2 Maccabees · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
2 Maccabees 8 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
1 Ἰούδας δὲ ὁ Μακκαβαῖος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ, παρεισπορευόμενοι λεληθότως εἰς τὰς κώμας, προσεκαλοῦντο τοὺς συγγενεῖς, καὶ τοὺς μεμενηκότας ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ προσλαβόμενοι, συνήγαγον εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους.
1 But Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, and those who were with him, making their way secretly into the villages, called together their kindred. Enlisting those who had continued in the Jews’ religion, they gathered together about six thousand.
2 Καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο τὸν Κύριον ἐπιδεῖν ἐπὶ τὸν ὑπὸ πάντων καταπατούμενον λαόν, οἰκτεῖραι δὲ καὶ τὸν ναὸν, τὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνθρώπων βεβηλωθέντα,
2 They called upon the Lord to look at the people who were oppressed by all, and to have compassion on the sanctuary that had been profaned by the ungodly men,
3 ἐλεῆσαι δὲ καὶ τὴν καταφθειρομένην πόλιν καὶ μέλλουσαν ἰσόπεδον γίνεσθαι, καὶ τῶν καταβοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν αἱμάτων εἰσακοῦσαι,
3 and to have pity on the city that was suffering ruin and ready to be leveled to the ground, and to listen to the blood that cried out to him,
4 μνησθῆναι δὲ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀναμαρτήτων νηπίων παρανόμου ἀπωλείας, καὶ περὶ τῶν γενομένων εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ βλασφημιῶν, καὶ μισοπονηρῆσαι.
4 and to remember the lawless destruction of the innocent infants, and concerning the blasphemies that had been committed against his name, and to show his hatred of wickedness.
5 Γενόμενος δὲ ἐν συστήματι ὁ Μακκαβαῖος, ἀνυπόστατος ἤδη τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐγίνετο, τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς ἔλεον τραπείσης.
5 When Maccabaeus had trained his men for service, the heathen at once found him irresistible, for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
6 Πόλεις δὲ καὶ κώμας ἀπροσδοκήτως ἐρχόμενος ἐνεπίμπρα, καὶ τοὺς ἐπικαίρους τόπους ἀπολαμβάνων, οὐκ ὀλίγους τῶν πολεμίων ἐνίκα τροπούμενος.
6 Coming without warning, he set fire to cities and villages. And in winning back the most important positions, putting to flight no small number of the enemies,
7 Μάλιστα τὰς νύκτας πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας ἐπιβουλὰς συνεργοὺς ἐλάμβανε· καὶ λαλιά τις τῆς εὐανδρίας αὐτοῦ διεχεῖτο πανταχῆ.
7 he especially took advantage of the nights for such assaults. His courage was loudly talked of everywhere.
8 Συνορῶν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος κατὰ μικρὸν εἰς προκοπὴν ἐρχόμενον τὸν ἄνδρα πυκνότερον δὲ ἐν ταῖς εὐημερίαις προβαίνοντα, πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν κοίλης Συρίας καὶ Φοινίκης στρατηγὸν ἔγραψεν ἐπιβοηθεῖν τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως πράγμασιν.
8 But when Philip saw the man gaining ground little by little, and increasing more and more in his success, he wrote to Ptolemy, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, that he should support the king’s cause.
9 Ὁ δὲ ταχέως προχειρισάμενος, Νικάνορα τὸν τοῦ Πατρόκλου, τῶν πρώτων φίλως, ἀπέστειλεν, ὑποτάξας παμφύλων ἔθνη οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν δισμυρίων, τὸ σύμπαν τῶν Ἰουδαίως ἐξᾶραι γένος· συνέστησε δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Γοργίαν ἄνδρα στρατηγὸν, καὶ ἐν πολεμικαῖς χρείαις πείραν ἔχοντα.
9 Ptolemy quickly appointed Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of the king’s chief friends, and sent him, in command of no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations, to destroy the whole race of Judea. With him he joined Gorgias also, a captain and one who had experience in matters of war.
10 Διεστήσατο δὲ ὁ Νικάνωρ τὸν φόρον τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ὄντα ταλάντων δισχιλίων ἐκ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων αἰχμαλωσίας ἐκπληρώσειν.
10 Nicanor resolved by the sale of the captive Jews to make up for the king the tribute of two thousand talents which he was to pay to the Romans.
11 Εὐθέως δὲ εἰς τὰς παραθαλασσίους πόλεις ἀπέστειλε προσκαλούμενος ἐπʼ ἀγορασμὸν Ἰουδαϊκῶν σωμάτων, ὑπισχνούμενον ἐννενήκοντα σώματα ταλάντου παραχωρήσειν· οὐ προσδεχόμενος τὴν παρὰ τοῦ παντοκράτορος μέλλουσαν παρακολουθήσειν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ δίκην.
11 Immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, inviting them to buy Jewish slaves, promising to deliver seventy slaves for a talent, not expecting the judgment that was to overtake him from the Almighty.
12 Τῷ δὲ ʼΙούδᾳ προσέπεσε περὶ τῆς τοῦ Νικάνορος ἐφόδου· καὶ μεταδόντος αὐτοῦ σὺν αὐτῷ τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ στρατοπέδου,
12 News came to Judas concerning Nicanor’s invasion. When he communicated to those who were with him the presence of the army,
13 οἱ δει λανδροῦντες καὶ ἀπιστοῦντες τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δίκην, διεδίδρασκον, καὶ ἐξετόπιζον ἑαυτούς.
13 those who were cowardly and distrustful of God’s judgment ran away and left the country.
14 Οἱ δὲ τὰ περιλελειμμένα πάντα ἐπώλουν, ὁμοῦ δὲ τὸν Κύριον ἠξίουν ῥύσασθαι τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς Νικάνορος πρὶν συντυχεῖν πεπραμένους.
14 Others sold all that they had left, and at the same time implored the Lord to deliver those who had been sold as slaves by the impious Nicanor before he ever met them,
15 Καὶ εἰ μὴ διʼ αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτῶν διαθήκας, καὶ ἕνεκεν τῆς ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἐπικλήσεως τοῦ σεμνοῦ καὶ μεγαλοπρεποῦς ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.
15 if not for their own sakes, then for the covenants made with their ancestors, and because he had called them by his holy and glorious name.
16 Συναγαγὼν δὲ ὁ Μακκαβαῖος τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑξακισχιλίους, παρεκάλει μὴ καταπλαγῆναι τοὺς πολεμίους, μηδὲ εὐλαβεῖσθαι τὴν τῶν ἀδίκως παραγινομένων ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἐθνῶν πολυπληθίαν, ἀγωνίσασθαι δὲ γενναίως,
16 So Maccabaeus gathered his men together, six thousand in number, and exhorted them not to be frightened by the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen who came wrongfully against them, but to fight nobly,
17 πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν λαβόντας τὴν ἀνόμως εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τόπον συντετελεσμένην ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ὕβριν, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἐμπεπαιγμένης πόλεως αἰκισμόν, ἔτι δὲ τὴν τῆς προγονικῆς πολιτείας κατάλυσιν.
17 setting before their eyes the outrage that had been lawlessly perpetrated upon the holy place, and the torture of the city that had been turned to mockery, and further the overthrow of the way of life received from their ancestors.
18 Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὅπλοις πεποίθασιν ἅμα καὶ τόλμαις, ἔφησεν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ παντοκράτορι Θεῷ δυναμένῳ καὶ τοὺς ἐρχομένους ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὸν ὅλον κόσμον ἐν ἑνὶ νεύματι καταβαλεῖν, πεποίθαμεν.
18 “For they,” he said, “trust their weapons and daring deeds, but we trust in the almighty God, since he is able at a nod to cast down those who are coming against us, and even the whole world.”
19 Προσαναλεξάμενος δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων γενομένας ἀντιλήψεις, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ Σενναχηρεὶμ τῶν ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα πέντε χιλιάδων ὡς ἀπώλοντο.
19 Moreover, he recounted to them the help given from time to time in the days of their ancestors, both in the days of Sennacherib, when one hundred eighty-five thousand perished,
20 Καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ Βαβυλωνίᾳ τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Γαλάτας παράταξιν γενομένην, ὡς οἱ πάντες ἐπὶ τὴν χρείαν ἦλθον ὀκτακισχιλιοι σὺν Μακεδόσι τετρακισχιλίοις, τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀπορουμένων, οἱ ὀκτακισχίλιοι τὰς δώδεκα μυρίαδας ἀπώλεσαν διὰ τὴν γενομένην αὐτοῖς ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ βοήθειαν, καὶ ὠφέλειαν πολλὴν ἔλαβον.
20 and in the land of Babylon, in the battle that was fought against the Gauls, how they came to the battle with eight thousand in all, with four thousand Macedonians, and how, the Macedonians being hard pressed, the six thousand destroyed the hundred and twenty thousand because of the help which they had from heaven, and took a great deal of plunder.
21 Ἐφʼ οἷς εὐθαρσεῖς αὐτοὺς παραστήσας, καὶ ἑτοίμους ὑπὲρ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἀποθνήσκειν, τετραμερές τι τὸ στράτευμα ἐποίησε·
21 And when he had with these words filled them with courage and made them ready to die for the laws and their country, he divided his army into four parts.
22 τάξας καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ προηγουμένους ἑκατέρας τάξεως, Σίμωνα καὶ Ἰώσηφον καὶ Ἰωνάθαν, ὑποτάξας ἑκάστῳ χιλίους πρὸς τοῖς πεντακοσίοις,
22 He appointed his brothers, Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan, to be leaders of the divisions with him, giving each the command of one thousand five hundred men.
23 ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ἐλεάζαρον, παραγνοὺς τὴν ἱερὰν βίβλον, καὶ δοὺς σύνθημα Θεοῦ βοηθείας, τῆς πρώτης σπείρας αὐτὸς προηγούμενος, συνέβαλε τῷ Νικάνορι.
23 Moreover Eleazer also, having read aloud the sacred book, and having given as watchword, “THE HELP OF GOD”, leading the first band himself, joined battle with Nicanor.
24 Γενομένου δὲ αὐτοῖς τοῦ παντοκράτορος συμμάχου, κατέσφαξαν τῶν πολεμίων ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἐννακισχιλίους, τραυματίας δὲ καὶ τοῖς μέλεσιν ἀναπήρους τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς τοῦ Νικάνορος στρατιᾶς ἐποίησαν, πάντας δὲ φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασαν.
24 Since the Almighty fought on their side, they killed more than nine thousand of the enemy, and wounded and disabled most of Nicanor’s army, and compelled them all to flee.
25 Τὰ δὲ χρήματα τῶν παραγεγονότων ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγορασμὸν αὐτῶν ἔλαβον· συνδιώξαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐφʼ ἱκανὸν, ἀνέλυσαν ὑπὸ τῆς ὥρας συγκλειόμενοι.
25 They took the money of those who had come there to buy them as slaves. After they had pursued them for some distance, they returned, being constrained by the time of the day;
26 Ἦν γὰρ ἡ πρὸ τοῦ σαββάτου, διʼ ἥν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἐμακροθύμησαν κατατρέχοντες αὐτούς.
26 for it was the day before the Sabbath, and for this reason they made no effort to chase them far.
27 Ὁπλολογήσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὰ σκῦλα ἐκδύσαντες τῶν πολεμίων, περὶ τὸ σάββατον ἐγίνοντο, περισσῶς εὐλογοῦντες, καὶ ἐξομολογούμενοι τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ διασώσαντι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην, ἀρχὴν ἐλέους τάξαντος αὐτοῖς.
27 When they had gathered the weapons of the enemy together, and had stripped off their spoils, they kept the Sabbath, greatly blessing and thanking the Lord who had saved them to this day, because he had begun to show mercy to them.
28 Μετὰ δὲ τὸ σάββατον τοῖς ᾐκισμένοις, καὶ ταῖς χήραις, καὶ ὀρφανοῖς, μερίσαντες ἀπὸ τῶν σκύλων, τὰ λοιπὰ αὐτοὶ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἐμερίσαντο.
28 After the Sabbath, when they had given some of the spoils to the maimed, and to the widows and orphans, they distributed the rest among themselves and their children.
29 Ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξάμενοι, καὶ κοινὴν ἱκετείαν ποιησάμενοι, τὸν ἐλεήμονα Κύριον ἠξίουν εἰς τέλος, καταλλαγῆναι τοῖς αὐτοῦ δούλοις.
29 When they had accomplished these things and had made a common supplication, they implored the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants.
30 Καὶ τῶν περὶ Τιμόθεον καὶ Βακχίδην συνεριζοντων, ὑπὲρ τοὺς δισμυρίους αὐτῶν ἀνεῖλον, καὶ ὀχυρωμάτων ὑψηλῶν εὖ μάλα ἐγκρατεῖς ἐγένοντο· καὶ λάφυρα πλεῖστα ἐμερίσαντο, ἰσομοίρους ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τοῖς ᾐκισμένοις, καὶ ὀρφανοῖς, καὶ χήραις, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πρεσβυτέροις ποιήσαντες.
30 Having had an encounter with the forces of Timotheus and Bacchides, they killed more than twenty thousand of them, and made themselves masters of exceedingly high strongholds, and divided very much plunder, giving the maimed, orphans, widows, and the aged an equal share with themselves.
31 Ὁπλολογήσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς, ἐπιμελῶς πάντα συνέθηκαν εἰς τοὺς ἐπικαίρους τόπους, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τῶν σκύλων ἤνεγκαν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα.
31 When they had gathered the weapons of the enemy together, they stored them all up carefully in the most strategic positions, and they carried the rest of the spoils to Jerusalem.
32 Τὸν δὲ φυλάρχην τῶν περὶ Τιμόθεον ἀνεῖλον, ἀνοσιώτατον ἄνδρα καὶ πολλὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐπιλελυπηκότα.
32 They killed the phylarch of Timotheus’s forces, a most unholy man, and one who had done the Jews much harm.
33 Ἐπινίκια δὲ ἄγοντες ἐν τῇ πατρίδι, τοὺς ἐμπρήσαντας τοὺς ἱεροὺς πυλῶνας, Καλλισθένην, καί τινας ἄλλους ὑφῆψαν εἰς ἓν οἰκίδιον πεφευγότας, οἵ τινες ἄξιον τῆς δυσσεβείας ἐκομίσαντομισθόν.
33 As they celebrated the feast of victory in the city of their fathers, they burned those who had set the sacred gates on fire, including Callisthenes, who had fled into a little house. So they received the proper reward for their impiety.
34 Ὁ δὲ τρισαλιτήριος Νικάνωρ, ὁ τοὺς χιλίους ἐμπόρους ἐπὶ τὴν πράσιν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀγαγὼν,
34 The thrice-accursed Nicanor, who had brought the thousand merchants to buy the Jews as slaves,
35 ταπεινωθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν κατʼ αὑτὸν νομιζομένων ἐλαχίστων εἶναι, τῇ τοῦ Κυρίου βοηθείᾳ, τὴν δοξικὴν ἀποθέμενος ἐσθῆτα, διὰ τῆς μεσογείου, δραπέτου τρόπον ἔρημον ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας, ἧκεν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, ὑπεράγαν δυσημερήσας ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ στρατοῦ διαφθορᾷ.
35 being through the help of the Lord humbled by them who in his eyes were held to be of least account, took off his glorious apparel, and passing through the country, shunning all company like a fugitive slave, arrived at Antioch, having, as he thought, had the greatest possible good fortune, though his army was destroyed.
36 Καὶ ὁ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἀναδεξάμενος φόρον ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις αἰχμαλωσίας κατορθώσασθαι, κατήγγελλεν ὑπέρμαχον ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καὶ διὰ τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον ἀτρώτους εἶναι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, διὰ τὸ ἀκολουθεῖν τοῖς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ προτεταγμένοις νόμοις.
36 He who had taken upon himself to make tribute sure for the Romans by the captivity of the men of Jerusalem published abroad that the Jews had One who fought for them, and that because this was so, the Jews were invulnerable, because they followed the laws ordained by him.