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2 Maccabees 13

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1 τῷ δὲ ἐνάτῳ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ ἑκατοστῷ ἔτει προσέπεσεν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν Ἀντίοχον τὸν Εὐπάτορα παραγενέσθαι σὺν πλήθεσιν ἐπὶ τὴν Ιουδαίαν 2 καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Λυσίαν τὸν ἐπίτροπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἕκαστον ἔχοντα δύναμιν Ἑλληνικὴν πεζῶν μυριάδας ἕνδεκα καὶ ἱππέων πεντακισχιλίους τριακοσίους καὶ ἐλέφαντας εἴκοσι δύο ἅρματα δὲ δρεπανηφόρα τριακόσια 3 συνέμειξεν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Μενέλαος καὶ παρεκάλει μετὰ πολλῆς εἰρωνείας τὸν Ἀντίοχον οὐκ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς πατρίδος οἰόμενος δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς κατασταθήσεσθαι 4 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλέων ἐξήγειρεν τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ Ἀντιόχου ἐπὶ τὸν ἀλιτήριον καὶ Λυσίου ὑποδείξαντος τοῦτον αἴτιον εἶναι πάντων τῶν κακῶν προσέταξεν ὡς ἔθος ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ προσαπολέσαι ἀγαγόντας εἰς Βέροιαν 5 ἔστιν δὲ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ πύργος πεντήκοντα πήχεων πλήρης σποδοῦ οὗτος δὲ ὄργανον εἶχεν περιφερὲς πάντοθεν ἀπόκρημνον εἰς τὴν σποδόν 6 ἐνταῦθα τὸν ἱεροσυλίας ἔνοχον ἢ καί τινων ἄλλων κακῶν ὑπεροχὴν πεποιημένον ἅπαντες προσωθοῦσιν εἰς ὄλεθρον 7 τοιούτῳ μόρῳ τὸν παράνομον συνέβη θανεῖν μηδὲ τῆς γῆς τυχόντα Μενέλαον 8 πάνυ δικαίως ἐπεὶ γὰρ συνετελέσατο πολλὰ περὶ τὸν βωμὸν ἁμαρτήματα οὗ τὸ πῦρ ἁγνὸν ἦν καὶ ἡ σποδός ἐν σποδῷ τὸν θάνατον ἐκομίσατο

1 It was in the hundred and forty-ninth year news came to Judas that Antiochus Eupator was marching on Judaea in great force. 2 Lysias was at his side, that was lord protector and managed the affairs of the realm, and with him were a hundred and ten thousand foot, five thousand horse, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred scythed chariots. 3 Menelaus, too, must be of their company, and ever it was treacherous advice he gave to Antiochus; not that he cared for his country’s safety, but he had designs upon the high priesthood still. 4 And hereupon the King of all kings brought this guilty wretch into ill favour with his master Antiochus, who (upon Lysias’ averring, here was the true source of all their misadventures) would have him apprehended and put to death according to the custom of the place where they were quartered. 5 There is here a tower fifty cubits in height, rising sheer above a heap of ashes that surrounds it; 6 from its walls the author of sacrilege is thrust forward to his death by the common impulse of the bystanders. 7 This, then, was the doom of Menelaus; by this law the law-breaker met his end, and lay there unburied. 8 A fitting reward, this, for one that had done so many outrages upon God’s altar; fire of it and ashes of it are sacred, and it was by ashes Menelaus went to his death.

1 Anno centesimo quadragesimo nono, cognovit Judas Antiochum Eupatorem venire cum multitudine adversus Judæam, 2 et cum eo Lysiam procuratorem et præpositum negotiorum, secum habentem peditum centum decem millia, et equitum quinque millia, et elephantos viginti duos, currus cum falcibus trecentos. 3 Commiscuit autem se illis et Menelaus: et cum multa fallacia deprecabatur Antiochum, non pro patriæ salute, sed sperans se constitui in principatum. 4 Sed Rex regum suscitavit animos Antiochi in peccatorem: et suggerente Lysia hunc esse causam omnium malorum, jussit (ut eis est consuetudo) apprehensum in eodem loco necari. 5 Erat autem in eodem loco turris quinquaginta cubitorum, aggestum undique habens cineris: hæc prospectum habebat in præceps. 6 Inde in cinerem dejici jussit sacrilegum, omnibus eum propellentibus ad interitum. 7 Et tali lege prævaricatorem legis contigit mori, nec terræ dari Menelaum. 8 Et quidem satis juste: nam quia multa erga aram Dei delicta commisit, cujus ignis et cinis erat sanctus: ipse in cineris morte damnatus est.

9 τοῖς δὲ φρονήμασιν ὁ βασιλεὺς βεβαρβαρωμένος ἤρχετο τὰ χείριστα τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ γεγονότων ἐνδειξόμενος τοῖς Ιουδαίοις 10 μεταλαβὼν δὲ Ιουδας ταῦτα παρήγγειλεν τῷ πλήθει δ{I'} ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν κύριον εἴ ποτε καὶ ἄλλοτε καὶ νῦν ἐπιβοηθεῖν τοῖς τοῦ νόμου καὶ πατρίδος καὶ ἱεροῦ ἁγίου στερεῖσθαι μέλλουσιν 11 καὶ τὸν ἄρτι βραχέως ἀνεψυχότα λαὸν μὴ ἐᾶσαι τοῖς δυσφήμοις ἔθνεσιν ὑποχειρίους γενέσθαι 12 πάντων δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιησάντων ὁμοῦ καὶ καταξιωσάντων τὸν ἐλεήμονα κύριον μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ νηστειῶν καὶ προπτώσεως ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τρεῖς ἀδιαλείπτως παρακαλέσας αὐτοὺς ὁ Ιουδας ἐκέλευσεν παραγίνεσθαι 13 κα{Q'} ἑαυτὸν δὲ σὺν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις γενόμενος ἐβουλεύσατο πρὶν εἰσβαλεῖν τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ στράτευμα εἰς τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ γενέσθαι τῆς πόλεως ἐγκρατεῖς ἐξελθόντας κρῖναι τὰ πράγματα τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ βοηθείᾳ 14 δοὺς δὲ τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν τῷ κτίστῃ τοῦ κόσμου παρακαλέσας τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ γενναίως ἀγωνίσασθαι μέχρι θανάτου περὶ νόμων ἱεροῦ πόλεως πατρίδος πολιτείας περὶ δὲ Μωδεϊν ἐποιήσατο τὴν στρατοπεδείαν 15 ἀναδοὺς δὲ τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν σύνθημα θεοῦ νίκην μετὰ νεανίσκων ἀρίστων κεκριμένων ἐπιβαλὼν νύκτωρ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν αὐλὴν τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀνεῖλεν εἰς ἄνδρας δισχιλίους καὶ τὸν πρωτεύοντα τῶν ἐλεφάντων σὺν τῷ κα{T'} οἰκίαν ὄντι συνεκέντησεν 16 καὶ τὸ τέλος τὴν παρεμβολὴν δέους καὶ ταραχῆς ἐπλήρωσαν καὶ ἐξέλυσαν εὐημεροῦντες

9 Yet still the king pressed forward on his mad career, as if he would prove himself a worse enemy of Jewry than his father; 10 and Judas, when the news came to him, bade the people entreat God night and day he would come to their rescue, as ever he was wont hitherto. 11 Here was great peril, they should be deprived at one blow of law, of country, and of sanctuary; would he allow blaspheming Gentiles to lord it again over his people, that had but now won a little breathing-space? 12 Entreat the Lord they did, and with one accord, for his mercy; wept they and fasted, and kept on their knees for three days together. Then Judas gave them the word to arm, 13 and himself called the elders to a council; his plan was, he told them, to march out and engage the king before he could reach Judaea and overpower the city, and the issue of it he would leave to the Lord’s good pleasure. 14 So, committing all to God, the world’s creator, and bidding his men fight bravely, even to the death, for law, temple, city, country and kinsmen, he pitched his camp at Modin. 15 The watchword he gave them was, Victory lies with God; and now, choosing out the best of his fighting men, he made a night attack upon the royal quarters. Four thousand men they slew in the camp, and the greatest of all the elephants, with the crew that rode him, 16 and so went back in triumph, leaving the camp all confusion and dismay.

9 Sed rex mente effrenatus veniebat, nequiorem se patre suo Judæis ostensurus. 10 Quibus Judas cognitis, præcepit populo ut die ac nocte Dominum invocarent, quo, sicut semper, et nunc adjuvaret eos, 11 quippe qui lege, et patria, sanctoque templo privari vererentur: ac populum, qui nuper paululum respirasset, ne sineret blasphemis rursus nationibus subdi. 12 Omnibus itaque simul id facientibus, et petentibus a Domino misericordiam cum fletu et jejuniis, per triduum continuum prostratis, hortatus est eos Judas ut se præpararent. 13 Ipse vero cum senioribus cogitavit priusquam rex admoveret exercitum ad Judæam et obtineret civitatem, exire, et Domini judicio committere exitum rei. 14 Dans itaque potestatem omnium Deo mundi creatori, et exhortatus suos ut fortiter dimicarent, et usque ad mortem pro legibus, templo, civitate, patria, et civibus starent, circa Modin exercitum constituit. 15 Et dato signo suis Dei victoriæ, juvenibus fortissimis electis nocte aggressus aulam regiam, in castris interfecit viros quatuor millia, et maximum elephantorum cum his qui superpositi fuerant: 16 summoque metu ac perturbatione hostium castra replentes, rebus prospere gestis, abierunt.

17 ὑποφαινούσης δὲ ἤδη τῆς ἡμέρας τοῦτο ἐγεγόνει διὰ τὴν ἐπαρήγουσαν αὐτῷ τοῦ κυρίου σκέπην 18 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰληφὼς γεῦμα τῆς τῶν Ιουδαίων εὐτολμίας κατεπείρασεν διὰ μεθόδων τοὺς τόπους 19 καὶ ἐπὶ Βαιθσουρα φρούριον ὀχυρὸν τῶν Ιουδαίων προσῆγεν ἐτροποῦτο προσέκρουεν ἠλαττονοῦτο 20 τοῖς δὲ ἔνδον Ιουδας τὰ δέοντα εἰσέπεμψεν 21 προσήγγειλεν δὲ τὰ μυστήρια τοῖς πολεμίοις Ροδοκος ἐκ τῆς Ιουδαϊκῆς τάξεως ἀνεζητήθη καὶ κατελήμφθη καὶ κατεκλείσθη 22 ἐδευτερολόγησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἐν Βαιθσουροις δεξιὰν ἔδωκεν ἔλαβεν ἀπῄει προσέβαλεν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν ἥττων ἐγένετο 23 μετέλαβεν ἀπονενοῆσθαι τὸν Φίλιππον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τὸν ἀπολελειμμένον ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων συνεχύθη τοὺς Ιουδαίους παρεκάλεσεν ὑπετάγη καὶ ὤμοσεν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς δικαίοις συνελύθη καὶ θυσίαν προσήγαγεν ἐτίμησεν τὸν νεὼ καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐφιλανθρώπησεν 24 καὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον ἀπεδέξατο κατέλιπεν στρατηγὸν ἀπὸ Πτολεμαίδος ἕως τῶν Γερρηνῶν ἡγεμονίδην 25 ἦλθεν εἰς Πτολεμαίδα ἐδυσφόρουν περὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν οἱ Πτολεμαεῖς ἐδείναζον γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἠθέλησαν ἀθετεῖν τὰς διαστάλσεις 26 προσῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα Λυσίας ἀπελογήσατο ἐνδεχομένως συνέπεισεν κατεπράυνεν εὐμενεῖς ἐποίησεν ἀνέζευξεν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν οὕτω τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς ἐφόδου καὶ τῆς ἀναζυγῆς ἐχώρησεν

17 After this daybreak victory, won under God’s protection, 18 the king had taste enough of Jewish valour, and set about to reduce the strongholds by policy. 19 And first he would deliver an attack upon Bethsura, a fortress of the Jews, but ever he was thrown back and repulsed with great loss, 20 so well did Judas supply the garrison with all they needed. 21 There was one Rhodocus in the Jewish army that betrayed secrets to the enemy, but, upon enquiry made, he was apprehended and put under arrest; 22 so the king was fain to parley with the defenders of Bethsura, and, upon agreed terms, the siege of it was raised. 23 Thus did he try conclusions with Judas, and had the worst of it; news came to him besides that Philip, whom he had left in charge at Antioch, was levying revolt against him. So, in great consternation of mind, he must needs throw himself on the mercy of the Jews, submitting under oath to the just terms they imposed on him. In token of this reconciliation, he offered sacrifice, paying the temple much reverence and offering gifts there; 24 as for Machabaeus, the king made a friend of him, and appointed him both governor and commander of all the territory from Ptolemais to the Gerrenes.[1] 25 When he reached Ptolemais, he found the citizens much incensed over this treaty made, and angrily averring the terms of it would never be kept; 26 until at last Lysias must go up to an open stage, and give his reasons; whereby he calmed the indignation of the people, and so returned to Antioch. Such was the king’s march upon Judaea, and such his homecoming.

17 Hoc autem factum est die illucescente, adjuvante eum Domini protectione. 18 Sed rex, accepto gustu audaciæ Judæorum, arte difficultatem locorum tentabat: 19 et Bethsuræ, quæ erat Judæorum præsidium munitum, castra admovebat: sed fugabatur, impingebat, minorabatur. 20 His autem qui intus erant, Judas necessaria mittebat. 21 Enuntiavit autem mysteria hostibus Rhodocus quidam de judaico exercitu, qui requisitus comprehensus est, et conclusus. 22 Iterum rex sermonem habuit ad eos qui erant in Bethsuris: dextram dedit, accepit, abiit: 23 commisit cum Juda, superatus est.

Ut autem cognovit rebellasse Philippum Antiochiæ, qui relictus erat super negotia, mente consternatus, Judæos deprecans, subditusque eis, jurat de omnibus quibus justum visum est: et reconciliatus obtulit sacrificium, honoravit templum, et munera posuit. 24 Machabæum amplexatus est, et fecit eum a Ptolemaide usque ad Gerrenos ducem et principem. 25 Ut autem venit Ptolemaidam, graviter ferebant Ptolemenses amicitiæ conventionem, indignantes ne forte fœdus irrumperent. 26 Tunc ascendit Lysias tribunal, et exposuit rationem, et populum sedavit, regressusque est Antiochiam: et hoc modo regis profectio et reditus processit.

[1] The Greek text here seems to include a proper name, so that the sense would be ‘and appointed Hegemonides commander of all the territory from Ptolemais to the Gerrenes’. Nothing is known about Hegemonides.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd