The Third Book of Maccabees, Chapter 6ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Γ′ Ϛ′

Ελεαζαρος δέ τις ἀνὴρ ἐπίσημος τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας ἱερέων ἐν πρεσβείῳ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἤδη λελογχὼς καὶ πάσῃ τῇ κατὰ τὸν βίον ἀρετῇ κεκοσμημένος τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν καταστείλας πρεσβυτέρους ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν ἅγιον θεὸν προσηύξατο τάδε

Then a certain Eleazar, a distinguished man from among the priests of the country, already advanced in age and adorned throughout his life with every virtue, calmed the elders around him and prayed thus, calling upon the holy God.

βασιλεῦ μεγαλοκράτωρ ὕψιστε παντοκράτωρ θεὲ τὴν πᾶσαν διακυβερνῶν ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς κτίσιν

'King, mighty in power, Most High, almighty God, governing all creation in mercy,

ἔπιδε ἐπὶ Αβρααμ σπέρμα ἐπὶ ἡγιασμένου τέκνα Ιακωβ μερίδος ἡγιασμένης σου λαὸν ἐν ξένῃ γῇ ξένον ἀδίκως ἀπολλύμενον πάτερ

look upon the offspring of Abraham, upon the children of sanctified Jacob, your consecrated portion, a people unjustly perishing as strangers in a foreign land, Father.

σὺ Φαραω πληθύνοντα ἅρμασιν τὸν πρὶν Αἰγύπτου ταύτης δυνάστην ἐπαρθέντα ἀνόμῳ θράσει καὶ γλώσσῃ μεγαλορρήμονι σὺν τῇ ὑπερηφάνῳ στρατιᾷ ποντοβρόχους ἀπώλεσας φέγγος ἐπιφάνας ἐλέους Ισραηλ γένει

You destroyed Pharaoh before, the ruler of this Egypt, when he was swollen with lawless boldness and boastful speech together with his proud army, drowning them in the sea and making the light of mercy shine upon the race of Israel.

σὺ τὸν ἀναριθμήτοις δυνάμεσιν γαυρωθέντα Σενναχηριμ βαρὺν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέα δόρατι τὴν πᾶσαν ὑποχείριον ἤδη λαβόντα γῆν καὶ μετεωρισθέντα ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν σου πόλιν βαρέα λαλοῦντα κόμπῳ καὶ θράσει σύ δέσποτα ἔθραυσας ἔκδηλον δεικνὺς ἔθνεσιν πολλοῖς τὸ σὸν κράτος

You shattered Sennacherib, the harsh king of the Assyrians, who had become proud with countless forces, had already brought the whole earth under his spear, and had exalted himself against your holy city with grievous boasting and insolence, plainly showing your might to many nations, Master.

σὺ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν τρεῖς ἑταίρους πυρὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐθαιρέτως δεδωκότας εἰς τὸ μὴ λατρεῦσαι τοῖς κενοῖς διάπυρον δροσίσας κάμινον ἐρρύσω μέχρι τριχὸς ἀπημάντους φλόγα πᾶσιν ἐπιπέμψας τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις

You rescued the three companions in Babylonia, who willingly gave their lives rather than worship empty things, cooling the blazing furnace and sending the flame upon all their adversaries, so that they came forth unharmed down to a hair.

σὺ τὸν διαβολαῖς φθόνου λέουσι κατὰ γῆς ῥιφέντα θηρσὶν βορὰν Δανιηλ εἰς φῶς ἀνήγαγες ἀσινῆ

You brought Daniel up unharmed into the light after he had been cast to the lions underground as food through slanders born of envy.

τόν τε βυθοτρεφοῦς ἐν γαστρὶ κήτους Ιωναν τηκόμενον ἀφιδὼν ἀπήμαντον πᾶσιν οἰκείοις ἀνέδειξας πάτερ

And when Jonah was wasting away in the belly of the sea-fed monster, you looked upon him, Father, and showed him forth unharmed to all his own people.

καὶ νῦν μίσυβρι πολυέλεε τῶν ὅλων σκεπαστά τὸ τάχος ἐπιφάνηθι τοῖς ἀπὸ Ισραηλ γένους ὑπὸ ἐβδελυγμένων ἀνόμων ἐθνῶν ὑβριζομένοις

And now, hater of outrage, rich in mercy, protector of all, appear quickly to those of the race of Israel who are being outraged by abominable lawless nations.

εἰ δὲ ἀσεβείαις κατὰ τὴν ἀποικίαν ὁ βίος ἡμῶν ἐνέσχηται ῥυσάμενος ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν χειρός ᾧ προαιρῇ δέσποτα ἀπόλεσον ἡμᾶς μόρῳ

But if our life during the dispersion has been entangled in acts of impiety, then after rescuing us from the hand of our enemies destroy us, Master, by whatever death you choose.

μὴ τοῖς ματαίοις οἱ ματαιόφρονες εὐλογησάτωσαν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἠγαπημένων σου ἀπωλείᾳ λέγοντες οὐδὲ ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν ἐρρύσατο αὐτούς

Let not the vain in their vain-mindedness boast over the destruction of your beloved ones, saying, 'Not even their God rescued them.'

σὺ δέ ὁ πᾶσαν ἀλκὴν καὶ δυναστείαν ἔχων ἅπασαν αἰώνιε νῦν ἔπιδε ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς τοὺς καθ' ὕβριν ἀνόμων ἀλόγιστον ἐκ τοῦ ζῆν μεθισταμένους ἐν ἐπιβούλων τρόπῳ

But you, eternal one, who possess all strength and every dominion, look now and have mercy on us, who are being removed from life by the wanton insolence of lawless men in the manner of conspirators.

πτηξάτω δὲ ἔθνη σὴν δύναμιν ἀνίκητον σήμερον ἔντιμε δύναμιν ἔχων ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ Ιακωβ γένους

Let the nations today cower before your invincible might, O honored one, who possess power for the salvation of Jacob's race.

ἱκετεύει σε τὸ πᾶν πλῆθος τῶν νηπίων καὶ οἱ τούτων γονεῖς μετὰ δακρύων

The whole multitude of the little children and their parents with tears beseech you.

δειχθήτω πᾶσιν ἔθνεσιν ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν εἶ κύριε καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστρεψας τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀφ' ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ καθὼς εἶπας ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν ὄντων ὑπερεῖδον αὐτούς οὕτως ἐπιτέλεσον κύριε

Let it be shown to all the nations that you are with us, Lord, and that you have not turned your face away from us; but just as you said, 'Not even when they are in the land of their enemies did I overlook them,' so, Lord, bring it to fulfillment.

τοῦ δὲ Ελεαζαρου λήγοντος ἄρτι τῆς προσευχῆς ὁ βασιλεὺς σὺν τοῖς θηρίοις καὶ παντὶ τῷ τῆς δυνάμεως φρυάγματι κατὰ τὸν ἱππόδρομον παρῆγεν

Now just as Eleazar was finishing the prayer, the king came with the beasts and all the pomp of his force to the hippodrome.

καὶ θεωρήσαντες οἱ Ιουδαῖοι μέγα εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνέκραξαν ὥστε καὶ τοὺς παρακειμένους αὐλῶνας συνηχήσαντας ἀκατάσχετον πτόην ποιῆσαι παντὶ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ

And when the Jews saw it, they cried out loudly to heaven, so that even the neighboring valleys echoed with them and caused uncontrollable panic throughout the camp.

τότε ὁ μεγαλόδοξος παντοκράτωρ καὶ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς ἐπιφάνας τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ πρόσωπον ἠνέῳξεν τὰς οὐρανίους πύλας ἐξ ὧν δεδοξασμένοι δύο φοβεροειδεῖς ἄγγελοι κατέβησαν φανεροὶ πᾶσιν πλὴν τοῖς Ιουδαίοις

Then the all-glorious, almighty, and true God, revealing his holy face, opened the heavenly gates, from which two glorious angels of fearful appearance came down, visible to all except the Jews.

καὶ ἀντέστησαν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τῶν ὑπεναντίων ἐπλήρωσαν ταραχῆς καὶ δειλίας καὶ ἀκινήτοις ἔδησαν πέδαις

They took their stand and filled the hostile force with confusion and cowardice, and bound them fast with immovable shackles.

καὶ ὑπόφρικον καὶ τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως σῶμα ἐγενήθη καὶ λήθη τὸ θράσος αὐτοῦ τὸ βαρύθυμον ἔλαβεν

Even the king's body was seized with a shudder, and forgetfulness overtook his proud arrogance.

καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν τὰ θηρία ἐπὶ τὰς συνεπομένας ἐνόπλους δυνάμεις καὶ κατεπάτουν αὐτὰς καὶ ὠλέθρευον

And the beasts turned upon the armed forces marching with them and trampled and destroyed them.

καὶ μετεστράφη τοῦ βασιλέως ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς οἶκτον καὶ δάκρυα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῷ μεμηχανευμένων

Then the king's anger was changed into pity and tears over the plans he had earlier devised.

ἀκούσας γὰρ τῆς κραυγῆς καὶ συνιδὼν πρηνεῖς ἅπαντας εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν δακρύσας μετ' ὀργῆς τοῖς φίλοις διηπειλεῖτο λέγων

For when he heard the cry and saw everyone lying prostrate for destruction, he wept and angrily threatened his friends, saying,

παραβασιλεύετε καὶ τυράννους ὑπερβεβήκατε ὠμότητι καὶ ἐμὲ αὐτὸν τὸν ὑμῶν εὐεργέτην ἐπιχειρεῖτε τῆς ἀρχῆς ἤδη καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος μεθιστᾶν λάθρᾳ μηχανώμενοι τὰ μὴ συμφέροντα τῇ βασιλείᾳ

'You are acting more royally than the king and have surpassed tyrants in cruelty, and you are now trying secretly to deprive me, your benefactor, of office and life by plotting what does not benefit the kingdom.

τίς τοὺς κρατήσαντας ἡμῶν ἐν πίστει τὰ τῆς χώρας ὀχυρώματα τῆς οἰκίας ἀποστήσας ἕκαστον ἀλόγως ἤθροισεν ἐνθάδε

Who was it that gathered here senselessly those who have kept the strongholds of our realm in loyalty, each in his own household?

τίς τοὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐνοίᾳ πρὸς ἡμᾶς κατὰ πάντα διαφέροντας πάντων ἐθνῶν καὶ τοὺς χειρίστους πλεονάκις ἀνθρώπων ἐπιδεδεγμένους κινδύνους οὕτως ἀθέσμως περιέβαλεν αἰκίαις

Who has so lawlessly surrounded with outrages those who from the beginning have surpassed all nations in goodwill toward us and who have often endured the gravest dangers among men?

λύσατε ἐκλύσατε ἄδικα δεσμά εἰς τὰ ἴδια μετ' εἰρήνης ἐξαποστείλατε τὰ προπεπραγμένα παραιτησάμενοι

Release, release these unjust bonds; send them away in peace to their homes, retracting what has been done before.

ἀπολύσατε τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ παντοκράτορος ἐπουρανίου θεοῦ ζῶντος ὃς ἀφ' ἡμετέρων μέχρι τοῦ νῦν προγόνων ἀπαραπόδιστον μετὰ δόξης εὐστάθειαν παρέχει τοῖς ἡμετέροις πράγμασιν

Set free the sons of the almighty, heavenly, living God, who from the time of our forefathers until now has granted unimpeded stability with glory to our affairs.

ὁ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἔλεξεν οἱ δὲ ἐν ἀμερεῖ χρόνῳ λυθέντες τὸν ἅγιον σωτῆρα θεὸν αὐτῶν εὐλόγουν ἄρτι τὸν θάνατον ἐκπεφευγότες

So he spoke, and they, being freed in no time, blessed their holy savior God, having just escaped death.

εἶτα ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀπαλλαγεὶς τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν προσόδων προσκαλεσάμενος ἐκέλευσεν οἴνους τε καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πρὸς εὐωχίαν ἐπιτήδεια τοῖς Ιουδαίοις χορηγεῖν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ κρίνας αὐτοὺς ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ ἔδοξαν τὸν ὄλεθρον ἀναλαμβάνειν ἐν τούτῳ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ πάσῃ σωτήρια ἀγαγεῖν

Then the king, after returning to the city, summoned the official over the revenues and ordered him to provide the Jews with wine and the other provisions suitable for festal enjoyment for seven days, deciding that in the very place where they had expected to receive destruction they should celebrate deliverance with every kind of rejoicing.

τότε οἱ τὸ πρὶν ἐπονείδιστοι καὶ πλησίον τοῦ ᾅδου μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπ' αὐτῷ βεβηκότες ἀντὶ πικροῦ καὶ δυσαιάκτου μόρου κώθωνα σωτήριον συστησάμενοι τὸν εἰς πτῶσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ τάφον ἡτοιμασμένον τόπον κλισίαις κατεμερίσαντο πλήρεις χαρμονῆς

Then those who formerly were objects of reproach and stood near Hades, or rather already upon it, organized a saving drinking feast instead of bitter and miserable death, and divided into dining groups the place prepared for them as a fall and a grave, full of joy.

καταλήξαντες δὲ θρήνων πανόδυρτον μέλος ἀνέλαβον ᾠδὴν πάτριον τὸν σωτῆρα καὶ τερατοποιὸν αἰνοῦντες θεόν οἰμωγήν τε πᾶσαν καὶ κωκυτὸν ἀπωσάμενοι χοροὺς συνίσταντο εὐφροσύνης εἰρηνικῆς σημεῖον

And putting an end to the all-lamenting strain of mourning, they took up their ancestral song, praising God their savior and worker of wonders; casting off every wail and cry, they formed choruses as a sign of peaceful gladness.

ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς περὶ τούτων συμπόσιον βαρὺ συναγαγὼν ἀδιαλείπτως εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνθωμολογεῖτο μεγαλομερῶς ἐπὶ τῇ παραδόξῳ γενηθείσῃ αὐτῷ σωτηρίᾳ

Likewise the king too, having assembled a great banquet because of these events, continually gave exuberant thanks to heaven for the extraordinary deliverance that had happened to him.

οἵ τε πρὶν εἰς ὄλεθρον καὶ οἰωνοβρώτους αὐτοὺς ἔσεσθαι τιθέμενοι καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς ἀπογραψάμενοι κατεστέναξαν αἰσχύνην ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς περιβαλόμενοι καὶ τὴν πυρόπνουν τόλμαν ἀκλεῶς ἐσβεσμένοι

And those who had previously intended that they should perish and be devoured by birds, and had registered them with joy, groaned, clothed in shame over themselves, and had their fire-breathing boldness ignominiously quenched.

οἵ τε Ιουδαῖοι καθὼς προειρήκαμεν συστησάμενοι τὸν προειρημένον χορὸν μετ' εὐωχίας ἐν ἐξομολογήσεσιν ἱλαραῖς καὶ ψαλμοῖς διῆγον

And the Jews, as we said before, having organized the aforesaid chorus, spent their time in festal joy with cheerful thanksgivings and psalms.

καὶ κοινὸν ὁρισάμενοι περὶ τούτων θεσμὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν παροικίαν αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰς τὰς προειρημένας ἡμέρας ἄγειν ἔστησαν εὐφροσύνους οὐ πότου χάριν καὶ λιχνείας σωτηρίας δὲ τῆς διὰ θεὸν γενομένης αὐτοῖς

And establishing a common ordinance about these things for their whole diaspora through all generations, they decreed that the aforesaid days should be kept as days of rejoicing, not for drinking and luxury but because of the deliverance that came to them through God.

ἐνέτυχον δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὴν ἀπόλυσιν αὐτῶν εἰς τὰ ἴδια αἰτούμενοι

Then they approached the king, asking for release to their own homes.

ἀπογράφονται δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ πέμπτης καὶ εἰκάδος τοῦ Παχων ἕως τῆς τετάρτης τοῦ Επιφι ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα συνίστανται δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἀπὸ πέμπτης τοῦ Επιφι ἕως ἑβδόμης ἡμέραις τρισίν

They had been registered from the twenty-fifth of Pachon until the fourth of Epiphi, over forty days, and the destruction arranged for them from the fifth of Epiphi until the seventh, for three days.

ἐν αἷς καὶ μεγαλοδόξως ἐπιφάνας τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ὁ τῶν πάντων δυνάστης ἀπταίστους αὐτοὺς ἐρρύσατο ὁμοθυμαδόν

During those days the ruler of all manifested his mercy gloriously and rescued them all together without stumbling.

εὐωχοῦντο δὲ πάνθ' ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως χορηγούμενοι μέχρι τῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης ἐν ᾗ καὶ τὴν ἐντυχίαν ἐποιήσαντο περὶ τῆς ἀπολύσεως αὐτῶν

And they feasted, supplied by the king, until the fourteenth day, on which they also made their petition concerning their release.

συναινέσας δὲ αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔγραψεν αὐτοῖς τὴν ὑπογεγραμμένην ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ πόλιν στρατηγοὺς μεγαλοψύχως τὴν ἐκτενίαν ἔχουσαν

And when the king agreed with them, he wrote them the following letter to the commanders in the cities, magnanimously expressing his concern.