1
Περὶ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον τὴν δευτέραν ἔφοδον ὁ Ἀντίοχος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐστείλατο.
About the same time Antiochus prepared his second voyage into Egypt:
2
Συνέβη δὲ καθʼ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν σχεδὸν ἐφʼ ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα φαίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ ἀέρος τρέχοντας ἱππεῖς διαχρύσους στολὰς ἔχοντας, καὶ λόγχας σπειρηδὸν ἐξωπλισμένους,
and then it happened, that through all the city, for the space almost of forty days, there were seen horsemen running in the air, in cloth of gold, and armed with lances, like a band of soldiers,
3
καὶ ἴλας ἵππων διατεταγμένας, καὶ προσβολὰς γινομένας, καὶ καταδρομὰς ἑκατέρων, καὶ ἀσπίδων κινήσεις, καὶ καμάκων πλήθη, καὶ μαχαιρῶν σπασμούς, καὶ βελῶν βολὰς, καὶ χρυσῶν κόσμων ἐκλάμψεις, καὶ παντοίους θωρακισμούς.
and troops of horsemen in array, encountering and running one against another, with shaking of shields, and multitude of pikes, and drawing of swords, and casting of darts, and glittering of golden ornaments, and harness of all sorts.
4
Διὸ πάντες ἠξίουν ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν γενέσθαι.
Wherefore every man prayed that that apparition might turn to good.
5
Γενομένης δὲ λαλιᾶς ψευδοῦς, ὡς μετηλλαχότος τὸν βίον Ἀντιόχου, παραλαβὼν ὁ Ἰάσων οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν χιλίων, αἰφνιδίως ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν συνετελέσατο ἐπίθεσιν· τῶν δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ τείχει συνελασθέντων, καὶ τέλος ἤδη καταλαμβανομένης τῆς πόλεως, ὁ Μενέλαος εἰς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἐφυγάδευσεν.
Now when there was gone forth a false rumor, as though Antiochus had been dead, Jason took at the least a thousand men, and suddenly made an assault upon the city; and they that were upon the walls being put back, and the city at length taken, Menelaus fled into the castle:
6
Ὁ δὲ Ἰάσων ἐποιεῖτο σφαγὰς τῶν πολιτῶν τῶν ἰδίων ἀφειδῶς, οὐ συννοῶν τὴν εἰς τοὺς συγγενεῖς εὐημερίαν, δυσημερίαν εἶναι τὴν μεγίστην· δοκῶν δὲ πολεμίων καὶ οὐχ ὁμοεθνῶν τρόπαια καταβάλλεσθαι,
but Jason slew his own citizens without mercy, not considering that to get the day of them of his own nation would be a most unhappy day for him; but thinking they had been [his] enemies, and not [his] countrymen, whom he conquered.
7
τῆς μὲν ἀρχῆς οὐκ ἐκράτησε, τὸ δὲ τέλος τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς αἰσχύνην λαβών, φυγὰς πάλιν εἰς τὴν Ἀμμανίτιν ἀπῆλθε.
Howbeit for all this he obtained not the principality, but at the last received shame for the reward of his treason, and fled again into the country of the Ammonites.
8
Πέρας οὖν κακῆς ἀναστροφῆς ἔτυχεν ἐγκλεισθεὶς πρὸς Ἀρέταν τὸν τῶν Ἀράβων τύραννον, πόλιν ἐκ πόλεως φεύγων, διωκόμενος ὑπὸ πάντων, καὶ στυγούμενος ὡς τῶν νόμων ἀποστάτης, καὶ βδελυσσόμενος ὡς πατρίδος καὶ πολιτῶν δήμιος, εἰς Αἴγυπτον συνεβράσθη.
In the end therefore he had an unhappy return, being accused before Aretas the king of the Arabians, fleeing from city to city, pursued of all men, hated as a forsaker of the laws, and being had in abomination as an open enemy of his country and countrymen, he was cast out into Egypt.
9
Καὶ ὁ συχνοὺς τῆς πατρίδος ἀποξενώσας, ἐπὶ ξένης ἀπώλετο πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀναχθείς, ὡς διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν τευξόμενος σκέπης.
Thus he that had driven many out of their country perished in a strange land, retiring to the Lacedaemonians, and thinking [there] to find succor by reason of his kindred:
10
Καὶ ὁ πλῆθος ἀτάφων ἐκρίψας ἀπένθητος ἐγενήθη, καὶ κηδείας οὐδʼ ἡστινοσοῦν οὔτε πατρῴου τάφου μετέσχε.
and he that had cast out many unburied had none to mourn for him, nor any solemn funerals at all, nor sepulcher with his fathers.
11
Προσπεσόντων δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ τῶν γεγονότων, διέλαβεν ἀποστατεῖν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν· ὅθεν ἀναζεύξας ἐξ Αἰγύπτου τεθηριωμένος τῇ ψυχῇ, ἔλαβε τὴν μὲν πόλιν δορυάλωτον.
Now when this that was done came to the king’s ear, he thought that Judea had revolted: whereupon removing out of Egypt in a furious mind, he took the city by force of arms,
12
Καὶ ἐκέλευσε τοῖς στρατιώταις κόπτειν ἀφειδῶς τοὺς ἐμπίπτοντας, καὶ τοὺς εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ἀναβαίνοντας κατασφάζειν.
and commanded his men of war not to spare such as they met, and to slay such as went up upon the houses.
13
Ἐγίνοντο δὲ νέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων ἀναιρέσιες, ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ τέκνων ἀφανισμὸς, παρθένων τε καὶ νηπίων σφαγαί.
Thus there was killing of young and old, making away of men, women, and children, slaying of virgins and infants.
14
Ὀκτὼ δὲ μυριάδες ἐν ταῖς πάσαις ἡμέραις τρισὶ κατεφθάρησαν, τέσσαρες μὲν ἐν χειρῶν νομαῖς, οὐκ ἧττον δὲ τῶν ἐσφαγμένων ἐπράθησαν.
And there were destroyed within the space of three whole days fourscore thousand, whereof forty thousand were slain in the conflict; and no fewer sold than slain.
15
Καὶ οὐκ ἀρκεσθεὶς δὲ τούτοις, κατετόλμησεν εἰς τὸ πάσης τῆς γῆς ἁγιώτατον ἱερὸν εἰσελθεῖν, ὁδηγὸν ἔχων τὸν Μενέλαον, τὸν καὶ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῆς πατρίδος προδότην γεγονότα.
Yet was he not content with this, but presumed to go into the most holy temple of all the world; Menelaus, that traitor to the laws, and to his own country, being his guide:
16
Καὶ ταῖς μιαραῖς χερσὶ τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη λαμβάνων, καὶ τὰ ὑπʼ ἄλλων βασιλέων ἀνατεθέντα πρὸς αὔξησιν καὶ δόξαν τοῦ τόπου καὶ τιμήν, ταῖς βεβήλοις χερσὶ συσσύρων ἐπεδίδου.
and taking the holy vessels with polluted hands, and with profane hands pulling down the things that were dedicated by other kings to the augmentation and glory and honor of the place, he gave them away.
17
Καὶ ἐμετεωρίζετο τὴν διάνοιαν ὁ Ἀντίοχος, οὐ συνορῶν ὅτι διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῶν τὴν πόλιν οἰκούντων ἀπώργισται βραχέως ὁ Δεσπότης, διὸ γέγονε περὶ τὸν τόπον παρόρασις.
And so haughty was Antiochus in mind, that he considered not that the Lord was angry for a while for the sins of them that dwelt in the city, and therefore his eye was not upon the place.
18
Εἰ δὲ μὴ συνέβαινε προενέχεσθαι πολλοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι, καθάπερ ὁ Ἡλιόδωρος ὁ πεμφθεὶς ὑπὸ Σελεύκου τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τοῦ γαζοφυλακίου, οὗτος προαχθεὶς παραχρῆμα μαστιγωθεὶς ἀνετράπη τοῦ θράσους.
For had they not been formerly wrapped in many sins, this man, as soon as he had come, had forthwith been scourged, and put back from his presumption, as Heliodorus was, whom Seleucus the king sent to view the treasury.
19
Ἀλλʼ οὐ διὰ τὸν τόπον τὸ ἔθνος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἔθνος τὸν τόπον ὁ Κύριος ἐξελέξατο.
Nevertheless God did not choose the people for the place’s sake, but the place for the people’s sake.
20
Διόπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τόπος συμμετασχὼν τῶν τοῦ ἔθνους δυσπετημάτων γενομένων, ὕστερον εὐεργετημάτων ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐκοινώνησε· καὶ ὁ καταλειφθεὶς ἐν τῇ τοῦ παντοκράτορος ὀργῇ, πάλιν ἐν τῇ τοῦ μεγάλου Δεσπότου καταλλαγῇ μετὰ πάσης δόξης ἐπανωρθώθη.
And therefore the place itself, that was partaker with them of the adversity that happened to the nation, did afterward communicate in the benefits sent from the Lord: and as it was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty, so again, the great Lord being reconciled, it was set up with all glory.
21
Ὁ γοῦν Ἀντίοχος ὀκτακόσια πρὸς τοῖς χιλίοις ἀπενεγκάμενος ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τάλαντα, θᾶττον εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἐχωρίσθη, οἰόμενος ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τὴν μὲν γῆν πλωτὴν, καὶ τὸ πέλαγος πορευτὸν θέσθαι διὰ τὸν μετεωρισμὸν τῆς καρδίας.
So when Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred talents, he departed in all haste unto Antioch, weening in his pride to make the land navigable, and the sea passable by foot: such was the haughtiness of his mind.
22
Κατέλιπε δὲ καὶ ἐπιστάτας τοῦ κακοῦν τὸ γένος, ἐν μὲν Ἱεροσολύμοις Φίλιππον, τὸ μὲν γένος Φρύγα, τὸν δὲ τρόπον βαρβαρώτερον ἔχοντα τοῦ καταστήσαντος·
And he left governors to vex the nation: at Jerusalem, Philip, for his country a Phrygian, and for manners more barbarous than he that set him there;
23
ἐν δὲ Γαριζὶν Ἀνδρόνικον, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Μενέλαον, ὃς χείριστα τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερῄρετο τοῖς πολίταις, ἀπεχθῆ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας Ἰουδαίους ἔχων διάθεσιν.
and at Gerizim, Andronicus; and besides, Menelaus, who worse than all the rest bare a heavy hand over the citizens, having a malicious mind against his countrymen the Jews.
24
Ἔπεμψε δὲ τὸν μυσάρχην Ἀπολλώνιον μετὰ στρατεύματος δισμυρίων πρὸς τοῖς δισχιλίοις, προστάξας τοὺς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ πάντας κατασφάξαι, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας καὶ νεωτέρους πωλεῖν.
He sent also that detestable ringleader Apollonius with an army of two and twenty thousand, commanding him to slay all those that were in their best age, and to sell the women and the younger sort:
25
Οὗτος δὲ παραγενόμενος εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ τὸν εἰρηνικὸν ὑποκριθείς, ἐπέσχεν ἕως τῆς ἁγίας ἡμέρας τοῦ σαββάτου· καὶ λαβὼν ἀργοῦντας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, τοῖς ὑφʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐξοπλησίαν παρήγγειλε.
who coming to Jerusalem, and pretending peace, did forbear till the holy day of the Sabbath, when taking the Jews keeping holy day, he commanded his men to arm themselves.
26
Καὶ τοὺς ἐξελθόντας πάντας ἐπὶ τὴν θεωρίαν συνεξεκέντησε, καὶ εἰς τὴν πόλιν σὺν τοῖς ὅπλοις εἰσδραμὼν ἱκανὰ κατέστρωσε πλήθη.
And so he slew all them that were gone to the celebrating of the Sabbath, and running through the city with weapons slew great multitudes.
27
Ἰούδας δὲ ὁ Μακκαβαῖος δέκατός που γενηθεὶς, καὶ ἀναχωρήσας εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, θηρίων τρόπον ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι διέζη σὺν τοῖς μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν χορτώδη τροφὴν σιτούμενοι διατέλουν, πρὸς τὸ μὴ μετασχεῖν τοῦ μολυσμοῦ
But Judas Maccabeus with nine others, or thereabout, withdrew himself into the wilderness, and lived in the mountains after the manner of beasts, with his company, who fed on herbs continually, lest they should be partakers of the pollution.