The Second Book of Maccabees, Chapter 12ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Β′ ΙΒ′

γενομένων δὲ τῶν συνθηκῶν τούτων ὁ μὲν Λυσίας ἀπῄει πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα οἱ δὲ Ιουδαῖοι περὶ τὴν γεωργίαν ἐγίνοντο

After these treaties had been made, Lysias returned to the king, while the Jews set themselves again to agriculture.

τῶν δὲ κατὰ τόπον στρατηγῶν Τιμόθεος καὶ Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ τοῦ Γενναίου ἔτι δὲ Ἱερώνυμος καὶ Δημοφών πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Νικάνωρ ὁ Κυπριάρχης οὐκ εἴων αὐτοὺς εὐσταθεῖν καὶ τὰ τῆς ἡσυχίας ἄγειν

But the local governors, Timothy and Apollonius son of Gennaeus, and in addition Hieronymus and Demophon, and besides these Nicanor the governor of Cyprus, would not allow them to remain settled and to conduct themselves quietly.

Ἰοππῖται δὲ τηλικοῦτο συνετέλεσαν τὸ δυσσέβημα παρακαλέσαντες τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς οἰκοῦντας Ιουδαίους ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὰ παρακατασταθέντα ὑπ' αὐτῶν σκάφη σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ τέκνοις ὡς μηδεμιᾶς ἐνεστώσης πρὸς αὐτοὺς δυσμενείας

And the people of Joppa committed such a great act of impiety that they invited the Jews living with them to board the boats that they had prepared, together with their wives and children, as though there were no hostility toward them at all.

κατὰ δὲ τὸ κοινὸν τῆς πόλεως ψήφισμα καὶ τούτων ἐπιδεξαμένων ὡς ἂν εἰρηνεύειν θελόντων καὶ μηδὲν ὕποπτον ἐχόντων ἐπαναχθέντας αὐτοὺς ἐβύθισαν ὄντας οὐκ ἔλαττον τῶν διακοσίων

Then, in accordance with the public decree of the city, and after those Jews had accepted it as men wishing for peace and suspecting nothing, they took them out and drowned them, no fewer than two hundred in number.

μεταλαβὼν δὲ Ιουδας τὴν γεγονυῖαν εἰς τοὺς ὁμοεθνεῖς ὠμότητα παραγγείλας τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν ἀνδράσιν

When Judas learned of the cruelty that had been committed against his fellow countrymen, he gave orders to the men around him,

καὶ ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸν δίκαιον κριτὴν θεὸν παρεγένετο ἐπὶ τοὺς μιαιφόνους τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ τὸν μὲν λιμένα νύκτωρ ἐνέπρησεν καὶ τὰ σκάφη κατέφλεξεν τοὺς δὲ ἐκεῖ συμφυγόντας ἐξεκέντησεν

and, after calling upon God the righteous judge, he came against the murderers of his brothers; by night he set the harbor on fire, burned the boats, and cut down those who had fled there for refuge.

τοῦ δὲ χωρίου συγκλεισθέντος ἀνέλυσεν ὡς πάλιν ἥξων καὶ τὸ σύμπαν τῶν Ιοππιτῶν ἐκριζῶσαι πολίτευμα

But when the place had been closed up, he withdrew, intending to come again and root out the entire population of the Joppites.

μεταλαβὼν δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐν Ιαμνείᾳ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπιτελεῖν βουλομένους τρόπον τοῖς παροικοῦσιν Ιουδαίοις

And learning that the people of Jamnia intended to deal in the same way with the Jews living among them,

καὶ τοῖς Ιαμνίταις νυκτὸς ἐπιβαλὼν ὑφῆψεν τὸν λιμένα σὺν τῷ στόλῳ ὥστε φαίνεσθαι τὰς αὐγὰς τοῦ φέγγους εἰς τὰ Ιεροσόλυμα σταδίων ὄντων διακοσίων τεσσαράκοντα

he also attacked the people of Jamnia by night and set fire to the harbor with the fleet, so that the blaze of the light was visible in Jerusalem, though it was two hundred forty stadia away.

ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἀποσπάσαντες σταδίους ἐννέα ποιουμένων τὴν πορείαν ἐπὶ τὸν Τιμόθεον προσέβαλον Ἄραβες αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν πεντακισχιλίων ἱππεῖς δὲ πεντακόσιοι

Then, after they had marched nine stadia from there in the course of their advance against Timothy, Arabs attacked him, no fewer than five thousand, with five hundred horsemen.

γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν διὰ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ βοήθειαν εὐημερησάντων ἐλαττονωθέντες οἱ νομάδες ἠξίουν δοῦναι τὸν Ιουδαν δεξιὰς αὐτοῖς ὑπισχνούμενοι καὶ βοσκήματα δώσειν καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ὠφελήσειν αὐτούς

And when a hard battle had taken place, and those with Judas had prospered through the help that came from God, the nomads, once worsted, asked Judas to give them pledges of friendship, promising that they would provide livestock and help them in other matters as well.

Ιουδας δὲ ὑπολαβὼν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐν πολλοῖς αὐτοὺς χρησίμους ἐπεχώρησεν εἰρήνην ἄξειν πρὸς αὐτούς καὶ λαβόντες δεξιὰς εἰς τὰς σκηνὰς ἐχωρίσθησαν

Judas, supposing that they would indeed be useful in many ways, agreed to maintain peace with them; and after they had exchanged right hands, they departed to their tents.

ἐπέβαλεν δὲ καὶ ἐπί τινα πόλιν γεφύραις ὀχυρὰν καὶ τείχεσιν περιπεφραγμένην καὶ παμμειγέσιν ἔθνεσιν κατοικουμένην ὄνομα δὲ Κασπιν

He also attacked a certain city fortified with bridges and enclosed with walls, inhabited by a mixed multitude of nations; its name was Caspin.

οἱ δὲ ἔνδον πεποιθότες τῇ τῶν τειχέων ἐρυμνότητι τῇ τε τῶν βρωμάτων παραθέσει ἀναγωγότερον ἐχρῶντο τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν λοιδοροῦντες καὶ προσέτι βλασφημοῦντες καὶ λαλοῦντες ἃ μὴ θέμις

Those inside, trusting in the strength of the walls and in the stockpile of provisions, behaved more insolently toward Judas and his men, reviling them further, blaspheming, and speaking what it was unlawful to say.

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν ἐπικαλεσάμενοι τὸν μέγαν τοῦ κόσμου δυνάστην τὸν ἄτερ κριῶν καὶ μηχανῶν ὀργανικῶν κατακρημνίσαντα τὴν Ιεριχω κατὰ τοὺς Ἰησοῦ χρόνους ἐνέσεισαν θηριωδῶς τῷ τείχει

But those around Judas, having called upon the great Sovereign of the world, who without rams or siege engines had thrown down Jericho in the days of Joshua, rushed savagely at the wall.

καταλαβόμενοί τε τὴν πόλιν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ θελήσει ἀμυθήτους ἐποιήσαντο σφαγὰς ὥστε τὴν παρακειμένην λίμνην τὸ πλάτος ἔχουσαν σταδίους δύο κατάρρυτον αἵματι πεπληρωμένην φαίνεσθαι

And when they had taken the city by the will of God, they made indescribable slaughter, so that the adjoining lake, which was two stadia broad, seemed to appear filled full, overflowing with blood.

ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἀποσπάσαντες σταδίους ἑπτακοσίους πεντήκοντα διήνυσαν εἰς τὸν Χάρακα πρὸς τοὺς λεγομένους Τουβιανοὺς Ιουδαίους

From there they marched seven hundred fifty stadia and arrived at Charax, to the Jews called Toubiani.

καὶ Τιμόθεον μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν τόπων οὐ κατέλαβον ἄπρακτον τότε ἀπὸ τῶν τόπων ἐκλελυκότα καταλελοιπότα δὲ φρουρὰν ἔν τινι τόπῳ καὶ μάλα ὀχυράν

But they did not find Timothy in those places, for he had withdrawn from there without accomplishing anything, though he had left behind in one place a very strong garrison.

Δοσίθεος δὲ καὶ Σωσίπατρος τῶν περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον ἡγεμόνων ἐξοδεύσαντες ἀπώλεσαν τοὺς ὑπὸ Τιμοθέου καταλειφθέντας ἐν τῷ ὀχυρώματι πλείους τῶν μυρίων ἀνδρῶν

Then Dositheus and Sosipater, commanders under Maccabaeus, marched out and destroyed those whom Timothy had left in the stronghold, more than ten thousand men.

ὁ δὲ Μακκαβαῖος διατάξας τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν στρατιὰν σπειρηδὸν κατέστησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν σπειρῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Τιμόθεον ὥρμησεν ἔχοντα περὶ αὐτὸν μυριάδας δώδεκα πεζῶν ἱππεῖς δὲ δισχιλίους πρὸς τοῖς πεντακοσίοις

And Maccabaeus, having arranged the force around him by companies, set them over the companies and advanced against Timothy, who had with him about one hundred twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand five hundred horsemen.

τὴν δὲ ἔφοδον μεταλαβὼν Ιουδου προεξαπέστειλεν ὁ Τιμόθεος τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀποσκευὴν εἰς τὸ λεγόμενον Καρνιον ἦν γὰρ δυσπολιόρκητον καὶ δυσπρόσιτον τὸ χωρίον διὰ τὴν πάντων τῶν τόπων στενότητα

When Timothy learned of Judas’ advance, he sent ahead the women and children and the rest of the baggage to the place called Carnion, for the site was hard to besiege and difficult to approach because of the narrowness of all the approaches.

ἐπιφανείσης δὲ τῆς Ιουδου σπείρας πρώτης καὶ γενομένου δέους ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους φόβου τε ἐκ τῆς τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐφορῶντος ἐπιφανείας γενομένης ἐπ' αὐτοὺς εἰς φυγὴν ὥρμησαν ἄλλος ἀλλαχῇ φερόμενος ὥστε πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων βλάπτεσθαι καὶ ταῖς τῶν ξιφῶν ἀκμαῖς ἀναπείρεσθαι

But when Judas’ first company appeared, fear came upon the enemy, and terror from the manifestation of the One who sees all came upon them, and they rushed to flight, one running this way, another that, so that they were often injured by their own men and transfixed by the points of their swords.

ἐποιεῖτο δὲ τὸν διωγμὸν εὐτονώτερον ὁ Ιουδας συγκεντῶν τοὺς ἀλιτηρίους διέφθειρέν τε εἰς μυριάδας τρεῖς ἀνδρῶν

Judas pressed the pursuit more vigorously, harrying the wretches and destroying about thirty thousand men.

αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Τιμόθεος ἐμπεσὼν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Δοσίθεον καὶ Σωσίπατρον ἠξίου μετὰ πολλῆς γοητείας ἐξαφεῖναι σῶον αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ πλειόνων μὲν γονεῖς ὧν δὲ ἀδελφοὺς ἔχειν καὶ τούτους ἀλογηθῆναι συμβήσεται

Timothy himself fell into the hands of Dositheus and Sosipater and with much pleading begged them to let him go safely, because many of their parents and some of their brothers were in his power and might be neglected if he were killed.

πιστώσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ διὰ πλειόνων τὸν ὁρισμὸν ἀποκαταστῆσαι τούτους ἀπημάντους ἀπέλυσαν αὐτὸν ἕνεκα τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν σωτηρίας

And when he had given repeated assurances that he would restore them unharmed according to the agreement, they released him for the sake of the safety of their brothers.

ἐξελθὼν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ Καρνιον καὶ τὸ Ατεργατειον κατέσφαξεν μυριάδας σωμάτων δύο καὶ πεντακισχιλίους

Then Judas marched against Carnion and Atargation and killed twenty-five thousand persons.

μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων τροπὴν καὶ ἀπώλειαν ἐπεστράτευσεν καὶ ἐπὶ Εφρων πόλιν ὀχυράν ἐν ᾗ κατῴκει Λυσίας καὶ πάμφυλα πλήθη νεανίαι δὲ ῥωμαλέοι πρὸ τῶν τειχέων καθεστῶτες εὐρώστως ἀπεμάχοντο ἔνθα δὲ ὀργάνων καὶ βελῶν πολλαὶ παραθέσεις ὑπῆρχον

After the defeat and destruction of these, he campaigned also against Ephron, a strong city in which Lysias lived, with mixed multitudes there; and vigorous young men standing before the walls fought stoutly, while many engines and missiles were stored there.

ἐπικαλεσάμενοι δὲ τὸν δυνάστην τὸν μετὰ κράτους συντρίβοντα τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἀλκὰς ἔλαβον τὴν πόλιν ὑποχείριον κατέστρωσαν δὲ τῶν ἔνδον εἰς μυριάδας δύο πεντακισχιλίους

But after calling upon the Sovereign who with might shatters the strength of enemies, they took the city into their power and struck down twenty-five thousand of those inside.

ἀναζεύξαντες δὲ ἐκεῖθεν ὥρμησαν ἐπὶ Σκυθῶν πόλιν ἀπέχουσαν ἀπὸ Ιεροσολύμων σταδίους ἑξακοσίους

Then, breaking camp from there, they hastened toward Scythopolis, six hundred stadia from Jerusalem.

ἀπομαρτυρησάντων δὲ τῶν ἐκεῖ καθεστώτων Ιουδαίων ἣν οἱ Σκυθοπολῖται ἔσχον πρὸς αὐτοὺς εὔνοιαν καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀτυχίας καιροῖς ἥμερον ἀπάντησιν

But since the Jews settled there testified to the goodwill that the Scythopolitans had shown them and to their kind treatment in times of misfortune,

εὐχαριστήσαντες καὶ προσπαρακαλέσαντες καὶ εἰς τὰ λοιπὰ πρὸς τὸ γένος εὐμενεῖς εἶναι παρεγενήθησαν εἰς Ιεροσόλυμα τῆς τῶν ἑβδομάδων ἑορτῆς οὔσης ὑπογύου

they thanked them and urged them to continue to be well disposed toward the nation; and they came to Jerusalem, as the feast of Weeks was approaching.

μετὰ δὲ τὴν λεγομένην πεντηκοστὴν ὥρμησαν ἐπὶ Γοργίαν τὸν τῆς Ιδουμαίας στρατηγόν

After the feast called Pentecost, they marched against Gorgias, the governor of Idumea.

ἐξῆλθεν δὲ μετὰ πεζῶν τρισχιλίων ἱππέων δὲ τετρακοσίων

And he came out with three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred horsemen.

παραταξαμένους δὲ συνέβη πεσεῖν ὀλίγους τῶν Ιουδαίων

And when they had joined battle, it happened that a few of the Jews fell.

Δοσίθεος δέ τις τῶν τοῦ Βακήνορος ἔφιππος ἀνὴρ καὶ καρτερός εἴχετο τοῦ Γοργίου καὶ λαβόμενος τῆς χλαμύδος ἦγεν αὐτὸν εὐρώστως καὶ βουλόμενος τὸν κατάρατον λαβεῖν ζωγρίαν τῶν ἱππέων τινὸς Θρᾳκῶν ἐπενεχθέντος αὐτῷ καὶ τὸν ὦμον καθελόντος διέφυγεν ὁ Γοργίας εἰς Μαρισα

But a certain Dositheus, one of Bacenor’s horsemen, a brave man, had hold of Gorgias, and seizing his cloak was dragging him away by force, intending to take the accursed man alive; but when one of the Thracian horsemen rushed upon him and cut off his shoulder, Gorgias escaped to Marisa.

τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Εσδριν ἐπὶ πλεῖον μαχομένων καὶ κατακόπων ὄντων ἐπικαλεσάμενος Ιουδας τὸν κύριον σύμμαχον φανῆναι καὶ προοδηγὸν τοῦ πολέμου

Since those with Esdris had been fighting for a long time and were exhausted, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself an ally and leader in the battle.

καταρξάμενος τῇ πατρίῳ φωνῇ τὴν μεθ' ὕμνων κραυγὴν ἐνσείσας ἀπροσδοκήτως τοῖς περὶ τὸν Γοργίαν τροπὴν αὐτῶν ἐποιήσατο

Beginning in the ancestral language with the battle cry joined to hymns, he charged unexpectedly against the men with Gorgias and put them to flight.

Ιουδας δὲ ἀναλαβὼν τὸ στράτευμα ἧκεν εἰς Οδολλαμ πόλιν τῆς δὲ ἑβδομάδος ἐπιβαλλούσης κατὰ τὸν ἐθισμὸν ἁγνισθέντες αὐτόθι τὸ σάββατον διήγαγον

Then Judas gathered the army and came to the city of Adullam; and because the seventh day was coming on, they purified themselves according to custom and kept the Sabbath there.

τῇ δὲ ἐχομένῃ ἦλθον οἱ περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν καθ' ὃν χρόνον τὸ τῆς χρείας ἐγεγόνει τὰ σώματα τῶν προπεπτωκότων ἀνακομίσασθαι καὶ μετὰ τῶν συγγενῶν ἀποκαταστῆσαι εἰς τοὺς πατρῴους τάφους

On the following day, when the need had arisen, those with Judas came to recover the bodies of the fallen and to bring them back with their relatives to the ancestral tombs.

εὗρον δὲ ἑκάστου τῶν τεθνηκότων ὑπὸ τοὺς χιτῶνας ἱερώματα τῶν ἀπὸ Ιαμνείας εἰδώλων ἀφ' ὧν ὁ νόμος ἀπείργει τοὺς Ιουδαίους τοῖς δὲ πᾶσι σαφὲς ἐγένετο διὰ τήνδε τὴν αἰτίαν τούσδε πεπτωκέναι

But under the tunic of each of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols from Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear; and it became clear to all that this was the reason these men had fallen.

πάντες οὖν εὐλογήσαντες τὰ τοῦ δικαιοκρίτου κυρίου τὰ κεκρυμμένα φανερὰ ποιοῦντος

So all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous judge who reveals the things that are hidden.

εἰς ἱκετείαν ἐτράπησαν ἀξιώσαντες τὸ γεγονὸς ἁμάρτημα τελείως ἐξαλειφθῆναι ὁ δὲ γενναῖος Ιουδας παρεκάλεσε τὸ πλῆθος συντηρεῖν αὑτοὺς ἀναμαρτήτους εἶναι ὑπ' ὄψιν ἑωρακότας τὰ γεγονότα διὰ τὴν τῶν προπεπτωκότων ἁμαρτίαν

Then they turned to supplication, asking that the sin which had been committed might be utterly blotted out; and the noble Judas urged the multitude to keep themselves free from sin, since they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.

ποιησάμενός τε κατ' ἀνδρολογίαν εἰς ἀργυρίου δραχμὰς δισχιλίας ἀπέστειλεν εἰς Ιεροσόλυμα προσαγαγεῖν περὶ ἁμαρτίας θυσίαν πάνυ καλῶς καὶ ἀστείως πράττων ὑπὲρ ἀναστάσεως διαλογιζόμενος

And after taking up a collection man by man to the amount of two thousand silver drachmas, he sent it to Jerusalem to provide a sin offering, acting very well and nobly as he took thought for the resurrection.

εἰ μὴ γὰρ τοὺς προπεπτωκότας ἀναστῆναι προσεδόκα περισσὸν καὶ ληρῶδες ὑπὲρ νεκρῶν εὔχεσθαι

For if he were not expecting those who had fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.

εἶτε' ἐμβλέπων τοῖς μετ' εὐσεβείας κοιμωμένοις κάλλιστον ἀποκείμενον χαριστήριον ὁσία καὶ εὐσεβὴς ἡ ἐπίνοια ὅθεν περὶ τῶν τεθνηκότων τὸν ἐξιλασμὸν ἐποιήσατο τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπολυθῆναι

But if he was looking to the splendid reward laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, the thought was holy and devout. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be released from their sin.