2 Maccabees 9

Μακκαβαίων Β´

1 Περὶ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἐτύγχανεν Ἀντίοχος ἀναλελυκὼς ἀκόσμως ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Περσίδα τόπων.

About that time came Antiochus with dishonour out of the country of Persia

2 Εἰσεληλύθει γὰρ εἰς τὴν λεγομένην Περσέπολιν, καὶ ἐπεχείρησεν ἱεροσυλεῖν, καὶ τὴν πόλιν συνέχειν· διὸ δὴ τῶν πληθῶν ὁρμησάντων, ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ὅπλων βοήθειαν ἐτράπησαν· καὶ συνέβη τροπωθέντα τὸν Ἀντίοχον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων, ἀσχήμονα τὴν ἀναζυγὴν ποιήσασθαι.

For he had entered the city called Persepolis, and went about to rob the temple, and to hold the city; whereupon the multitude running to defend themselves with their weapons put them to flight; and so it happened, that Antiochus being put to flight of the inhabitants returned with shame.

3 Ὄντι δὲ αὐτῷ κατʼ Ἐκβάτανα, προσέπεσε τὰ κατὰ Νικάνορα, καὶ τοὺς περὶ Τιμόθεον, γεγονότα.

Now when he came to Ecbatane, news was brought him what had happened to Nicanor and Timotheus.

4 Ἐπαρθεὶς δὲ τῷ θυμῷ, ᾤετο καὶ τὴν τῶν πεφυγαδευκότων αὐτὸν κακίαν εἰς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐναπερείσασθαι· διὸ συνέταξε τὸν ἁρματηλάτην ἀδιαλείπτως ἐλαύνοντα κατανύειν τὴν πορείαν, τῆς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ δὴ κρίσεως συνούσης αὐτῷ· οὕτως γὰρ ὑπερηφάνως εἶπε, πολυάνδριον Ἰουδαίων Ἱεροσόλυμα ποιήσω παραγενόμενος ἐκεῖ.

Then swelling with anger. he thought to avenge upon the Jews the disgrace done to him by those that made him flee. Therefore commanded he his chariotman to drive without ceasing, and to dispatch the journey, the judgement of God now following him. For he had spoken proudly in this sort, That he would come to Jerusalem and make it a common burying place of the Jews.

5 Ὁ δὲ πανεπόπτης Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν ἀνιάτῳ καὶ ἀοράτῳ πληγῇ· ἄρτι δὲ αὐτοῦ καταλήξαντος τὸν λόγον, ἔλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀνήκεστος τῶν σπλάγχνων ἀλγηδὼν, καὶ πικραὶ τῶν ἔνδον βάσανοι,

But the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, struck him with an incurable and invisible plague: or as soon as he had spoken these words, a pain of the bowels that was remediless came upon him, and sore torments of the inner parts;

6 πάνυ δικαίως, τὸν πολλαῖς καὶ ξενιζούσαις συμφοραῖς ἑτέρων σπλάγχνα βασανίσαντα.

And that most justly: for he had tormented other men's bowels with many and strange torments.

7 Ὁ δʼ οὐδαμῶς τῆς ἀγερωχίας ἔληγεν· ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἐπεπλήρωτο, πῦρ πνέων τοῖς θυμοῖς ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καὶ κελεύων ἐποξύνειν τὴν πορείαν· συνέβη δὲ καὶ πεσεῖν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅρματος φερομένου ῥοίζῳ, καὶ δυσχερεῖ πτώματι περιπεσόντα, πάντα τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος ἀποστρεβλοῦσθαι.

Howbeit he nothing at all ceased from his bragging, but still was filled with pride, breathing out fire in his rage against the Jews, and commanding to haste the journey: but it came to pass that he fell down from his chariot, carried violently; so that having a sore fall, all the members of his body were much pained.

8 Ὁ δʼ ἄρτι δοκῶν τοῖς τῆς θαλάσσης κύμασιν ἐπιτάσσειν, διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἀλαζονείαν, καὶ πλάστιγγι τὰ τῶν ὀρέων οἰόμενος ὕψη στήσειν, κατὰ γῆν γενόμενος, ἐν φορείῳ παρεκομίζετο, φανερὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ πᾶσι τὴν δύναμιν ἐνδεικνύμενος·

And thus he that a little before thought he might command the waves of the sea, (so proud was he beyond the condition of man) and weigh the high mountains in a balance, was now cast on the ground, and carried in an horselitter, showing forth to all the manifest power of God.

9 ὥστε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς σκώληκας ἀναζεῖν, καὶ ζῶντος ἐν ὀδύναις καὶ ἀλγηδόσι τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ διαπίπτειν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ὀσμῆς αὐτοῦ πᾶν τὸ στρατόπεδον βαρύνεσθαι τῇν σαπρίᾳ.

So that the worms rose up out of the body of this wicked man, and while he lived in sorrow and pain, his flesh fell away, and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to all his army.

10 Καὶ τὸν μικρῷ πρότερον τῶν οὐρανίων ἄστρων ἅπτεσθαι δοκοῦντα, παρακομίζειν οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο, διὰ τὸ τῆς ὀσμῆς ἀφόρητον βάρος.

And the man, that thought a little before he could reach to the stars of heaven, no man could endure to carry for his intolerable stink.

11 Ἐνταῦθα οὖν ἤρξατο τὸ πολὺ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας λήγειν ὑποτεθραυσμένος, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἔρχεσθαι θείᾳ μάστιγι κατὰ στιγμὴν ἐπιτεινόμενος ταῖς ἀλγηδόσι.

Here therefore, being plagued, he began to leave off his great pride, and to come to the knowledge of himself by the scourge of God, his pain increasing every moment.

12 Καὶ μηδὲ τῆς ὀσμῆς αὐτοῦ δυνάμενος ἀνέχεσθαι, ταῦτʼ ἔφη, δίκαιον ὑποτάσσεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μὴ θνητὸν ὄντα ἰσόθεα φρονεῖν ὑπερηφανῶς.

And when he himself could not abide his own smell, he said these words, It is meet to be subject to God, and that a man that is mortal should not proudly think of himself if he were God.

13 Ηὔχετο δὲ ὁ μιαρὸς πρὸς τὸν οὐκέτι αὐτὸν ἐλεήσοντα δεσπότην, οὕτω λέγων,

This wicked person vowed also to the Lord, who now no more would have mercy upon him, saying thus,

14 τὴν μὲν ἁγίαν πόλιν ἣν σπεύδων παρεγίνετο ἰσόπεδον ποιῆσαι, καὶ πολυάνδριον οἰκοδομῆσαι, ἐλευθέραν ἀναδεῖξαι·

That the holy city (to the which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground, and to make it a common burying place,) he would set at liberty:

15 τοὺς δὲ Ἰουδαίους, οὕς διεγνώκει μηδὲ ταφῆς ἀξιῶσαι, οἰωνοβρώτους δὲ σὺν τοῖς νηπίοις ἐκρίψειν θηρίοις, πάντας αὐτοὺς ἴσους Ἀθηναίοις ποιήσειν·

And as touching the Jews, whom he had judged not worthy so much as to be buried, but to be cast out with their children to be devoured of the fowls and wild beasts, he would make them all equals to the citizens of Athens:

16 ὃν δὲ πρότερον ἐσκύλευσεν ἅγιον νεὼν, καλλίστοις ἀναθήμασι κοσμήσειν, καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη πολυπλάσια πάντα ἀποδώσειν, τὰς δὲ ἐπιβαλλούσας πρὸς τὰς θυσίας συντάξεις ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων προσόδων χορηγήσειν·

And the holy temple, which before he had spoiled, he would garnish with goodly gifts, and restore all the holy vessels with many more, and out of his own revenue defray the charges belonging to the sacrifices:

17 πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, καὶ Ἰουδαῖο ἔσεσθαι, καὶ πάντα τόπον οἰκητὸν ἐπελεύσεσθαι καταγγέλλοντα τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ κράτος.

Yes, and that also he would become a Jew himself, and go through all the world that was inhabited, and declare the power of God.

18 Οὐδαμῶς δὲ ληγόντων τῶν πόνων, ἐπεληλύθει γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν δικαία ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσις, τὰ κατʼ αὐτὸν ἀπελπίσας, ἔγραψε πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τὴν ὑπογεγραμμένην ἐπιστολήν, ἱκετηρίας τάξιν ἔχουσαν, περιέχουσαν δὲ οὕτως·

But for all this his pains would not cease: for the just judgement of God was come upon him: therefore despairing of his health, he wrote to the Jews the letter underwritten, containing the form of a supplication, after this manner:

19 Τοῖς χρηστοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τοῖς πολίταις πολλὰ χαίρειν, καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, καὶ εὖ πράττειν, βασιλεὺς καὶ στρατηγὸς Ἀντίοχος.

Antiochus, king and governor, to the good Jews his citizens wishes much joy, health, and prosperity:

20 Εἰ ἔῤῥωσθε, καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὰ ἴδια κατὰ γνώμην ἔστιν ὑμῖν, εὔχομαι μὲν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν μεγίστην χάριν, εἰς οὐρανὸν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχων.

If you⌃ and your children fare well, and your affairs be to your contentment, I give very great thanks to God, having my hope in heaven.

21 Κᾀγὼ δὲ ἀσθενῶς διεκείμην, ὑμῶν τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν εὔνοιαν ἄν ἐμνημόνευον φιλοστόργως· ἐπανάγων ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὴν Περσίδα τόπων, καὶ περιπεσὼν ἀσθενείᾳ δυσχέρειαν ἐχούσῃ, ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην φροντίσαι τῆς κοινῆς πάντων ἀσφαλείας·

As for me, I was weak, or else I would have remembered kindly your honour and good will returning out of Persia, and being taken with a grievous disease, I thought it necessary to care for the common safety of all:

22 Οὐκ ἀπογινώσκων τὰ κατʼ ἐμαυτόν, ἀλλὰ ἔχων πολλὴν ἐλπίδα ἐκφεύξεσθαι τὴν ἀσθένειαν,

Not distrusting my health, but having great hope to escape this sickness.

23 θεωρῶν δὲ ὅτι καὶ ὁ πατήρ καθʼ οὓς καιροὺς εἰς τοὺς ἄνω τόπους ἐστρατοπέδευσεν, ἀνέδειξε τὸν διαδεξόμενον,

But considering that even my father, at what time he led an army into the high countries. appointed a successor,

24 ὅπως ἐάν τι παράδοξον ἀποβαίνῃ, ἤ καὶ προσαγγελθῇ τι δυοχερὲς, εἰδότες οἱ κατὰ τὴν χώραν ᾧ καταλέλειπται τὰ πράγματα, μὴ ἐπιταράσσωνται·

To the end that, if any thing fell out contrary to expectation, or if any tidings were brought that were grievous, they of the land, knowing to whom the state was left, might not be troubled:

25 Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις κατανοῶν τοὺς παρακειμένους δυνάστας, καὶ γειτνιῶντας τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῖς καιροῖς ἐπέχοντας, προσδεχομένους τὸ ἀποβησόμενον, ἀναδέδειχα τὸν υἱὸν μου Ἀντίοχον βασιλέα, ὃν πολλάκις ἀνατρέχων εἰς τὰς ἐπάνω σατραπείας τοῖς πλείστοις ὑμῶν παρακατετιθέμην καὶ συνίστων· γέγραφα δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ ὑπογεγραμμένα.

Again, considering how that the princes that are borderers and neighbours to my kingdom wait for opportunities, and expect what shall be the event. I have appointed my son Antiochus king, whom I often committed and commended to many of you, when I went up into the high provinces; to whom I have written as follows:

26 Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀξιῶ, μεμνημένους τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν κοινῇ καὶ κατιδίαν, ἕκαστον συντηρεῖν τὴν οὖσαν εὔνοιαν εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν υἱόν μου.

Therefore I pray and request you to remember the benefits that I have done to you generally, and in special, and that every man will be still faithful to me and my son.

27 Πέπεισμαι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπιεικῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως παρακολουθοῦντα τῇ ἐμῇ προαιρέσει, συμπεριενεχθήσεσθαι ὑμῖν.

For I am persuaded that he understanding my mind will favourably and graciously yield to your desires.

28 Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἀνδροφόνος καὶ βλάσφημος τὰ χείριστα παθών, ὡς ἑτέρους διέθηκεν, ἐπὶ ξένης ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν οἰκτίστῳ μόρῳ κατέσπρεψε τὸν βίον.

Thus the murderer and blasphemer having suffered most grievously, as he entreated other men, so died he a miserable death in a strange country in the mountains.

29 Παρεκομίζετο δὲ τὸ σῶμα Φίλιππος ὁ σύντροφος αὐτοῦ· ὃς καὶ διευλαβηθεὶς τὸν υἱὸν Ἀντιόχου, πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Φιλομήτορα εἰς Αἴγυπτον διεκομίσθη.

And Philip, that was brought up with him, carried away his body, who also fearing the son of Antiochus went into Egypt to Ptolemeus Philometor.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.