2 Macabees 13

Apo

1 In the hundred forty and ninth year it was told Judas, that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great power into Judea,

2 And with him Lysias his protector, and ruler of his affairs, having either of them a Grecian power of footmen, an hundred and ten thousand, and horsemen five thousand and three hundred, and elephants two and twenty, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.

3 Menelaus also joined himself with them, and with great dissimulation encouraged Antiochus, not for the safeguard of the country, but because he thought to have been made governor.

4 But the King of kings moved Antiochus' mind against this wicked wretch, and Lysias informed the king that this man was the cause of all mischief, so that the king commanded to bring him unto Berea, and to put him to death, as the manner is in that place.

5 Now there was in that place a tower of fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it had a round instrument which on every side hanged down into the ashes.

6 And whosoever was condemned of sacrilege, or had committed any other grievous crime, there did all men thrust him unto death.

7 Such a death it happened that wicked man to die, not having so much as burial in the earth; and that most justly:

8 For inasmuch as he had committed many sins about the altar, whose fire and ashes were holy, he received his death in ashes.

9 Now the king came with a barbarous and haughty mind to do far worse to the Jews, than had been done in his father's time.

10 Which things when Judas perceived, he commanded the multitude to call upon the Lord night and day, that if ever at any other time, he would now also help them, being at the point to be put from their law, from their country, and from the holy temple:

11 And that he would not suffer the people, that had even now been but a little refreshed, to be in subjection to the blasphemous nations.

12 So when they had all done this together, and besought the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting, and lying flat upon the ground three days long, Judas, having exhorted them, commanded they should be in a readiness.

13 And Judas, being apart with the elders, determined, before the king's host should enter into Judea, and get the city, to go forth and try the matter in fight by the help of the Lord.

14 So when he had committed all to the Creator of the world, and exhorted his soldiers to fight manfully, even unto death, for the laws, the temple, the city, the country, and the commonwealth, he camped by Modin:

15 And having given the watchword to them that were about him, Victory is of God; with the most valiant and choice young men he went in into the king's tent by night, and slew in the camp about four thousand men, and the chiefest of the elephants, with all that were upon him.

16 And at last they filled the camp with fear and tumult, and departed with good success.

17 This was done in the break of the day, because the protection of the Lord did help him.

18 Now when the king had taken a taste of the manliness of the Jews, he went about to take the holds by policy,

19 And marched toward Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but he was put to flight, failed, and lost of his men:

20 For Judas had conveyed unto them that were in it such things as were necessary.

21 But Rhodocus, who was in the Jews' host, disclosed the secrets to the enemies; therefore he was sought out, and when they had gotten him, they put him in prison.

22 The king treated with them in Bethsum the second time, gave his hand, took their's, departed, fought with Judas, was overcome;

23 Heard that Philip, who was left over the affairs in Antioch, was desperately bent, confounded, intreated the Jews, submitted himself, and sware to all equal conditions, agreed with them, and offered sacrifice, honoured the temple, and dealt kindly with the place,

24 And accepted well of Maccabeus, made him principal governor from Ptolemais unto the Gerrhenians;

25 Came to Ptolemais: the people there were grieved for the covenants; for they stormed, because they would make their covenants void:

26 Lysias went up to the judgment seat, said as much as could be in defence of the cause, persuaded, pacified, made them well affected, returned to Antioch. Thus it went touching the king's coming and departing.

Sep

1 τῷ δὲ ἐνάτῳ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ ἑκατοστῷ ἔτει προσέπεσεν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν Ἀντίοχον τὸν Εὐπάτορα παραγενέσθαι σὺν πλήθεσιν ἐπὶ τὴν Ιουδαίαν

2 καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Λυσίαν τὸν ἐπίτροπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἕκαστον ἔχοντα δύναμιν Ἑλληνικὴν πεζῶν μυριάδας ἕνδεκα καὶ ἱππέων πεντακισχιλίους τριακοσίους καὶ ἐλέφαντας εἴκοσι δύο ἅρματα δὲ δρεπανηφόρα τριακόσια

3 συνέμειξεν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Μενέλαος καὶ παρεκάλει μετὰ πολλῆς εἰρωνείας τὸν Ἀντίοχον οὐκ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς πατρίδος οἰόμενος δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς κατασταθήσεσθαι

4 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλέων ἐξήγειρεν τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ Ἀντιόχου ἐπὶ τὸν ἀλιτήριον καὶ Λυσίου ὑποδείξαντος τοῦτον αἴτιον εἶναι πάντων τῶν κακῶν προσέταξεν ὡς ἔθος ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ προσαπολέσαι ἀγαγόντας εἰς Βέροιαν

5 ἔστιν δὲ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ πύργος πεντήκοντα πήχεων πλήρης σποδοῦ οὗτος δὲ ὄργανον εἶχεν περιφερὲς πάντοθεν ἀπόκρημνον εἰς τὴν σποδόν

6 ἐνταῦθα τὸν ἱεροσυλίας ἔνοχον ἢ καί τινων ἄλλων κακῶν ὑπεροχὴν πεποιημένον ἅπαντες προσωθοῦσιν εἰς ὄλεθρον

7 τοιούτῳ μόρῳ τὸν παράνομον συνέβη θανεῖν μηδὲ τῆς γῆς τυχόντα Μενέλαον

8 πάνυ δικαίως ἐπεὶ γὰρ συνετελέσατο πολλὰ περὶ τὸν βωμὸν ἁμαρτήματα οὗ τὸ πῦρ ἁγνὸν ἦν καὶ ἡ σποδός ἐν σποδῷ τὸν θάνατον ἐκομίσατο

9 τοῖς δὲ φρονήμασιν ὁ βασιλεὺς βεβαρβαρωμένος ἤρχετο τὰ χείριστα τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ γεγονότων ἐνδειξόμενος τοῖς Ιουδαίοις

10 μεταλαβὼν δὲ Ιουδας ταῦτα παρήγγειλεν τῷ πλήθει δι᾽ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν κύριον εἴ ποτε καὶ ἄλλοτε καὶ νῦν ἐπιβοηθεῖν τοῖς τοῦ νόμου καὶ πατρίδος καὶ ἱεροῦ ἁγίου στερεῖσθαι μέλλουσιν

11 καὶ τὸν ἄρτι βραχέως ἀνεψυχότα λαὸν μὴ ἐᾶσαι τοῖς δυσφήμοις ἔθνεσιν ὑποχειρίους γενέσθαι

12 πάντων δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιησάντων ὁμοῦ καὶ καταξιωσάντων τὸν ἐλεήμονα κύριον μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ νηστειῶν καὶ προπτώσεως ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τρεῖς ἀδιαλείπτως παρακαλέσας αὐτοὺς ὁ Ιουδας ἐκέλευσεν παραγίνεσθαι

13 καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν δὲ σὺν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις γενόμενος ἐβουλεύσατο πρὶν εἰσβαλεῖν τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ στράτευμα εἰς τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ γενέσθαι τῆς πόλεως ἐγκρατεῖς ἐξελθόντας κρῖναι τὰ πράγματα τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ βοηθείᾳ

14 δοὺς δὲ τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν τῷ κτίστῃ τοῦ κόσμου παρακαλέσας τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ γενναίως ἀγωνίσασθαι μέχρι θανάτου περὶ νόμων ἱεροῦ πόλεως πατρίδος πολιτείας περὶ δὲ Μωδεϊν ἐποιήσατο τὴν στρατοπεδείαν

15 ἀναδοὺς δὲ τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν σύνθημα θεοῦ νίκην μετὰ νεανίσκων ἀρίστων κεκριμένων ἐπιβαλὼν νύκτωρ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν αὐλὴν τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀνεῖλεν εἰς ἄνδρας δισχιλίους καὶ τὸν πρωτεύοντα τῶν ἐλεφάντων σὺν τῷ κατ᾽ οἰκίαν ὄντι συνεκέντησεν

16 καὶ τὸ τέλος τὴν παρεμβολὴν δέους καὶ ταραχῆς ἐπλήρωσαν καὶ ἐξέλυσαν εὐημεροῦντες

17 ὑποφαινούσης δὲ ἤδη τῆς ἡμέρας τοῦτο ἐγεγόνει διὰ τὴν ἐπαρήγουσαν αὐτῷ τοῦ κυρίου σκέπην

18 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰληφὼς γεῦμα τῆς τῶν Ιουδαίων εὐτολμίας κατεπείρασεν διὰ μεθόδων τοὺς τόπους

19 καὶ ἐπὶ Βαιθσουρα φρούριον ὀχυρὸν τῶν Ιουδαίων προσῆγεν ἐτροποῦτο προσέκρουεν ἠλαττονοῦτο

20 τοῖς δὲ ἔνδον Ιουδας τὰ δέοντα εἰσέπεμψεν

21 προσήγγειλεν δὲ τὰ μυστήρια τοῖς πολεμίοις Ροδοκος ἐκ τῆς Ιουδαϊκῆς τάξεως ἀνεζητήθη καὶ κατελήμφθη καὶ κατεκλείσθη

22 ἐδευτερολόγησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἐν Βαιθσουροις δεξιὰν ἔδωκεν ἔλαβεν ἀπῄει προσέβαλεν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ιουδαν ἥττων ἐγένετο

23 μετέλαβεν ἀπονενοῆσθαι τὸν Φίλιππον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τὸν ἀπολελειμμένον ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων συνεχύθη τοὺς Ιουδαίους παρεκάλεσεν ὑπετάγη καὶ ὤμοσεν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς δικαίοις συνελύθη καὶ θυσίαν προσήγαγεν ἐτίμησεν τὸν νεὼ καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐφιλανθρώπησεν

24 καὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον ἀπεδέξατο κατέλιπεν στρατηγὸν ἀπὸ Πτολεμαίδος ἕως τῶν Γερρηνῶν ἡγεμονίδην

25 ἦλθεν εἰς Πτολεμαίδα ἐδυσφόρουν περὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν οἱ Πτολεμαεῖς ἐδείναζον γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἠθέλησαν ἀθετεῖν τὰς διαστάλσεις

26 προσῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα Λυσίας ἀπελογήσατο ἐνδεχομένως συνέπεισεν κατεπράυνεν εὐμενεῖς ἐποίησεν ἀνέζευξεν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν οὕτω τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς ἐφόδου καὶ τῆς ἀναζυγῆς ἐχώρησεν

Vul

1 Anno centesimo quadragesimo nono, cognovit Judas Antiochum Eupatorem venire cum multitudine adversus Judæam,

2 et cum eo Lysiam procuratorem et præpositum negotiorum, secum habentem peditum centum decem millia, et equitum quinque millia, et elephantos viginti duos, currus cum falcibus trecentos.

3 Commiscuit autem se illis et Menelaus: et cum multa fallacia deprecabatur Antiochum, non pro patriæ salute, sed sperans se constitui in principatum.

4 Sed Rex regum suscitavit animos Antiochi in peccatorem: et suggerente Lysia hunc esse causam omnium malorum, jussit (ut eis est consuetudo) apprehensum in eodem loco necari.

5 Erat autem in eodem loco turris quinquaginta cubitorum, aggestum undique habens cineris: hæc prospectum habebat in præceps.

6 Inde in cinerem dejici jussit sacrilegum, omnibus eum propellentibus ad interitum.

7 Et tali lege prævaricatorem legis contigit mori, nec terræ dari Menelaum.

8 Et quidem satis juste: nam quia multa erga aram Dei delicta commisit, cujus ignis et cinis erat sanctus: ipse in cineris morte damnatus est.

9 Sed rex mente effrenatus veniebat, nequiorem se patre suo Judæis ostensurus.

10 Quibus Judas cognitis, præcepit populo ut die ac nocte Dominum invocarent, quo, sicut semper, et nunc adjuvaret eos,

11 quippe qui lege, et patria, sanctoque templo privari vererentur: ac populum, qui nuper paululum respirasset, ne sineret blasphemis rursus nationibus subdi.

12 Omnibus itaque simul id facientibus, et petentibus a Domino misericordiam cum fletu et jejuniis, per triduum continuum prostratis, hortatus est eos Judas ut se præpararent.

13 Ipse vero cum senioribus cogitavit priusquam rex admoveret exercitum ad Judæam et obtineret civitatem, exire, et Domini judicio committere exitum rei.

14 Dans itaque potestatem omnium Deo mundi creatori, et exhortatus suos ut fortiter dimicarent, et usque ad mortem pro legibus, templo, civitate, patria, et civibus starent, circa Modin exercitum constituit.

15 Et dato signo suis Dei victoriæ, juvenibus fortissimis electis nocte aggressus aulam regiam, in castris interfecit viros quatuor millia, et maximum elephantorum cum his qui superpositi fuerant:

16 summoque metu ac perturbatione hostium castra replentes, rebus prospere gestis, abierunt.

17 Hoc autem factum est die illucescente, adjuvante eum Domini protectione.

18 Sed rex, accepto gustu audaciæ Judæorum, arte difficultatem locorum tentabat:

19 et Bethsuræ, quæ erat Judæorum præsidium munitum, castra admovebat: sed fugabatur, impingebat, minorabatur.

20 His autem qui intus erant, Judas necessaria mittebat.

21 Enuntiavit autem mysteria hostibus Rhodocus quidam de judaico exercitu, qui requisitus comprehensus est, et conclusus.

22 Iterum rex sermonem habuit ad eos qui erant in Bethsuris: dextram dedit, accepit, abiit:

23 commisit cum Juda, superatus est.
Ut autem cognovit rebellasse Philippum Antiochiæ, qui relictus erat super negotia, mente consternatus, Judæos deprecans, subditusque eis, jurat de omnibus quibus justum visum est: et reconciliatus obtulit sacrificium, honoravit templum, et munera posuit.

24 Machabæum amplexatus est, et fecit eum a Ptolemaide usque ad Gerrenos ducem et principem.

25 Ut autem venit Ptolemaidam, graviter ferebant Ptolemenses amicitiæ conventionem, indignantes ne forte fœdus irrumperent.

26 Tunc ascendit Lysias tribunal, et exposuit rationem, et populum sedavit, regressusque est Antiochiam: et hoc modo regis profectio et reditus processit.