4 Maccabees · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
4 Maccabees 17 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
1 And some of the spearbearers said, that when she herself was about to be seized for the purpose of being put to death, she threw herself upon the pile, rather than that they should touch her person.
1 Some of the spearbearers said that when she herself was about to be seized for the purpose of being put to death, she threw herself on the pile, rather than let them touch her body.
2 O thou mother, who together with seven children didst destroy the violence of the tyrant, and render void his wicked intentions, and exhibit the nobleness of faith!
2 O you mother, who together with seven children destroyed the violence of the tyrant, and rendered void his wicked intentions, and exhibited the nobleness of faith!
3 For thou, as a house bravely built upon the pillar of thy children, didst bear without swaying, the shock of tortures.
3 For you, like a house bravely built on the pillar of your children, bore the shock of tortures without swaying.
4 Be of good cheer, therefore, O holy-minded mother! holding the firm [substance of the] hope of your steadfastness with God.
4 Cheer up, therefore, O holy-minded mother! Hold the firm hope of your steadfastness with God.
5 Not so gracious does the moon appear with the stars in heaven, as thou art established honorable before God, and fixed in the firmament with thy sons whom thou didst illuminate with religion to the stars.
5 Not so gracious does the moon appear with the stars in heaven, as you are established as honorable before God, and fixed in the sky with your sons whom you illuminated with religion to the stars.
6 For thy bearing of children was after the fashion of a child of Abraham.
6 For your bearing of children was after the manner of a child of Abraham.
7 And, were it lawful for us to paint as on a tablet the religion of thy story, the spectators would not shudder at beholding the mother of seven children enduring for the sake of religion various tortures even unto death.
7 If it were lawful for us to paint as on a tablet the religion of your story, the spectators wouldn’t shudder at seeing the mother of seven children enduring for the sake of religion various tortures even to death.
8 And it had been a worthy thing to have inscribed upon the tomb itself these words as a memorial to those of the nation,
8 It would have been a worthwhile thing to have inscribed on the tomb itself these words as a memorial to those of the nation,
9 Here an aged priest, and an aged woman, and seven sons, are buried through the violence of a tyrant, who wished to destroy the polity of the Hebrews.
9 “Here an aged priest, an aged woman, and seven sons, are buried through the violence of a tyrant, who wished to destroy the society of the Hebrews.
10 These also avenged their nation, looking unto God, and enduring torments unto death.
10 These also avenged their nation, looking to God, and enduring torments to death.”
11 For it was a truly divine contest which was carried through by them.
11 For it was truly a divine contest which was carried through by them.
12 For at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life.
12 For at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life.
13 Eleazar was the first to contend: and the mother of the seven children entered the contest; and the brethren contended.
13 Eleazar was the first to contend. The mother of the seven children entered the contest, and the kindred contended.
14 The tyrant was the opposite; and the world and living men were the spectators.
14 The tyrant was the antagonist; and the world and living men were the spectators.
15 And reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes.
15 Reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes.
16 Who did not admire those champions of true legislation? who were not astonied?
16 Who didn’t admire those champions of true legislation? Who were not amazed?
17 The tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance;
17 The tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance,
18 through which, also, they now stand beside the divine throne, and live a blessed life.
18 through which, they also now stand beside the divine throne and live a blessed life.
19 For Moses saith, And all the saints are under thy hands.
19 For Moses says, “All the saints are under your hands.”
20 These, therefore, having been sanctified through God, have been honored not only with this honor, but that also by their means the enemy did not overcome our nation;
20 These, therefore, having been sanctified through God, have been honored not only with this honor, but that also by the fact that because of them, the enemy didn’t overcome our nation.
21 and that the tyrant was punished, and their country purified.
21 That tyrant was punished and their country purified.
22 For they became the atonement to the sin of the nation; and the Divine Providence saved Israel, aforetime afflicted, by the blood of those pious ones, and their propitiatory death.
22 For they became the ransom to the sin of the nation. The Divine Providence saved Israel, which was afflicted before, by the blood of those pious ones and the death that appeased wrath.
23 For the tyrant Antiochus, looking to their manly virtue, and to their endurance in torture, proclaimed that endurance as an example to his soldiers.
23 For the tyrant Antiochus, looking to their courageous virtue and to their endurance in torture, proclaimed that endurance as an example to his soldiers.
24 And they proved to be to him noble and brave for land battles and sieges; and he conquered and stormed the towns of all his enemies.
24 They proved to be to him noble and brave for land battles and for sieges; and he conquered and stormed the towns of all his enemies.