The First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 6ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Α′ Ϛ′

καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος διεπορεύετο τὰς ἐπάνω χώρας καὶ ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἐστὶν Ἐλυμαὶ̈ς ἐν τῇ Περσίδι πόλις ἔνδοξος πλούτῳ ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ

And King Antiochus was passing through the upper regions and heard that in Persia there is a city, Elymais, renowned for wealth, silver, and gold,

καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ πλούσιον σφόδρα καὶ ἐκεῖ καλύμματα χρυσᾶ καὶ θώρακες καὶ ὅπλα ἃ κατέλιπεν ἐκεῖ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ τοῦ Φιλίππου ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ Μακεδών ὃς ἐβασίλευσεν πρῶτος ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησι

and that the temple in it was very rich, and that there were there golden coverings and breastplates and weapons, which Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian king who first reigned over the Greeks, had left there.

καὶ ἦλθεν καὶ ἐζήτει καταλαβέσθαι τὴν πόλιν καὶ προνομεῦσαι αὐτήν καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνάσθη ὅτι ἐγνώσθη ὁ λόγος τοῖς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως

And he came and was seeking to seize the city and to plunder it, but he was not able, because the matter became known to those from the city.

καὶ ἀντέστησαν αὐτῷ εἰς πόλεμον καὶ ἔφυγεν καὶ ἀπῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν μετὰ λύπης μεγάλης ἀποστρέψαι εἰς Βαβυλῶνα

And they rose up against him for battle, and he fled and departed from there with great grief, to return to Babylon.

καὶ ἦλθέν τις ἀπαγγέλλων αὐτῷ εἰς τὴν Περσίδα ὅτι τετρόπωνται αἱ παρεμβολαὶ αἱ πορευθεῖσαι εἰς γῆν Ιουδα

And someone came reporting to him in Persia that the forces that had gone into the land of Judah had been routed,

καὶ ἐπορεύθη Λυσίας δυνάμει ἰσχυρᾷ ἐν πρώτοις καὶ ἐνετράπη ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπίσχυσαν ὅπλοις καὶ δυνάμει καὶ σκύλοις πολλοῖς οἷς ἔλαβον ἀπὸ τῶν παρεμβολῶν ὧν ἐξέκοψαν

and that Lysias had gone first with a strong force and had been turned back before them, and that they had grown strong in arms and in power and in abundant spoils that they took from the encampments they cut down,

καὶ καθεῖλον τὸ βδέλυγμα ὃ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα καθὼς τὸ πρότερον ἐκύκλωσαν τείχεσιν ὑψηλοῖς καὶ τὴν Βαιθσουραν πόλιν αὐτοῦ

and they tore down the abomination that he had built upon the altar in Jerusalem, and they surrounded the sanctuary as formerly with high walls, and also Beth-zur, his city.

καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐθαμβήθη καὶ ἐσαλεύθη σφόδρα καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην καὶ ἐνέπεσεν εἰς ἀρρωστίαν ἀπὸ τῆς λύπης ὅτι οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ καθὼς ἐνεθυμεῖτο

And it happened that, when the king heard these words, he was appalled and shaken greatly, and he fell upon the bed and fell into sickness from grief because things had not turned out for him as he intended.

καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας πλείους ὅτι ἀνεκαινίσθη ἐπ' αὐτὸν λύπη μεγάλη καὶ ἐλογίσατο ὅτι ἀποθνῄσκει

And he remained there many days, because great grief was renewed upon him, and he concluded that he was dying.

καὶ ἐκάλεσεν πάντας τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς ἀφίσταται ὁ ὕπνος ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου καὶ συμπέπτωκα τῇ καρδίᾳ ἀπὸ τῆς μερίμνης

And he called all his friends and said to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes, and I have collapsed in my heart because of anxiety.”

καὶ εἶπα τῇ καρδίᾳ ἕως τίνος θλίψεως ἦλθα καὶ κλύδωνος μεγάλου ἐν ᾧ νῦν εἰμι ὅτι χρηστὸς καὶ ἀγαπώμενος ἤμην ἐν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ μου

And I said in my heart, “Into what distress and into what great storm have I come, in which I now am? Yet I was kind and beloved in my authority.”

νῦν δὲ μιμνῄσκομαι τῶν κακῶν ὧν ἐποίησα ἐν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἔλαβον πάντα τὰ σκεύη τὰ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐξαπέστειλα ἐξᾶραι τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Ιουδα διὰ κενῆς

But now I remember the evils that I did in Jerusalem, and I took all the silver vessels and the golden ones that were there, and I sent men to destroy the inhabitants of Judea without cause.

ἔγνων ὅτι χάριν τούτων εὗρέν με τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀπόλλυμαι λύπῃ μεγάλῃ ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ

I knew that on account of these things these evils found me, and behold, I am perishing in great grief in a foreign land.

καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Φίλιππον ἕνα τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ

And he called Philip, one of his friends, and appointed him over all his kingdom.

καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τὸ διάδημα καὶ τὴν στολὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν δακτύλιον τοῦ ἀγαγεῖν Ἀντίοχον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκθρέψαι αὐτὸν τοῦ βασιλεύειν

And he gave him the diadem and his robe and the ring, so that he might lead Antiochus his son and rear him to reign.

καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐκεῖ Ἀντίοχος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔτους ἐνάτου καὶ τεσσαρακοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ

And there Antiochus the king died, in the one hundred forty-ninth year.

καὶ ἐπέγνω Λυσίας ὅτι τέθνηκεν ὁ βασιλεύς καὶ κατέστησεν βασιλεύειν Ἀντίοχον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ὃν ἐξέθρεψεν νεώτερον καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Εὐπάτωρ

And Lysias learned that the king had died, and he appointed Antiochus his son to reign, whom he had reared from youth, and he called his name Eupator.

καὶ οἱ ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας ἦσαν συγκλείοντες τὸν Ισραηλ κύκλῳ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ζητοῦντες κακὰ δι' ὅλου καὶ στήριγμα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

And those from the citadel were hemming Israel in around the sanctuary and continually seeking harm, and they were a support to the Gentiles.

καὶ ἐλογίσατο Ιουδας ἐξᾶραι αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξεκκλησίασε πάντα τὸν λαὸν τοῦ περικαθίσαι ἐπ' αὐτούς

And Judas resolved to remove them, and he assembled all the people to besiege them.

καὶ συνήχθησαν ἅμα καὶ περιεκάθισαν ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἔτους πεντηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν βελοστάσεις καὶ μηχανάς

And they gathered together and besieged it in the one hundred fiftieth year, and he made missile-throwers and engines.

καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ συγκλεισμοῦ καὶ ἐκολλήθησαν αὐτοῖς τινες τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἐξ Ισραηλ

And some of them came out from the siege, and some of the ungodly from Israel joined them.

καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπον ἕως πότε οὐ ποιήσῃ κρίσιν καὶ ἐκδικήσεις τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν

And they went to the king and said, "How long will you not execute judgment and avenge our brothers?"

ἡμεῖς εὐδοκοῦμεν δουλεύειν τῷ πατρί σου καὶ πορεύεσθαι τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λεγομένοις καὶ κατακολουθεῖν τοῖς προστάγμασιν αὐτοῦ

"We were content to serve your father and to live by the things spoken by him and to follow his commands,

καὶ περιεκάθηντο ἐπ' αὐτὴν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ἡμῶν χάριν τούτου καὶ ἠλλοτριοῦντο ἀφ' ἡμῶν πλὴν ὅσοι εὑρίσκοντο ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐθανατοῦντο καὶ αἱ κληρονομίαι ἡμῶν διηρπάζοντο

and the sons of our people encamped against it because of this and became alienated from us; and as many as were found among us were being put to death, and our inheritances were being plundered.

καὶ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς μόνον ἐξέτειναν χεῖρα ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ὅρια αὐτῶν

And they stretched out a hand not against us only, but also against all their borders.

καὶ ἰδοὺ παρεμβεβλήκασι σήμερον ἐπὶ τὴν ἄκραν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ τοῦ καταλαβέσθαι αὐτήν καὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα καὶ τὴν Βαιθσουραν ὠχύρωσαν

And behold, today they have encamped against the citadel in Jerusalem to capture it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Beth-zur.

καὶ ἐὰν μὴ προκαταλάβῃ αὐτοὺς διὰ τάχους μείζονα τούτων ποιήσουσιν καὶ οὐ δυνήσῃ τοῦ κατασχεῖν αὐτῶν

And if you do not get ahead of them quickly, they will do greater things than these, and you will not be able to restrain them."

καὶ ὠργίσθη ὁ βασιλεύς ὅτε ἤκουσεν καὶ συνήγαγεν πάντας τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντας δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἡνιῶν

And the king was enraged when he heard, and he gathered all his friends, the commanders of his forces, and those over the cavalry.

καὶ ἀπὸ βασιλειῶν ἑτέρων καὶ ἀπὸ νήσων θαλασσῶν ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν δυνάμεις μισθωταί

And from other kingdoms and from islands of the seas hired forces came to him.

καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν δυνάμεων αὐτοῦ ἑκατὸν χιλιάδες πεζῶν καὶ εἴκοσι χιλιάδες ἱππέων καὶ ἐλέφαντες δύο καὶ τριάκοντα εἰδότες πόλεμον

And the number of his forces was one hundred thousand foot soldiers and twenty thousand horsemen and thirty-two elephants trained for war.

καὶ ἦλθον διὰ τῆς Ιδουμαίας καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐπὶ Βαιθσουραν καὶ ἐπολέμησαν ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ἐποίησαν μηχανάς καὶ ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἐνεπύρισαν αὐτὰς πυρὶ καὶ ἐπολέμησαν ἀνδρωδῶς

And they came through Idumea and encamped against Beth-zur and fought many days, and they made engines; and the men came out and burned them with fire and fought bravely.

καὶ ἀπῆρεν Ιουδας ἀπὸ τῆς ἄκρας καὶ παρενέβαλεν εἰς Βαιθζαχαρια ἀπέναντι τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως

And Judas withdrew from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zechariah opposite the camp of the king.

καὶ ὤρθρισεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ πρωὶ καὶ ἀπῆρεν τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἐν ὁρμήματι αὐτῆς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν Βαιθζαχαρια καὶ διεσκευάσθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις εἰς τὸν πόλεμον καὶ ἐσάλπισαν ταῖς σάλπιγξιν

And the king rose early in the morning and moved his camp forward in a rush along the road to Beth-zechariah, and the forces drew up for battle and sounded the trumpets.

καὶ τοῖς ἐλέφασιν ἔδειξαν αἷμα σταφυλῆς καὶ μόρων τοῦ παραστῆσαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον

And they showed the elephants blood of grapes and mulberries to ready them for battle.

καὶ διεῖλον τὰ θηρία εἰς τὰς φάλαγγας καὶ παρέστησαν ἑκάστῳ ἐλέφαντι χιλίους ἄνδρας τεθωρακισμένους ἐν ἁλυσιδωτοῖς καὶ περικεφαλαῖαι χαλκαῖ ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτῶν καὶ πεντακοσία ἵππος διατεταγμένη ἑκάστῳ θηρίῳ ἐκλελεγμένη

And they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes, and beside each elephant they stationed a thousand men armored in coats of mail, with bronze helmets on their heads, and five hundred picked cavalry were assigned to each beast.

οὗτοι πρὸ καιροῦ οὗ ἂν ᾖ τὸ θηρίον ἦσαν καὶ οὗ ἐὰν ἐπορεύετο ἐπορεύοντο ἅμα οὐκ ἀφίσταντο ἀπ' αὐτοῦ

These were there beforehand wherever the beast might be, and wherever it went they went with it; they did not depart from it.

καὶ πύργοι ξύλινοι ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ὀχυροὶ σκεπαζόμενοι ἐφ' ἑκάστου θηρίου ἐζωσμένοι ἐπ' αὐτοῦ μηχαναῖς καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστου ἄνδρες δυνάμεως τέσσαρες οἱ πολεμοῦντες ἐπ' αὐτοῖς καὶ ὁ Ἰνδὸς αὐτοῦ

And on them were strong wooden towers, covered, one on each beast, fastened upon it with gear, and on each were four mighty men fighting from them, and its Indian driver.

καὶ τὴν ἐπίλοιπον ἵππον ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν ἔστησεν ἐπὶ τὰ δύο μέρη τῆς παρεμβολῆς κατασείοντες καὶ καταφρασσόμενοι ἐν ταῖς φάλαγξιν

And he stationed the rest of the cavalry on this side and on that side, on the two flanks of the army, brandishing and shielding themselves within the phalanxes.

ὡς δὲ ἔστιλβεν ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τὰς χρυσᾶς καὶ χαλκᾶς ἀσπίδας ἔστιλβεν τὰ ὄρη ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ κατηύγαζεν ὡς λαμπάδες πυρός

And when the sun flashed upon the gold and bronze shields, the mountains flashed from them and gleamed like torches of fire.

καὶ ἐξετάθη μέρος τι τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ὄρη καί τινες ἐπὶ τὰ ταπεινά καὶ ἤρχοντο ἀσφαλῶς καὶ τεταγμένως

And one part of the king's army spread out over the high mountains and some over the low ground, and they advanced securely and in good order.

καὶ ἐσαλεύοντο πάντες οἱ ἀκούοντες φωνῆς πλήθους αὐτῶν καὶ ὁδοιπορίας τοῦ πλήθους καὶ συγκρουσμοῦ τῶν ὅπλων ἦν γὰρ ἡ παρεμβολὴ μεγάλη σφόδρα καὶ ἰσχυρά

And all who heard the sound of their multitude and the marching of the host and the clash of the weapons were shaken, for the army was very great and strong.

καὶ ἤγγισεν Ιουδας καὶ ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς παράταξιν καὶ ἔπεσον ἀπὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες

And Judas and his army drew near for battle, and six hundred men fell from the camp of the king.

καὶ εἶδεν Ελεαζαρος ὁ Αυαραν ἓν τῶν θηρίων τεθωρακισμένον θώραξιν βασιλικοῖς καὶ ἦν ὑπεράγον πάντα τὰ θηρία καὶ ᾠήθη ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεύς

And Eleazar Avaran saw one of the beasts armored with royal breastplates, and it towered above all the beasts, and he thought that the king was upon it.

καὶ ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν τοῦ σῶσαι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ περιποιῆσαι ἑαυτῷ ὄνομα αἰώνιον

And he gave himself to save his people and to win for himself an everlasting name.

καὶ ἐπέδραμεν αὐτῷ θράσει εἰς μέσον τῆς φάλαγγος καὶ ἐθανάτου δεξιὰ καὶ εὐώνυμα καὶ ἐσχίζοντο ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα

And he rushed upon it boldly into the midst of the phalanx and was killing to right and left, and they were splitting apart before him here and there.

καὶ εἰσέδυ ὑπὸ τὸν ἐλέφαντα καὶ ὑπέθηκεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτόν καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐκεῖ

And he went in under the elephant and stabbed it from beneath and killed it, and it fell to the ground upon him, and he died there.

καὶ εἶδον τὴν ἰσχὺν τῆς βασιλείας καὶ τὸ ὅρμημα τῶν δυνάμεων καὶ ἐξέκλιναν ἀπ' αὐτῶν

And they saw the might of the kingdom and the onrush of the forces, and they turned away from them.

οἱ δὲ ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνέβαινον εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Σιων

But those from the camp of the king went up to meet them at Jerusalem, and the king encamped in Judea and at Mount Zion.

καὶ ἐποίησεν εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν ἐκ Βαιθσουρων καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ὅτι οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ διατροφὴ τοῦ συγκεκλεῖσθαι ἐν αὐτῇ ὅτι σάββατον ἦν τῇ γῇ

And he made peace with the men from Beth-zur, and they came out of the city because they had no provisions there to remain shut up in it, since it was a sabbath year for the land.

καὶ κατελάβετο ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν Βαιθσουραν καὶ ἀπέταξεν ἐκεῖ φρουρὰν τηρεῖν αὐτήν

And the king took Beth-zur and stationed a garrison there to hold it.

καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ἔστησεν ἐκεῖ βελοστάσεις καὶ μηχανὰς καὶ πυροβόλα καὶ λιθοβόλα καὶ σκορπίδια εἰς τὸ βάλλεσθαι βέλη καὶ σφενδόνας

And he encamped against the sanctuary for many days and set up there missile-launchers and engines and fire-throwers and stone-throwers and scorpions for shooting arrows and sling-stones.

καὶ ἐποίησαν καὶ αὐτοὶ μηχανὰς πρὸς τὰς μηχανὰς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπολέμησαν ἡμέρας πολλάς

And they also made engines against their engines, and they fought for many days.

βρώματα δὲ οὐκ ἦν ἐν τοῖς ἀγγείοις διὰ τὸ ἕβδομον ἔτος εἶναι καὶ οἱ ἀνασῳζόμενοι εἰς τὴν Ιουδαίαν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν κατέφαγον τὸ ὑπόλειμμα τῆς παραθέσεως

But there was no food in the storehouses, because it was the seventh year, and those who had escaped into Judea from the nations had eaten the remainder of the stored supply.

καὶ ὑπελείφθησαν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἄνδρες ὀλίγοι ὅτι κατεκράτησεν αὐτῶν ὁ λιμός καὶ ἐσκορπίσθησαν ἕκαστος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ

And only a few men were left in the holy place, because famine had mastered them, and they were scattered, each to his own place.

καὶ ἤκουσεν Λυσίας ὅτι Φίλιππος ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος ἔτι ζῶντος αὐτοῦ ἐκθρέψαι Ἀντίοχον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ βασιλεῦσαι αὐτόν

And Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus had appointed while still alive to rear Antiochus his son for the purpose of making him king,

ἀπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ τῆς Περσίδος καὶ Μηδίας καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ πορευθεῖσαι μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅτι ζητεῖ παραλαβεῖν τὰ τῶν πραγμάτων

had returned from Persia and Media, along with the forces that had marched with the king, and that he was seeking to take control of the affairs of state.

καὶ κατέσπευδεν καὶ ἐπένευσεν τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκλείπομεν καθ' ἡμέραν καὶ ἡ τροφὴ ἡμῖν ὀλίγη καὶ ὁ τόπος οὗ παρεμβάλλομέν ἐστιν ὀχυρός καὶ ἐπίκειται ἡμῖν τὰ τῆς βασιλείας

And he hastened and urged departure, and he said to the king and to the commanders of the army and to the men, “We are failing day by day, our food is scant, the place where we are encamped is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom press upon us.”