4 Maccabees 12

1 Ως δὲ καὶ οὗτος μακαρίως ἐναπέθανε καταβληθεὶς εἰς λέβητα, ὁ ἕβδομος παρεγίνετο πάντων νεώτερος.

1 When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the cauldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward:

2 ὃν κατοικτειρήσας ὁ τύραννος, καίπερ δεινῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κακισθείς, ὁρῶν ἤδη τὰ δεσμὰ περικείμενον,

2 whom the tyrant pitying, though he had been dreadfully reproached by his brethren,

3 πλησιέστερον αὐτὸν μετεπέμψατο καὶ παρηγορεῖν ἐπειρᾶτο λέγων·

3 seeing him already encompassed with chains, had him brought nearer, and endeavoured to counsel him, saying,

4 τῆς μὲν τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ἀπονοίας τὸ τέλος ὁρᾷς· διὰ γὰρ ἀπείθειαν στρεβλωθέντες τεθνήκασι· σὺ δέ, εἰ μὲν μὴ πεισθείης, τάλας βασανισθεὶς καὶ αὐτὸς τεθνήξῃ πρὸ ὥρας.

4 You see the end of the madness of your brethren: for they have died in torture through disobedience; and you, if disobedient, having been miserably tormented, will yourself perish prematurely.

5 πεισθεὶς δὲ φίλος ἔσῃ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀφηγήσῃ πραγμάτων.

5 But if you obey, you shall be my friend, and have a charge over the affairs of the kingdom.

6 καὶ ταῦτα παρακαλῶν, τὴν μητέρα τοῦ παιδὸς μετεπέμψατο, ὅπως αὐτὴν ἐλεήσας τοσούτων υἱῶν στερηθεῖσαν παρορμήσειεν ἐπὶ τὴν σωτήριον εὐπείθειαν τὸν περιλειπόμενον.

6 And having thus exhorted him, he sent for the mother of the boy; that, by condoling with her for the loss of so many sons, he might incline her, through the hope of safety, to render the survivor obedient.

7 ὁ δὲ τῆς μητρὸς τῇ ἑβραΐδι φωνῇ προτρεψαμένης αὐτὸν (ὡς ἐροῦμεν μετὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον), ἀπολύσατέ με, φησίν·

7 And he, after his mother had urged him on in the Hebrew tongue, (as we shall soon relate) says,

8 εἴπω τι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φίλοις πᾶσι.

8 Release me that I may speak to the king and all his friends.

9 καὶ ἐπιχαρέντες ὅ τε βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ παιδὸς ταχέως ἔλυσαν αὐτόν.

9 And they, rejoicing exceedingly at the promise of the youth, quickly let him go.

10 καὶ δραμὼν ἐπὶ πλησίον τῶν τηγάνων ἔφη·

10 And he, running up to the pans, said,

11 ἀνόσιε, φησίν, καὶ πάντων τῶν πονηρῶν ἀσεβέστατε τύραννε, οὐκ ᾐδέσθης παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαβὼν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοὺς θεράποντας αὐτοῦ κατακτεῖναι καὶ τοὺς εὐσεβείας ἀσκητὰς στρεβλῶσαι;

11 Impious tyrant, and most blasphemous man, were you not ashamed, having received prosperity and a kingdom from God, to kill His servants, and to rack the doers of godliness?

12 ἀνθ' ὧν ταμιεύσεταί σε ἡ θεία δίκη πυκνοτέρῳ καὶ αἰωνίῳ πυρὶ καὶ βασάνοις, αἳ εἰς ὅλον τὸν αἰῶνα οὐκ ἀνήσουσί σε.

12 Therefore the divine vengeance is reserving you for eternal fire and torments, which shall cling to you for all time.

13 οὐκ ᾐδέσθης ἄνθρωπος ὤν, θηριωδέστατε, τοὺς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς καὶ ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν γεγονότας στοιχείων γλωττοτομῆσαι καὶ τοῦτον καταικίσας τὸν τρόπον βασανίσαι;

13 Were you not ashamed, man as you are, yet most savage, to cut out the tongues of men of like feeling and origin, and having thus abused to torture them?

14 ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν εὐγενῶς ἀποθανόντες ἐπλήρωσαν τὴν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν εὐσέβειαν,

14 But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion towards God.

15 σὺ δὲ κακὸς κακῶς οἰμώξεις τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγωνιστὰς ἀναιτίως ἀποκτείνας.

15 But you shall groan according to your deserts for having slain without cause the champions of virtue.

16 ὅθεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀποθνήσκειν μέλλων ἔφη·

16 Therefore, he continued, I myself, being about to die,

17 οὐκ ἀπαυτομολῶ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου ἀριστείας·

17 will not forsake my brethren.

18 ἐπικαλοῦμαι δὲ τὸν πατρῷον Θεόν, ὅπως ἵλεως γένηται τῷ γένει μου.

18 And I call upon the God of my fathers to be merciful to my race.

19 σὲ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν βίῳ καὶ θανόντα τιμωρήσεται.

19 But you, both living and dead, he will punish.

20 καὶ ταῦτα κατευξάμενος, ἑαυτὸν ἔρριψε κατά τῶν τηγάνων, καὶ οὕτως ἀπέδωκε τὴν ψυχήν.

20 Thus having prayed, he hurled himself into the pans; and so expired.