1
Ὦ τῶν Ἁβραμιαίων σπερμάτων ἀπόγονοι παῖδες Ἰσραηλῖται, πείθεσθε τῷ νόμῳ τούτῳ, καὶ πάντα τρόπον εὐσεβεῖτε·
O Israelitish children, descendants of the seed of Abraham, obey this law, and in every way be religious.
2
γινώσκοντες, ὅτι τῶν παθῶν δεσπότης ἐστὶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός· καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἔνδοθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν πόνων·
Knowing that religious reasoning is lord of the passions, and those not only inward but outward.
3
Ἀνθʼ ὦν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προϊέμενοι τὰ σώματα τοῖς πόνοις ἐκεῖνοι, οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐθαυμάσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θείας μερίδος κατηξιώθησαν.
Whence those persons giving up their bodies to pains for the sake of religion, were not only admired by men, but were deemed worthy of a divine portion.
4
Καὶ διʼ αὐτοὺς εἰρήνευσεν τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ τὴν εὐνομίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἀνανεωσάμενος, ἐκπεπολιόρκηκε τοὺς πολεμίους.
And the nation through them obtained peace, and having renewed the observance of the law in their country, drove the enemy out of the land.
5
Καὶ ὁ τύραννος Ἀντίοχος καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τετιμώρηται, καὶ ἀποθανὼν κολάζεται· ὡς γὰρ οὐδὲν οὐδαμῶς ἴσχυσεν ἀναγκάσαι τοὺς Ἱεροσολυμίτας ἀλλοφυλῆσαι, καὶ τῶν πατριῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκδιαιτηθῆναι·
And the tyrant Antiochus was both punished upon earth, and is punished now he is dead; for when he was quite unable to compel the Israelites to adopt foreign customs, and to desert the manner of life of their fathers,
6
τότε δὴ ἀπάρας ἀπὸ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐπὶ Πέρσας.
then, departing from Jerusalem, he made war against the Persians.
7
Ἔλεγεν δὲ ἡ μήτηρ τῶν ἑπτὰ παίδων καὶ ταῦτα ἡ δικαία τοῖς τέκνοις, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐγενήθην παρθένος ἁγνὴ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπερέβην πατρικὸν οἶκον· ἐφύλασσον δὲ τὴν ᾠκοδομουμένην πλευράν.
And the righteous mother of the seven children spoke also as follows to her offspring: I was a pure virgin, and went not beyond my father’s house; but I took care of the built-up rib.
8
Οὐ διέφθειρέν με λυμεὼν τῆς ἐρημίας φθορεὺς ἐν πεδίῳ· οὐδὲ ἐλυμῄνατό μου τὰ ἁγνὰ τῆς παρθενίας λυμεὼν ἀπατηλὸς ὄφις· ἔμεινα δὲ χρόνον ἀκμῆς σὺν ἀνδρί.
No destroyer of the desert, [or] ravisher of the plain, injured me; nor did the destructive, deceitful, snake, make spoil of my chaste virginity; and I remained with my husband during the period of my prime.
9
Τούτων δὲ ἐνελίκων γενομένων ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ πατήρ· μακάριος μὲν ἐκεῖνος· τὸν γὰρ τῆς εὐτεκνίας βίον ἐπιζητήσας, τὸν τῆς ἀτεκνίας οὐκ ὠδυνήθη καιρόν.
And these my children, having arrived at maturity, their father died: blessed was he! for having sought out a life of fertility in children, he was not grieved with a period of loss of children.
10
Ὃς ἐδιδασκεν ὑμᾶς, ἔτι ὢν σὺν ὑμῖν, τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας.
And he used to teach you, when yet with you, the law and the prophets.
11
Τὸν ἀναιρεθέντα Ἀβὲλ ὑπὸ Κάϊν ἀνεγίνωσκεν δὲ ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸν ὁλοκαπούμενον Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τὸν ἐν φυλακῇ Ἰωσήφ.
He used to read to you the slaying of Abel by Cain, and the offering up of Isaac, and the imprisonment of Joseph.
12
Ἔλεγεν δὲ ἡμῖν τὸν ζηλωτὴν Φινεές· ἐδίδασκεν δὲ ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἐν πυρὶ Ανανίαν, καὶ Ἀζαρίαν, καὶ Μισαήλ.
And he used to tell you of the zealous Phinehas; and informed you of Hananiah and Azariah, and Mishael in the fire.
13
Ἐδόξαζεν δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐν λάκκῳ λεόντων Δανιὴλ, ὃν καὶ ἐμακάριζεν.
And he used to glorify Daniel, who was in the den of lions, and pronounce him blessed.
14
Ὑπεμίμνησκεν δὲ ὑμᾶς τῆν Ἠσαΐου γραφὴν τὴν λέγουσαν, κᾂν διὰ πυρὸς διέλθῃς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε.
And he used to put you in mind of the Scripture of Isaiah, which saith, Even if thou pass through the fire, it shall not burn thee.
15
Τὸν ὑμνογράφον ἐμελῴδει ὑμῖν Δαρίδ τὸν λέγοντα, πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων.
He chanted to you David, the hymn writer, who saith, Many are the afflictions of the just.
16
Τὸν Σαλομῶντα ἐπαροιμίαζεν ἡμῖν τὸν λέγοντα, ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστιν πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα.
He declared the proverbs of Solomon, who saith, He is a tree of life to all those who do His will.
17
Τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐπιστοποιεῖτο τὸν λέγοντα, εἰ ζήσεται τὰ ὀστᾶ τὰ ξηρὰ ταῦτα;
He used to verify Ezekiel, who said, Shall these dry bones live?
18
Ὧδην μὲν γὰρ ἣν ἑδίδαξεν Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἐπελάθετο τὴν διδάσκουσαν, ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ καὶ ζῇν ποιήσω.
For he did not forget the song which Moses taught, proclaiming, I will kill, and I will make to live.
19
Αὗτη ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ μακαριότης τῶν ἡμερῶν.
This is our life, and the length of our days.
20
Ὧ πικρᾶς τῆς τότε ἡμέρας, καὶ οὐ πικρᾶς, ὅτε ὁ πικρὸς Ἑλλήμων τύραννος πῦρ φλέξας λέβησιν ὠμοῖς, καὶ ζεουσι θυμοῖς ἀγαγὼν ἐπὶ τὸν καταπέλτην καὶ πάλιν τὰς βασάνους αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἑπτὰ παῖδας τῆς Ἁβρααμίτιδος.
O that bitter, and yet not bitter, day when the bitter tyrant of the Greeks, quenching fire with fire in his cruel caldrons, brought with boiling rage the seven sons of the daughter of Abraham to the catapult, and to all his torments!
21
Τὰς τῶν ὀμμάτων κόρας ἐπήρωσεν, καὶ γλώσσας ἐξέτεμεν, καὶ βασάνοις ποικίλαις ἀπέκτεινεν.
He pierced the balls of their eyes, and cut out their tongues, and put them to death with varied tortures.
22
Ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡ θεία δίκη μετῆλθεν καὶ μετελεύσεται τὸν ἀλάστορα.
Wherefore divine retribution pursued and will pursue the pestilent wretch.
23
Οἱ δὲ Ἁβραμιαῖοι παῖδες σὺν τῇ ἀθλοφορῳ μητρὶ, εἰς πατέρων χορὸν συναγελάζονται, φυχὰς καὶ ἀθανάτους ἀπειληφότες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
But the children of Abraham, with their victorious mother, are assembled together to the choir of their fathers; having received pure and immortal souls from God.
24
Ὦ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.