2 Maccabees 10

1With the Lord leading them on, Maccabeus and those with him received back the temple and the city.

Μακκαβαῖος δὲ καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τοῦ κυρίου προάγοντος αὐτοὺς τὸ μὲν ἱερὸν ἐκομίσαντο καὶ τὴν πόλιν

2They took down the altars fabricated in the marketplace by the foreigners, and also destroyed the sacred precincts.

τοὺς δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν βωμοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων δεδημιουργημένους ἔτι δὲ τεμένη καθεῖλαν

3When they had purified the temple, they made another altar and, striking fire out of stones, they offered sacrifices—the first in two years. They offered incense and lit lamps and set out the bread of the Presence.

καὶ τὸν νεὼ καθαρίσαντες ἕτερον θυσιαστήριον ἐποίησαν καὶ πυρώσαντες λίθους καὶ πῦρ ἐκ τούτων λαβόντες ἀνήνεγκαν θυσίας μετὰ διετῆ χρόνον καὶ θυμίαμα καὶ λύχνους καὶ τῶν ἄρτων τὴν πρόθεσιν ἐποιήσαντο

4When they had done this, they fell prostrate and besought the Lord so as never again to fall into such calamities, but if they should ever sin, they might be chastised by Him with gentleness and not be handed over to blasphemous and barbarous nations.

ταῦτα δὲ ποιήσαντες ἠξίωσαν τὸν κύριον πεσόντες ἐπὶ κοιλίαν μηκέτι περιπεσεῖν τοιούτοις κακοῖς ἀλλ᾿ ἐάν ποτε καὶ ἁμάρτωσιν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ μετὰ ἐπιεικείας παιδεύεσθαι καὶ μὴ βλασφήμοις καὶ βαρβάροις ἔθνεσιν παραδίδοσθαι

5It happened on the anniversary of the same day the temple was profaned by the foreigners, that the purification of the temple took place: on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was Chislev.

ἐν ᾗ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ νεὼς ὑπὸ ἀλλοφύλων ἐβεβηλώθη συνέβη κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμέραν τὸν καθαρισμὸν γενέσθαι τοῦ ναοῦ τῇ πέμπτῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνός ὅς ἐστιν Χασελευ

6They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering how a short time before they had spent the feast living in mountains and caves like wild animals.

καὶ μετ᾿ εὐφροσύνης ἦγον ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ σκηνωμάτων τρόπον μνημονεύοντες ὡς πρὸ μικροῦ χρόνου τὴν τῶν σκηνῶν ἑορτὴν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις θηρίων τρόπον ἦσαν νεμόμενοι

7Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands, beautiful olive branches, and even palm branches, they offered hymns of praise to Him who made possible the purifying of His own place.

διὸ θύρσους καὶ κλάδους ὡραίους ἔτι δὲ καὶ φοίνικας ἔχοντες ὕμνους ἀνέφερον τῷ εὐοδώσαντι καθαρισθῆναι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον

8They decreed by a common edict and vote that the whole Jewish nation should celebrate these days every year.

ἐδογμάτισαν δὲ μετὰ κοινοῦ προστάγματος καὶ ψηφίσματος παντὶ τῷ τῶν Ιουδαίων ἔθνει κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν ἄγειν τάσδε τὰς ἡμέρας

9Such then was the end of Antiochus, called Epiphanes.

καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς Ἀντιόχου τοῦ προσαγορευθέντος Ἐπιφανοῦς τελευτῆς οὕτως εἶχεν

10Now we will tell what took place under Antiochus Eupator, the son of that ungodly man, and will set forth and encompass briefly the calamities of the wars.

νυνὶ δὲ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Εὐπάτορα Ἀντίοχον υἱὸν δὲ τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς γενόμενον δηλώσομεν αὐτὰ συντέμνοντες τὰ συνέχοντα τῶν πολέμων κακά

11For this man inherited the kingdom and appointed a certain Lysias as chief governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia.

οὗτος γὰρ παραλαβὼν τὴν βασιλείαν ἀνέδειξεν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων Λυσίαν τινά Κοίλης δὲ Συρίας καὶ Φοινίκης στρατηγὸν πρώταρχον

12Then Ptolemy, called Macron, led the way in protecting the rights of the Jews because of the wrongdoing that happened to them, and he attempted to maintain peaceful relations with them.

Πτολεμαῖος γὰρ ὁ καλούμενος Μάκρων τὸ δίκαιον συντηρεῖν προηγούμενος πρὸς τοὺς Ιουδαίους διὰ τὴν γεγονυῖαν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀδικίαν ἐπειρᾶτο τὰ πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰρηνικῶς διεξάγειν

13For this reason he was accused before Eupator by the king's friends. He heard himself called a traitor at every turn because he abandoned Cyprus, entrusted to him by Philometor, and defected to Antiochus Epiphanes. Since he could not exercise his noble authority honorably, he took poison and ended his life.

ὅθεν κατηγορούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων πρὸς τὸν Εὐπάτορα καὶ προδότης παρ᾿ ἕκαστα ἀκούων διὰ τὸ τὴν Κύπρον ἐμπιστευθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλομήτορος ἐκλιπεῖν καὶ πρὸς Ἀντίοχον τὸν Ἐπιφανῆ ἀναχωρῆσαι μήτε εὐγενῆ τὴν ἐξουσίαν εὐγενίσας φαρμακεύσας ἑαυτὸν ἐξέλιπεν τὸν βίον

14When Gorgias became governor of the region, he maintained mercenary troops and attacked the Jews at every turn.

Γοργίας δὲ γενόμενος στρατηγὸς τῶν τόπων ἐξενοτρόφει καὶ παρ᾿ ἕκαστα πρὸς τοὺς Ιουδαίους ἐπολεμοτρόφει

15At the same time, the Idumeans, in possession of vital strongholds, were harassing the Jews. They received fugitives from Jerusalem and endeavored to keep up the war.

ὁμοῦ δὲ τούτῳ καὶ οἱ Ιδουμαῖοι ἐγκρατεῖς ἐπικαίρων ὀχυρωμάτων ὄντες ἐγύμναζον τοὺς Ιουδαίους καὶ τοὺς φυγαδεύσαντας ἀπὸ Ιεροσολύμων προσλαβόμενοι πολεμοτροφεῖν ἐπεχείρουν

16But Maccabeus and his men made supplication and implored God to be their ally, then rushed against the strongholds of the Idumeans.

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον ποιησάμενοι λιτανείαν καὶ ἀξιώσαντες τὸν θεὸν σύμμαχον αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι ἐπὶ τὰ τῶν Ιδουμαίων ὀχυρώματα ὥρμησαν

17They attacked them aggressively, gained possession of the places, and drove back all who fought upon the wall. They slaughtered everyone they encountered, killing no fewer than twenty thousand.

οἷς καὶ προσβαλόντες εὐρώστως ἐγκρατεῖς ἐγένοντο τῶν τόπων πάντας τε τοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ τείχει μαχομένους ἠμύναντο κατέσφαζόν τε τοὺς ἐμπίπτοντας ἀνεῖλον δὲ οὐχ ἧττον τῶν δισμυρίων

18But at least nine thousand fled into two very strong towers, which were well equipped, containing everything necessary to withstand a siege.

συμφυγόντων δὲ οὐκ ἔλαττον τῶν ἐνακισχιλίων εἰς δύο πύργους ὀχυροὺς εὖ μάλα καὶ πάντα τὰ πρὸς πολιορκίαν ἔχοντας

19So Maccabeus left behind Simon, Joseph, and also Zacchaeus and those with him, a force sufficient to besiege them. Then he went to more urgent places.

ὁ Μακκαβαῖος εἰς ἐπείγοντας τόπους ἀπολιπὼν Σιμωνα καὶ Ιωσηπον ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ζακχαῖον καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ ἱκανοὺς πρὸς τὴν τούτων πολιορκίαν αὐτὸς ἐχωρίσθη

20But those around Simon, who were money lovers, were bribed by some of those in the towers. When they had received seventy thousand drachmas, they allowed some of them to slip away.

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Σιμωνα φιλαργυρήσαντες ὑπό τινων τῶν ἐν τοῖς πύργοις ἐπείσθησαν ἀργυρίῳ ἑπτάκις δὲ μυρίας δραχμὰς λαβόντες εἴασάν τινας διαρρυῆναι

21When news of what happened reached Maccabeus, he gathered the leaders of the people and accused them of selling their brothers for money by releasing their enemies to fight against them.

προσαγγελέντος δὲ τῷ Μακκαβαίῳ περὶ τοῦ γεγονότος συναγαγὼν τοὺς ἡγουμένους τοῦ λαοῦ κατηγόρησεν ὡς ἀργυρίου πέπρακαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς πολεμίους κατ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀπολύσαντες

22Then he killed these men who had become traitors and immediately seized the two towers.

τούτους μὲν οὖν προδότας γενομένους ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ παραχρῆμα τοὺς δύο πύργους κατελάβετο

23Faring well at arms in everything he undertook, he destroyed more than twenty thousand in the two fortresses.

τοῖς δὲ ὅπλοις τὰ πάντα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν εὐοδούμενος ἀπώλεσεν ἐν τοῖς δυσὶν ὀχυρώμασιν πλείους τῶν δισμυρίων

24Now Timothy, who had been defeated previously by the Jews, gathered a very massive and powerful force of mercenaries and assembled cavalry from Asia in no small number. Then he arrived as though he would take Judea captive.

Τιμόθεος δὲ ὁ πρότερον ἡττηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν Ιουδαίων συναγαγὼν ξένας δυνάμεις παμπληθεῖς καὶ τοὺς τῆς Ἀσίας γενομένους ἵππους συναθροίσας οὐκ ὀλίγους παρῆν ὡς δοριάλωτον λημψόμενος τὴν Ιουδαίαν

25As he drew near, Maccabeus and his men made supplication to God as they sprinkled earth on their heads and girded their loins with sackcloth.

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον συνεγγίζοντος αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἱκετείαν τοῦ θεοῦ γῇ τὰς κεφαλὰς καταπάσαντες καὶ τὰς ὀσφύας σάκκοις ζώσαντες

26They fell prostrate before the foot of the altar and implored Him to be merciful to them and to be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law plainly shows.

ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπέναντι τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κρηπῖδα προσπεσόντες ἠξίουν ἵλεως αὐτοῖς γενόμενον ἐχθρεῦσαι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἀντικεῖσθαι τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις καθὼς ὁ νόμος διασαφεῖ

27Then arising from prayer, they took up their weapons and advanced a considerable distance from the city. When they came near the enemy, they were by themselves.

γενόμενοι δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς δεήσεως ἀναλαβόντες τὰ ὅπλα προῆγον ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ πλεῖον συνεγγίσαντες δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῶν ἦσαν

28But as dawn was breaking, the armies attacked one another. The one had the guarantee of prosperity and victory, with their virtue and the Lord as their place of refuge, but the other depended on rage as their leader in the fight.

ἄρτι δὲ τῆς ἀνατολῆς διαχεομένης προσέβαλον ἑκάτεροι οἱ μὲν ἔγγυον ἔχοντες εὐημερίας καὶ νίκης μετὰ ἀρετῆς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον καταφυγήν οἱ δὲ καθηγεμόνα τῶν ἀγώνων ταττόμενοι τὸν θυμόν

29When the battle was strongly contested, there appeared to the enemy from heaven five majestic men on horses with golden bridles, and they were leading the Jews.

γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης ἐφάνησαν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐφ᾿ ἵππων χρυσοχαλίνων ἄνδρες πέντε διαπρεπεῖς καὶ ἀφηγούμενοι τῶν Ιουδαίων

30They took Maccabeus between them and shielded him with their own armor. They kept him from being wounded and cast arrows and thunderbolts on the enemy. Wherefore, confused with blindness and full of disorder, they were cut to pieces.

οἳ καὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον μέσον λαβόντες καὶ σκεπάζοντες ταῖς ἑαυτῶν πανοπλίαις ἄτρωτον διεφύλαττον εἰς δὲ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους τοξεύματα καὶ κεραυνοὺς ἐξερρίπτουν διὸ συγχυθέντες ἀορασίᾳ διεκόπτοντο ταραχῆς πεπληρωμένοι

31Twenty thousand five hundred were slaughtered along with six hundred cavalry.

κατεσφάγησαν δὲ δισμύριοι πρὸς τοῖς πεντακοσίοις ἱππεῖς δὲ ἑξακόσιοι

32Timothy himself fled to a stronghold called Gazara, especially well garrisoned, where Chaereas was commander.

αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Τιμόθεος συνέφυγεν εἰς Γαζαρα λεγόμενον ὀχύρωμα εὖ μάλα φρούριον στρατηγοῦντος ἐκεῖ Χαιρεου

33Maccabeus and his men eagerly besieged the stronghold for four days,

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον ἄσμενοι περιεκάθισαν τὸ φρούριον ἡμέρας τέσσαρας

34but the men within it trusted in the security of the place. So they kept blaspheming beyond measure and uttering disgusting words.

οἱ δὲ ἔνδον τῇ ἐρυμνότητι τοῦ τόπου πεποιθότες ὑπεράγαν ἐβλασφήμουν καὶ λόγους ἀθεμίτους προΐεντο

35Now when the fifth day dawned, twenty young men in the army of Maccabeus burned with anger because of the blasphemies. So they bravely attacked the wall and with savage fury struck down everyone they encountered.

ὑποφαινούσης δὲ τῆς πέμπτης ἡμέρας εἴκοσι νεανίαι τῶν περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον πυρωθέντες τοῖς θυμοῖς διὰ τὰς βλασφημίας προσβαλόντες τῷ τείχει ἀρρενωδῶς καὶ θηριώδει θυμῷ τὸν ἐμπίπτοντα ἔκοπτον

36Others likewise went up during the distraction against those inside and burned down the towers. They kindled fires and burned the blasphemers alive. Others broke through the gates, let in the rest of the force, and took control of the city.

ἕτεροι δὲ ὁμοίως προσαναβάντες ἐν τῷ περισπασμῷ πρὸς τοὺς ἔνδον ἐνεπίμπρων τοὺς πύργους καὶ πυρὰς ἀνάπτοντες ζῶντας τοὺς βλασφήμους κατέκαιον οἱ δὲ τὰς πύλας διέκοπτον εἰσδεξάμενοι δὲ τὴν λοιπὴν τάξιν προκατελάβοντο τὴν πόλιν

37They killed Timothy, who was hiding in a well, and his brother Chaereas and Apollophanes.

καὶ τὸν Τιμόθεον ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἔν τινι λάκκῳ κατέσφαξαν καὶ τὸν τούτου ἀδελφὸν Χαιρέαν καὶ τὸν Ἀπολλοφάνην

38When they had done this, they blessed the Lord with hymns and praises, thanking Him who shows great kindness to Israel and gives them victory.

ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξάμενοι μεθ᾿ ὕμνων καὶ ἐξομολογήσεων εὐλόγουν τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ μεγάλως εὐεργετοῦντι τὸν Ισραηλ καὶ τὸ νῖκος αὐτοῖς διδόντι