The Bible 4 Maccabees Chapter 18
4 Maccabees 18
Μακκαβαίων Δ´
1 Ω τῶν Ἁβραμιαίων σπερμάτων ἀπόγονοι παῖδες Ἰσραηλῖται, πείθεσθε τῷ νόμῳ τούτῳ καὶ πάντα τρόπον εὐσεβεῖτε,
O Israelitish children, descendants of the seed of Abraham, obey this law, and in every way be religious.
2 γινώσκοντες ὅτι τῶν παθῶν δεσπότης ἐστὶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμὸς καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἔνδοθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν πόνων·
Knowing that religious reasoning is lord of the passions, and those not only inward but outward.
3 ἀνθ' ὧν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προέμενοι τὰ σώματα τοῖς πόνοις ἐκεῖνοι, οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐθαυμάσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θείας μερίδος κατηξιώθησαν.
When those persons giving up their bodies to pains for the sake of religion, were not only admired by men, but were deemed worthy of a divine portion.
4 καὶ δι' αὐτοὺς εἰρήνευσε τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ τὴν εὐνομίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἀνανεωσάμενοι ἐκπεπολιορκήκασιν τοὺς πολεμίους.
And the nation through them obtained peace, and having renewed the observance of the law in their country, drove the enemy out of the land.
5 καὶ ὁ τύραννος Ἀντίοχος καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τετιμώρηται καὶ ἀποθανὼν κολάζεται· ὡς γὰρ οὐδὲν οὐδαμῶς ἴσχυσεν ἀναγκάσαι τοὺς Ἱεροσολυμίτας ἀλλοφυλῆσαι καὶ τῶν πατρίων ἐθῶν ἐκδιαιτηθῆναι, τότε δὴ ἀπάρας ἀπὸ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐπὶ Πέρσας.
And the tyrant Antiochus was both punished upon earth, and is punished now he is dead; for when he was quite unable to compel the Israelites to adopt foreign customs, and to desert the manner of life of their fathers, then, departing from Jerusalem, he made war against the Persians. (verse 18:5-6 in Brenton's English)
6 ἔλεγε δὲ ἡ μήτηρ τῶν ἑπτὰ παίδων καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα τοῖς τέκνοις·
And the righteous mother of the seven children spoke also as follows to her offspring: I was a pure virgin, and went not beyond my father's house; but I took care of the built-up rib. (verse 7 in Brenton's English)
7 ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐγεννήθην παρθένος ἁγνὴ καὶ οὐχ ὑπερέβην τὸν πατρικὸν οἶκον, ἐφύλασσον δὲ τὴν ᾠκοδομημένην πλευράν.
In the English, this verse is part of verse 6.
8 οὐδὲ ἔφθειρέ με λυμεὼν ἐρημίας φθορεὺς ἐν πεδίῳ, οὐδὲ ἐλυμήνατό μου τὰ ἁγνὰ τῆς παρθενίας λυμεὼν ἀπατηλὸς ὄφις· ἔμεινα δὲ χρόνον ἀκμῆς σὺν ἀνδρί.
No destroyer of the desert, [or] ravisher of the plain, injured me; nor did the destructive, deceitful snake, make spoil of my chaste virginity; and I remained with my husband during the period of my prime.
9 τούτων δὲ ἐνηλίκων γενομένων ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῶν, μακάριος μὲν ἐκεῖνος, τὸν γὰρ τῆς εὐτεκνίας βίον ἐπιζήσας τὸν τῆς ἀτεκνίας οὐκ ὠδυνήθη καιρόν.
And these my children, having arrived at maturity, their father died: blessed was he! for having sought out a life of fertility in children, he was not grieved with a period of loss of children.
10 ὃς ἐδίδασκεν ὑμᾶς, ἔτι ὢν σὺν ὑμῖν, τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας.
And he used to teach you, when yet with you, the law and the prophets.
11 τὸν ἀναιρεθέντα Ἄβελ ὑπὸ Κάϊν, ἀνεγίνωσκε τε ὑμῖν καὶ τὸν ὁλοκαρπούμενον Ἰσαὰκ καὶ τὸν ἐν φυλακῇ Ἰωσήφ.
He used to read to you the slaying of Abel by Cain, and the offering up of Isaac, and the imprisonment of Joseph.
12 ἔλεγε δὲ ὑμῖν τὸν ζηλωτὴν Φινεές, ἐδίδασκέ τε ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἐν πυρὶ Ἀνανίαν καὶ Ἀζαρίαν καὶ Μισαήλ.
And he used to tell you of the zealous Phinehas; and informed you of Ananias and Azarias, and Misael in the fire.
13 ἐδόξαζε δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐν λάκκῳ λεόντων Δανιήλ, ὃν καὶ ἐμακάριζεν.
And he used to glorify Daniel, who was in the den of lions, and pronounce him blessed.
14 ὑπεμίμνησκε δὲ ὑμᾶς καὶ τὴν Ἡσαΐου γραφὴν τὴν λέγουσαν· κἂν διὰ πυρὸς διέλθῃς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε.
And he used to put you in mind of the scripture of Esaias, which says, Even if you pass through the fire, it shall not burn you.
15 τὸν ὑμνογράφον ἐμελῴδει ὑμῖν Δαυὶδ τὸν λέγοντα· πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν αὐτῶν ρύσεται αὐτοὺς ὁ Κύριος.
He chanted to you David, the hymn-writer, who says, Many are the afflictions of the just.
16 τὸν Σαλομῶντα ἐπαροιμίαζεν ὑμῖν τὸν λέγοντα· ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα.
He declared the proverbs of Solomon, who says, He is a tree of life to all those who do His will.
17 τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐπιστοποιεῖτο τὸν λέγοντα· εἰ ζήσεται τὰ ὀστᾶ τὰ ξηρὰ ταῦτα;
He used to verify Ezekiel, who said, Shall these dry bones live?
18 ᾠδὴν μὲν γάρ, ἣν ἐδίδαξε Μωϋσῆς, οὐκ ἐπελάθετο τὴν διδάσκουσαν καὶ λέγουσαν· ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ καὶ ζῆν ποιήσω·
For he did not forget the song which Moses taught, proclaiming, I will kill, and I will make to live.
19 αὕτη ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν καὶ ἡ μακρότης τῶν ἡμερῶν.
This is our life, and the length of our days.
20 Ὦ πικρᾶς τῆς τότε ἡμέρας καὶ οὐ πικρᾶς, ὅτε ὁ πικρὸς Ἑλλήνων τύραννος πῦρ φλέξας λέβησιν ὠμοῖς καὶ ζέουσι θυμοῖς ἀγαγὼν ἐπὶ τὸν καταπέλτην καὶ πάσας τὰς βασάνους αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἑπτὰ παῖδας τῆς Ἁβρααμίτιδος
O that bitter, and yet not bitter, day when the bitter tyrant of the Greeks, quenching fire with fire in his cruel cauldrons, brought with boiling rage the seven sons of the daughter of Abraham to the catapelt, and to all his torments!
21 καὶ τὰς τῶν ὀμμάτων κόρας ἐπήρωσε καὶ γλώσσας ἐξέτεμε καὶ βασάνοις ποικίλαις ἀπέκτεινεν.
He pierced the balls of their eyes, and cut out their tongues, and put them to death with varied tortures.
22 ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡ θεία δίκη μετῆλθε καὶ μετελεύσεται τὸν ἀλάστορα τύραννον.
Therefore divine retribution pursued and will pursue the pestilent wretch.
23 οἱ δὲ Ἁβραμιαῖοι παῖδες σὺν τῇ ἀθλοφόρῳ μητρὶ εἰς πατέρων χορὸν συναγελάζονται ψυχὰς ἁγνὰς καὶ ἀθανάτους ἀπειληφότες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ,
But the children of Abraham, with their victorious mother, are assembled together to the choir of their father; having received pure and immortal souls from God.
24 ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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.