The First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 1ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Α′ Α′

καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὸ πατάξαι Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Φιλίππου Μακεδόνα ὃς ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ γῆς Χεττιιμ καὶ ἐπάταξεν τὸν Δαρεῖον βασιλέα Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ πρότερον ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα

And it happened, after Alexander the Macedonian, son of Philip, who had come out from the land of Kittim and struck Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his place, having first reigned over Greece.

καὶ συνεστήσατο πολέμους πολλοὺς καὶ ἐκράτησεν ὀχυρωμάτων καὶ ἔσφαξεν βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς

And he fought many wars, gained control of fortresses, and slaughtered kings of the earth.

καὶ διῆλθεν ἕως ἄκρων τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔλαβεν σκῦλα πλήθους ἐθνῶν καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἡ γῆ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑψώθη καὶ ἐπήρθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ

And he went through to the ends of the earth and took spoils from a multitude of nations, and the earth was quiet before him, and he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up.

καὶ συνῆξεν δύναμιν ἰσχυρὰν σφόδρα καὶ ἦρξεν χωρῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ τυράννων καὶ ἐγένοντο αὐτῷ εἰς φόρον

And he gathered a very strong force and ruled over regions, nations, and princes, and they became tributary to him.

καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην καὶ ἔγνω ὅτι ἀποθνῄσκει

And after these things he fell upon his bed and knew that he was dying.

καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἐνδόξους τοὺς συνεκτρόφους αὐτοῦ ἐκ νεότητος καὶ διεῖλεν αὐτοῖς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ ἔτι αὐτοῦ ζῶντος

And he called his honored companions, those reared with him from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive.

καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀλέξανδρος ἔτη δώδεκα καὶ ἀπέθανεν

And Alexander reigned twelve years and died.

καὶ ἐπεκράτησαν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ τόπῳ αὐτοῦ

And his companions took power, each one in his own place.

καὶ ἐπέθεντο πάντες διαδήματα μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἔτη πολλὰ καὶ ἐπλήθυναν κακὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ

And they all put on diadems after he died, and their sons after them for many years, and they multiplied evils in the land.

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐξ αὐτῶν ῥίζα ἁμαρτωλὸς Ἀντίοχος Ἐπιφανὴς υἱὸς Ἀντιόχου τοῦ βασιλέως ὃς ἦν ὅμηρα ἐν Ῥώμῃ καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν ἔτει ἑκατοστῷ καὶ τριακοστῷ καὶ ἑβδόμῳ βασιλείας Ἑλλήνων

And from among them there came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been a hostage in Rome, and he reigned in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐξῆλθον ἐξ Ισραηλ υἱοὶ παράνομοι καὶ ἀνέπεισαν πολλοὺς λέγοντες πορευθῶμεν καὶ διαθώμεθα διαθήκην μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν κύκλῳ ἡμῶν ὅτι ἀφ' ἧς ἐχωρίσθημεν ἀπ' αὐτῶν εὗρεν ἡμᾶς κακὰ πολλά

In those days lawless sons came out from Israel and persuaded many, saying, 'Let us go and make a covenant with the nations around us, because from the time we separated ourselves from them many evils have found us.'

καὶ ἠγαθύνθη ὁ λόγος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν

And the proposal seemed good in their eyes.

καὶ προεθυμήθησάν τινες ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν ποιῆσαι τὰ δικαιώματα τῶν ἐθνῶν

And some from the people eagerly took the initiative and went to the king, and he gave them authority to carry out the ordinances of the nations.

καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν γυμνάσιον ἐν Ιεροσολύμοις κατὰ τὰ νόμιμα τῶν ἐθνῶν

And they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the customs of the nations.

καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς ἀκροβυστίας καὶ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ διαθήκης ἁγίας καὶ ἐζευγίσθησαν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ ἐπράθησαν τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ πονηρόν

And they made foreskins for themselves and apostatized from the holy covenant, and they yoked themselves to the nations and sold themselves to do evil.

καὶ ἡτοιμάσθη ἡ βασιλεία ἐνώπιον Ἀντιόχου καὶ ὑπέλαβεν βασιλεῦσαι γῆς Αἰγύπτου ὅπως βασιλεύσῃ ἐπὶ τὰς δύο βασιλείας

And the kingdom was made ready before Antiochus, and he undertook to rule the land of Egypt so that he might reign over the two kingdoms.

καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐν ὄχλῳ βαρεῖ ἐν ἅρμασιν καὶ ἐλέφασιν καὶ ἐν ἱππεῦσιν καὶ ἐν στόλῳ μεγάλῳ

And he entered into Egypt with a heavy host, with chariots and elephants and horsemen and with a great fleet.

καὶ συνεστήσατο πόλεμον πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐνετράπη Πτολεμαῖος ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφυγεν καὶ ἔπεσον τραυματίαι πολλοί

And he joined battle with Ptolemy king of Egypt, and Ptolemy was routed before him and fled, and many fell wounded.

καὶ κατελάβοντο τὰς πόλεις τὰς ὀχυρὰς ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἔλαβεν τὰ σκῦλα γῆς Αἰγύπτου

And they seized the fortified cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils of the land of Egypt.

καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν Ἀντίοχος μετὰ τὸ πατάξαι Αἴγυπτον ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ τρίτῳ ἔτει καὶ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς Ιεροσόλυμα ἐν ὄχλῳ βαρεῖ

And Antiochus returned, after striking Egypt, in the one hundred and forty-third year, and he went up against Israel and went up to Jerusalem with a heavy host.

καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ἁγίασμα ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ καὶ ἔλαβεν τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ χρυσοῦν καὶ τὴν λυχνίαν τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη αὐτῆς

And he entered into the sanctuary in arrogance and took the golden altar and the lampstand of the light and all its vessels.

καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν τῆς προθέσεως καὶ τὰ σπονδεῖα καὶ τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰς θυί̈σκας τὰς χρυσᾶς καὶ τὸ καταπέτασμα καὶ τοὺς στεφάνους καὶ τὸν κόσμον τὸν χρυσοῦν τὸν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ ἐλέπισεν πάντα

And the table of the presentation and the libation vessels and the bowls and the golden censers and the curtain and the crowns and the golden adornment that was on the front of the temple, and he stripped it all away.

καὶ ἔλαβεν τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον καὶ τὰ σκεύη τὰ ἐπιθυμητὰ καὶ ἔλαβεν τοὺς θησαυροὺς τοὺς ἀποκρύφους οὓς εὗρεν

And he took the silver and the gold and the desirable vessels, and he took the hidden treasures that he found.

καὶ λαβὼν πάντα ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν φονοκτονίαν καὶ ἐλάλησεν ὑπερηφανίαν μεγάλην

And taking everything, he departed into his own land, and he committed bloodshed and spoke great arrogance.

καὶ ἐγένετο πένθος μέγα ἐπὶ Ισραηλ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ αὐτῶν

And there came to be great mourning upon Israel in every place of theirs.

καὶ ἐστέναξαν ἄρχοντες καὶ πρεσβύτεροι παρθένοι καὶ νεανίσκοι ἠσθένησαν καὶ τὸ κάλλος τῶν γυναικῶν ἠλλοιώθη

And rulers and elders groaned; virgins and young men grew faint, and the beauty of the women was altered.

πᾶς νυμφίος ἀνέλαβεν θρῆνον καὶ καθημένη ἐν παστῷ ἐπένθει

Every bridegroom took up lamentation, and the woman seated in the bridal chamber was mourning.

καὶ ἐσείσθη ἡ γῆ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτήν καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκος Ιακωβ ἐνεδύσατο αἰσχύνην

And the land was shaken over those dwelling in it, and the whole house of Jacob clothed itself with shame.

μετὰ δύο ἔτη ἡμερῶν ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἄρχοντα φορολογίας εἰς τὰς πόλεις Ιουδα καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ ἐν ὄχλῳ βαρεῖ

After two years of days, the king sent a chief collector of tribute into the cities of Judah, and he came to Jerusalem with a heavy host.

καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λόγους εἰρηνικοὺς ἐν δόλῳ καὶ ἐνεπίστευσαν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐξάπινα καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὴν πληγὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἀπώλεσεν λαὸν πολὺν ἐξ Ισραηλ

And he spoke peaceable words to them in deceit, and they trusted him, and he fell upon the city suddenly and struck it with a great blow and destroyed many people from Israel.

καὶ ἔλαβεν τὰ σκῦλα τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐνέπρησεν αὐτὴν πυρὶ καὶ καθεῖλεν τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ τείχη κύκλῳ

And he took the spoils of the city and burned it with fire and tore down its houses and its walls all around.

καὶ ᾐχμαλώτισαν τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὰ κτήνη ἐκληρονόμησαν

And they took the women captive and the children, and they seized the livestock as spoil.

καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν τὴν πόλιν Δαυιδ τείχει μεγάλῳ καὶ ὀχυρῷ πύργοις ὀχυροῖς καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς εἰς ἄκραν

And they built the city of David with a great and strong wall, with strong towers, and it became for them a citadel.

καὶ ἔθηκαν ἐκεῖ ἔθνος ἁμαρτωλόν ἄνδρας παρανόμους καὶ ἐνίσχυσαν ἐν αὐτῇ

And they stationed there a sinful nation, lawless men, and they grew strong in it.

καὶ παρέθεντο ὅπλα καὶ τροφὴν καὶ συναγαγόντες τὰ σκῦλα Ιερουσαλημ ἀπέθεντο ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐγένοντο εἰς μεγάλην παγίδα

And they stored up weapons and provisions, and gathering the spoils of Jerusalem they deposited them there, and they became a great snare.

καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς ἔνεδρον τῷ ἁγιάσματι καὶ εἰς διάβολον πονηρὸν τῷ Ισραηλ διὰ παντός

And it became an ambush against the sanctuary and an evil adversary against Israel continually.

καὶ ἐξέχεαν αἷμα ἀθῷον κύκλῳ τοῦ ἁγιάσματος καὶ ἐμόλυναν τὸ ἁγίασμα

And they poured out innocent blood around the sanctuary and defiled the sanctuary.

καὶ ἔφυγον οἱ κάτοικοι Ιερουσαλημ δι' αὐτούς καὶ ἐγένετο κατοικία ἀλλοτρίων καὶ ἐγένετο ἀλλοτρία τοῖς γενήμασιν αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἐγκατέλιπον αὐτήν

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them, and she became a dwelling of foreigners, and she became foreign to her own offspring, and her children abandoned her.

τὸ ἁγίασμα αὐτῆς ἠρημώθη ὡς ἔρημος αἱ ἑορταὶ αὐτῆς ἐστράφησαν εἰς πένθος τὰ σάββατα αὐτῆς εἰς ὀνειδισμόν ἡ τιμὴ αὐτῆς εἰς ἐξουδένωσιν

Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her Sabbaths into reproach, her honor into contempt.

κατὰ τὴν δόξαν αὐτῆς ἐπληθύνθη ἡ ἀτιμία αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτῆς ἐστράφη εἰς πένθος

According to her glory, her dishonor was multiplied, and her exaltation was turned into mourning.

καὶ ἔγραψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πάσῃ τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ εἶναι πάντας εἰς λαὸν ἕνα

And the king wrote to all his kingdom that all should be one people,

καὶ ἐγκαταλιπεῖν ἕκαστον τὰ νόμιμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπεδέξαντο πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως

and that each should abandon his own ordinances. And all the nations accepted the word of the king.

καὶ πολλοὶ ἀπὸ Ισραηλ εὐδόκησαν τῇ λατρείᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔθυσαν τοῖς εἰδώλοις καὶ ἐβεβήλωσαν τὸ σάββατον

And many from Israel approved his worship and sacrificed to the idols and profaned the sabbath.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς βιβλία ἐν χειρὶ ἀγγέλων εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ τὰς πόλεις Ιουδα πορευθῆναι ὀπίσω νομίμων ἀλλοτρίων τῆς γῆς

And the king sent letters by the hand of messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, that they should follow customs foreign to the land,

καὶ κωλῦσαι ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίαν καὶ σπονδὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἁγιάσματος καὶ βεβηλῶσαι σάββατα καὶ ἑορτὰς

and to prevent whole burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offering from the sanctuary, and to profane sabbaths and feasts,

καὶ μιᾶναι ἁγίασμα καὶ ἁγίους

and to defile sanctuary and holy ones,

οἰκοδομῆσαι βωμοὺς καὶ τεμένη καὶ εἰδώλια καὶ θύειν ὕεια καὶ κτήνη κοινὰ

to build altars and sacred precincts and idols, and to sacrifice swine and unclean animals,

καὶ ἀφιέναι τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἀπεριτμήτους βδελύξαι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ἐν παντὶ ἀκαθάρτῳ καὶ βεβηλώσει

and to leave their sons uncircumcised, to make their souls abominable with every uncleanness and profanation,

ὥστε ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ νόμου καὶ ἀλλάξαι πάντα τὰ δικαιώματα

so that they should forget the law and alter all the ordinances.

καὶ ὃς ἂν μὴ ποιήσῃ κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποθανεῖται

And whoever does not act according to the word of the king shall die.

κατὰ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἔγραψεν πάσῃ τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐπισκόπους ἐπὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν καὶ ἐνετείλατο ταῖς πόλεσιν Ιουδα θυσιάζειν κατὰ πόλιν καὶ πόλιν

According to all these words he wrote to all his kingdom, and he appointed overseers over all the people and commanded the cities of Judah to sacrifice, city by city.

καὶ συνηθροίσθησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ πολλοὶ πρὸς αὐτούς πᾶς ὁ ἐγκαταλείπων τὸν νόμον καὶ ἐποίησαν κακὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ

And many from the people gathered themselves to them, everyone who was abandoning the law, and they did evil in the land.

καὶ ἔθεντο τὸν Ισραηλ ἐν κρύφοις ἐν παντὶ φυγαδευτηρίῳ αὐτῶν

And they drove Israel into hiding, into every refuge of their flight.

καὶ τῇ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ Χασελευ τῷ πέμπτῳ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ ἑκατοστῷ ἔτει ᾠκοδόμησεν βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐν πόλεσιν Ιουδα κύκλῳ ᾠκοδόμησαν βωμούς

And on the fifteenth day of Chasleu, in the one hundred forty-fifth year, they built an abomination of desolation upon the altar, and in the cities of Judah all around they built altars.

καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θυρῶν τῶν οἰκιῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ἐθυμίων

And upon the doors of the houses and in the streets they were burning incense.

καὶ τὰ βιβλία τοῦ νόμου ἃ εὗρον ἐνεπύρισαν ἐν πυρὶ κατασχίσαντες

And the books of the law that they found they tore up and burned with fire.

καὶ ὅπου εὑρίσκετο παρά τινι βιβλίον διαθήκης καὶ εἴ τις συνευδόκει τῷ νόμῳ τὸ σύγκριμα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐθανάτου αὐτόν

And wherever a book of the covenant was found with anyone, and if anyone consented to the law, the decree of the king put him to death.

ἐν ἰσχύι αὐτῶν ἐποίουν τῷ Ισραηλ τοῖς εὑρισκομένοις ἐν παντὶ μηνὶ καὶ μηνὶ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν

By their might they dealt with Israel, with those who were found month by month in the cities.

καὶ τῇ πέμπτῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ μηνὸς θυσιάζοντες ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν ὃς ἦν ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου

And on the twenty-fifth day of the month they were sacrificing upon the altar that was upon the altar of burnt offering.

καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας τὰς περιτετμηκυίας τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐθανάτωσαν κατὰ τὸ πρόσταγμα

And the women who had circumcised their children they put to death according to the decree.

καὶ ἐκρέμασαν τὰ βρέφη ἐκ τῶν τραχήλων αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς περιτετμηκότας αὐτούς

And they hung the infants from their necks, and their houses, and those who had circumcised them.

καὶ πολλοὶ ἐν Ισραηλ ἐκραταιώθησαν καὶ ὠχυρώθησαν ἐν αὑτοῖς τοῦ μὴ φαγεῖν κοινὰ

And many in Israel were strengthened and were made firm in themselves not to eat unclean things.

καὶ ἐπεδέξαντο ἀποθανεῖν ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν τοῖς βρώμασιν καὶ μὴ βεβηλώσωσιν διαθήκην ἁγίαν καὶ ἀπέθανον

And they chose to die so that they might not be defiled by the foods and might not profane the holy covenant, and they died.

καὶ ἐγένετο ὀργὴ μεγάλη ἐπὶ Ισραηλ σφόδρα

And there came great wrath upon Israel exceedingly.