2 Maccabees 6

1Not long afterward, the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to leave behind the laws of their fathers and not to live by the laws of God.

μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺν δὲ χρόνον ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς γέροντα Ἀθηναῖον ἀναγκάζειν τοὺς Ιουδαίους μεταβαίνειν ἀπὸ τῶν πατρίων νόμων καὶ τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ νόμοις μὴ πολιτεύεσθαι

2He also insisted they pollute the temple in Jerusalem by calling it the temple of Olympian Zeus, and to call the one in Gerizim the temple of Zeus the Hospitable, as did the people who lived at one time in that place.

μολῦναι δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐν Ιεροσολύμοις νεὼ καὶ προσονομάσαι Διὸς Ὀλυμπίου καὶ τὸν ἐν Γαριζιν καθὼς ἐτύγχανον οἱ τὸν τόπον οἰκοῦντες Διὸς Ξενίου

3The intensity of evil was hard to deal with and extremely hateful,

χαλεπὴ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ὅλοις ἦν δυσχερὴς ἡ ἐπίτασις τῆς κακίας

4for the temple was filled with debauchery and reveling by the Gentiles, who relaxed with friends and had intercourse with women within the sacred precincts, and still further brought unfitting things inside.

τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἱερὸν ἀσωτίας καὶ κώμων ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπεπληροῦτο ῥᾳθυμούντων μεθ᾿ ἑταιρῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς περιβόλοις γυναιξὶ πλησιαζόντων ἔτι δὲ τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα ἔνδον εἰσφερόντων

5The altar was filled with disgusting things forbidden by the laws.

τὸ δὲ θυσιαστήριον τοῖς ἀποδιεσταλμένοις ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων ἀθεμίτοις ἐπεπλήρωτο

6A man could neither keep the Sabbath, nor observe the feasts of his fathers, nor simply confess himself to be a Jew.

ἦν δ᾿ οὔτε σαββατίζειν οὔτε πατρῴους ἑορτὰς διαφυλάττειν οὔτε ἁπλῶς Ιουδαῖον ὁμολογεῖν εἶναι

7When the month came for the king's birthday, the Jews were led by bitter constraint to partake of the sacrifices; and when the feast of Dionysus came, they were forced to walk in procession for Dionysus wearing ivy wreaths.

ἤγοντο δὲ μετὰ πικρᾶς ἀνάγκης εἰς τὴν κατὰ μῆνα τοῦ βασιλέως γενέθλιον ἡμέραν ἐπὶ σπλαγχνισμόν γενομένης δὲ Διονυσίων ἑορτῆς ἠναγκάζοντο κισσοὺς ἔχοντες πομπεύειν τῷ Διονύσῳ

8Moreover, a decree laid down by Ptolemy was sent to the nearby Greek cities that the same manner of conduct be imposed on the Jews to partake of the sacrifices;

ψήφισμα δὲ ἐξέπεσεν εἰς τὰς ἀστυγείτονας Ἑλληνίδας πόλεις Πτολεμαίου ὑποθεμένου τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγωγὴν κατὰ τῶν Ιουδαίων ἄγειν καὶ σπλαγχνίζειν

9but they should slaughter those who chose not to change over to Greek customs. One could see, therefore, their present misery.

τοὺς δὲ μὴ προαιρουμένους μεταβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὰ ἑλληνικὰ κατασφάζειν παρῆν οὖν ὁρᾶν τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ταλαιπωρίαν

10For instance, there were two women brought for circumcising their children. They publicly paraded these women around the city, with their babes hanging from their breasts, then they threw them down from the city wall.

δύο γὰρ γυναῖκες ἀνήχθησαν περιτετμηκυῖαι τὰ τέκνα τούτων δὲ ἐκ τῶν μαστῶν κρεμάσαντες τὰ βρέφη καὶ δημοσίᾳ περιαγαγόντες αὐτὰς τὴν πόλιν κατὰ τοῦ τείχους ἐκρήμνισαν

11Others who came together in the nearby caves to keep the seventh day secretly were betrayed to Philip and were all burned together, because they piously kept themselves from crying out for help on account of their regard for the most holy day.

ἕτεροι δὲ πλησίον συνδραμόντες εἰς τὰ σπήλαια λεληθότως ἄγειν τὴν ἑβδομάδα μηνυθέντες τῷ Φιλίππῳ συνεφλογίσθησαν διὰ τὸ εὐλαβῶς ἔχειν βοηθῆσαι ἑαυτοῖς κατὰ τὴν δόξαν τῆς σεμνοτάτης ἡμέρας

12Now I urge those who read this book not to be discouraged by these calamities, but to recognize that these punishments were for the discipline of our people, but not for their destruction.

παρακαλῶ οὖν τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τῇδε τῇ βίβλῳ μὴ συστέλλεσθαι διὰ τὰς συμφοράς λογίζεσθαι δὲ τὰς τιμωρίας μὴ πρὸς ὄλεθρον ἀλλὰ πρὸς παιδείαν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν εἶναι

13For it is an act of great kindness for the Lord not to allow our people to act ungodly for long, but to punish them immediately.

καὶ γὰρ τὸ μὴ πολὺν χρόνον ἐᾶσθαι τοὺς δυσσεβοῦντας ἀλλ᾿ εὐθέως περιπίπτειν ἐπιτίμοις μεγάλης εὐεργεσίας σημεῖόν ἐστιν

14But the Lord does not act the same way with other nations. He waits patiently until they attain the completion of their sins, then punishes them. Thus He does not judge us in this way,

οὐ γὰρ καθάπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἀναμένει μακροθυμῶν ὁ δεσπότης μέχρι τοῦ καταντήσαντας αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἐκπλήρωσιν ἁμαρτιῶν κολάσαι οὕτως καὶ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν ἔκρινεν εἶναι

15so as to take vengeance on us afterwards when we have reached the end of our sinning.

ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τέλος ἀφικομένων ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὕστερον ἡμᾶς ἐκδικᾷ

16For this very reason He never withdraws His mercy from us. Although He disciplines us with calamities, He does not abandon His own people.

διόπερ οὐδέποτε μὲν τὸν ἔλεον ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν ἀφίστησιν παιδεύων δὲ μετὰ συμφορᾶς οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαόν

17Let what I have said serve as a reminder, but we must continue the narrative.

πλὴν ἕως ὑπομνήσεως ταῦθ᾿ ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω δι᾿ ὀλίγων δ᾿ ἐλευστέον ἐπὶ τὴν διήγησιν

18Eleazar, one of the scribes in high position, a man already advanced in years and of a noble presence, was forced to open his mouth to eat swine's flesh.

Ελεάζαρός τις τῶν πρωτευόντων γραμματέων ἀνὴρ ἤδη προβεβηκὼς τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τὴν πρόσοψιν τοῦ προσώπου κάλλιστος ἀναχανὼν ἠναγκάζετο φαγεῖν ὕειον κρέας

19But welcoming an honorable death rather than a defiled life, he spat out the flesh and approached the rack of his own accord.

ὁ δὲ τὸν μετ᾿ εὐκλείας θάνατον μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν μετὰ μύσους βίον ἀναδεξάμενος αὐθαιρέτως ἐπὶ τὸ τύμπανον προσῆγεν

20He did as men should do who refuse what is not lawful to eat, even for the love of life.

προπτύσας δὲ καθ᾿ ὃν ἔδει τρόπον προσέρχεσθαι τοὺς ὑπομένοντας ἀμύνασθαι ὧν οὐ θέμις γεύσασθαι διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ζῆν φιλοστοργίαν

21Those in charge of the unlawful sacrifice, because of their longtime acquaintance with him, took the man aside privately and urged him to bring meat proper for him to use, pretending to prepare it for himself as though he were eating the flesh of the sacrifice commanded by the king.

οἱ δὲ πρὸς τῷ παρανόμῳ σπλαγχνισμῷ τεταγμένοι διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν παλαιῶν χρόνων πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα γνῶσιν ἀπολαβόντες αὐτὸν κατ᾿ ἰδίαν παρεκάλουν ἐνέγκαντα κρέα οἷς καθῆκον αὐτῷ χρᾶσθαι δι᾿ αὐτοῦ παρασκευασθέντα ὑποκριθῆναι δὲ ὡς ἐσθίοντα τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως προστεταγμένα τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς θυσίας κρεῶν

22Thus by doing this he might be saved from death, and be treated kindly on account of his long friendship with them.

ἵνα τοῦτο πράξας ἀπολυθῇ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς φιλίαν τύχῃ φιλανθρωπίας

23But making an honorable resolve worthy of his years and the dignity of his old age and gray hair, which he had reached through the distinction of his excellent life even from childhood, and moreover according to the holy God-given laws, he turned himself over to them quickly, telling them to send him immediately to Hades.

ὁ δὲ λογισμὸν ἀστεῖον ἀναλαβὼν καὶ ἄξιον τῆς ἡλικίας καὶ τῆς τοῦ γήρως ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς ἐπικτήτου καὶ ἐπιφανοῦς πολιᾶς καὶ τῆς ἐκ παιδὸς καλλίστης ἀναστροφῆς μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ θεοκτίστου νομοθεσίας ἀκολούθως ἀπεφήνατο ταχέως λέγων προπέμπειν εἰς τὸν ᾅδην

24'For to pretend such things,' he said, 'is not worthy of our time of life, lest many of the young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to a foreign religion,

οὐ γὰρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡλικίας ἄξιόν ἐστιν ὑποκριθῆναι ἵνα πολλοὶ τῶν νέων ὑπολαβόντες Ελεαζαρον τὸν ἐνενηκονταετῆ μεταβεβηκέναι εἰς ἀλλοφυλισμὸν

25and because of my pretense for the sake of living a brief moment longer, they should be led astray through me, while I earn only pollution and defilement in my old age.

καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ὑπόκρισιν καὶ διὰ τὸ μικρὸν καὶ ἀκαριαῖον ζῆν πλανηθῶσιν δι᾿ ἐμέ καὶ μύσος καὶ κηλῖδα τοῦ γήρως κατακτήσωμαι

26For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die, I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty.

εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἐξελοῦμαι τὴν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τιμωρίαν ἀλλὰ τὰς τοῦ παντοκράτορος χεῖρας οὔτε ζῶν οὔτε ἀποθανὼν ἐκφεύξομαι

27Therefore by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age,

διόπερ ἀνδρείως μὲν νῦν διαλλάξας τὸν βίον τοῦ μὲν γήρως ἄξιος φανήσομαι

28and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and bravely for the venerable and holy laws.'

τοῖς δὲ νέοις ὑπόδειγμα γενναῖον καταλελοιπὼς εἰς τὸ προθύμως καὶ γενναίως ὑπὲρ τῶν σεμνῶν καὶ ἁγίων νόμων ἀπευθανατίζειν τοσαῦτα δὲ εἰπὼν ἐπὶ τὸ τύμπανον εὐθέως ἦλθεν

29After he said this, he went straight to the rack, and those who had just demonstrated good will toward him now showed hostility, because they took the words he had spoken to be madness.

τῶν δὲ ἀγόντων πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν μικρῷ πρότερον εὐμένειαν εἰς δυσμένειαν μεταβαλόντων διὰ τὸ τοὺς προειρημένους λόγους ὡς αὐτοὶ διελάμβανον ἀπόνοιαν εἶναι

30When he was about to die from the blows, he groaned and said, 'It is evident to the Lord in His holy knowledge that, though I could have been saved from death, I am enduring terrible sufferings in my body from this beating, but in my soul I gladly suffer these things because I fear Him.'

μέλλων δὲ ταῖς πληγαῖς τελευτᾶν ἀναστενάξας εἶπεν τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ τὴν ἁγίαν γνῶσιν ἔχοντι φανερόν ἐστιν ὅτι δυνάμενος ἀπολυθῆναι τοῦ θανάτου σκληρὰς ὑποφέρω κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἀλγηδόνας μαστιγούμενος κατὰ ψυχὴν δὲ ἡδέως διὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ φόβον ταῦτα πάσχω

31So in this manner he died, leaving in his death an example of his noble character and a memorial of his virtue, not only to the young but to the many people of his nation.

καὶ οὗτος οὖν τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον μετήλλαξεν οὐ μόνον τοῖς νέοις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πλείστοις τοῦ ἔθνους τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θάνατον ὑπόδειγμα γενναιότητος καὶ μνημόσυνον ἀρετῆς καταλιπών