The First Book of Esdras, Chapter 4ΕΣΔΡΑΣ Α′ Δ′

καὶ ἤρξατο ὁ δεύτερος λαλεῖν ὁ εἴπας περὶ τῆς ἰσχύος τοῦ βασιλέως

And the second, the one who had spoken about the strength of the king, began to speak.

ὦ ἄνδρες οὐχ ὑπερισχύουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν κατακρατοῦντες καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς

"Men, do not human beings prove strong, they who hold sway over the earth and the sea and everything in them?

ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὑπερισχύει καὶ κυριεύει αὐτῶν καὶ δεσπόζει αὐτῶν καὶ πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν εἴπῃ αὐτοῖς ἐνακούουσιν

Yet the king proves stronger, and rules over them and masters them, and whatever he says to them, they obey.

ἐὰν εἴπῃ αὐτοῖς ποιῆσαι πόλεμον ἕτερος πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον ποιοῦσιν ἐὰν δὲ ἐξαποστείλῃ αὐτοὺς πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους βαδίζουσιν καὶ κατεργάζονται τὰ ὄρη καὶ τὰ τείχη καὶ τοὺς πύργους

If he tells them to make war, they do it one against another; if he sends them out against enemies, they go and tear down mountains and walls and towers.

φονεύουσιν καὶ φονεύονται καὶ τὸν λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐ παραβαίνουσιν ἐὰν δὲ νικήσωσιν τῷ βασιλεῖ κομίζουσιν πάντα καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν προνομεύσωσιν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα

They kill and are killed, and they do not transgress the king's word; and if they win, they bring everything back to the king, whatever spoil they take, and all the rest as well.

καὶ ὅσοι οὐ στρατεύονται οὐδὲ πολεμοῦσιν ἀλλὰ γεωργοῦσιν τὴν γῆν πάλιν ὅταν σπείρωσι θερίσαντες ἀναφέρουσιν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἕτερος τὸν ἕτερον ἀναγκάζοντες ἀναφέρουσι τοὺς φόρους τῷ βασιλεῖ

And those who do not serve in war or fight, but farm the land, whenever they sow, after reaping they bring it to the king, and by constraining one another they bring the tribute to the king.

καὶ αὐτὸς εἷς μόνος ἐστίν ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἀποκτεῖναι ἀποκτέννουσιν εἶπεν ἀφεῖναι ἀφίουσιν

And he alone is one man: if he says to kill, they kill; if he says to spare, they spare.

εἶπε πατάξαι τύπτουσιν εἶπεν ἐρημῶσαι ἐρημοῦσιν εἶπεν οἰκοδομῆσαι οἰκοδομοῦσιν

If he says to strike, they strike; if he says to lay waste, they lay waste; if he says to build, they build.

εἶπεν ἐκκόψαι ἐκκόπτουσιν εἶπεν φυτεῦσαι φυτεύουσιν

If he says to cut down, they cut down; if he says to plant, they plant.

καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ ἐνακούουσιν

And all his people and his forces obey him.

πρὸς δὲ τούτοις αὐτὸς ἀνάκειται ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει καὶ καθεύδει αὐτοὶ δὲ τηροῦσιν κύκλῳ περὶ αὐτὸν καὶ οὐ δύνανται ἕκαστος ἀπελθεῖν καὶ ποιεῖν τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ παρακούουσιν αὐτοῦ

Besides all this, he himself reclines, eats and drinks and sleeps, while they keep watch in a circle around him and cannot each go away and do his own work, nor do they disobey him.

ὦ ἄνδρες πῶς οὐχ ὑπερισχύει ὁ βασιλεύς ὅτι οὕτως ἐπακουστός ἐστιν καὶ ἐσίγησεν

Men, how does not the king prove strongest, since he is obeyed in this way?" And he fell silent.

ὁ δὲ τρίτος ὁ εἴπας περὶ τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας οὗτός ἐστιν Ζοροβαβελ ἤρξατο λαλεῖν

But the third, the one who had spoken about women and truth, this man was Zerubbabel, began to speak.

ἄνδρες οὐ μέγας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πολλοὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ ὁ οἶνος ἰσχύει τίς οὖν ὁ δεσπόζων αὐτῶν ἢ τίς ὁ κυριεύων αὐτῶν οὐχ αἱ γυναῖκες

"Men, is not the king great, and many human beings, and wine strong? Who then is the one who masters them, or who rules over them? Is it not women?

αἱ γυναῖκες ἐγέννησαν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ πάντα τὸν λαόν ὃς κυριεύει τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τῆς γῆς

Women gave birth to the king and to all the people who rule over sea and land.

καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐγένοντο καὶ αὗται ἐξέθρεψαν αὐτοὺς τοὺς φυτεύοντας τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας ἐξ ὧν ὁ οἶνος γίνεται

And from them men came to be, and these women reared those who plant the vineyards from which wine comes.

καὶ αὗται ποιοῦσιν τὰς στολὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ αὗται ποιοῦσιν δόξαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ οὐ δύνανται οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι χωρὶς τῶν γυναικῶν

And these make the garments of men, and these bring honor to men, and men cannot exist apart from women.

ἐὰν δὲ συναγάγωσιν χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον καὶ πᾶν πρᾶγμα ὡραῖον καὶ ἴδωσιν γυναῖκα μίαν καλὴν τῷ εἴδει καὶ τῷ κάλλει

Even if they gather gold and silver and every beautiful thing, when they see one woman lovely in appearance and beauty,

καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἀφέντες εἰς αὐτὴν ἐγκέχηναν καὶ χάσκοντες τὸ στόμα θεωροῦσιν αὐτήν καὶ πάντες αὐτὴν αἱρετίζουσιν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ χρυσίον καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ πᾶν πρᾶγμα ὡραῖον

they let all these things go and gape at her, staring with open mouth upon her, and all choose her rather than gold and silver and every beautiful thing.

ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα ἐγκαταλείπει ὃς ἐξέθρεψεν αὐτόν καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν γυναῖκα κολλᾶται

A man leaves his own father, who reared him, and his own country, and clings to his own wife.

καὶ μετὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀφίησι τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ οὔτε τὸν πατέρα μέμνηται οὔτε τὴν μητέρα οὔτε τὴν χώραν

And with his wife he gives up his very life, and remembers neither father nor mother nor country.

καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δεῖ ὑμᾶς γνῶναι ὅτι αἱ γυναῖκες κυριεύουσιν ὑμῶν οὐχὶ πονεῖτε καὶ μοχθεῖτε καὶ πάντα ταῖς γυναιξὶν δίδοτε καὶ φέρετε

From this you must know that women rule over you. Do you not labor and toil and give and bring everything to women?

καὶ λαμβάνει ἄνθρωπος τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκπορεύεται ἐξοδεύειν καὶ λῃστεύειν καὶ κλέπτειν καὶ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν πλεῖν καὶ ποταμούς

A man takes his sword and goes out to travel and rob and steal and sail the sea and rivers.

καὶ τὸν λέοντα θεωρεῖ καὶ ἐν σκότει βαδίζει καὶ ὅταν κλέψῃ καὶ ἁρπάσῃ καὶ λωποδυτήσῃ τῇ ἐρωμένῃ ἀποφέρει

He looks upon the lion and walks in the dark, and when he has stolen and snatched and robbed, he carries it off to his beloved.

καὶ πλεῖον ἀγαπᾷ ἄνθρωπος τὴν ἰδίαν γυναῖκα μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα

And a man loves his own wife more than father and mother.

καὶ πολλοὶ ἀπενοήθησαν ταῖς ἰδίαις διανοίαις διὰ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ δοῦλοι ἐγένοντο δι' αὐτάς

And many have lost their senses because of women and have become slaves on account of them.

καὶ πολλοὶ ἀπώλοντο καὶ ἐσφάλησαν καὶ ἡμάρτοσαν διὰ τὰς γυναῖκας

And many have perished and stumbled and sinned because of women.

καὶ νῦν οὐ πιστεύετέ μοι οὐχὶ μέγας ὁ βασιλεὺς τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ οὐχὶ πᾶσαι αἱ χῶραι εὐλαβοῦνται ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ

And now, do you not believe me? Is not the king great in his authority? Do not all lands fear to touch him?

ἐθεώρουν αὐτὸν καὶ Ἀπάμην τὴν θυγατέρα Βαρτάκου τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ τὴν παλλακὴν τοῦ βασιλέως καθημένην ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ βασιλέως

Yet I saw him and Apame, the daughter of the illustrious Bartacus, the king's concubine, sitting at the king's right hand.

καὶ ἀφαιροῦσαν τὸ διάδημα ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐπιτιθοῦσαν ἑαυτῇ καὶ ἐρράπιζεν τὸν βασιλέα τῇ ἀριστερᾷ

And she was taking the diadem from the king's head and putting it on herself, and with her left hand she kept striking the king.

καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὁ βασιλεὺς χάσκων τὸ στόμα ἐθεώρει αὐτήν καὶ ἐὰν προσγελάσῃ αὐτῷ γελᾷ ἐὰν δὲ πικρανθῇ ἐπ' αὐτόν κολακεύει αὐτήν ὅπως διαλλαγῇ αὐτῷ

And besides this, the king stared at her with open mouth; and if she smiled at him, he laughed; but if she was offended with him, he flattered her so that she might be reconciled to him.

ὦ ἄνδρες πῶς οὐχὶ ἰσχυραὶ αἱ γυναῖκες ὅτι οὕτως πράσσουσιν

Men, how are women not strong, since they act in this way?"

καὶ τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες ἐνέβλεπον ἕτερος πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον

Then the king and the magnates looked at one another.

καὶ ἤρξατο λαλεῖν περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἄνδρες οὐχὶ ἰσχυραὶ αἱ γυναῖκες μεγάλη ἡ γῆ καὶ ὑψηλὸς ὁ οὐρανός καὶ ταχὺς τῷ δρόμῳ ὁ ἥλιος ὅτι στρέφεται ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ πάλιν ἀποτρέχει εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ

And he began to speak about truth: "Men, are not women strong? Great is the earth, and high the heaven, and swift in its course is the sun, because it turns in the circuit of the heaven and runs back again to its own place in one day.

οὐχὶ μέγας ὃς ταῦτα ποιεῖ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια μεγάλη καὶ ἰσχυροτέρα παρὰ πάντα

Is not he who does these things great? Yet truth is great and stronger than all things.

πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τὴν ἀλήθειαν καλεῖ καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς αὐτὴν εὐλογεῖ καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα σείεται καὶ τρέμει καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν μετ' αὐτοῦ ἄδικον οὐθέν

All the earth calls upon truth, and heaven blesses it, and all works shake and tremble, and with it there is nothing unjust.

ἄδικος ὁ οἶνος ἄδικος ὁ βασιλεύς ἄδικοι αἱ γυναῖκες ἄδικοι πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἄδικα πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀλήθεια καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ αὐτῶν ἀπολοῦνται

Unjust is wine, unjust is the king, unjust are women, unjust are all the children of men, and unjust are all their works, all such things; and there is no truth in them, and in their injustice they will perish.

ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια μένει καὶ ἰσχύει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ζῇ καὶ κρατεῖ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος

But truth remains and grows strong forever, and lives and prevails forever and ever.

καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν παρ' αὐτῇ λαμβάνειν πρόσωπα οὐδὲ διάφορα ἀλλὰ τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀδίκων καὶ πονηρῶν καὶ πάντες εὐδοκοῦσι τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτῆς καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ κρίσει αὐτῆς οὐθὲν ἄδικον

And with it there is no showing of partiality or distinction, but it does what is just apart from all things unjust and wicked, and all approve its works; and in its judgment there is nothing unjust.

καὶ αὐτῇ ἡ ἰσχὺς καὶ τὸ βασίλειον καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία καὶ ἡ μεγαλειότης τῶν πάντων αἰώνων εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἀληθείας

And to it belong strength and kingship and authority and majesty through all the ages. Blessed be the God of truth!"

καὶ ἐσιώπησεν τοῦ λαλεῖν καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τότε ἐφώνησεν καὶ τότε εἶπον μεγάλη ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ὑπερισχύει

And he ceased speaking, and all the people then cried out and said, "Great is truth, and it proves strongest!"

τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν αὐτῷ αἴτησαι ὃ θέλεις πλείω τῶν γεγραμμένων καὶ δώσομέν σοι ὃν τρόπον εὑρέθης σοφώτερος καὶ ἐχόμενός μου καθήσῃ καὶ συγγενής μου κληθήσῃ

Then the king said to him, "Ask whatever you wish beyond what has been written, and we will give it to you, because you were found wiser; and you shall sit next to me and shall be called my kinsman."

τότε εἶπεν τῷ βασιλεῖ μνήσθητι τὴν εὐχήν ἣν ηὔξω οἰκοδομῆσαι τὴν Ιερουσαλημ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ τὸ βασίλειόν σου παρέλαβες

Then he said to the king, "Remember the vow that you made to rebuild Jerusalem on the day when you received your kingdom,

καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη τὰ λημφθέντα ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ ἐκπέμψαι ἃ ἐξεχώρισεν Κῦρος ὅτε ηὔξατο ἐκκόψαι Βαβυλῶνα καὶ ηὔξατο ἐξαποστεῖλαι ἐκεῖ

and to send back all the vessels taken from Jerusalem, which Cyrus set apart when he vowed to cut off Babylon and vowed to send them there.

καὶ σὺ εὔξω οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸν ναόν ὃν ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ Ιδουμαῖοι ὅτε ἠρημώθη ἡ Ιουδαία ὑπὸ τῶν Χαλδαίων

And you also vowed to build the temple that the Idumeans burned when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans.

καὶ νῦν τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅ σε ἀξιῶ κύριε βασιλεῦ καὶ ὃ αἰτοῦμαί σε καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μεγαλωσύνη ἡ παρὰ σοῦ δέομαι οὖν ἵνα ποιήσῃς τὴν εὐχήν ἣν ηὔξω τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐκ στόματός σου

And now this is what I ask from you, lord king, and this is what I petition from you; this is the greatness that comes from you. I ask, therefore, that you fulfill the vow that you vowed to the King of heaven to perform from your own mouth."

τότε ἀναστὰς Δαρεῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς κατεφίλησεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἔγραψεν αὐτῷ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς πρὸς πάντας τοὺς οἰκονόμους καὶ τοπάρχας καὶ στρατηγοὺς καὶ σατράπας ἵνα προπέμψωσιν αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ πάντας ἀναβαίνοντας οἰκοδομῆσαι τὴν Ιερουσαλημ

Then Darius the king rose and kissed him, and wrote letters for him to all the stewards and district rulers and generals and satraps, that they should escort him and all those going up with him to build Jerusalem.

καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς τοπάρχαις ἐν Κοίλῃ Συρίᾳ καὶ Φοινίκῃ καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ ἔγραψεν ἐπιστολὰς μεταφέρειν ξύλα κέδρινα ἀπὸ τοῦ Λιβάνου εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ὅπως οἰκοδομήσωσιν μετ' αὐτοῦ τὴν πόλιν

And he wrote letters to all the district rulers in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, and to those in Lebanon, to carry cedar timber from Lebanon to Jerusalem, and that they should build the city with him.

καὶ ἔγραψεν πᾶσι τοῖς Ιουδαίοις τοῖς ἀναβαίνουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας εἰς τὴν Ιουδαίαν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐλευθερίας πάντα δυνατὸν καὶ σατράπην καὶ τοπάρχην καὶ οἰκονόμον μὴ ἐπελεύσεσθαι ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας αὐτῶν

And he wrote concerning all the Jews going up from the kingdom to Judea, for their freedom: that every official, satrap, district ruler, and steward should not come against their doors,

καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν χώραν ἣν κρατήσουσιν ἀφορολόγητον αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν καὶ ἵνα οἱ Ιδουμαῖοι ἀφιῶσι τὰς κώμας ἃς διακρατοῦσιν τῶν Ιουδαίων

and that all the territory they occupy should be tax-free for them, and that the Idumeans should release the villages of the Jews that they are holding.

καὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ δοθῆναι κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν τάλαντα εἴκοσι μέχρι τοῦ οἰκοδομηθῆναι

And for the building of the temple twenty talents a year should be given until it is built,

καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ὁλοκαυτώματα καρποῦσθαι καθ' ἡμέραν καθὰ ἔχουσιν ἐντολὴν ἑπτακαίδεκα προσφέρειν ἄλλα τάλαντα δέκα κατ' ἐνιαυτόν

and for the altar whole burnt offerings should be regularly supplied each day, according to the command that they have to offer seventeen; and ten other talents a year,

καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς προσβαίνουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας κτίσαι τὴν πόλιν ὑπάρχειν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῶν καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῖς προσβαίνουσιν

and that all who come up from Babylonia to build the city should have freedom, both they and their children and all the priests who come up.

ἔγραψεν δὲ καὶ τὴν χορηγίαν καὶ τὴν ἱερατικὴν στολήν ἐν τίνι λατρεύουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ

He also wrote about the provision and the priestly garment in which they serve there,

καὶ τοῖς Λευίταις ἔγραψεν δοῦναι τὴν χορηγίαν ἕως ἧς ἡμέρας ἐπιτελεσθῇ ὁ οἶκος καὶ Ιερουσαλημ οἰκοδομηθῆναι

and to the Levites he wrote that the provision should be given until the day the house is completed and Jerusalem is built,

καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς φρουροῦσι τὴν πόλιν ἔγραψε δοῦναι αὐτοῖς κλήρους καὶ ὀψώνια

and to all who guard the city he wrote to give them allotments and rations.

καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν πάντα τὰ σκεύη ἃ ἐξεχώρισεν Κῦρος ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος καὶ πάντα ὅσα εἶπεν Κῦρος ποιῆσαι καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπέταξεν ποιῆσαι καὶ ἐξαποστεῖλαι εἰς Ιερουσαλημ

And he sent away all the vessels that Cyrus had set apart from Babylon, and everything that Cyrus had ordered to be done he too commanded to be done and sent to Jerusalem.

καὶ ὅτε ἐξῆλθεν ὁ νεανίσκος ἄρας τὸ πρόσωπον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐναντίον Ιερουσαλημ εὐλόγησεν τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λέγων

And when the young man went out, he lifted his face to heaven toward Jerusalem and blessed the King of heaven, saying,

παρὰ σοῦ ἡ νίκη καὶ παρὰ σοῦ ἡ σοφία καὶ σὴ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἐγὼ σὸς οἰκέτης

"From you come victory, and from you wisdom, and yours is the glory, and I am your servant.