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ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Γ | 3 MACCABEES - Brenton|RSV | Reference |
| 1 | Ὁ δὲ Φιλοπάτωρ παρὰ τῶν ἀνακομισθέντων μαθὼν τὴν γενομένην τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κρατουμένων τόπων ἀφαίρεσιν ὑπὸ Ἀντιόχου παραγγείλας ταῖς πάσαις δυνάμεσιν πεζικαῖς τε καὶ ἱππικαῖς καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν Ἀρσινόην συμπαραλαβὼν ἐξώρμησεν μέχρι τῶν κατὰ Ῥαφίαν τόπων, ὅπου παρεμβεβλήκεισαν οἱ περὶ Ἀντίοχον. |
When Philopator learned from those who returned that the regions which he had controlled had been seized by Antiochus, he gave orders to all his forces, both infantry and cavalry, took with him his sister Arsinoe, and marched out to the region near Raphia, where Antiochus's supporters were encamped. | |
| 2 | Θεόδοτος δέ τις ἐκπληρῶσαι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διανοηθεὶς παραλαβὼν τῶν προυποτεταγμένων αὐτῷ ὅπλων Πτολεμαικῶν τὰ κράτιστα διεκομίσθη νύκτωρ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Πτολεμαίου σκηνὴν ὡς μόνος κτεῖναι αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ διαλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον. |
But a certain Theodotus, determined to carry out the plot he had devised, took with him the best of the Ptolemaic arms that had been previously issued to him, and crossed over by night to the tent of Ptolemy, intending single-handed to kill him and thereby end the war. | |
| 3 | τοῦτον δὲ διαγαγὼν Δοσίθεος ὁ Δριμύλου λεγόμενος, τὸ γένος Ιουδαῖος, ὕστερον δὲ μεταβαλὼν τὰ νόμιμα καὶ τῶν πατρίων δογμάτων ἀπηλλοτριωμένος, ἄσημόν τινα κατέκλινεν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ, ὃν συνέβη κομίσασθαι τὴν ἐκείνου κόλασιν. |
But Dositheus, known as the son of Drimylus, a Jew by birth who later changed his religion and apostatized from the ancestral traditions, had led the king away and arranged that a certain insignificant man should sleep in the tent; and so it turned out that this man incurred the vengeance meant for the king. | |
| 4 | γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων μᾶλλον ἐρρωμένων τῷ Ἀντιόχῳ ἱκανῶς ἡ Ἀρσινόη ἐπιπορευσαμένη τὰς δυνάμεις παρεκάλει μετὰ οἴκτου καὶ δακρύων τοὺς πλοκάμους λελυμένη βοηθεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις καὶ γυναιξὶν θαρραλέως ἐπαγγελλομένη δώσειν νικήσασιν ἑκάστῳ δύο μνᾶς χρυσίου. |
When a bitter fight resulted, and matters were turning out rather in favour of Antiochus, Arsinoe went to the troops with wailing and tears, her locks all disheveled, and exhorted them to defend themselves and their children and wives bravely, promising to give them each two minas of gold if they won the battle. | |
| 5 | καὶ οὕτως συνέβη τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἐν χειρονομίαις διαφθαρῆναι, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ δοριαλώτους συλλημφθῆναι. |
And so it came about that the enemy was routed in the action, and many captives also were taken. | |
| 6 | κατακρατήσας δὲ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἔκρινεν τὰς πλησίον πόλεις ἐπελθὼν παρακαλέσαι. |
Now that he had foiled the plot, Ptolemy decided to visit the neighbouring cities and encourage them. | |
| 7 | ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς τεμένεσι δωρεὰς ἀπονείμας εὐθαρσεῖς τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους κατέστησεν. |
By doing this, and by endowing their sacred enclosures with gifts, he strengthened the morale of his subjects. | |
| 8 | Τῶν δὲ Ιουδαίων διαπεμψαμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γερουσίας καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοὺς ἀσπασομένους αὐτὸν καὶ ξένια κομιοῦντας καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν χαρισομένους συνέβη μᾶλλον αὐτὸν προθυμηθῆναι ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς αὐτοὺς παραγενέσθαι. |
Since the Jews had sent some of their council and elders to greet him, to bring him gifts of welcome, and to congratulate him on what had happened, he was all the more eager to visit them as soon as possible. | |
| 9 | διακομισθεὶς δὲ εἰς Ιεροσόλυμα καὶ θύσας τῷ μεγίστῳ θεῷ καὶ χάριτας ἀποδοὺς καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς τι τῷ τόπῳ ποιήσας καὶ δὴ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν τόπον καὶ τῇ σπουδαιότητι καὶ εὐπρεπείᾳ καταπλαγείς, |
After he had arrived in Jerusalem, he offered sacrifice to the supreme God and made thank-offerings and did what was fitting for the holy place. Then, upon entering the place and being impressed by its excellence and its beauty, | |
| 10 | θαυμάσας δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ εὐταξίαν ἐνεθυμήθη βουλεύσασθαι εἰς τὸν ναὸν εἰσελθεῖν. |
he marveled at the good order of the temple, and conceived a desire to enter the holy of holies. | |
| 11 | τῶν δὲ εἰπόντων μὴ καθήκειν γίνεσθαι τοῦτο διὰ τὸ μηδὲ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐξεῖναι εἰσιέναι μηδὲ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνῳ τῷ προηγουμένῳ πάντων ἀρχιερεῖ, καὶ τούτῳ κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν ἅπαξ, ὁ δὲ οὐδαμῶς ἐπείθετο. |
When they said that this was not permitted, because not even members of their own nation were allowed to enter, nor even all of the priests, but only the high priest who was pre-eminent over all, and he only once a year, the king was by no means persuaded. | |
| 12 | τοῦ τε νόμου παραναγνωσθέντος οὐδ' ὧς ἀπέλιπεν προφερόμενος ἑαυτὸν δεῖν εἰσελθεῖν λέγων Καὶ εἰ ἐκεῖνοι ἐστέρηνται ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐ δεῖ. |
Even after the law had been read to him, he did not cease to maintain that he ought to enter, saying, "Even if those men are deprived of this honour, I ought not to be." | |
| 13 | καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν εἰσερχόμενον αὐτὸν εἰς πᾶν τέμενος οὐθεὶς ἐκώλυσεν τῶν παρόντων. |
And he inquired why, when he entered every other temple, no one there had stopped him. | |
| 14 | καί τις ἀπρονοήτως ἔφη κακῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τερατεύεσθαι. |
And someone heedlessly said that it was wrong to take this as a sign in itself. | |
| 15 | γενομένου δέ, φησιν, τούτου διά τινα αἰτίαν, οὐχὶ πάντως εἰσελεύσεσθαι καὶ θελόντων αὐτῶν καὶ μή; |
"But since this has happened," the king said, "why should not I at least enter, whether they wish it or not?" | |
| 16 | τῶν δὲ ἱερέων ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐσθήσεσιν προσπεσόντων καὶ δεομένων τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἐνεστῶσιν καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ κακῶς ἐπιβαλλομένου μεταθεῖναι κραυγῆς τε μετὰ δακρύων τὸ ἱερὸν ἐμπλησάντων |
Then the priests in all their vestments prostrated themselves and entreated the supreme God to aid in the present situation and to avert the violence of this evil design, and they filled the temple with cries and tears; | |
| 17 | οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀπολειπόμενοι ταραχθέντες ἐξεπήδησαν ἄδηλον τιθέμενοι τὸ γινόμενον. |
and those who remained behind in the city were agitated and hurried out, supposing that something mysterious was occurring. | |
| 18 | αἵ τε κατάκλειστοι παρθένοι ἐν θαλάμοις σὺν ταῖς τεκούσαις ἐξώρμησαν καὶ ἀπέδωκαν κόνει τὰς κόμας πασάμεναι γόου τε καὶ στεναγμῶν ἐνεπίμπλων τὰς πλατείας. |
The virgins who had been enclosed in their chambers rushed out with their mothers, sprinkled their hair with dust, and filled the streets with groans and lamentations. | |
| 19 | αἱ δὲ καὶ προσαρτίως ἐσταλμέναι τοὺς πρὸς ἀπάντησιν διατεταγμένους παστοὺς καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν αἰδὼ παραλείπουσαι δρόμον ἄτακτον ἐν τῇ πόλει συνίσταντο. |
Those women who had recently been arrayed for marriage abandoned the bridal chambers prepared for wedded union, and, neglecting proper modesty, in a disorderly rush flocked together in the city. | |
| 20 | τὰ δὲ νεογνὰ τῶν τέκνων αἱ πρὸς τούτοις μητέρες καὶ τιθηνοὶ παραλείπουσαι ἄλλως καὶ ἄλλως, αἱ μὲν κατ' οἴκους, αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἀγυιάς, ἀνεπιστρέπτως εἰς τὸ πανυπέρτατον ἱερὸν ἠθροίζοντο. |
Mothers and nurses abandoned even newborn children here and there, some in houses and some in the streets, and without a backward look they crowded together at the most high temple. | |
| 21 | ποικίλη δὲ ἦν τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συλλεγέντων ἡ δέησις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνοσίως ὑπ' ἐκείνου κατεγχειρουμένοις. |
Various were the supplications of those gathered there because of what the king was profanely plotting. | |
| 22 | σύν τε τούτοις οἱ περὶ τῶν πολιτῶν θρασυνθέντες οὐκ ἠνείχοντο τέλεον αὐτοῦ ἐπικειμένου καὶ τὸ τῆς προθέσεως ἐκπληροῦν διανοουμένου, |
In addition, the bolder of the citizens would not tolerate the completion of his plans or the fulfillment of his intended purpose. | |
| 23 | φωνήσαντες δὲ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα ποιήσασθαι καὶ θαρραλέως ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου τελευτᾶν ἱκανὴν ἐποίησαν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τραχύτητα, μόλις δὲ ὑπό τε τῶν γεραιῶν καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀποτραπέντες ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν τῆς δεήσεως παρῆσαν στάσιν. |
They shouted to their fellows to take arms and die courageously for the ancestral law, and created a considerable disturbance in the holy place; and being barely restrained by the old men and the elders, they resorted to the same posture of supplication as the others. | |
| 24 | καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ὡς ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τούτοις ἀνεστρέφετο δεόμενον. |
Meanwhile the crowd, as before, was engaged in prayer, | |
| 25 | οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα πρεσβύτεροι πολλαχῶς ἐπειρῶντο τὸν ἀγέρωχον αὐτοῦ νοῦν ἐξιστάνειν τῆς ἐντεθυμημένης ἐπιβουλῆς. |
while the elders near the king tried in various ways to change his arrogant mind from the plan that he had conceived. | |
| 26 | θρασυνθεὶς δὲ καὶ πάντα παραπέμψας ἤδη καὶ πρόσβασιν ἐποιεῖτο τέλος ἐπιθήσειν δοκῶν τῷ προειρημένῳ. |
But he, in his arrogance, took heed of nothing, and began now to approach, determined to bring the aforesaid plan to a conclusion. | |
| 27 | ταῦτα οὖν καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντες θεωροῦντες ἐτράπησαν εἰς τὸ σὺν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν πᾶν κράτος ἔχοντα τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐπαμῦναι μὴ παριδόντα τὴν ἄνομον καὶ ὑπερήφανον πρᾶξιν. |
When those who were around him observed this, they turned, together with our people, to call upon him who has all power to defend them in the present trouble and not to overlook this unlawful and haughty deed. | |
| 28 | ἐκ δὲ τῆς πυκνοτάτης τε καὶ ἐμπόνου τῶν ὄχλων συναγομένης κραυγῆς ἀνείκαστός τις ἦν βοή· |
The continuous, vehement, and concerted cry of the crowds resulted in an immense uproar; | |
| 29 | δοκεῖν γὰρ ἦν μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τείχη καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἔδαφος ἠχεῖν ἅτε δὴ τῶν πάντων τότε θάνατον ἀλλασσομένων ἀντὶ τῆς τοῦ τόπου βεβηλώσεως. |
for it seemed that not only the men but also the walls and the whole earth around echoed, because indeed all at that time preferred death to the profanation of the place. | |
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