1 Maccabees 7

1Demetrius the son of Seleucus set forth from Rome in the one hundred and fifty-first year, sailed with a few men into the city by the sea, and reigned there.

ἔτους ἑνὸς καὶ πεντηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ ἐξῆλθεν Δημήτριος ὁ τοῦ Σελεύκου ἐκ Ῥώμης καὶ ἀνέβη σὺν ἀνδράσιν ὀλίγοις εἰς πόλιν παραθαλασσίαν καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐκεῖ

2As he entered the royal house of his fathers, his army seized Antiochus and Lysias and brought them to him.

καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς οἶκον βασιλείας πατέρων αὐτοῦ καὶ συνέλαβον αἱ δυνάμεις τὸν Ἀντίοχον καὶ τὸν Λυσίαν ἀγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς αὐτῷ

3When he became aware of this action, he said, 'Do not show me their faces.'

καὶ ἐγνώσθη αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ εἶπεν μή μοι δείξητε τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν

4So the soldiers put them to death, and Demetrius occupied the throne of his kingdom.

καὶ ἀπέκτειναν αὐτοὺς αἱ δυνάμεις καὶ ἐκάθισεν Δημήτριος ἐπὶ θρόνου βασιλείας αὐτοῦ

5Then all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Alcimus, who wanted to be a priest, led them.

καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες ἄνδρες ἄνομοι καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐξ Ισραηλ καὶ Ἄλκιμος ἡγεῖτο αὐτῶν βουλόμενος ἱερατεύειν

6They brought charges against the people before the king, saying, 'Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends and scattered us from our land.

καὶ κατηγόρησαν τοῦ λαοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγοντες ἀπώλεσεν Ιουδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ πάντας τοὺς φίλους σου καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐσκόρπισεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡμῶν

7Therefore, send a man you trust, and let him see all the destruction he did to us and to the country of the king. Then let him bring punishment to them and all who serve them.'

νῦν οὖν ἀπόστειλον ἄνδρα ᾧ πιστεύεις καὶ πορευθεὶς ἰδέτω τὴν ἐξολέθρευσιν πᾶσαν ἣν ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν καὶ τῇ χώρᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ κολασάτω αὐτοὺς καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐπιβοηθοῦντας αὐτοῖς

8The king then appointed Bacchides, one of his friends, who ruled the province of Beyond-the-River, for he was prominent in the kingdom and loyal to the king.

καὶ ἐπέλεξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Βακχίδην τῶν φίλων τοῦ βασιλέως κυριεύοντα ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ μέγαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ καὶ πιστὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ

9Then he sent him and the ungodly Alcimus, whom he appointed to the priesthood, and ordered him to avenge the sons of Israel.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν καὶ Ἄλκιμον τὸν ἀσεβῆ καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἱερωσύνην καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ

10They marched on with a large army and came into the land of Judah, and sent envoys to Judas and his brothers with peaceful words full of deceit.

καὶ ἀπῇρον καὶ ἦλθον μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς εἰς γῆν Ιουδα καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς Ιουδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς μετὰ δόλου

11But they did not heed their words, for they noticed they came with a large army.

καὶ οὐ προσέσχον τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν εἶδον γὰρ ὅτι ἦλθαν μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς

12Then a delegation of scribes was sent to meet with Alcimus and Bacchides to request justice.

καὶ ἐπισυνήχθησαν πρὸς Ἄλκιμον καὶ Βακχίδην συναγωγὴ γραμματέων ἐκζητῆσαι δίκαια

13The Hasideans were the first among the sons of Israel to seek peace with them.

καὶ πρῶτοι οἱ Ασιδαῖοι ἦσαν ἐν υἱοῖς Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπεζήτουν παρ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰρήνην

14For they said, 'A man, a priest from the seed of Aaron, came with their forces, and he will not do us wrong.'

εἶπον γάρ ἄνθρωπος ἱερεὺς ἐκ σπέρματος Ααρων ἦλθεν ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσιν καὶ οὐκ ἀδικήσει ἡμᾶς

15The priest spoke peacefully to them and promised them, saying, 'We will not seek to injure you or your friends.'

καὶ ἐλάλησεν μετ᾿ αὐτῶν λόγους εἰρηνικοὺς καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς λέγων οὐκ ἐκζητήσομεν ὑμῖν κακὸν καὶ τοῖς φίλοις ὑμῶν

16They believed him, but he overtook sixty of their men and put them to death in one day, according to the word which was written:

καὶ ἐνεπίστευσαν αὐτῷ καὶ συνέλαβεν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἑξήκοντα ἄνδρας καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ κατὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν ἔγραψεν αὐτόν

17'They poured out the flesh of your saints And their blood around Jerusalem, But there was no one to bury them.'

σάρκας ὁσίων σου καὶ αἷμα αὐτῶν ἐξέχεαν κύκλῳ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ θάπτων

18Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people, for they said, 'There is no truth and uprightness in them. For they violated the promise and oath they swore.'

καὶ ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῶν ὁ φόβος καὶ ὁ τρόμος εἰς πάντα τὸν λαόν ὅτι εἶπον οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις παρέβησαν γὰρ τὴν στάσιν καὶ τὸν ὅρκον ὃν ὤμοσαν

19So Bacchides departed from Jerusalem and marched to Beth-zaith. He sent for and captured many of the soldiers who deserted him, and some of the people, and he slaughtered them at the great well.

καὶ ἀπῆρεν Βακχίδης ἀπὸ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν Βηθζαιθ καὶ ἀπέστειλεν καὶ συνέλαβεν πολλοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ αὐτομολησάντων ἀνδρῶν καί τινας τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθυσεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ φρέαρ τὸ μέγα

20He put Alcimus in charge of the region and left an army with him to serve him. Then Bacchides returned to the king.

καὶ κατέστησεν τὴν χώραν τῷ Ἀλκίμῳ καὶ ἀφῆκεν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν τοῦ βοηθεῖν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπῆλθεν Βακχίδης πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα

21Alcimus then strove for the high priesthood,

καὶ ἠγωνίσατο Ἄλκιμος περὶ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης

22and all who harassed their people also gathered with him. They took control of the country of Judah and damaged Israel greatly.

καὶ συνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ ταράσσοντες τὸν λαὸν αὐτῶν καὶ κατεκράτησαν γῆν Ιουδα καὶ ἐποίησαν πληγὴν μεγάλην ἐν Ισραηλ

23Now Judas saw all the evil Alcimus and those with him had done among the sons of Israel; it was worse than what the Gentiles did.

καὶ εἶδεν Ιουδας πᾶσαν τὴν κακίαν ἣν ἐποίησεν Ἄλκιμος καὶ οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν υἱοῖς Ισραηλ ὑπὲρ τὰ ἔθνη

24Thus Judas departed to all the regions surrounding Judea and took vengeance on the men who had deserted. He forbade those in the city to journey out to the countryside.

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς πάντα τὰ ὅρια τῆς Ιουδαίας κυκλόθεν καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν τοῖς αὐτομολήσασιν καὶ ἀνεστάλησαν τοῦ ἐκπορεύεσθαι εἰς τὴν χώραν

25But when Alcimus realized Judas and his followers were growing strong and knew that he could not prevail against them, he went back and brought evil charges against them before the king.

ὡς δὲ εἶδεν Ἄλκιμος ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν Ιουδας καὶ οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔγνω ὅτι οὐ δύναται ὑποστῆναι αὐτούς καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ κατηγόρησεν αὐτῶν πονηρά

26The king then sent Nicanor, one of his renowned commanders who hated and disdained Israel, and ordered him to get rid of the people.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Νικάνορα ἕνα τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐνδόξων καὶ μισοῦντα καὶ ἐχθραίνοντα τῷ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ ἐξᾶραι τὸν λαόν

27Nicanor came up to Jerusalem with a large army, and he sent Judas and his brothers peaceful words full of deceit, saying,

καὶ ἦλθεν Νικάνωρ εἰς Ιερουσαλημ δυνάμει πολλῇ καὶ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς Ιουδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ μετὰ δόλου λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς λέγων

28'Let there be no quarrel between us. I will come peacefully with a few men to see you in person.'

μὴ ἔστω μάχη ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν ἥξω ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὀλίγοις ἵνα ἴδω ὑμῶν τὰ πρόσωπα μετ᾿ εἰρήνης

29So he approached Judas, and they greeted each other peacefully. But the adversaries prepared to seize Judas.

καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς Ιουδαν καὶ ἠσπάσαντο ἀλλήλους εἰρηνικῶς καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν ἐξαρπάσαι τὸν Ιουδαν

30Then Judas was aware that Nicanor had come with deceit; and he feared him, so he did not care to meet him again.

καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὁ λόγος τῷ Ιουδα ὅτι μετὰ δόλου ἦλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν καὶ ἐπτοήθη ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐβουλήθη ἔτι ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ

31When Nicanor learned his plot had been discovered, he went into battle with Judas at Caphar-salamah.

καὶ ἔγνω Νικάνωρ ὅτι ἀπεκαλύφθη ἡ βουλὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς συνάντησιν τῷ Ιουδα ἐν πολέμῳ κατὰ Χαφαρσαλαμα

32Some five hundred of Nicanor's soldiers fell; the remainder fled to the city of David.

καὶ ἔπεσον τῶν παρὰ Νικάνορος ὡσεὶ πεντακόσιοι ἄνδρες καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς τὴν πόλιν Δαυιδ

33After this, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Then some priests came out of the sanctuary, along with some elders of the people, to greet him in peace, showing him the whole burnt offering which they had sacrificed on behalf of the king.

καὶ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἀνέβη Νικάνωρ εἰς ὄρος Σιων καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερέων ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ ἀσπάσασθαι αὐτὸν εἰρηνικῶς καὶ δεῖξαι αὐτῷ τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν τὴν προσφερομένην ὑπὲρ τοῦ βασιλέως

34However, he mocked and ridiculed them. He defiled them and spoke with arrogance to them.

καὶ ἐμυκτήρισεν αὐτοὺς καὶ κατεγέλασεν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμίανεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐλάλησεν ὑπερηφάνως

35He also swore an oath angrily, saying, 'Unless Judas and his troops are delivered into my hands now, then if I come back in peace, I will set this house on fire.' Then he stormed out in great rage.

καὶ ὤμοσεν μετὰ θυμοῦ λέγων ἐὰν μὴ παραδοθῇ Ιουδας καὶ ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς χεῖράς μου τὸ νῦν καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψω ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐμπυριῶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον καὶ ἐξῆλθεν μετὰ θυμοῦ μεγάλου

36The priests then entered and stood facing the altar and the sanctuary. They wept and cried out,

καὶ εἰσῆλθον οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ἔστησαν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν καὶ εἶπον

37'You chose this place to be called by Your name that it might be a house of prayer and supplication for Your people.

σὺ ἐξελέξω τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἶναι οἶκον προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως τῷ λαῷ σου

38Take vengeance on this man and on his soldiers, and let them die by the sword. Remember their blasphemies and let them be alive no longer.'

ποίησον ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τούτῳ καὶ ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ πεσέτωσαν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ μνήσθητι τῶν δυσφημιῶν αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτοῖς μονήν

39Soon Nicanor left Jerusalem and camped at Beth-horon, and the army of Syria joined him.

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Νικάνωρ ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν Βαιθωρων καὶ συνήντησεν αὐτῷ δύναμις Συρίας

40But Judas took position in Adassa with three thousand troops. Judas prayed, saying,

καὶ Ιουδας παρενέβαλεν ἐν Αδασα ἐν τρισχιλίοις ἀνδράσιν καὶ προσηύξατο Ιουδας καὶ εἶπεν

41'When the ambassadors from the king uttered blasphemy, Your angel went forth and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians.

οἱ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ὅτε ἐδυσφήμησαν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἄγγελός σου καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα πέντε χιλιάδας

42Crush also this army before us today, and let the others know that he spoke blasphemy against Your sanctuary; and judge him according to his malice.'

οὕτως σύντριψον τὴν παρεμβολὴν ταύτην ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν σήμερον καὶ γνώτωσαν οἱ ἐπίλοιποι ὅτι κακῶς ἐλάλησεν ἐπὶ τὰ ἅγιά σου καὶ κρῖνον αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν κακίαν αὐτοῦ

43So the armies faced off in war the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and Nicanor's army was scattered. He himself was the first to fall in the war.

καὶ συνῆψαν αἱ παρεμβολαὶ εἰς πόλεμον τῇ τρισκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς Αδαρ καὶ συνετρίβη ἡ παρεμβολὴ Νικάνορος καὶ ἔπεσεν αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ

44When his soldiers saw Nicanor die, they dropped their weapons and ran.

ὡς δὲ εἶδεν ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἔπεσεν Νικάνωρ ῥίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα ἔφυγον

45Israel even chased them a day's journey from Adassa as far as Gazara. As they pursued them, they kept blowing the trumpets, sounding the battle call.

καὶ κατεδίωκον αὐτοὺς ὁδὸν ἡμέρας μιᾶς ἀπὸ Αδασα ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν εἰς Γαζηρα καὶ ἐσάλπιζον ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ταῖς σάλπιγξιν τῶν σημασιῶν

46Then the Israelites went out from all the villages around Judea and outflanked the adversaries. They drove them back to the pursuing army, and they all fell by the sword. Not one of them survived.

καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ πασῶν τῶν κωμῶν τῆς Ιουδαίας κυκλόθεν καὶ ὑπερεκέρων αὐτούς καὶ ἀπέστρεφον οὗτοι πρὸς τούτους καὶ ἔπεσον πάντες ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ εἷς

47Then Israel captured the spoils and their possessions. They even beheaded Nicanor and severed his right hand, which he had stretched out arrogantly. They carried them and put them on display just outside Jerusalem.

καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ σκῦλα καὶ τὴν προνομήν καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Νικάνορος ἀφεῖλον καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ ἣν ἐξέτεινεν ὑπερηφάνως καὶ ἤνεγκαν καὶ ἐξέτειναν παρὰ τῇ Ιερουσαλημ

48So the people were very glad, and they celebrated that day as a day of great joy.

καὶ ηὐφράνθη ὁ λαὸς σφόδρα καὶ ἤγαγον τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἡμέραν εὐφροσύνης μεγάλην

49A decree came forth to celebrate this day at the same time every year, on the thirteenth day of Adar.

καὶ ἔστησαν τοῦ ἄγειν κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην τῇ τρισκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ Αδαρ

50Thus the land of Judah had peace for several days.

καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἡ γῆ Ιουδα ἡμέρας ὀλίγας