The First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 9ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Α′ Θ′

καὶ ἤκουσεν Δημήτριος ὅτι ἔπεσεν Νικάνωρ καὶ ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ ἐν πολέμῳ καὶ προσέθετο τὸν Βακχίδην καὶ τὸν Ἄλκιμον ἐκ δευτέρου ἀποστεῖλαι εἰς γῆν Ιουδα καὶ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας μετ' αὐτῶν

And Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, and he proceeded a second time to send Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judah, and the right wing with them.

καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὁδὸν τὴν εἰς Γαλγαλα καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐπὶ Μαισαλωθ τὴν ἐν Αρβηλοις καὶ προκατελάβοντο αὐτὴν καὶ ἀπώλεσαν ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων πολλάς

And they traveled by the road to Gilgal and encamped against Mesaloth in Arbela, and they captured it in advance and destroyed many human lives.

καὶ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου ἔτους τοῦ δευτέρου καὶ πεντηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ παρενέβαλον ἐπὶ Ιερουσαλημ

And in the first month of the one hundred fifty-second year they encamped against Jerusalem.

καὶ ἀπῆραν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς Βερεαν ἐν εἴκοσι χιλιάσιν ἀνδρῶν καὶ δισχιλίᾳ ἵππῳ

And they broke camp and traveled to Berea with twenty thousand men and two thousand cavalry.

καὶ Ιουδας ἦν παρεμβεβληκὼς ἐν Ελασα καὶ τρισχίλιοι ἄνδρες μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκλεκτοί

And Judas had encamped in Elasa, and with him were three thousand chosen men.

καὶ εἶδον τὸ πλῆθος τῶν δυνάμεων ὅτι πολλοί εἰσιν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα καὶ ἐξερρύησαν πολλοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς οὐ κατελείφθησαν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀλλ' ἢ ὀκτακόσιοι ἄνδρες

And they saw the multitude of the forces, that they were many, and they were greatly afraid, and many slipped away from the camp; there remained of them only eight hundred men.

καὶ εἶδεν Ιουδας ὅτι ἀπερρύη ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ πόλεμος ἔθλιβεν αὐτόν καὶ συνετρίβη τῇ καρδίᾳ ὅτι οὐκ εἶχεν καιρὸν συναγαγεῖν αὐτούς

And Judas saw that his camp had melted away and that the battle was pressing hard upon him, and he was crushed in heart because he had no time to gather them.

καὶ ἐξελύθη καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς καταλειφθεῖσιν ἀναστῶμεν καὶ ἀναβῶμεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ἡμῶν ἐὰν ἄρα δυνώμεθα πολεμῆσαι πρὸς αὐτούς

And he rallied himself and said to those who had been left behind, 'Let us rise and go up against our adversaries, if perhaps we may be able to fight against them.'

καὶ ἀπέστρεφον αὐτὸν λέγοντες οὐ μὴ δυνώμεθα ἀλλ' ἢ σῴζωμεν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς τὸ νῦν ἐπιστρέψωμεν καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν καὶ πολεμήσωμεν πρὸς αὐτούς ἡμεῖς δὲ ὀλίγοι

And they tried to turn him back, saying, 'We certainly shall not be able; rather, let us save our own lives for the present, then let us return with our brothers and fight against them, but we are few.'

καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδας μὴ γένοιτο ποιῆσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο φυγεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ εἰ ἤγγικεν ὁ καιρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ἀποθάνωμεν ἐν ἀνδρείᾳ χάριν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν καὶ μὴ καταλίπωμεν αἰτίαν τῇ δόξῃ ἡμῶν

And Judas said, 'Far be it from me to do this thing, to flee from them; but if our time has drawn near, let us die bravely for the sake of our brothers, and let us not leave a reproach against our honor.'

καὶ ἀπῆρεν ἡ δύναμις ἀπὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ ἔστησαν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμερίσθη ἡ ἵππος εἰς δύο μέρη καὶ οἱ σφενδονῆται καὶ οἱ τοξόται προεπορεύοντο τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ οἱ πρωταγωνισταὶ πάντες οἱ δυνατοί Βακχίδης δὲ ἦν ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ κέρατι

And the force moved out from the camp and stood to meet them, and the cavalry was divided into two parts, and the slingers and the archers went on ahead of the army, and all the champions, the mighty men; but Bacchides was in the right wing.

καὶ ἤγγισεν ἡ φάλαγξ ἐκ τῶν δύο μερῶν καὶ ἐφώνουν ταῖς σάλπιγξιν καὶ ἐσάλπισαν οἱ παρὰ Ιουδου καὶ αὐτοὶ ταῖς σάλπιγξιν

And the phalanx drew near from the two parts, and they cried out with the trumpets, and those with Judas also sounded with the trumpets.

καὶ ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς τῶν παρεμβολῶν καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος συνημμένος ἀπὸ πρωίθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας

And the earth was shaken by the sound of the camps, and the battle was joined from early morning until evening.

καὶ εἶδεν Ιουδας ὅτι Βακχίδης καὶ τὸ στερέωμα τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς καὶ συνῆλθον αὐτῷ πάντες οἱ εὔψυχοι τῇ καρδίᾳ

And Judas saw that Bacchides and the strength of the camp were on the right, and all the stouthearted men had gathered with him.

καὶ συνετρίβη τὸ δεξιὸν μέρος ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἐδίωκεν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἕως Αζωτου ὄρους

And the right wing was shattered before them, and he pursued after them as far as Mount Azotus.

καὶ οἱ εἰς τὸ ἀριστερὸν κέρας εἶδον ὅτι συνετρίβη τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν κατὰ πόδας Ιουδου καὶ τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν

And those on the left wing saw that the right wing had been shattered, and they turned back on the heels of Judas and those with him, from behind.

καὶ ἐβαρύνθη ὁ πόλεμος καὶ ἔπεσον τραυματίαι πολλοὶ ἐκ τούτων καὶ ἐκ τούτων

And the battle grew heavy, and many wounded men fell from these and from those.

καὶ Ιουδας ἔπεσεν καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἔφυγον

And Judas fell, and the rest fled.

καὶ ἦρεν Ιωναθαν καὶ Σιμων Ιουδαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ ἐν Μωδεϊν

And Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother and buried him in the tomb of his fathers at Modein.

καὶ ἔκλαυσαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκόψαντο αὐτὸν πᾶς Ισραηλ κοπετὸν μέγαν καὶ ἐπένθουν ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ εἶπον

And all Israel wept for him and mourned for him with great lamentation, and they bewailed him for many days and said,

πῶς ἔπεσεν δυνατὸς σῴζων τὸν Ισραηλ

How the mighty one who was saving Israel has fallen!

καὶ τὰ περισσὰ τῶν λόγων Ιουδου καὶ τῶν πολέμων καὶ τῶν ἀνδραγαθιῶν ὧν ἐποίησεν καὶ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ οὐ κατεγράφη πολλὰ γὰρ ἦν σφόδρα

And the rest of the acts of Judas, and his wars, and the deeds of valor that he performed, and his greatness, were not written down, for they were exceedingly many.

καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν Ιουδου ἐξέκυψαν οἱ ἄνομοι ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ὁρίοις Ισραηλ καὶ ἀνέτειλαν πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀδικίαν

And it came to pass after the death of Judas that the lawless men thrust themselves forward in all the territories of Israel, and all those who worked unrighteousness sprang up.

ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐγενήθη λιμὸς μέγας σφόδρα καὶ αὐτομόλησεν ἡ χώρα μετ' αὐτῶν

In those days there arose a very great famine, and the country went over with them.

καὶ ἐξέλεξεν Βακχίδης τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἄνδρας καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτοὺς κυρίους τῆς χώρας

And Bacchides chose the ungodly men and made them masters of the country.

καὶ ἐξεζήτουν καὶ ἠρεύνων τοὺς φίλους Ιουδου καὶ ἦγον αὐτοὺς πρὸς Βακχίδην καὶ ἐξεδίκα αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐνέπαιζεν αὐτοῖς

And they kept seeking out and investigating the friends of Judas, and they brought them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them and mocked them.

καὶ ἐγένετο θλῖψις μεγάλη ἐν τῷ Ισραηλ ἥτις οὐκ ἐγένετο ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας οὐκ ὤφθη προφήτης αὐτοῖς

And there came to be a great affliction in Israel, such as had not occurred since the day when a prophet had not appeared to them.

καὶ ἠθροίσθησαν πάντες οἱ φίλοι Ιουδου καὶ εἶπον τῷ Ιωναθαν

And all the friends of Judas gathered together and said to Jonathan,

ἀφ' οὗ ὁ ἀδελφός σου Ιουδας τετελεύτηκεν καὶ ἀνὴρ ὅμοιος αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξελθεῖν καὶ εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς καὶ Βακχίδην καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐχθραίνουσιν τοῦ ἔθνους ἡμῶν

Since the time when your brother Judas died, there has not been a man like him to go out and come in against the enemies and Bacchides and those hostile to our nation.

νῦν οὖν σὲ ᾑρετισάμεθα σήμερον τοῦ εἶναι ἀντ' αὐτοῦ ἡμῖν εἰς ἄρχοντα καὶ ἡγούμενον τοῦ πολεμῆσαι τὸν πόλεμον ἡμῶν

Now therefore today we have chosen you to be for us in his place as ruler and leader, to fight our war.

καὶ ἐπεδέξατο Ιωναθαν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ τὴν ἥγησιν καὶ ἀνέστη ἀντὶ Ιουδου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ

And Jonathan accepted the leadership at that time and arose in place of Judas his brother.

καὶ ἔγνω Βακχίδης καὶ ἐζήτει αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι

And Bacchides learned of it and sought to kill him.

καὶ ἔγνω Ιωναθαν καὶ Σιμων ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Θεκωε καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐπὶ τὸ ὕδωρ λάκκου Ασφαρ

And Jonathan learned, and Simon his brother and all those with him, and they fled into the wilderness of Tekoa and encamped by the water of the cistern of Asphar.

καὶ ἔγνω Βακχίδης τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων καὶ ἦλθεν αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶν τὸ στράτευμα αὐτοῦ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου

And Bacchides learned of it on the sabbath day, and he himself and all his army came beyond the Jordan.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἡγούμενον τοῦ ὄχλου καὶ παρεκάλεσεν τοὺς Ναβαταίους φίλους αὐτοῦ τοῦ παραθέσθαι αὐτοῖς τὴν ἀποσκευὴν αὐτῶν τὴν πολλήν

And he sent his brother, the leader of the crowd, and asked the Nabataeans, his friends, to deposit with them their large baggage.

καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Ιαμβρι οἱ ἐκ Μηδαβα καὶ συνέλαβον Ιωαννην καὶ πάντα ὅσα εἶχεν καὶ ἀπῆλθον ἔχοντες

And the sons of Jambri from Medaba came out and seized John and everything that he had, and they went away carrying it off.

μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἀπήγγειλαν Ιωναθαν καὶ Σιμωνι τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ὅτι υἱοὶ Ιαμβρι ποιοῦσιν γάμον μέγαν καὶ ἄγουσιν τὴν νύμφην ἀπὸ Ναδαβαθ θυγατέρα ἑνὸς τῶν μεγάλων μεγιστάνων Χανααν μετὰ παραπομπῆς μεγάλης

After these things they reported to Jonathan and Simon his brother that the sons of Jambri were holding a great wedding and were bringing the bride from Nadabath, the daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan, with a large escort.

καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τοῦ αἵματος Ιωαννου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνέβησαν καὶ ἐκρύβησαν ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τοῦ ὄρους

And they remembered the blood of John their brother, and they went up and hid under the cover of the mountain.

καὶ ἦραν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἰδοὺ θροῦς καὶ ἀποσκευὴ πολλή καὶ ὁ νυμφίος ἐξῆλθεν καὶ οἱ φίλοι αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν μετὰ τυμπάνων καὶ μουσικῶν καὶ ὅπλων πολλῶν

And they lifted up their eyes and saw, and behold, an uproar and much baggage, and the bridegroom had come out, and his friends and his brothers, to meet them, with drums and musicians and many weapons.

καὶ ἐξανέστησαν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐνέδρου καὶ ἀπέκτειναν αὐτούς καὶ ἔπεσον τραυματίαι πολλοί καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι ἔφυγον εἰς τὸ ὄρος καὶ ἔλαβον πάντα τὰ σκῦλα αὐτῶν

And they rose up against them from the ambush and killed them, and many wounded men fell, and the rest fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils.

καὶ μετεστράφη ὁ γάμος εἰς πένθος καὶ φωνὴ μουσικῶν αὐτῶν εἰς θρῆνον

And the wedding was turned into mourning, and the sound of their musicians into lamentation.

καὶ ἐξεδίκησαν τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αἵματος ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν εἰς τὸ ἕλος τοῦ Ιορδάνου

And they exacted vengeance for the blood of their brother, and they returned to the marsh of the Jordan.

καὶ ἤκουσεν Βακχίδης καὶ ἦλθεν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων ἕως τῶν κρηπίδων τοῦ Ιορδάνου ἐν δυνάμει πολλῇ

And Bacchides heard and came on the sabbath day as far as the banks of the Jordan with a great force.

καὶ εἶπεν Ιωναθαν τοῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀναστῶμεν δὴ καὶ πολεμήσωμεν περὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν οὐ γάρ ἐστιν σήμερον ὡς ἐχθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν

And Jonathan said to those with him, "Let us rise now and fight for our lives, for today is not as yesterday and the day before."

ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὁ πόλεμος ἐξ ἐναντίας καὶ ἐξόπισθεν ἡμῶν τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ τοῦ Ιορδάνου ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν καὶ ἕλος καὶ δρυμός οὐκ ἔστιν τόπος τοῦ ἐκκλῖναι

For behold, the battle is in front of us and behind us, and the water of the Jordan is on this side and on that, and marsh and forest; there is no place to turn aside.

νῦν οὖν κεκράξατε εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν ὅπως διασωθῆτε ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν

Now therefore cry out to heaven, so that you may be delivered from the hand of our enemies.

καὶ συνῆψεν ὁ πόλεμος καὶ ἐξέτεινεν Ιωναθαν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ πατάξαι τὸν Βακχίδην καὶ ἐξέκλινεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω

And the battle was joined, and Jonathan stretched out his hand to strike Bacchides, but he turned away from him to the rear.

καὶ ἐνεπήδησεν Ιωναθαν καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ διεκολύμβησαν εἰς τὸ πέραν καὶ οὐ διέβησαν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τὸν Ιορδάνην

And Jonathan and those with him leaped into the Jordan and swam across to the farther side, and they did not cross the Jordan after them.

ἔπεσον δὲ παρὰ Βακχίδου τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἰς χιλίους ἄνδρας

But on that day there fell from Bacchides' side about a thousand men.

καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἐν τῇ Ιουδαίᾳ τὸ ὀχύρωμα τὸ ἐν Ιεριχω καὶ τὴν Αμμαους καὶ τὴν Βαιθωρων καὶ τὴν Βαιθηλ καὶ τὴν Θαμναθα Φαραθων καὶ τὴν Τεφων ἐν τείχεσιν ὑψηλοῖς καὶ πύλαις καὶ μοχλοῖς

And he returned to Jerusalem, and they built strong cities in Judea: the fortress in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Beth-horon, and Bethel, and Timnatha-Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls and gates and bars.

καὶ ἔθετο φρουρὰν ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἐχθραίνειν τῷ Ισραηλ

And he stationed a garrison in them to keep acting hostilely toward Israel.

καὶ ὠχύρωσεν τὴν πόλιν τὴν Βαιθσουραν καὶ Γαζαρα καὶ τὴν ἄκραν καὶ ἔθετο ἐν αὐταῖς δυνάμεις καὶ παραθέσεις βρωμάτων

And he fortified the city Beth-sura and Gazara and the citadel, and he placed in them forces and stores of food.

καὶ ἔλαβεν τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἡγουμένων τῆς χώρας ὅμηρα καὶ ἔθετο αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἄκρᾳ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ ἐν φυλακῇ

And he took the sons of the leaders of the land as hostages and placed them in the citadel in Jerusalem under guard.

καὶ ἐν ἔτει τρίτῳ καὶ πεντηκοστῷ καὶ ἑκατοστῷ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἐπέταξεν Ἄλκιμος καθαιρεῖν τὸ τεῖχος τῆς αὐλῆς τῶν ἁγίων τῆς ἐσωτέρας καὶ καθεῖλεν τὰ ἔργα τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἐνήρξατο τοῦ καθαιρεῖν

And in the one hundred fifty-third year, in the second month, Alcimus ordered the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary to be torn down, and he tore down the works of the prophets and began the demolition.

ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ἐπλήγη Ἄλκιμος καὶ ἐνεποδίσθη τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπεφράγη τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ παρελύθη καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἔτι λαλῆσαι λόγον καὶ ἐντείλασθαι περὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ

At that time Alcimus was stricken, and his works were hindered, and his mouth was stopped, and he was paralyzed, and he could no longer speak a word or give orders concerning his household.

καὶ ἀπέθανεν Ἄλκιμος ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ μετὰ βασάνου μεγάλης

And Alcimus died at that time with great torment.

καὶ εἶδεν Βακχίδης ὅτι ἀπέθανεν Ἄλκιμος καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἡ γῆ Ιουδα ἔτη δύο

And Bacchides saw that Alcimus had died, and he returned to the king, and the land of Judah was quiet for two years.

καὶ ἐβουλεύσαντο πάντες οἱ ἄνομοι λέγοντες ἰδοὺ Ιωναθαν καὶ οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ κατοικοῦσιν πεποιθότες νῦν οὖν ἀνάξομεν τὸν Βακχίδην καὶ συλλήμψεται αὐτοὺς πάντας ἐν νυκτὶ μιᾷ

And all the lawless men took counsel, saying, “Behold, Jonathan and those with him dwell in quietness, being confident; now therefore let us bring up Bacchides, and he will seize all of them in a single night.”

καὶ πορευθέντες συνεβουλεύσαντο αὐτῷ

And when they had gone, they laid the plan before him.

καὶ ἀπῆρεν τοῦ ἐλθεῖν μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν λάθρᾳ ἐπιστολὰς πᾶσιν τοῖς συμμάχοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐν τῇ Ιουδαίᾳ ὅπως συλλάβωσιν τὸν Ιωναθαν καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο ὅτι ἐγνώσθη ἡ βουλὴ αὐτῶν

And he set out to come with a large force, and secretly sent letters to all his allies in Judea, so that they might seize Jonathan and those with him; but they were not able, because their plan became known.