1 Maccabees 3

1Then Judas his son, who was called Maccabeus, rose up in his place.

καὶ ἀνέστη Ιουδας ὁ καλούμενος Μακκαβαῖος υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ

2His brothers all helped him, and everyone who had been allied with his father, and they fought the battle for Israel with gladness.

καὶ ἐβοήθουν αὐτῷ πάντες οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐκολλήθησαν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπολέμουν τὸν πόλεμον Ισραηλ μετ᾿ εὐφροσύνης

3He enlarged his people's glory And was clothed with a breastplate like a giant; And he girded on his weapons And waged war, Sheltering the camp with his sword.

καὶ ἐπλάτυνεν δόξαν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνεδύσατο θώρακα ὡς γίγας καὶ συνεζώσατο τὰ σκεύη τὰ πολεμικὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ πολέμους συνεστήσατο σκεπάζων παρεμβολὴν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ

4He was like a lion in his deeds, Like a young lion roaring for its prey.

καὶ ὡμοιώθη λέοντι ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ὡς σκύμνος ἐρευγόμενος εἰς θήραν

5For he pursued the lawless and searched them out; And he set on fire those who troubled his people.

καὶ ἐδίωξεν ἀνόμους ἐξερευνῶν καὶ τοὺς ταράσσοντας τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐφλόγισεν

6The lawless were humbled from fear of him, And all the workers of lawlessness were troubled; For deliverance prospered by his hand.

καὶ συνεστάλησαν ἄνομοι ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐργάται τῆς ἀνομίας συνεταράχθησαν καὶ εὐοδώθη σωτηρία ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ

7He embittered many rulers, And brought joy to Jacob by his deeds; And may his memory be blessed forever.

καὶ ἐπίκρανεν βασιλεῖς πολλοὺς καὶ εὔφρανεν τὸν Ιακωβ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτοῦ εἰς εὐλογίαν

8He passed through the cities of Judah And destroyed the ungodly from the land; And he turned wrath away from Israel.

καὶ διῆλθεν ἐν πόλεσιν Ιουδα καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσεν ἀσεβεῖς ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ὀργὴν ἀπὸ Ισραηλ

9His name was known to the ends of the earth, And he gathered those who were perishing.

καὶ ὠνομάσθη ἕως ἐσχάτου γῆς καὶ συνήγαγεν ἀπολλυμένους

10Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together and brought a great army from Samaria to wage war with Israel.

καὶ συνήγαγεν Ἀπολλώνιος ἔθνη καὶ ἀπὸ Σαμαρείας δύναμιν μεγάλην τοῦ πολεμῆσαι πρὸς τὸν Ισραηλ

11But Judas knew it and went out to meet him. He struck and killed him, and many wounded fell; and the rest fled.

καὶ ἔγνω Ιουδας καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ ἔπεσον τραυματίαι πολλοί καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι ἔφυγον

12They took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius and fought with it every day.

καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ σκῦλα αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν Ἀπολλωνίου ἔλαβεν Ιουδας καὶ ἦν πολεμῶν ἐν αὐτῇ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας

13Now Seron, the leader of the army of Syria, heard Judas had gathered a large assembly of faithful men with him, and they were going out into battle.

καὶ ἤκουσεν Σήρων ὁ ἄρχων τῆς δυνάμεως Συρίας ὅτι ἤθροισεν Ιουδας ἄθροισμα καὶ ἐκκλησίαν πιστῶν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκπορευομένων εἰς πόλεμον

14So he said, 'I will make a name for myself and be honored in the kingdom. I will fight Judas and his followers who despised the word of the king.'

καὶ εἶπεν ποιήσω ἐμαυτῷ ὄνομα καὶ δοξασθήσομαι ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ καὶ πολεμήσω τὸν Ιουδαν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ τοὺς ἐξουδενοῦντας τὸν λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως

15He set forth, and with him went an army of godless men, strong enough to help him take vengeance on the sons of Israel.

καὶ προσέθετο καὶ ἀνέβη μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ παρεμβολὴ ἀσεβῶν ἰσχυρὰ βοηθῆσαι αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἐν υἱοῖς Ισραηλ

16So he drew near to the highlands of Beth-Horon, and Judas went out to meet him with only a few allies.

καὶ ἤγγισεν ἕως ἀναβάσεως Βαιθωρων καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ιουδας εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ ὀλιγοστός

17As they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, 'How will we, being few, be able to fight against such a powerful number? We who have come out today are weak from lack of food.'

ὡς δὲ εἶδον τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἐρχομένην εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν εἶπον τῷ Ιουδα τί δυνησόμεθα ὀλιγοστοὶ ὄντες πολεμῆσαι πρὸς πλῆθος τοσοῦτο ἰσχυρόν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκλελύμεθα ἀσιτοῦντες σήμερον

18Then Judas said, 'It is easy to hem in many at the hands of a few, and it makes no difference before heaven to save with many or with few.

καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδας εὔκοπόν ἐστιν συγκλεισθῆναι πολλοὺς ἐν χερσὶν ὀλίγων καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν διαφορὰ ἐναντίον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ σῴζειν ἐν πολλοῖς ἢ ἐν ὀλίγοις

19For victory in battle does not come from the size of the army, but from the might of heaven.

ὅτι οὐκ ἐν πλήθει δυνάμεως νίκη πολέμου ἐστίν ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἡ ἰσχύς

20These come against us in the abundance of insolence and lawlessness, to seize us and our women and children, and to take spoils from us;

αὐτοὶ ἔρχονται ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἐν πλήθει ὕβρεως καὶ ἀνομίας τοῦ ἐξᾶραι ἡμᾶς καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἡμῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν τοῦ σκυλεῦσαι ἡμᾶς

21but we are fighting for our lives and our laws.

ἡμεῖς δὲ πολεμοῦμεν περὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν νομίμων ἡμῶν

22God Himself will crush them from before our face; but as for you, do not fear because of them.'

καὶ αὐτὸς συντρίψει αὐτοὺς πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθε ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν

23When he was through speaking, Judas suddenly rushed against them, and Seron and his army were destroyed before him.

ὡς δὲ ἐπαύσατο λαλῶν ἐνήλατο εἰς αὐτοὺς ἄφνω καὶ συνετρίβη Σήρων καὶ ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ

24He pursued him into the descent of Beth-Horon as far as the plain. Around eight hundred of their soldiers perished; the remainder fled into the land of the Philistines.

καὶ ἐδίωκον αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ καταβάσει Βαιθωρων ἕως τοῦ πεδίου καὶ ἔπεσον ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰς ἄνδρας ὀκτακοσίους οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἔφυγον εἰς γῆν Φυλιστιιμ

25Then fear of Judas and his brothers began, and terror fell upon the nations around them.

καὶ ἤρξατο ὁ φόβος Ιουδου καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ πτόη ἐπέπιπτεν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ κύκλῳ αὐτῶν

26So his fame reached the king, and the Gentiles talked about the battles of Judas.

καὶ ἤγγισεν ἕως τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρατάξεων Ιουδου ἐξηγεῖτο τὰ ἔθνη

27When Antiochus the king heard these words, he was very angry, and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom, an exceedingly strong army.

ὡς δὲ ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος τοὺς λόγους τούτους ὠργίσθη θυμῷ καὶ ἀπέστειλεν καὶ συνήγαγεν τὰς δυνάμεις πάσας τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ παρεμβολὴν ἰσχυρὰν σφόδρα

28He also opened his treasury and gave a year's wages to the troops, and commanded them to be ready for any need.

καὶ ἤνοιξεν τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν ὀψώνια ταῖς δυνάμεσιν εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς εἶναι ἑτοίμους εἰς πᾶσαν χρείαν

29Then he noticed the silver in the treasury was depleted, and the taxes from the region were small, because of the dissension and misfortune he caused in the land when he took away the laws that existed from the earliest days.

καὶ εἶδεν ὅτι ἐξέλιπεν τὸ ἀργύριον ἐκ τῶν θησαυρῶν καὶ οἱ φόροι τῆς χώρας ὀλίγοι χάριν τῆς διχοστασίας καὶ πληγῆς ἧς κατεσκεύασεν ἐν τῇ γῇ τοῦ ἆραι τὰ νόμιμα ἃ ἦσαν ἀφ᾿ ἡμερῶν τῶν πρώτων

30So he took care not to pay out expenditures and give gifts as abundantly as he had done before, even more lavishly than the previous kings.

καὶ εὐλαβήθη μὴ οὐκ ἔχῃ ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς εἰς τὰς δαπάνας καὶ τὰ δόματα ἃ ἐδίδου ἔμπροσθεν δαψιλῇ χειρὶ καὶ ἐπερίσσευσεν ὑπὲρ τοὺς βασιλεῖς τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν

31He was very disturbed in himself, so he decided to go to Persia and collect taxes from those regions and gather abundant silver.

καὶ ἠπορεῖτο τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ σφόδρα καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο τοῦ πορευθῆναι εἰς τὴν Περσίδα καὶ λαβεῖν τοὺς φόρους τῶν χωρῶν καὶ συναγαγεῖν ἀργύριον πολύ

32He left Lysias, a man of distinction from the royal lineage, in charge of all the king's affairs, from the river Euphrates to the boundary of Egypt.

καὶ κατέλιπεν Λυσίαν ἄνθρωπον ἔνδοξον καὶ ἀπὸ γένους τῆς βασιλείας ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Εὐφράτου καὶ ἕως ὁρίων Αἰγύπτου

33He was also to take care of his son Antiochus until his return.

καὶ τρέφειν Ἀντίοχον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἕως τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτόν

34Then he handed over to Lysias half of the armies and the elephants. He gave him orders concerning all his wishes and concerning those who lived in Judea and Jerusalem.

καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτῷ τὰς ἡμίσεις τῶν δυνάμεων καὶ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ περὶ πάντων ὧν ἠβούλετο καὶ περὶ τῶν κατοικούντων τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ Ιερουσαλημ

35He ordered him to send an army against them, to destroy them and remove the might of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to remove their memory from that place.

ἀποστεῖλαι ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς δύναμιν τοῦ ἐκτρῖψαι καὶ ἐξᾶραι τὴν ἰσχὺν Ισραηλ καὶ τὸ κατάλειμμα Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἆραι τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου

36He was also to settle foreigners in all their regions and distribute their land by lot.

καὶ κατοικίσαι υἱοὺς ἀλλογενεῖς ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῶν καὶ κατακληροδοτῆσαι τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν

37Then the king took half of the remaining armies and left Antioch, the capital of his kingdom. In the one hundred and forty-seventh year, he crossed over the Euphrates River and entered the regions on the other side.

καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς παρέλαβεν τὰς ἡμίσεις τῶν δυνάμεων τὰς καταλειφθείσας καὶ ἀπῆρεν ἀπὸ Ἀντιοχείας ἀπὸ πόλεως βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἔτους ἑβδόμου καὶ τεσσαρακοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ καὶ διεπέρασεν τὸν Εὐφράτην ποταμὸν καὶ διεπορεύετο τὰς ἐπάνω χώρας

38Lysias appointed Ptolemy, the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, valiant men who were loyal to the king,

καὶ ἐπέλεξεν Λυσίας Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Δορυμένους καὶ Νικάνορα καὶ Γοργίαν ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς τῶν φίλων τοῦ βασιλέως

39and he sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the region of Judah and crush it according to the king's orders.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν μετ᾿ αὐτῶν τεσσαράκοντα χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἑπτακισχιλίαν ἵππον τοῦ ἐλθεῖν εἰς γῆν Ιουδα καὶ καταφθεῖραι αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως

40So he set out with the whole army, and they went and camped near Emmaus on the plain.

καὶ ἀπῆρεν σὺν πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει αὐτῶν καὶ ἦλθον καὶ παρενέβαλον πλησίον Αμμαους ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ πεδινῇ

41When the merchants of the region heard about them, they took a very large amount of silver and gold and shackles and went into the camp to obtain the sons of Israel as slaves. The army of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined them as well.

καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς χώρας τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν καὶ ἔλαβον ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον πολὺ σφόδρα καὶ πέδας καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν τοῦ λαβεῖν τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ εἰς παῖδας καὶ προσετέθησαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς δύναμις Συρίας καὶ γῆς ἀλλοφύλων

42Now Judas and his brothers saw that evil events were increasing and the armies were encamped at their borders. They learned also the words of the king which he ordered, to bring destruction and annihilation on the people.

καὶ εἶδεν Ιουδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐπληθύνθη τὰ κακὰ καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις παρεμβάλλουσιν ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν τοὺς λόγους τοῦ βασιλέως οὓς ἐνετείλατο ποιῆσαι τῷ λαῷ εἰς ἀπώλειαν καὶ συντέλειαν

43So each man said to his neighbor, 'Let us repair the ruin of our people and battle for our people and the sanctuary.'

καὶ εἶπαν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἀναστήσωμεν τὴν καθαίρεσιν τοῦ λαοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ πολεμήσωμεν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν ἁγίων

44Then the assembly gathered to prepare for battle and to pray and ask God for mercy and compassion.

καὶ ἠθροίσθη ἡ συναγωγὴ τοῦ εἶναι ἑτοίμους εἰς πόλεμον καὶ τοῦ προσεύξασθαι καὶ αἰτῆσαι ἔλεος καὶ οἰκτιρμούς

45Jerusalem was uninhabited like a desert. No one brought products in or took them out, And the sanctuary had been trampled down. The sons of foreigners were in the citadel, A lodging place for the Gentiles. Gladness was taken from Jacob, And flute and harp played no more.

καὶ Ιερουσαλημ ἦν ἀοίκητος ὡς ἔρημος οὐκ ἦν ὁ εἰσπορευόμενος καὶ ἐκπορευόμενος ἐκ τῶν γενημάτων αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα καταπατούμενον καὶ υἱοὶ ἀλλογενῶν ἐν τῇ ἄκρᾳ κατάλυμα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ ἐξήρθη τέρψις ἐξ Ιακωβ καὶ ἐξέλιπεν αὐλὸς καὶ κινύρα

46They assembled and went into Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, because at a former time Mizpah was a place for prayer in Israel.

καὶ συνήχθησαν καὶ ἤλθοσαν εἰς Μασσηφα κατέναντι Ιερουσαλημ ὅτι τόπος προσευχῆς ἦν ἐν Μασσηφα τὸ πρότερον τῷ Ισραηλ

47They fasted on that day and put on sackcloth, sprinkled ashes upon their head, and tore their garments.

καὶ ἐνήστευσαν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ περιεβάλοντο σάκκους καὶ σποδὸν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν καὶ διέρρηξαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν

48They opened the book of the law to look into those matters about which the Gentiles consulted the likenesses of their idols.

καὶ ἐξεπέτασαν τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ νόμου περὶ ὧν ἐξηρεύνων τὰ ἔθνη τὰ ὁμοιώματα τῶν εἰδώλων αὐτῶν

49They also carried the priestly garments and the firstfruits and the tithe, and they stirred up the Nazirites who had finished their days.

καὶ ἤνεγκαν τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς ἱερωσύνης καὶ τὰ πρωτογενήματα καὶ τὰς δεκάτας καὶ ἤγειραν τοὺς ναζιραίους οἳ ἐπλήρωσαν τὰς ἡμέρας

50Then they cried aloud to heaven, saying, 'What do we do with these, And where will we take them?

καὶ ἐβόησαν φωνῇ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν λέγοντες τί ποιήσωμεν τούτοις καὶ ποῦ αὐτοὺς ἀπαγάγωμεν

51Your sanctuary has been trampled down and defiled, And Your priests are in mourning and humiliated.

καὶ τὰ ἅγιά σου καταπεπάτηνται καὶ βεβήλωνται καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς σου ἐν πένθει καὶ ταπεινώσει

52Behold, the Gentiles have gathered against us to destroy us. You know what they plan against us.

καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ ἔθνη συνῆκται ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς τοῦ ἐξᾶραι ἡμᾶς σὺ οἶδας ἃ λογίζονται ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς

53How will we be able to stand against them If You will not help us?'

πῶς δυνησόμεθα ὑποστῆναι κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν ἐὰν μὴ σὺ βοηθήσῃς ἡμῖν

54Then they blew the trumpets and cried out with a loud shout.

καὶ ἐσάλπισαν ταῖς σάλπιγξιν καὶ ἐβόησαν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ

55After this, Judas appointed rulers for the people, leaders for thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens.

καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο κατέστησεν Ιουδας ἡγουμένους τοῦ λαοῦ χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ πεντηκοντάρχους καὶ δεκαδάρχους

56He ordered those who were building houses, or were betrothed to women, or were growing vineyards, or were afraid, to return each one to his own home, according to the law.

καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς οἰκοδομοῦσιν οἰκίας καὶ μνηστευομένοις γυναῖκας καὶ φυτεύουσιν ἀμπελῶνας καὶ δειλοῖς ἀποστρέφειν ἕκαστον εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸν νόμον

57Then the army departed and set up camp south of Emmaus.

καὶ ἀπῆρεν ἡ παρεμβολή καὶ παρενέβαλον κατὰ νότον Αμμαους

58Judas said to them, 'Be ready at dawn to fight with these Gentiles who have gathered against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.

καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδας περιζώσασθε καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς υἱοὺς δυνατοὺς καὶ γίνεσθε ἕτοιμοι εἰς πρωὶ τοῦ πολεμῆσαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν τούτοις τοῖς ἐπισυνηγμένοις ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἐξᾶραι ἡμᾶς καὶ τὰ ἅγια ἡμῶν

59For it is better for us to die in war than to look upon the evils the Gentiles would bring to us and the sanctuary.

ὅτι κρεῖσσον ἡμᾶς ἀποθανεῖν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἢ ἐπιδεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ κακὰ τοῦ ἔθνους ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν ἁγίων

60But as God's will is in heaven, so He will do.'

ὡς δ᾿ ἂν ᾖ θέλημα ἐν οὐρανῷ οὕτως ποιήσει