The First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 12ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Α′ ΙΒ′

καὶ εἶδεν Ιωναθαν ὅτι ὁ καιρὸς αὐτῷ συνεργεῖ καὶ ἐπελέξατο ἄνδρας καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς Ῥώμην στῆσαι καὶ ἀνανεώσασθαι τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς φιλίαν

And Jonathan saw that the time was favorable to him, and he selected men and sent them to Rome to establish and renew the friendship with them.

καὶ πρὸς Σπαρτιάτας καὶ τόπους ἑτέρους ἀπέστειλεν ἐπιστολὰς κατὰ τὰ αὐτά

And to the Spartans and to other places he sent letters to the same effect.

καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς Ῥώμην καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ βουλευτήριον καὶ εἶπον Ιωναθαν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ τὸ ἔθνος τῶν Ιουδαίων ἀπέστειλεν ἡμᾶς ἀνανεώσασθαι τὴν φιλίαν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν κατὰ τὸ πρότερον

And they went to Rome and entered the senate chamber and said, 'Jonathan the high priest and the nation of the Jews have sent us to renew with them the friendship and the alliance as before.'

καὶ ἔδωκαν ἐπιστολὰς αὐτοῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατὰ τόπον ὅπως προπέμπωσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν Ιουδα μετ' εἰρήνης

And they gave them letters to people in each place, so that they might escort them into the land of Judah in peace.

καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ὧν ἔγραψεν Ιωναθαν τοῖς Σπαρτιάταις

And this is the copy of the letters that Jonathan wrote to the Spartans:

Ιωναθαν ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ ἡ γερουσία τοῦ ἔθνους καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ὁ λοιπὸς δῆμος τῶν Ιουδαίων Σπαρτιάταις τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς χαίρειν

Jonathan the high priest, and the council of the nation, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, to the Spartans their brothers, greetings.

ἔτι πρότερον ἀπεστάλησαν ἐπιστολαὶ πρὸς Ονιαν τὸν ἀρχιερέα παρὰ Ἀρείου τοῦ βασιλεύοντος ἐν ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐστὲ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ὡς τὸ ἀντίγραφον ὑπόκειται

Even earlier letters were sent to Onias the high priest from Areus, who was reigning among you, that you are our brothers, as the copy appended below shows.

καὶ ἐπεδέξατο ὁ Ονιας τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ἀπεσταλμένον ἐνδόξως καὶ ἔλαβεν τὰς ἐπιστολάς ἐν αἷς διεσαφεῖτο περὶ συμμαχίας καὶ φιλίας

And Onias received the man who had been sent with honor, and he received the letters in which alliance and friendship were explained.

ἡμεῖς οὖν ἀπροσδεεῖς τούτων ὄντες παράκλησιν ἔχοντες τὰ βιβλία τὰ ἅγια τὰ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ἡμῶν

We therefore, though standing in no need of these things, having as our encouragement the holy books that are in our hands,

ἐπειράθημεν ἀποστεῖλαι τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀδελφότητα καὶ φιλίαν ἀνανεώσασθαι πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐξαλλοτριωθῆναι ὑμῶν πολλοὶ γὰρ καιροὶ διῆλθον ἀφ' οὗ ἀπεστείλατε πρὸς ἡμᾶς

have tried to send and renew the brotherhood and friendship toward you, so that we might not become estranged from you; for many seasons have passed since you sent to us.

ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἀδιαλείπτως ἔν τε ταῖς ἑορταῖς καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς καθηκούσαις ἡμέραις μιμνῃσκόμεθα ὑμῶν ἐφ' ὧν προσφέρομεν θυσιῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ὡς δέον ἐστὶν καὶ πρέπον μνημονεύειν ἀδελφῶν

So at every time without ceasing, both in the festivals and in the other appointed days, we remember you over the sacrifices that we offer and in our prayers, as it is right and fitting to remember brothers.

εὐφραινόμεθα δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ δόξῃ ὑμῶν

But we rejoice in your glory.

ἡμᾶς δὲ ἐκύκλωσαν πολλαὶ θλίψεις καὶ πόλεμοι πολλοί καὶ ἐπολέμησαν ἡμᾶς οἱ βασιλεῖς οἱ κύκλῳ ἡμῶν

But many afflictions and many wars have surrounded us, and the kings around us have fought against us.

οὐκ ἠβουλόμεθα οὖν παρενοχλῆσαι ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς συμμάχοις καὶ φίλοις ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις τούτοις

Therefore we did not wish to trouble you and the rest of our allies and friends in these wars.

ἔχομεν γὰρ τὴν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ βοήθειαν βοηθοῦσαν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐρρύσθημεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ ἐταπεινώθησαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἡμῶν

For we have help from heaven helping us, and we were delivered from our enemies, and our enemies were brought low.

ἐπελέξαμεν οὖν Νουμήνιον Ἀντιόχου καὶ Ἀντίπατρον Ἰάσονος καὶ ἀπεστάλκαμεν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἀνανεώσασθαι τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν τὴν πρότερον

Therefore we selected Numenius son of Antiochus and Antipater son of Jason, and we have sent them to the Romans to renew with them the former friendship and alliance.

ἐνετειλάμεθα οὖν αὐτοῖς καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς πορευθῆναι καὶ ἀσπάσασθαι ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ὑμῖν τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν ἐπιστολὰς περὶ τῆς ἀνανεώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀδελφότητος ἡμῶν

Therefore we instructed them also to go to you, to greet you, and to deliver to you our letters concerning the renewal and our brotherhood.

καὶ νῦν καλῶς ποιήσετε ἀντιφωνήσαντες ἡμῖν πρὸς ταῦτα

And now you will do well by replying to us concerning these matters.

καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ὧν ἀπέστειλαν Ονια

And this is the copy of the letter that they sent to Onias:

Ἄρειος βασιλεὺς Σπαρτιατῶν Ονια ἱερεῖ μεγάλῳ χαίρειν

Areus king of the Spartans to Onias the great priest, greetings.

εὑρέθη ἐν γραφῇ περί τε τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν καὶ Ιουδαίων ὅτι εἰσὶν ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ὅτι εἰσὶν ἐκ γένους Αβρααμ

It was found in a writing concerning both the Spartans and the Jews that they are brothers and that they are from the family of Abraham.

καὶ νῦν ἀφ' οὗ ἔγνωμεν ταῦτα καλῶς ποιήσετε γράφοντες ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ὑμῶν

And now, since we have learned these things, you will do well by writing to us concerning your peace.

καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀντιγράφομεν ὑμῖν τὰ κτήνη ὑμῶν καὶ ἡ ὕπαρξις ὑμῶν ἡμῖν ἐστιν καὶ τὰ ἡμῶν ὑμῖν ἐστιν ἐντελλόμεθα οὖν ὅπως ἀπαγγείλωσιν ὑμῖν κατὰ ταῦτα

And we in return write to you: your possessions are ours, and your property is ours, and ours is yours. So we have given orders that they should report these things to you.

καὶ ἤκουσεν Ιωναθαν ὅτι ἐπέστρεψαν οἱ ἄρχοντες Δημητρίου μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς ὑπὲρ τὸ πρότερον τοῦ πολεμῆσαι πρὸς αὐτόν

And Jonathan heard that the commanders of Demetrius had returned with a force much greater than before to make war against him.

καὶ ἀπῆρεν ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἀπήντησεν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν Αμαθῖτιν χώραν οὐ γὰρ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἀνοχὴν τοῦ ἐμβατεῦσαι εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ

And he set out from Jerusalem and met them in the land of Hamath, for he did not give them leave to enter his land.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν κατασκόπους εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτῷ ὅτι οὕτως τάσσονται ἐπιπεσεῖν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τὴν νύκτα

And he sent spies into their camp, and they returned and reported to him that they were arranging themselves in this way, to fall upon them by night.

ὡς δὲ ἔδυ ὁ ἥλιος ἐπέταξεν Ιωναθαν τοῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ γρηγορεῖν καὶ εἶναι ἐπὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις ἑτοιμάζεσθαι εἰς πόλεμον δι' ὅλης τῆς νυκτὸς καὶ ἐξέβαλεν προφύλακας κύκλῳ τῆς παρεμβολῆς

And when the sun set, Jonathan ordered his men to keep watch and to stay at their arms, being ready for battle throughout the whole night, and he sent out guards all around the camp.

καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ὑπεναντίοι ὅτι ἡτοίμασται Ιωναθαν καὶ οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ εἰς πόλεμον καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν καὶ ἔπτηξαν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνέκαυσαν πυρὰς ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ αὐτῶν

And the adversaries heard that Jonathan and those with him were prepared for battle, and they were afraid and lost heart, and they kindled fires in their camp.

Ιωναθαν δὲ καὶ οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ἕως πρωί ἔβλεπον γὰρ τὰ φῶτα καιόμενα

But Jonathan and those with him did not realize it until morning, for they saw the fires burning.

καὶ κατεδίωξεν Ιωναθαν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ κατέλαβεν αὐτούς διέβησαν γὰρ τὸν Ἐλεύθερον ποταμόν

And Jonathan pursued after them, but he did not overtake them, for they had crossed the river Eleutherus.

καὶ ἐξέκλινεν Ιωναθαν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἄραβας τοὺς καλουμένους Ζαβαδαίους καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔλαβεν τὰ σκῦλα αὐτῶν

And Jonathan turned aside against the Arabs who were called Zabadaeans, and he struck them and took their spoils.

καὶ ἀναζεύξας ἦλθεν εἰς Δαμασκὸν καὶ διώδευσεν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ χώρᾳ

And after breaking camp he came to Damascus and traveled through all the region.

καὶ Σιμων ἐξῆλθεν καὶ διώδευσεν ἕως Ἀσκαλῶνος καὶ τὰ πλησίον ὀχυρώματα καὶ ἐξέκλινεν εἰς Ιοππην καὶ προκατελάβετο αὐτήν

And Simon went out and traveled as far as Ascalon and the nearby strongholds, and he turned aside to Joppa and seized it first.

ἤκουσεν γὰρ ὅτι βούλονται τὸ ὀχύρωμα παραδοῦναι τοῖς παρὰ Δημητρίου καὶ ἔθετο ἐκεῖ φρουράν ὅπως φυλάσσωσιν αὐτήν

For he heard that they wanted to hand over the stronghold to Demetrius's men, and he stationed a garrison there so that they might guard it.

καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν Ιωναθαν καὶ ἐξεκκλησίασεν τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐβουλεύετο μετ' αὐτῶν τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι ὀχυρώματα ἐν τῇ Ιουδαίᾳ

And Jonathan returned and assembled the elders of the people, and he took counsel with them about building strongholds in Judea.

καὶ προσυψῶσαι τὰ τείχη Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ὑψῶσαι ὕψος μέγα ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς ἄκρας καὶ τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὸ διαχωρίζειν αὐτὴν τῆς πόλεως ἵνα ᾖ αὕτη κατὰ μόνας ὅπως μήτε ἀγοράζωσιν μήτε πωλῶσιν

And to raise higher the walls of Jerusalem and to make a great height between the citadel and the city, in order to separate it from the city so that it might stand alone, with the result that they might neither buy nor sell.

καὶ συνήχθησαν τοῦ οἰκοδομεῖν τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἔπεσεν τοῦ τείχους τοῦ χειμάρρου τοῦ ἐξ ἀπηλιώτου καὶ ἐπεσκεύασεν τὸ καλούμενον Χαφεναθα

And they gathered to build the city, and part of the wall of the wadi on the east had fallen, and he repaired what was called Chaphenatha.

καὶ Σιμων ᾠκοδόμησεν τὴν Αδιδα ἐν τῇ Σεφηλα καὶ ὠχύρωσεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπέστησεν θύρας καὶ μοχλούς

And Simon built Adida in the Shephelah and fortified it, and he set up gates and bars.

καὶ ἐζήτησεν Τρύφων βασιλεῦσαι τῆς Ἀσίας καὶ περιθέσθαι τὸ διάδημα καὶ ἐκτεῖναι χεῖρα ἐπ' Ἀντίοχον τὸν βασιλέα

And Tryphon sought to rule Asia and to put on the diadem and to stretch out his hand against Antiochus the king.

καὶ εὐλαβήθη μήποτε οὐκ ἐάσῃ αὐτὸν Ιωναθαν καὶ μήποτε πολεμήσῃ πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ἐζήτει συλλαβεῖν αὐτὸν τοῦ ἀπολέσαι καὶ ἀπάρας ἦλθεν εἰς Βαιθσαν

And he was afraid lest Jonathan not allow him, and lest he should make war against him; and he sought to seize him in order to destroy him, and he set out and came to Beth-shan.

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ιωναθαν εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτῷ ἐν τεσσαράκοντα χιλιάσιν ἀνδρῶν ἐπιλελεγμέναις εἰς παράταξιν καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Βαιθσαν

And Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand picked men drawn up for battle, and he came to Beth-shan.

καὶ εἶδεν Τρύφων ὅτι ἦλθεν μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς καὶ ἐκτεῖναι χεῖρας ἐπ' αὐτὸν εὐλαβήθη

And Tryphon saw that he had come with a great force, and he was afraid to stretch out his hands against him.

καὶ ἐπεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἐνδόξως καὶ συνέστησεν αὐτὸν πᾶσιν τοῖς φίλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δόματα καὶ ἐπέταξεν τοῖς φίλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν αὐτοῦ ὑπακούειν αὐτοῦ ὡς αὑτοῦ

And he received him honorably and presented him to all his friends and gave him gifts, and he commanded his friends and his forces to obey him as himself.

καὶ εἶπεν τῷ Ιωναθαν ἵνα τί ἐκόπωσας πάντα τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον πολέμου μὴ ἐνεστηκότος ἡμῖν

And he said to Jonathan, 'Why have you wearied all this people, when no war is pressing upon us?'

καὶ νῦν ἀπόστειλον αὐτοὺς εἰς τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν ἐπίλεξαι δὲ σεαυτῷ ἄνδρας ὀλίγους οἵτινες ἔσονται μετὰ σοῦ καὶ δεῦρο μετ' ἐμοῦ εἰς Πτολεμαίδα καὶ παραδώσω σοι αὐτὴν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὀχυρώματα καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις τὰς λοιπὰς καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν χρειῶν καὶ ἐπιστρέψας ἀπελεύσομαι τούτου γὰρ χάριν πάρειμι

And now send them away to their homes, but choose for yourself a few men who will be with you, and come with me to Ptolemais, and I will hand it over to you, along with the other strongholds and the rest of the forces and all those over the affairs; and when I have returned, I will go away, for this is the reason I am here.

καὶ ἐμπιστεύσας αὐτῷ ἐποίησεν καθὼς εἶπεν καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ ἀπῆλθον εἰς γῆν Ιουδα

And trusting him, he did as he said and sent away the forces, and they went off to the land of Judah.

κατέλιπεν δὲ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἄνδρας τρισχιλίους ὧν δισχιλίους ἀφῆκεν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ χίλιοι δὲ συνῆλθον αὐτῷ

But he left with himself three thousand men, of whom he left two thousand in Galilee, while one thousand accompanied him.

ὡς δὲ εἰσῆλθεν Ιωναθαν εἰς Πτολεμαίδα ἀπέκλεισαν οἱ Πτολεμαεῖς τὰς πύλας καὶ συνέλαβον αὐτόν καὶ πάντας τοὺς συνεισελθόντας μετ' αὐτοῦ ἀπέκτειναν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ

But when Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the men of Ptolemais shut the gates, seized him, and killed with the sword all who had gone in with him.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Τρύφων δυνάμεις καὶ ἵππον εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ τὸ πεδίον τὸ μέγα τοῦ ἀπολέσαι πάντας τοὺς παρὰ Ιωναθου

And Trypho sent forces and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain to destroy all Jonathan's men.

καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν ὅτι συνελήμφθη καὶ ἀπόλωλεν καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ παρεκάλεσαν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἐπορεύοντο συνεστραμμένοι ἕτοιμοι εἰς πόλεμον

And they learned that he had been captured and that he and those with him had perished, and they encouraged one another and marched on in close formation, ready for battle.

καὶ εἶδον οἱ διώκοντες ὅτι περὶ ψυχῆς αὐτοῖς ἐστιν καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν

And the pursuers saw that they were fighting for their lives, and they turned back.

καὶ ἦλθον πάντες μετ' εἰρήνης εἰς γῆν Ιουδα καὶ ἐπένθησαν τὸν Ιωναθαν καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα καὶ ἐπένθησεν πᾶς Ισραηλ πένθος μέγα

And they all came safely into the land of Judah, and they mourned for Jonathan and for those with him, and they were greatly afraid, and all Israel mourned with great mourning.

καὶ ἐζήτησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τὰ κύκλῳ αὐτῶν ἐκτρῖψαι αὐτούς εἶπον γάρ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἄρχοντα καὶ βοηθοῦντα νῦν οὖν πολεμήσωμεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξάρωμεν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν

And all the nations around them sought to crush them, for they said, 'They have no ruler and no one to help them. So now let us make war on them and wipe out their remembrance from among men.'