Caleb testified in the assembly and received an inheritance in the land.

Χαλεβ ἐν τῷ μαρτύρασθαι ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἔλαβεν γῆς κληρονομίαν

57David, in the mercy shown him, inherited the throne of the kingdom forever.

Δαυιδ ἐν τῷ ἐλέει αὐτοῦ ἐκληρονόμησεν θρόνον βασιλείας εἰς αἰῶνας

58In his great zeal for the law, Elijah was taken up into heaven.

Ηλιας ἐν τῷ ζηλῶσαι ζῆλον νόμου ἀνελήμφθη εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν

59Ananias, Azarias, and Mishael believed and were saved from the fiery furnace.

Ανανιας Αζαριας Μισαηλ πιστεύσαντες ἐσώθησαν ἐκ φλογός

60In his innocence, Daniel was delivered from the mouth of lions.

Δανιηλ ἐν τῇ ἁπλότητι αὐτοῦ ἐρρύσθη ἐκ στόματος λεόντων

61Thus, understand from generation to generation that all who hope in the Lord will not be weak.

καὶ οὕτως ἐννοήθητε κατὰ γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν ὅτι πάντες οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀσθενήσουσιν

62Do not fear the words of a sinful man, because his glory is like manure and worms.

καὶ ἀπὸ λόγων ἀνδρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ φοβηθῆτε ὅτι ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ εἰς κόπρια καὶ εἰς σκώληκας

63Today he will be exalted, but tomorrow he will not be found; for he returned to his dust, and his purpose will perish.

σήμερον ἐπαρθήσεται καὶ αὔριον οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ὅτι ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν χοῦν αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ διαλογισμὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπολεῖται

64Children, be courageous and strong in the law, because you will be honored by it.

τέκνα ἀνδρίζεσθε καὶ ἰσχύσατε ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ δοξασθήσεσθε

65'So behold Simeon, your brother. I know he is a man of wisdom. Listen to him every day, and he shall be your father.

καὶ ἰδοὺ Συμεων ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν οἶδα ὅτι ἀνὴρ βουλῆς ἐστιν αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας αὐτὸς ἔσται ὑμῶν πατήρ

66Judas Maccabeus, mighty in fighting from his youth, he shall be the leader of your army, and he will fight the fight of the people.

καὶ Ιουδας Μακκαβαῖος ἰσχυρὸς δυνάμει ἐκ νεότητος αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς ἔσται ὑμῖν ἄρχων στρατιᾶς καὶ πολεμήσει πόλεμον λαῶν

67And you, bring forth with you all those who are doers of the law, and seek justice for your people.

καὶ ὑμεῖς προσάξετε πρὸς ὑμᾶς πάντας τοὺς ποιητὰς τοῦ νόμου καὶ ἐκδικήσατε ἐκδίκησιν τοῦ λαοῦ ὑμῶν

68Repay the Gentiles in full, and hold fast to the ordinance of the law.'

ἀνταπόδοτε ἀνταπόδομα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ προσέχετε εἰς πρόσταγμα τοῦ νόμου

69Then he blessed them and was added to his fathers.

καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ

70So he died in the one hundred and forty-sixth year and was buried in the tomb of his fathers in Modein; and all of Israel mourned him with great mourning.

καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῷ ἕκτῳ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ ἑκατοστῷ ἔτει καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν τάφοις πατέρων αὐτοῦ ἐν Μωδεϊν καὶ ἐκόψαντο αὐτὸν πᾶς Ισραηλ κοπετὸν μέγαν