3 Maccabees 7

1'King Ptolemy Philopator, to the commanders in Egypt and to all those in authority in our government, greetings and health.

βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος Φιλοπάτωρ τοῖς κατ᾿ Αἴγυπτον στρατηγοῖς καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς τεταγμένοις ἐπὶ πραγμάτων χαίρειν καὶ ἐρρῶσθαι

2We ourselves are well, as are our children, with the great God guiding our affairs as we desire.

ἐρρώμεθα δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν κατευθύναντος ἡμῖν τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ τὰ πράγματα καθὼς προαιρούμεθα

3Some of our friends through malignity kept urging us and finally persuaded us to gather the Jews in our kingdom to have them punished in a body with unusual punishments, as if they were rebels.

τῶν φίλων τινὲς κατὰ κακοήθειαν πυκνότερον ἡμῖν παρακείμενοι συνέπεισαν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ τοὺς ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν Ιουδαίους συναθροίσαντας σύστημα κολάσασθαι ξενιζούσαις ἀποστατῶν τιμωρίαις

4They argued that until this was accomplished, our government would never be stable because of their ill-will toward all nations.

προφερόμενοι μηδέποτε εὐσταθήσειν τὰ πράγματα ἡμῶν δι᾿ ἣν ἔχουσιν οὗτοι πρὸς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δυσμένειαν μέχρι ἂν συντελεσθῇ τοῦτο

5They led them out cruelly in fetters as slaves, or rather as traitors, and without making any inquiry or investigation, they attempted to attack them, girding themselves with fierceness more savage than that of the Scythians.

οἳ καὶ δεσμίους καταγαγόντες αὐτοὺς μετὰ σκυλμῶν ὡς ἀνδράποδα μᾶλλον δὲ ὡς ἐπιβούλους ἄνευ πάσης ἀνακρίσεως καὶ ἐξετάσεως ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνελεῖν νόμου Σκυθῶν ἀγριωτέραν ἐμπεπορπημένοι ὠμότητα

6But because of the fairness we have toward all men, we threatened them severely for these things. Yet we barely spared their lives, because we recognized that the heavenly God surely protects the Jews, as a father protects his sons and fights on their behalf.

ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις σκληρότερον διαπειλησάμενοι καθ᾿ ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους ἐπιείκειαν μόγις τὸ ζῆν αὐτοῖς χαρισάμενοι καὶ τὸν ἐπουράνιον θεὸν ἐγνωκότες ἀσφαλῶς ὑπερησπικότα τῶν Ιουδαίων ὡς πατέρα ὑπὲρ υἱῶν διὰ παντὸς συμμαχοῦντα

7We considered the steadfast goodwill they had toward us and toward our brothers, and justly acquitted them from every manner of charge.

τήν τε τοῦ φίλου ἣν ἔχουσιν βεβαίαν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ τοὺς προγόνους ἡμῶν εὔνοιαν ἀναλογισάμενοι δικαίως ἀπολελύκαμεν πάσης καθ᾿ ὁντινοῦν αἰτίας τρόπον

8Then we ordered our people to go about their business, each in his own place, with no one harming them or reproaching them undeservedly about what happened.

καὶ προστετάχαμεν ἑκάστῳ πάντας εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐπιστρέφειν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ μηθενὸς αὐτοὺς τὸ σύνολον καταβλάπτοντος μήτε ὀνειδίζειν περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων παρὰ λόγον

9For you know that if we plot any evil against them or trouble them at all, we will have not man but God the Most High, the Master of all power, unfavorable to us in vengeance for these things and inescapable in everything forever. Farewell.'

γινώσκετε γὰρ ὅτι κατὰ τούτων ἐάν τι κακοτεχνήσωμεν πονηρὸν ἢ ἐπιλυπήσωμεν αὐτοὺς τὸ σύνολον οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀλλὰ τὸν πάσης δεσπόζοντα δυνάμεως θεὸν ὕψιστον ἀντικείμενον ἡμῖν ἐπ᾿ ἐκδικήσει τῶν πραγμάτων κατὰ πᾶν ἀφεύκτως διὰ παντὸς ἕξομεν ἔρρωσθε

10When they received this letter, the Jews did not hasten to depart immediately, but rather petitioned the king that those of the race of Jews who transgressed the law of the Holy God should receive the punishment they deserved.

λαβόντες δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην οὐκ ἐσπούδασαν εὐθέως γενέσθαι περὶ τὴν ἄφοδον ἀλλὰ τὸν βασιλέα προσηξίωσαν τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ γένους τῶν Ιουδαίων τὸν ἅγιον θεὸν αὐθαιρέτως παραβεβηκότας καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν νόμον τυχεῖν δι᾿ αὐτῶν τῆς ὀφειλομένης κολάσεως

11They proclaimed that those who transgressed the divine commands on account of their appetites would never again be favorable toward the king's government.

προφερόμενοι τοὺς γαστρὸς ἕνεκεν τὰ θεῖα παραβεβηκότας προστάγματα μηδέποτε εὐνοήσειν μηδὲ τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως πράγμασιν

12So he accepted the truth of what they said and deferred to them, giving them permission in all things to destroy those who had transgressed the law of God throughout his kingdom with boldness and without any royal authority or supervision.

ὁ δὲ τἀληθὲς αὐτοὺς λέγειν παραδεξάμενος καὶ παραινέσας ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἄδειαν πάντων ὅπως τοὺς παραβεβηκότας τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν νόμον ἐξολεθρεύσωσιν κατὰ πάντα τὸν ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τόπον μετὰ παρρησίας ἄνευ πάσης βασιλικῆς ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπισκέψεως

13Then their priests and the whole multitude extolled the king and, as was appropriate, responded with an alleluia, and departed in joy.

τότε κατευφημήσαντες αὐτόν ὡς πρέπον ἦν οἱ τούτων ἱερεῖς καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος ἐπιφωνήσαντες τὸ αλληλουια μετὰ χαρᾶς ἀνέλυσαν

14As they went their way, they punished and killed anyone of their race they encountered who had defiled himself, putting him to public shame.

οὕτως τε τὸν ἐμπεσόντα τῶν μεμιαμμένων ὁμοεθνῆ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐκολάζοντο καὶ μετὰ παραδειγματισμῶν ἀνῄρουν

15So on that day they killed more than three hundred men, and they held a joyous festival because they had overtaken those who were defiled.

ἐκείνῃ δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀνεῖλον ὑπὲρ τοὺς τριακοσίους ἄνδρας ἣν καὶ ἤγαγον εὐφροσύνην μετὰ χαρᾶς βεβήλους χειρωσάμενοι

16Then those who had held firmly to God to the point of death received the pleasure of their deliverance. They left the city wreathed in all sorts of sweet-smelling flowers, with joyful shouts of thanks in praises and melodious hymns to the God of their fathers, the everlasting Savior of Israel.

αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ μέχρι θανάτου τὸν θεὸν ἐσχηκότες παντελῆ σωτηρίας ἀπόλαυσιν εἰληφότες ἀνέζευξαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως παντοίοις εὐωδεστάτοις ἄνθεσιν κατεστεμμένοι μετ᾿ εὐφροσύνης καὶ βοῆς ἐν αἴνοις καὶ παμμελέσιν ὕμνοις εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ θεῷ τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν αἰωνίῳ σωτῆρι τοῦ Ισραηλ

17But when they reached Ptolemais, called the Rose-bearing City because of the special character of the place, the fleet had waited there for seven days according to the plan they determined.

παραγενηθέντες δὲ εἰς Πτολεμαίδα τὴν ὀνομαζομένην διὰ τὴν τοῦ τόπου ἰδιότητα ῥοδοφόρον ἐν ᾗ προσέμεινεν αὐτοὺς ὁ στόλος κατὰ κοινὴν αὐτῶν βουλὴν ἡμέρας ἑπτά

18They held a feast of deliverance there for the king, who liberally supplied them with everything they needed for their journey home.

ἐκεῖ ἐποίησαν πότον σωτήριον τοῦ βασιλέως χορηγήσαντος αὐτοῖς εὐψύχως τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἄφιξιν πάντα ἑκάστῳ ἕως εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν οἰκίαν

19When they reached land in peace with proper giving of thanks, they also decided to again set apart these days for joyful festivity during their stay.

καταχθέντες δὲ μετ᾿ εἰρήνης ἐν ταῖς πρεπούσαις ἐξομολογήσεσιν ὡσαύτως κἀκεῖ ἔστησαν καὶ ταύτας ἄγειν τὰς ἡμέρας ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς παροικίας αὐτῶν χρόνον εὐφροσύνους

20They marked these days on a column inscribed and set in the banquet site, consecrating it as a place of prayer. Then they went away safely through land, sea, and river, each to his own home, free and overjoyed by the command of the king.

ἃς καὶ ἀνιερώσαντες ἐν στήλῃ κατὰ τὸν τῆς συμποσίας τόπον προσευχῆς καθιδρύσαντες ἀνέλυσαν ἀσινεῖς ἐλεύθεροι ὑπερχαρεῖς διά τε γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης καὶ ποταμοῦ ἀνασῳζόμενοι τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιταγῇ ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν

21They had more honor than before among their adversaries, were held in esteem and awe, and none of them lost any of their belongings.

καὶ πλείστην ἢ ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐξουσίαν ἐσχηκότες μετὰ δόξης καὶ φόβου τὸ σύνολον ὑπὸ μηδενὸς διασεισθέντες τῶν ὑπαρχόντων

22Instead, they reclaimed all of their own things which had been registered. If anyone held something of theirs, they returned it with the greatest fear, since the Almighty God had done perfectly magnificent works to gain their deliverance.

καὶ πάντα τὰ ἑαυτῶν πάντες ἐκομίσαντο ἐξ ἀπογραφῆς ὥστε τοὺς ἔχοντάς τι μετὰ φόβου μεγίστου ἀποδοῦναι αὐτοῖς τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ ποιήσαντος τελείως ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ αὐτῶν

23Blessed is the Savior of Israel unto ages of ages! Amen.

εὐλογητὸς ὁ ῥύστης Ισραηλ εἰς τοὺς ἀεὶ χρόνους αμην