4 Maccabees · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
4 Maccabees 9 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 Τί μέλλεις, ὦ τύραννε; ἕτοιμοι γάρ ἐσμεν ἀποθνήσκειν, ἢ παραβαίνειν τὰς πατρίους ἡμῶν ἐντολάς.
1 “Why do you delay, O tyrant? For we are more ready to die than to transgress the injunctions of our fathers.
2 Καὶ αἰσχυνόμεθα γὰρ τοὺς προγόνους εἰκότως, εἰ μὴ τῇ τοῦ νόμου εὐπειθείᾳ καὶ συμβούλῳ γνώσει χρησαίμεθα.
2 We would be disgracing our fathers if we didn’t obey the law, and take knowledge for our guide.
3 Σύμβουλε τύραννε παρανομίας, μὴ ἡμᾶς μισῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐλέα.
3 O tyrant, counselor of law-breaking, do not, hating us as you do, pity us more than we pity ourselves.
4 Χαλεπώτερον γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦ θανάτου νομίζομεν εἶναί σου τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ παρανόμῳ σωτηρίᾳ ἡμῶν ἔλεον.
4 For we consider your escape to be worse than death.
5 Ἐκφοβεῖς δὲ ἡμᾶς, τὸν διὰ τῶν βασάνων ἡμῖν θάνατον ἀπειλῶν, ὥσπερ οὐχὶ πρὸ βραχέως παρὰ Ἐλεαζάρου μαθών.
5 You try to scare us by threatening us with death by tortures, as though you had learned nothing by the death of Eleazar.
6 Εἰ δʼ οἱ γέροντες τῶν Ἑβραίων διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ βασανισμὸυς ὑπομείναντες ἀπέθανον, ἀποθάνοιμεν ἂν δικαιότερον ἡμεῖς οἱ νέοι, τὰς βασάνους τῶν σῶν ἀναγκῶν ὑπεριδόντες, ἃς καὶ ὁ παιδευτὴς γέρων ἐνίκησεν.
6 But if aged men of the Hebrews have died in the cause of religion after enduring torture, more rightly should we younger men die, scorning your cruel tortures, which our aged instructor overcame.
7 Πείραζε γαροῦν τύραννε· καὶ τὰς ἡμῶν ψυχὰς εἰ θανατώσεις διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, μὴ νομίσῃς ἡμᾶς βλάπτειν βασανίζων.
7 Make the attempt, then, O tyrant. If you put us to death for our religion, don’t think that you harm us by torturing us.
8 Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ διὰ τῆσδε τῆς κακοπαθείας καὶ ὑπομονῆς, τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἆθλα οἴσομεν.
8 For we through this ill-treatment and endurance will gain the rewards of virtue.
9 Σὺ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν μιαροφονίαν αὐτάρχη καρτερήσεις περὶ τῆς θείας δίκης αἰώνιον βάσανον διὰ πυρός.
9 But you, for the wicked and despotic slaughter of us, will, from the Divine vengeance, endure eternal torture by fire.”
10 Ταῦτα αὐτῶν εἰπόντων, οὐ μόνον ὡς κατὰ ἀπειθούντων ἐχαλέπαινεν ὁ τύραννος, ἀλλʼ ὡς καὶ κατὰ ἀχαρίστων ὠργίσθη.
10 When they had said this, the tyrant was not only exasperated against them for being disobedient, but enraged with them for being ungrateful.
11 Ὅθεν τὸν πρεσβύτατον αὐτῶν κελευθέντες παρήγαγον οἱ μαστισταὶ, καὶ διαῤῥήξαντες τὸν χιτῶνα διέδησαν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς βραχίονας ἱμᾶσιν ἑκατέρωθεν.
11 So, at his bidding, the torturers brought the oldest of them, and tearing through his tunic, bound his hands and arms on each side with straps.
12 Ὡς δὲ τύπτοντες ταῖς μάστιξιν ἐκοπίασαν, μηδὲν ἀνύοντες, ἀνέβαλον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τροχόν.
12 When they had labored hard in scourging him without effect, they hurled him on the wheel.
13 Περὶ ὃν κατατεινόμενος ὁ εὐγενὴς νεανίας, ἔξαρθρος ἐγίνετο.
13 The noble youth, extended upon this, became dislocated.
14 Καὶ κατὰ πᾶν μέλος κλώμενος κατηγόρει, λέγων,
14 With every member disjointed, he denounced the tyrant, saying,
15 Τύραννε μιαιρώτατε, καὶ τῆς οὐρανίου δίκης ἐχθρὲ, καὶ ὠμόφρον, οὐκ ἀνδροφονήσαντά με τοῦτον καταικίζεις τὸν τρόπον, οὐδὲ ἀσεβήσαντα, ἀλλα θείου νόμου προασπίζοντα.
15 “O most accursed tyrant, and enemy of heavenly justice, and cruel-hearted, I am no murderer, nor sacrilegious man, whom you torture, but a defender of the Divine law.”
16 Καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων λεγόντων, ὁμολόγησον φαγεῖν, οὕπως ἀπαλλαγῇς τῶν βασάνων,
16 And when the spearmen said, “Consent to eat, that you may be released from your tortures,”
17 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, οὐχ οὕτως ἰσχυρὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν ὁ τρόπος, ὦ μιαιροὶ διὰκονοι, ὥστε μου τὸν λογισμὸν ἄξαι· τέμνετέ μου μέλη, καὶ πυροῦτε τὰς σάρκας, καὶ στρεβλοῦτε τὰ ἄρθρα.
17 he answered, “Not so powerful, O accursed lackeys, is your wheel, as to stifle my reasoning. Cut my limbs, and burn my flesh, and twist my joints.
18 Διὰ πασῶν γὰρ ὑμᾶς πείσω τῶν βασάνων· ὅτι μόνοι παῖδες Ἑβραίων ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς εἰσιν ἀνίκητοι.
18 For through all my torments I will convince you that the children of the Hebrews are alone unconquered on behalf of virtue.”
19 Ταῦτα λέγοντες εἰς πῦρ ἐπέτρωσαν, καὶ διερεθίζοντες, τὸν τροχὸν προσεπικατέτεινον.
19 While he was saying this, they heaped up fuel, and setting fire to it, strained him on the wheel still more.
20 Ἐμολύνετο δὲ πάντοθεν αἵματι ὁ τρόχος, καὶ ὁ σωρὸς τῆς ἀνθρακιᾶς τοῖς τῶν ἰχώρων ἐσβέννυτο σταλαγμοῖς, καὶ περὶ τοὺς αὔξονας τοῦ ὀργάνου περιέῤῥεον αἱ σάρκες.
20 The wheel was defiled all over with blood. The hot ashes were quenched by the droppings of gore, and pieces of flesh were scattered about the axles of the machine.
21 Καὶ περιτετηκμένον ἤδη ἔχων τὸ τῶν ὀστέων πῆγμα ὁ μεγαλόφρων καὶ Ἀβραμιαῖος νεανίας οὐκ ἐστέναξεν.
21 Although the framework of his bones was now destroyed, the high-minded and Abrahamic youth didn’t groan.
22 Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐν πυρὶ μετασχηματιζόμενος εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν, ὑπέμεινεν εὐγενῶς τὰς στρέβλας.
22 But, as though transformed by fire into immortality, he nobly endured the rackings, saying,
23 Μιμήσασθέ με, ἀδελφοὶ, λέγων· μή μου τὸν αἰῶνα λειποτακτήσητε, μηδʼ ἐξομόσησθέ μου τὴν τῆς εὐψυχίας ἀδελφότητα· ἱερὰν καὶ εὐγενῆ στρατείαν στρατεύσασθε περὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας.
23 “Imitate me, O kindred. Never desert your station, nor renounce my brotherhood in courage. Fight the holy and honorable fight of religion,
24 Διʼ ἧς ἷλεως ἡ δικαία καὶ πάτριος ἡμῶν πρόνοια τῷ ἔθνει γενηθεῖσα τιμωρήσειεν τὸν ἀλάστορα τύραννον.
24 by which means our just and paternal Providence, becoming merciful to the nation, will punish the pestilent tyrant.”
25 Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ ἱεροπρεπὴς νεανίας, ἀπέῤῥηξεν τὴν ψυχήν.
25 Saying this, the revered youth abruptly closed his life.
26 Θαυμασάντων δὲ πάντων τὴν καρτεροψυχίαν αὐτοῦ, ἦγον οἱ δορυφόροι τὸν καθʼ ἡλικίαν τοῶ προτέρου δεύτερον, καὶ σιδηρᾶς ἐναρμοσάμενοί χεῖρας, ὀξέσιν τοῖς ὄνυξιν, τοῖς ὀργάνοις καταπέλτῃ προσέδησαν αὐτόν.
26 When all admired his courageous soul, the spearmen brought forward him who was second oldest, and having put on iron gauntlets with sharp hooks, bound him to the rack.
27 Ὡς δὲ, εἰ φαγεῖν βούλοιτο πρὶν βασανίζεσθαι πυνθανόμενοι, τὴν εὐγενῆ γνώμην ἤκουσαν·
27 When, on enquiring whether he would eat before he was tortured, they heard his noble sentiment.
28 ἀπὸ τῶν τενόντων ταῖς σιδηραῖς χερσὶν ἐπισπασάμενοι, μέχρι γε τῶν γενείων τὴν σάρκα πᾶσαν καὶ τὴν τῆς κεφαλῆς δορὰν οἱ παρδάλειοι θῆρες ἀπέσυραν· ὁ δὲ ταύτην βαρέως τὴν ἀλγηδόνα καρτερῶν, ἔλεγεν,
28 After they with the iron gauntlets had violently dragged all the flesh from the neck to the chin, the panther-like animals tore off the very skin of his head, but he, bearing with firmness this misery, said,
29 Ὡς ἡδὺς πᾶς τρόπος θανάτου, διὰ τὴν πάτριον ἡμῶν εὐσέβειαν· ἔφη τε πρὸς τὸν τύραννον,
29 “How sweet is every form of death for the religion of our fathers!” Then he said to the tyrant,
30 Οὐ δοκεῖς, πάντων ὠμότατε τύραννε, πλεῖων ἐμοῦ σε νὺν βασανίζεσθαι, ὁρῶν σου νικώμενον τὸν τῆς τυραννίδος ὑπερήφανον λογισμὸν ὑπὸ τῆς διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἡμῶν ὑπομονῆς.
30 “Don’t you think, most cruel of all tyrants, that you are now tortured more than I, finding your arrogant conception of tyranny conquered by our perseverance in behalf of our religion?
31 Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ταῖς διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἡδοναῖς τὸν πόνον ἐπικουφίζομαι.
31 For I lighten my suffering by the pleasures which are connected with virtue.
32 Σὺ δὲ ἐν ταῖς τῆς ἀσεβείας ἀπειλαῖς βασανίζῃ· οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ δὲ, μιαιρότατε τύραννε, τὰς τῆς θείας ὀργῆς δίκας.
32 But you are tortured with threatenings for impiety. You won’t escape, most corrupt tyrant, the vengeance of Divine wrath.”