3 Maccabees 1

1When Philopator heard from those who returned that the regions he ruled had been captured by Antiochus, he issued orders to all his infantry and cavalry forces, took his sister Arsinoe along with him, and set out toward the area near Raphia, where the forces of Antiochus were positioned.

ὁ δὲ Φιλοπάτωρ παρὰ τῶν ἀνακομισθέντων μαθὼν τὴν γενομένην τῶν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ κρατουμένων τόπων ἀφαίρεσιν ὑπὸ Ἀντιόχου παραγγείλας ταῖς πάσαις δυνάμεσιν πεζικαῖς τε καὶ ἱππικαῖς καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν Ἀρσινόην συμπαραλαβὼν ἐξώρμησεν μέχρι τῶν κατὰ Ῥαφίαν τόπων ὅπου παρεμβεβλήκεισαν οἱ περὶ Ἀντίοχον

2Now a certain Theodotus, intending to carry out a plan he had developed, took the finest of the Ptolemaic weapons issued earlier to him and crossed by night to Ptolemy's tent with the intention of killing him by himself, and in that way ending the war.

Θεόδοτος δέ τις ἐκπληρῶσαι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διανοηθεὶς παραλαβὼν τῶν προϋποτεταγμένων αὐτῷ ὅπλων Πτολεμαϊκῶν τὰ κράτιστα διεκομίσθη νύκτωρ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Πτολεμαίου σκηνὴν ὡς μόνος κτεῖναι αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ διαλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον

3But Dositheus, called the son of Drimylos, by birth Jew who afterward changed his religion and apostatized from the traditions of his fathers, removed the king and put in his place a certain unimportant man in the tent. That man suffered the vengeance intended for the king.

τοῦτον δὲ διαγαγὼν Δοσίθεος ὁ Δριμύλου λεγόμενος τὸ γένος Ιουδαῖος ὕστερον δὲ μεταβαλὼν τὰ νόμιμα καὶ τῶν πατρίων δογμάτων ἀπηλλοτριωμένος ἄσημόν τινα κατέκλινεν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ ὃν συνέβη κομίσασθαι τὴν ἐκείνου κόλασιν

4When a fierce battle took place and things were going rather well for Antiochus, Arsinoe went and exhorted the soldiers with her cries and tears. With her hair disheveled, she urged them to be brave and to defend themselves and their children and wives. She promised to give each of them two minas of gold if they were victorious.

γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων μᾶλλον ἐρρωμένων τῷ Ἀντιόχῳ ἱκανῶς ἡ Ἀρσινόη ἐπιπορευσαμένη τὰς δυνάμεις παρεκάλει μετὰ οἴκτου καὶ δακρύων τοὺς πλοκάμους λελυμένη βοηθεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις καὶ γυναιξὶν θαρραλέως ἐπαγγελλομένη δώσειν νικήσασιν ἑκάστῳ δύο μνᾶς χρυσίου

5So it happened the enemy was defeated in hand-to-hand combat, and many were taken captive.

καὶ οὕτως συνέβη τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἐν χειρονομίαις διαφθαρῆναι πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ δοριαλώτους συλλημφθῆναι

6But having prevailed against the plot, Ptolemy decided to visit and encourage the neighboring cities.

κατακρατήσας δὲ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἔκρινεν τὰς πλησίον πόλεις ἐπελθὼν παρακαλέσαι

7In doing so and by enriching their sacred precincts with gifts, he built up the morale of the conquered people.

ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς τεμένεσι δωρεὰς ἀπονείμας εὐθαρσεῖς τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους κατέστησεν

8When the Jews sent representatives to him from the senate, they greeted him, brought him gifts, and congratulated him on the way things turned out. He was favorable to them and eager to visit them soon.

τῶν δὲ Ιουδαίων διαπεμψαμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γερουσίας καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοὺς ἀσπασομένους αὐτὸν καὶ ξένια κομιοῦντας καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν χαρισομένους συνέβη μᾶλλον αὐτὸν προθυμηθῆναι ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς αὐτοὺς παραγενέσθαι

9When he came to Jerusalem, he sacrificed to the Almighty God and made thank offerings and did what was appropriate in the place. In coming into the holy place, he was astonished at its excellence and beauty,

διακομισθεὶς δὲ εἰς Ιεροσόλυμα καὶ θύσας τῷ μεγίστῳ θεῷ καὶ χάριτας ἀποδοὺς καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς τι τῷ τόπῳ ποιήσας καὶ δὴ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν τόπον καὶ τῇ σπουδαιότητι καὶ εὐπρεπείᾳ καταπλαγείς

10and he admired the good order of the temple and conceived a desire to enter into the inner sanctuary.

θαυμάσας δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ εὐταξίαν ἐνεθυμήθη βουλεύσασθαι εἰς τὸν ναὸν εἰσελθεῖν

11They told him, however, it was inappropriate for him to do this, since even citizens of their own nation were not allowed to enter, nor even all the priests. Only the high priest who was first over all of them could enter, but only once a year. Ptolemy, though, was not at all persuaded.

τῶν δὲ εἰπόντων μὴ καθήκειν γίνεσθαι τοῦτο διὰ τὸ μηδὲ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐξεῖναι εἰσιέναι μηδὲ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἀλλ᾿ ἢ μόνῳ τῷ προηγουμένῳ πάντων ἀρχιερεῖ καὶ τούτῳ κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν ἅπαξ ὁ δὲ οὐδαμῶς ἐπείθετο

12Even when the law was read to him, still he would not stop insisting that he should enter, saying, 'Even if others are deprived of this honor, I must not be deprived.'

τοῦ τε νόμου παραναγνωσθέντος οὐδ᾿ ὧς ἀπέλιπεν προφερόμενος ἑαυτὸν δεῖν εἰσελθεῖν λέγων καὶ εἰ ἐκεῖνοι ἐστέρηνται ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς ἐμὲ δὲ οὐ δεῖ

13Then he asked why nobody ever prevented him from going into all the other shrines.

καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν εἰσερχόμενον αὐτὸν εἰς πᾶν τέμενος οὐθεὶς ἐκώλυσεν τῶν παρόντων

14Someone said without thinking that it was improper to take that as a portent.

καί τις ἀπρονοήτως ἔφη κακῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τερατεύεσθαι

15When that happened, he said that he would enter anyway, whether they liked it or not.

γενομένου δέ φησιν τούτου διά τινα αἰτίαν οὐχὶ πάντως εἰσελεύσεσθαι καὶ θελόντων αὐτῶν καὶ μή

16Then the priests, fully vested, prostrated themselves and supplicated God Most High to help them in the present circumstances, to turn away the impulse of the man of evil design. The temple was filled with their cries and tears.

τῶν δὲ ἱερέων ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐσθήσεσιν προσπεσόντων καὶ δεομένων τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἐνεστῶσιν καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ κακῶς ἐπιβαλλομένου μεταθεῖναι κραυγῆς τε μετὰ δακρύων τὸ ἱερὸν ἐμπλησάντων

17Those who remained in the city rushed out, supposing that something mysterious was happening.

οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀπολειπόμενοι ταραχθέντες ἐξεπήδησαν ἄδηλον τιθέμενοι τὸ γινόμενον

18Even the virgins who had remained in their chambers rushed out with their mothers and sprinkled dust on their hair, filling the streets with wailing and groaning.

αἵ τε κατάκλειστοι παρθένοι ἐν θαλάμοις σὺν ταῖς τεκούσαις ἐξώρμησαν καὶ ἀπέδωκαν κόνει τὰς κόμας πασάμεναι γόου τε καὶ στεναγμῶν ἐνεπίμπλων τὰς πλατείας

19Those, too, who were recently brought to their bridal chambers abandoned the modesty that was appropriate for them and raced through the city in a disorderly manner.

αἱ δὲ καὶ προσαρτίως ἐσταλμέναι τοὺς πρὸς ἀπάντησιν διατεταγμένους παστοὺς καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν αἰδὼ παραλείπουσαι δρόμον ἄτακτον ἐν τῇ πόλει συνίσταντο

20At that point, mothers and nurses even abandoned their newborns here and there, some at home and others in the streets, and without looking back crowded into the most high temple.

τὰ δὲ νεογνὰ τῶν τέκνων αἱ πρὸς τούτοις μητέρες καὶ τιθηνοὶ παραλείπουσαι ἄλλως καὶ ἄλλως αἱ μὲν κατ᾿ οἴκους αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἀγυιάς ἀνεπιστρέπτως εἰς τὸ πανυπέρτατον ἱερὸν ἠθροίζοντο

21The prayers of those gathered were of varied forms because of what the king was plotting in such an unholy way.

ποικίλη δὲ ἦν τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συλλεγέντων ἡ δέησις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνοσίως ὑπ᾿ ἐκείνου κατεγχειρουμένοις

22Besides, more aggressive citizens would in no way tolerate the carrying out of his plan or the fulfillment of his intention.

σύν τε τούτοις οἱ περὶ τῶν πολιτῶν θρασυνθέντες οὐκ ἠνείχοντο τέλεον αὐτοῦ ἐπικειμένου καὶ τὸ τῆς προθέσεως ἐκπληροῦν διανοουμένου

23They shouted to their neighbors to make a run on the weapons and to die courageously for the law of their fathers. They created a great disturbance in the place and were barely restrained by the aged and the elders. They took up the same posture of prayer as the others.

φωνήσαντες δὲ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα ποιήσασθαι καὶ θαρραλέως ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου τελευτᾶν ἱκανὴν ἐποίησαν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τραχύτητα μόλις δὲ ὑπό τε τῶν γεραιῶν καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀποτραπέντες ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν τῆς δεήσεως παρῆσαν στάσιν

24In the meantime, the multitude returned to prayer as before.

καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ὡς ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τούτοις ἀνεστρέφετο δεόμενον

25The elders close by the king made many attempts to divert his haughty mind from the plan he had concocted.

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα πρεσβύτεροι πολλαχῶς ἐπειρῶντο τὸν ἀγέρωχον αὐτοῦ νοῦν ἐξιστάνειν τῆς ἐντεθυμημένης ἐπιβουλῆς

26But in his arrogance he dismissed everything they said and began to approach the place, determined to complete his plan.

θρασυνθεὶς δὲ καὶ πάντα παραπέμψας ἤδη καὶ πρόσβασιν ἐποιεῖτο τέλος ἐπιθήσειν δοκῶν τῷ προειρημένῳ

27When those around the king observed this, they turned to one another and called upon Him who is all-powerful to come to their aid in this current struggle and not to ignore this lawless and arrogant act.

ταῦτα οὖν καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντες θεωροῦντες ἐτράπησαν εἰς τὸ σὺν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν πᾶν κράτος ἔχοντα τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐπαμῦναι μὴ παριδόντα τὴν ἄνομον καὶ ὑπερήφανον πρᾶξιν

28But because of the continual impassioned shouting of the crowds, it seemed that not only those present but also the very walls and the earth itself were echoing the cry, for they all preferred death to the profaning of the temple.

ἐκ δὲ τῆς πυκνοτάτης τε καὶ ἐμπόνου τῶν ὄχλων συναγομένης κραυγῆς ἀνείκαστός τις ἦν βοή