2 Maccabees · Clementine Vulgate
2 Maccabees 7 Clementine Vulgate
1 Contigit autem et septem fratres una cum matre sua apprehensos compelli a rege edere contra fas carnes porcinas, flagris et taureis cruciatos.
1 It came to pass that seven brothers and their mother were at the king’s command taken and shamefully handled with scourges and cords, to compel them to taste of the abominable swine’s flesh.
2 Unus autem ex illis, qui erat primus, sic ait: Quid quæris, et quid vis discere a nobis? parati sumus mori, magis quam patrias Dei leges prævaricari.
2 One of them made himself the spokesman and said, “What would you ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”
3 Iratus itaque rex, jussit sartagines et ollas æneas succendi: quibus statim succensis,
3 The king fell into a rage, and commanded that pans and caldrons be heated.
4 jussit ei qui prior fuerat locutus amputari linguam, et cute capitis abstracta, summas quoque manus et pedes ei præscindi, ceteris ejus fratribus et matre inspicientibus.
4 When these were immediately heated, he gave orders to cut out the tongue of him who had been their spokesman, and to scalp him, and to cut off his extremities, with the rest of his brothers and his mother looking on.
5 Et cum jam per omnia inutilis factus esset, jussit ignem admoveri, et adhuc spirantem torreri in sartagine: in qua cum diu cruciaretur, ceteri una cum matre invicem se hortabantur mori fortiter,
5 And when he was utterly maimed, the king gave orders to bring him to the fire, being yet alive, and to fry him in the pan. And as the smoke from the pan spread far, they and their mother also exhorted one another to die nobly, saying this:
6 dicentes: Dominus Deus aspiciet veritatem, et consolabitur in nobis, quemadmodum in protestatione cantici declaravit Moyses: Et in servis suis consolabitur.
6 “The Lord God sees, and in truth is entreated for us, as Moses declared in his song, which witnesses against the people to their faces, saying, ‘And he will have compassion on his servants.’”
7 Mortuo itaque illo primo hoc modo, sequentem deducebant ad illudendum: et cute capitis ejus cum capillis abstracta, interrogabant si manducaret, priusquam toto corpore per membra singula puniretur.
7 And when the first had died like this, they brought the second to the mocking; and they pulled off the skin of his head with the hair and asked him, “Will you eat, before your body is punished in every limb?”
8 At ille respondens patria voce, dixit: Non faciam. Propter quod et iste, sequenti loco, primi tormenta suscepit:
8 But he answered in the language of his ancestors and said to them, “No.” Therefore he also underwent the next torture in succession, as the first had done.
9 et in ultimo spiritu constitutus, sic ait: Tu quidem scelestissime in præsenti vita nos perdis: sed Rex mundi defunctos nos pro suis legibus in æternæ vitæ resurrectione suscitabit.
9 When he was at the last gasp, he said, “You, miscreant, release us out of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us who have died for his laws up to an everlasting renewal of life.”
10 Post hunc tertius illuditur, et linguam postulatus cito protulit, et manus constanter extendit:
10 After him, the third was made a victim of their mocking. When he was required, he quickly put out his tongue, and stretched out his hands courageously,
11 et cum fiducia ait: E cælo ista possideo, sed propter Dei leges nunc hæc ipsa despicio, quoniam ab ipso me ea recepturum spero:
11 and nobly said, “I got these from heaven. For his laws’ sake I treat these with contempt. From him, I hope to receive these back again.”
12 ita ut rex, et qui cum ipso erant, mirarentur adolescentis animum, quod tamquam nihilum duceret cruciatus.
12 As a result, the king himself and those who were with him were astonished at the young man’s soul, for he regarded the pains as nothing.
13 Et hoc ita defuncto, quartum vexabant similiter torquentes.
13 When he too was dead, they shamefully handled and tortured the fourth in the same way.
14 Et cum jam esset ad mortem, sic ait: Potius est ab hominibus morti datos spem exspectare a Deo, iterum ab ipso resuscitandos: tibi enim resurrectio ad vitam non erit.
14 Being near to death he said this: “It is good to die at the hands of men and look for the hope which is given by God, that we will be raised up again by him. For as for you, you will have no resurrection to life.”
15 Et cum admovissent quintum, vexabant eum. At ille respiciens in eum,
15 Next after him, they brought the fifth and shamefully handled him.
16 dixit: Potestatem inter homines habens, cum sis corruptibilis, facis quod vis: noli autem putare genus nostrum a Deo esse derelictum:
16 But he looked toward the king and said, “Because you have authority among men, though you are corruptible, you do what you please. But don’t think that our race has been forsaken by God.
17 tu autem patienter sustine, et videbis magnam potestatem ipsius, qualiter te et semen tuum torquebit.
17 But hold on to your ways, and see how his sovereign majesty will torture you and your descendants!”
18 Post hunc ducebant sextum, et is, mori incipiens, sic ait: Noli frustra errare: nos enim propter nosmetipsos hæc patimur, peccantes in Deum nostrum, et digna admiratione facta sunt in nobis:
18 After him they brought the sixth. When he was about to die, he said, “Don’t be vainly deceived, for we suffer these things for our own doings, as sinning against our own God. Astounding things have come to pass;
19 tu autem ne existimes tibi impune futurum, quod contra Deum pugnare tentaveris.
19 but don’t think that you will be unpunished, having tried to fight against God!”
20 Supra modum autem mater mirabilis, et bonorum memoria digna, quæ pereuntes septem filios sub unius diei tempore conspiciens, bono animo ferebat propter spem quam in Deum habebat:
20 But above all, the mother was marvelous and worthy of honorable memory; for when she watched seven sons perishing within the space of one day, she bore the sight with a good courage because of her hope in the Lord.
21 singulos illorum hortabatur voce patria fortiter, repleta sapientia: et, femineæ cogitationi masculinum animum inserens,
21 She exhorted each one of them in the language of their fathers, filled with a noble spirit and stirring up her woman’s thoughts with manly courage, saying to them,
22 dixit ad eos: Nescio qualiter in utero meo apparuistis, neque enim ego spiritum et animam donavi vobis et vitam, et singulorum membra non ego ipsa compegi:
22 “I don’t know how you came into my womb. It wasn’t I who gave you your spirit and your life. It wasn’t I who brought into order the first elements of each one of you.
23 sed enim mundi Creator, qui formavit hominis nativitatem, quique omnium invenit originem, et spiritum vobis iterum cum misericordia reddet et vitam, sicut nunc vosmetipsos despicitis propter leges ejus.
23 Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the first origin of man and devised the first origin of all things, in mercy gives back to you again both your spirit and your life, as you now treat yourselves with contempt for his laws’ sake.”
24 Antiochus autem, contemni se arbitratus, simul et exprobrantis voce despecta, cum adhuc adolescentior superesset, non solum verbis hortabatur, sed et cum juramento affirmabat se divitem et beatum facturum, et translatum a patriis legibus amicum habiturum, et res necessarias ei præbiturum.
24 But Antiochus, thinking himself to be despised, and suspecting the reproachful voice, while the youngest was yet alive didn’t only make his appeal to him by words, but also at the same time promised with oaths that he would enrich him and raise him to high honor if he would turn from the ways of his ancestors, and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs.
25 Sed ad hæc cum adolescens nequaquam inclinaretur, vocavit rex matrem, et suadebat ei ut adolescenti fieret in salutem.
25 But when the young man would in no way listen, the king called to him his mother, and urged her to advise the youth to save himself.
26 Cum autem multis eam verbis esset hortatus, promisit suasurum se filio suo.
26 When he had urged her with many words, she undertook to persuade her son.
27 Itaque inclinata ad illum, irridens crudelem tyrannum, ait patria voce: Fili mi, miserere mei, quæ te in utero novem mensibus portavi, et lac triennio dedi et alui, et in ætatem istam perduxi.
27 But bending toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, she spoke this in the language of her fathers: “My son, have pity upon me who carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you three years, and nourished and brought you up to this age, and sustained you.
28 Peto, nate, ut aspicias ad cælum et terram, et ad omnia quæ in eis sunt, et intelligas quia ex nihilo fecit illa Deus, et hominum genus:
28 I beg you, my child, to lift your eyes to the sky and the earth, and to see all things that are in it, and thus to recognize that God made them not of things that were, and that the race of men in this way comes into being.
29 ita fiet, ut non timeas carnificem istum, sed dignus fratribus tuis effectus particeps, suscipe mortem, ut in illa miseratione cum fratribus tuis te recipiam.
29 Don’t be afraid of this butcher, but, proving yourself worthy of your brothers, accept your death, that in God’s mercy I may receive you again with your brothers.”
30 Cum hæc illa adhuc diceret, ait adolescens: Quem sustinetis? non obedio præcepto regis, sed præcepto legis, quæ data est nobis per Moysen.
30 But before she had finished speaking, the young man said, “What are you all waiting for? I don’t obey the commandment of the king, but I listen to the commandment of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses.
31 Tu vero, qui inventor omnis malitiæ factus es in Hebræos, non effugies manum Dei.
31 But you, who have devised all kinds of evil against the Hebrews, will in no way escape God’s hands.
32 Nos enim pro peccatis nostris hæc patimur.
32 For we are suffering because of our own sins.
33 Et si nobis propter increpationem et correptionem Dominus Deus noster modicum iratus est: sed iterum reconciliabitur servis suis.
33 If for rebuke and chastening, our living Lord has been angered a little while, yet he will again be reconciled with his own servants.
34 Tu autem, o sceleste, et omnium hominum flagitiosissime, noli frustra extolli vanis spebus in servos ejus inflammatus:
34 But you, O unholy man and of all most vile, don’t be vainly lifted up in your wild pride with uncertain hopes, raising your hand against the heavenly children.
35 nondum enim omnipotentis Dei, et omnia inspicientis, judicium effugisti.
35 For you have not yet escaped the judgment of the Almighty God who sees all things.
36 Nam fratres mei, modico nunc dolore sustentato, sub testamento æternæ vitæ effecti sunt: tu vero judicio Dei justas superbiæ tuæ pœnas exsolves.
36 For these our brothers, having endured a short pain that brings everlasting life, have now died under God’s covenant. But you, through God’s judgment, will receive in just measure the penalties of your arrogance.
37 Ego autem, sicut fratres mei, animam et corpus meum trado pro patriis legibus, invocans Deum maturius genti nostræ propitium fieri, teque cum tormentis et verberibus confiteri quod ipse est Deus solus.
37 But I, as my brothers, give up both body and soul for the laws of our fathers, calling upon God that he may speedily become gracious to the nation, and that you, amidst trials and plagues, may confess that he alone is God,
38 In me vero et in fratribus meis desinet Omnipotentis ira, quæ super omne genus nostrum juste superducta est.
38 and that in me and my brothers you may bring to an end the wrath of the Almighty which has been justly brought upon our whole race.”
39 Tunc rex accensus ira in hunc, super omnes crudelius desævit, indigne ferens se derisum.
39 But the king, falling into a rage, handled him worse than all the rest, being exasperated at his mocking.
40 Et hic itaque mundus obiit, per omnia in Domino confidens.
40 So he also died pure, putting his whole trust in the Lord.
41 Novissime autem post filios, et mater consumpta est.
41 Last of all, after her sons, the mother died.
42 Igitur de sacrificiis et de nimiis crudelitatibus satis dictum est.
42 Let it then suffice to have said thus much concerning the sacrificial feasts and the extreme tortures.