4 Kingdoms 10

Βασιλειῶν Δ´

1 ΚΑΙ τῷ Ἀχαὰβ ἑβδομήκοντα υἱοὶ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ. καὶ ἔγραψεν Ἰοὺ βιβλίον καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας Σαμαρείας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τιθηνοὺς Ἀχαὰβ λέγων·

And Achaab [had] seventy sons in Samaria. And Ju wrote a letter, and sent it into Samaria to the rulers of Samaria, and to the elders, and to the guardians of [the children of] Achaab, saying.

2 καὶ νῦν ὡς ἂν ἔλθῃ τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ κυρίου ὑμῶν καὶ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν τὸ ἅρμα καὶ οἱ ἵπποι καὶ πόλεις ὀχυραὶ καὶ τὰ ὅπλα,

Now then, as soon as this letter shall have reached you, whereas [there are] with you the sons of your master, and with you chariots and horses, and strong cities, and arms,

3 καὶ ὄψεσθε τὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸν εὐθῆ ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ κυρίου ὑμῶν καὶ καταστήσετε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ πολεμεῖτε ὑπὲρ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ κυρίου ὑμῶν.

do you⌃ accordingly look out the best and fit amongst your master's sons, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your master.

4 καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα καὶ εἶπον· ἰδοὺ οἱ δύο βασιλεῖς οὐκ ἔστησαν κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ πῶς στησόμεθα ἡμεῖς;

And they feared greatly, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: and how shall we stand?

5 καὶ ἀπέστειλαν οἱ ἐπὶ τοῦ οἴκου καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ τιθηνοὶ πρὸς Ἰοὺ λέγοντες· παῖδές σου καὶ ἡμεῖς, καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπῃς πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ποιήσομεν· οὐ βασλεύσομεν ἄνδρα, τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαμοῖς σου ποιήσομεν.

So they that were over the house, and they that were over the city, and the elders and the guardians, sent to Ju, saying, We also [are] your servants, and whatever you shall say to us we will do; we will not make [any] man king: we will do that which is right in your eyes.

6 καὶ ἔγραψε πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ἰοὺ βιβλίον δεύτερον λέγων· εἰ ἐμοὶ ὑμεῖς, καὶ τῆς φωνῆς μου ὑμεῖς εἰσακούετε, λάβετε τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀνδρῶν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ κυρίου ὑμῶν καὶ ἐνέγκατε πρός με ὡς ἡ ὥρα αὔριον ἐν Ἰεζράελ. καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἦσαν ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρες· οὗτοι ἁδροὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐξέτρεφον αὐτούς.

And Ju wrote them a second letter, saying, If you⌃ [are] for me, and listen to my voice, take the heads of the men your master's sons, and bring [them] to me at this time to-morrow in Jezrael. Now the sons of the king were seventy men; these great men of the city brought them up.

7 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἦλθε τὸ βιβλίον πρὸς αὐτούς, καὶ ἔλαβον τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἔσφαξαν αὐτούς, ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας, καὶ ἔθηκαν τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν ἐν καρτάλλοις καὶ ἀπέστειλαν αὐτὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεζράελ.

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed them, [even] seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezrael.

8 καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ ἄγγελος καὶ ἀπήγγειλε λέγων· ἤνεγκαν τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ εἶπε· θέτε αὐτὰς βουνοὺς δύο παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς πύλης εἰς πρωΐ.

And a messenger came and told [him], saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them [in] two heaps by the door of the gate until the morning.

9 καὶ ἐγένετο πρωΐ καὶ ἐξῆλθε καὶ ἔστη ἐν τῷ πυλῶνι τῆς πόλεως καὶ εἶπε πρὸς πάντα τὸν λαόν· δίκαιοι ὑμεῖς· ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι συνεστράφην ἐπὶ τὸν κύριόν μου καὶ ἀπέκτεινα αὐτόν· καὶ τίς ἐπάταξε πάντας τούτους;

And the morning came, and he went forth, and stood, and said to all the people, You⌃ are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and killed him: but who killed all these?

10 ἴδετε ἀφφώ, ὅτι οὐ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τοῦ ρήματος Κυρίου εἰς τὴν γῆν, οὗ ἐλάλησε Κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἀχαάβ· καὶ Κύριος ἐποίησεν ὅσα ἐλάλησεν ἐν χειρὶ δούλου αὐτοῦ Ἠλιού.

See now that there shall not fall to the ground anything of the word of the Lord which the Lord spoke against the house of Achaab: for the Lord has performed all that he spoke of by the hand of his servant Eliu.

11 καὶ ἐπάταξεν Ἰοὺ πάντας τοὺς καταλειφθέντας ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ἀχαὰβ ἐν Ἰεζράελ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἁδροὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς γνωστοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ ὥστε μὴ καταλιπεῖν αὐτοῦ κατάλειμμα.

And Ju struck all that were left of the house of Achaab in Jezrael, and all his great men, and his acquaintance, and his priests, so as not to leave him [any] remnant.

12 Καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Σαμάρειαν, αὐτὸς ἐν Βαιθακὰδ τῶν ποιμένων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ,

And he arose and went to Samaria, [and] he [was] in the house of sheep-shearing in the way.

13 καὶ Ἰοὺ εὗρε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς Ὀχοζίου βασιλέως Ἰούδα καὶ εἶπε· τίνες ὑμεῖς; καὶ εἶπον· ἀδελφοὶ Ὀχοζίου ἡμεῖς καὶ κατέβημεν εἰς εἰρήνην τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς δυναστευούσης.

And Ju found the brethren of Ochozias king of Juda, and said, Who [are] you⌃? And they said, We [are] the brethren of Ochozias, and we have come down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.

14 καὶ εἶπε· συλλάβετε αὐτοὺς ζῶντας· καὶ ἔσφαξαν αὐτοὺς εἰς Βαιθακάδ, τεσσαράκοντα καὶ δύο ἄνδρας, οὐ κατέλιπεν ἄνδρα ἐξ αὐτῶν.

And he said, Take them alive. And they killed them at the shearing-house, forty and two men: he left not a man of them.

15 καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖθεν καὶ εὗρε τὸν Ἰωναδὰβ υἱὸν Ρηχὰβ εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ηὐλόγησεν αὐτόν. καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἰού· εἰ ἔστι καρδία σου μετὰ καρδίας μου εὐθεῖα καθὼς ἡ καρδία μου μετὰ τῆς καρδίας σου; καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωναδάβ· ἔστι. καὶ εἶπεν Ἰού· καὶ εἰ ἔστι, δὸς τὴν χεῖρά σου. καὶ ἔδωκε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἅρμα

And he went thence and found Jonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him; and he saluted him, and Ju said to him, Is your heart right with my heart, as my heart [is] with your heart? And Jonadab said, It is. And Ju said, If it is then, give me your hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot.

16 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· δεῦρο μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ καὶ ἰδὲ ἐν τῷ ζηλῶσαί με τῷ Κυρίῳ Σαββαὼθ καὶ ἐπεκάθισεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἅρματι αὐτοῦ.

And he said to him, Come with me, and see me zealous for the Lord. And he caused him to sit in his chariot.

17 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Σαμάρειαν καὶ ἐπάταξε πάντας τοὺς καταλειφθέντας τοῦ Ἀχαὰβ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ ἕως τοῦ ἀφανίσαι αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα Κυρίου, ὃ ἐλάλησε πρὸς Ἠλιού.

And he entered into Samaria, and struck all that were left of Achaab in Samaria, until he had utterly destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Eliu.

18 Καὶ συνήθροισεν Ἰοὺ πάντα τὸν λαὸν καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἀχαὰβ ἐδούλευσε τῷ Βάαλ ὀλίγα, Ἰοὺ δουλεύσει αὐτῷ πολλά·

And Ju gathered all the people, and said to them, Achaab served Baal a little; Ju shall serve him much.

19 καὶ νῦν, πάντες οἱ προφῆται τοῦ Βάαλ, πάντας τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ καλέσατε πρός με, ἀνὴρ μὴ ἐπισκεπήτω, ὅτι θυσία μεγάλη μοι τῷ Βάαλ· πᾶς, ὃς ἐὰν ἐπισκεπῇ, οὐ ζήσεται. καὶ Ἰοὺ ἐποίησεν ἐν πτερνισμῷ, ἵνα ἀπολέσῃ τοὺς δούλους τοῦ Βάαλ.

Now then do all [you⌃] the prophets of Baal call all his servants and his priests to me; let not a man be lacking: for I have a great sacrifice [to offer] to Baal; every one who shall be missing shall die. But Ju did it in subtilty, that he might destroy the servants of Baal.

20 καὶ εἶπεν Ἰού· ἁγιάσατε ἱερείαν τῷ Βάαλ· καὶ ἐκήρυξαν.

And Ju said, Sanctify a solemn festival to Baal, and they made a proclamation.

21 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἰοὺ ἐν παντὶ Ἰσραὴλ λέγων· καὶ νῦν πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι καὶ πάντες οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ προφῆται αὐτοῦ, μηδεὶς ἀπολειπέσθω, ὅτι θυσίαν μεγάλην ποιῶ· ὃς ἂν ἀπολειφθῇ, οὐ ζήσεται. καὶ ἦλθον πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Βάαλ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ προφῆται αὐτοῦ· οὐ κατελείφθη ἀνήρ, ὅς οὐ παρεγένετο. καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Βάαλ, καὶ ἐπλήσθη ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Βάαλ στόμα εἰς στόμα.

And Ju sent throughout all Israel, saying, Now then let all [Baal's] servants, and all his priests, and all his prophets [come], let none be lacking: for I am going to offer a great sacrifice; whoever shall be missing, shall not live. So all the servants of Baal came, and all his priests, and all his prophets: there was not one left who came not. And they entered into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.

22 καὶ εἶπεν Ἰοὺ τῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ οἴκου μεσθάαλ· ἐξάγαγε ἔνδυμα πᾶσι τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Βάαλ· καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ στολιστής.

And he said to the man who was over the house of the wardrobe, Bring forth a robe for all the servants of Baal. And the keeper of the robes brought forth to them.

23 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἰοὺ καὶ Ἰωναδὰβ υἱὸς Ρηχὰβ εἰς οἶκον τοῦ Βάαλ καὶ εἶπε τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Βάαλ· ἐρευνήσατε καὶ ἴδετε, εἰ ἔστι μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν τῶν δούλων Κυρίου, ὅτι ἀλλ᾿ ἢ οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Βάαλ μονώτατοι.

And Ju and Jonadab the son of Rechab entered into the house of Baal, and said to the servants of Baal, Search, and see whether there is amongst you any of the servants of the Lord, or only the servants of Baal, by themselves.

24 καὶ εἰσῆλθε τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὰ θύματα καὶ τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα. καὶ Ἰοὺ ἔταξεν ἑαυτῷ ἔξω ὀγδοήκοντα ἄνδρας καὶ εἶπεν· ἀνήρ, ὃς ἐὰν διασωθῇ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν, ὧν ἐγὼ ἀνάγω ἐπὶ χεῖρα ὑμῶν, ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ.

And he went in to offer sacrifices and whole burnt offerings; and Ju set for himself eighty men without, and said, Every man who shall escape of the men whom I bring into your hand, the life of him [that spares him] shall go for his life.

25 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς συνετέλεσε ποιῶν τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν, καὶ εἶπεν Ἰοὺ τοῖς παρατρέχουσι καὶ τοῖς τριστάταις· εἰσελθόντες πατάξατε αὐτούς, μὴ ἐξελθάτω ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀνήρ· καὶ ἐπάταξαν αὐτοὺς ἐν στόματι ρομφαίας, καὶ ἔρριψαν οἱ παρατρέχοντες καὶ οἱ τριστάται καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ἕως πόλεως οἴκου τοῦ Βάαλ.

And it came to pass, when he had finished offering the whole burnt offering, that Ju said to the footmen and to the officers, Go you⌃ in and kill them; let not a man of them escape. So they struck them with the edge of the sword, and the footmen and the officers cast [the bodies] forth, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

26 καὶ ἐξήνεγκαν τὴν στήλην τοῦ Βάαλ καὶ ἐνέπρησαν αὐτήν.

And they brought out the pillar of Baal, and burnt it.

27 καὶ κατέσπασαν τὰς στήλας τοῦ Βάαλ καὶ ἔταξαν αὐτὸν εἰς λυτρῶνα ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.

And they tore down the pillars of Baal, and made his house a draught-house until this day.

28 Καὶ ἠφάνισεν Ἰοὺ τὸν Βάαλ ἐξ Ἰσραήλ·

So Ju abolished Baal out of Israel.

29 πλὴν ἁμαρτιῶν Ἱεροβοὰμ υἱοῦ Ναβάτ, ὃς ἐξήμαρτε τὸν Ἰσραήλ, οὐκ ἀπέστη Ἰοὺ ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν αὐτῶν, αἱ δαμάλεις αἱ χρυσαῖ ἐν Βαιθὴλ καὶ ἐν Δάν.

Nevertheless Ju departed not from following the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who led Israel to sin: [these were] the golden heifers in Baethel and in Dan.

30 καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Ἰού· ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ὅσα ἠγάθυνας ποιῆσαι τὸ εὐθὲς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς μου κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἐποίησας τῷ οἴκῳ Ἀχαάβ, υἱοὶ τέταρτοι καθήσονταί σοι ἐπὶ θρόνου Ἰσραήλ.

And the Lord said to Ju, Because of all your deeds wherein you have acted well in doing that which was right in my eyes, according to all things which you have done to the house of Achaab [as they were] in my heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel.

31 καὶ Ἰοὺ οὐκ ἐφύλαξε πορεύεσθαι ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου Θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἀπέστη ἀπάνωθεν ἁμαρτιῶν Ἱεροβοάμ, ὃς ἐξήμαρτε τὸν Ἰσραήλ.

But Ju took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: he departed not from following the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.

32 ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἤρξατο Κύριος συγκόπτειν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς Ἀζαὴλ ἐν παντὶ ὁρίῳ Ἰσραήλ,

In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short; and Azael struck them in every coast of Israel;

33 ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου κατ᾿ ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν Γαλαὰδ τοῦ Γαδδὶ καὶ τοῦ Ρουβὴν καὶ τοῦ Μανασσῆ, ἀπὸ Ἀροήρ, ἥ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους χειμάρρου Ἀρνών, καὶ τὴν Γαλαὰδ καὶ τὴν Βασάν.

from Jordan eastward all the land of Galaad belonging to the Gadites, of Gaddi and that of Ruben, and of Manasses, from Aroer, which is on the brink of the brook of Arnon, and Galaad and Basan.

34 καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν λόγων Ἰοὺ καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησε, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ δυναστεία αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς συνάψεις, ἃς συνῆψεν, οὐχὶ ταῦτα γεγραμμένα ἐπὶ βιβλίου λόγων τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν Ἰσραήλ;

And the rest of the acts of Ju, and all that he did, and all his might, and the wars wherein he engaged, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

35 καὶ ἐκοιμήθη Ἰοὺ μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ· καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἰωάχαζ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

And Ju slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joachaz his son reigned in his stead.

36 καὶ αἱ ἡμέραι, ἃς ἐβασίλευσεν Ἰοὺ ἐπὶ Ἰσραήλ, εἰκοσιοκτὼ ἔτη ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ.

And the days which Ju reigned over Israel [were] twenty-eight years in Samaria.

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.