4 Maccabees · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
4 Maccabees 10 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 Καὶ τούτου τὸν ἀοίδιμον θάνατον καρτερήσαντος, ὁ τρίτος ἤγετο, παρακαλούμενος πολλὰ ὑπὸ πολλῶν ὅπως ἀπογευσάμενος σώζοιτο.
1 Now this one endured this praiseworthy death. The third was brought along, and exhorted by many to taste and save his life.
2 Ὁ δὲ ἀναβοήσας, ἔφη, ἤ ἀγνοεῖτε, ὅτι αὐτός με τοῖς ἀποθανοῦσιν ἔσπειρεν πατὴρ, καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ μήτηρ ἐγέννεσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀνετράφην δόγμασιν;
2 But he cried out and said, “Don’t you know that the father of those who are dead is my father also, and that the same mother bore me, and that I was brought up in the same way?
3 Οὐκ ἐξόμνυμαι τὴν εὐγενῆ τῆς ἀδελφότητος συγγένειαν.
3 I don’t renounce the noble relationship of my kindred. 4 Now then, whatever instrument of vengeance you have, apply it to my body, for you aren’t able to touch my soul, even if you want to.”
3a Πρὸς ταῦτα εἴ τι ἔχετε κολαστήριον προσαγάγετε τῷ σώματί μου· τῆς γὰρ ψυχῆς μου, οὐδʼ ἂν θέλητε, ἅψασθαι δύνασθε.
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5 Οἱ δὲ πίκρῶς ἐνέγκαντες τὴν παῤῥησίαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, ἀρθρεμβόλοις ὀργάνοις τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἐξήρθρουν, καὶ ἐξ ἁρμῶν ἀναμοχλεύοντες ἐξεμέλιζον·
5 But they, highly incensed at his boldness of speech, dislocated his hands and feet with racking engines, and wrenching them from their sockets, dismembered him.
6 καὶ τοὺς δακτύλους, καὶ τοὺς βραχίονας, καὶ τὰ σκέλη, καὶ τοὺς ἀγκῶνας περιέλκων.
6 They dragged around his fingers, his arms, his legs, and his ankles.
7 Καὶ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἰσχύοντες αὐτὸν ἄγξαι, περισύραντες τὸ δέρμα σὺν ἄκραις ταῖς τῶν δακτύλων κορυφαῖς ἀπεσκύθιζον, καὶ εὐθέως ἦγον ἐπὶ τὸν τροχόν.
7 Not being able by any means to strangle him, they tore off his skin, together with the extreme tips of his fingers, and then dragged him to the wheel,
8 Περὶ ὃν ἐκ σφονδύλων ἐκμελιζόμενος ἑώρα τὰς ἑαυτοῦ σάρκας περιλακιζομένας καὶ κατὰ σπλάγχνων σταγόνας αἵματος ἀποῤῥεούσας.
8 around which his vertebral joints were loosened, and he saw his own flesh torn to shreds, and streams of blood flowing from his entrails.
9 Μέλλων δὲ ἀποθνήσκειν,
9 When about to die, he said,
10 ἔφη, ἡμεῖς μὲν ὦ μιαιρώτατε τύραννε, διὰ παιδείαν καί ἀρετὴν Θεοῦ ταῦτα πάσχομεν.
10 “We, O accursed tyrant, suffer this for the sake of Divine education and virtue.
11 Σὺ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ μιαιφονίαν, ἀκαταλύτους καρτερήσεις βασάνους.
11 But you, for your impiety and blood shedding, will endure unceasing torments.”
12 Καὶ τούτου θανόντος ἀδελφοπρεπῶς, τὸν τέταρτον ἐπεσπῶντο, λέγοντες,
12 Thus having died worthily of his kindred, they dragged forward the fourth, saying,
13 Μὴ μανῄς καὶ σὺ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς σου τὴν αὐτὴν μανίαν· ἀλλὰ πεισθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ, σῶζε σεαυτόν.
13 “Don’t share the madness of your kindred, but respect the king and save yourself.”
14 Ὁ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔφη, οὐχ οὕτως καυστικώτερον ἔχετε κατʼ ἐμοῦ τὸ πῦρ, ὥστε με δειλανδρῆσαι.
14 But he said to them, “You don’t have a fire so scorching as to make me play the coward.
15 Μὰ τὸν μακάριον τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου θάνατον, καὶ τὸν αἰώνιον τοῦ τυράννου ὄλεθρον, καὶ τὸν ἀοίδιμον τῶν εὐσεβῶν βίον, οὐκ ἀρνήσομαι τὴν εὐγενῆ ἀδελφότητα.
15 By the blessed death of my kindred, and the eternal punishment of the tyrant, and the glorious life of the pious, I will not repudiate the noble brotherhood.
16 Ἐπινόει, τύραννε, βασάνους· ἵνα καὶ διὰ τούτων μάθῃς, ὅτι ἀδελφός εἰμι τῶν προβεβανασισθέντων.
16 Invent, O tyrant, tortures, that you may learn, even through them, that I am the brother of those tormented before.”
17 Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ αἱμοβόρος καὶ φονώδης καὶ πανμιαιρώτατος Ἀντίοχος, ἐκέλευσεν τὴν γλῶτταν αὐτοῦ ἐκτεμεῖν.
17 When he had said this, the blood-thirsty, murderous, and unholy Antiochus ordered his tongue to be cut out.
18 Ὁ δὲ ἔφη, κᾂν ἀφέλῃς τὸ τῆς φωνῆς ὄργανον, καὶ σιωπώντων ἀκούει ὁ Θεός.
18 But he said, “Even if you take away the organ of speech, God still hears the silent.
19 Ἰδοὺ κεχάλασται ἡ γλῶσσα· τέμνε· οὐ γὰρ παρὰ τοῦτο τὸν λογισμὸν ἡμῶν γλωσσοτομήσεις.
19 Behold, my tongue is extended, cut it off; for in spite of that you won’t silence our reasoning.
20 Ἡδέως ὑπὲρ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ τοῦ σώματος μέλη ἀκρωτηριαζόμενα.
20 We gladly lose our limbs on behalf of God.
21 Σὲ δὲ ταχέως μετελεύσεται ὁ Θεός· τὴν γὰρ τῶν θείων ὕμνων μελῳδὸν γλῶτταν ἐκτέμνεις.
21 But God will speedily find you, since you cut off the tongue, the instrument of divine melody.”