1
Βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Φιλοπάτωρ τοῖς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον στρατηγοῖς καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς τεταγμένοις ἐπὶ πραγμάτων, χαίρειν καὶ ἐῤῥῶσθαι.
King Ptolemy Philopator to the commanders throughout Egypt, and to all who are set over affairs, joy and strength.
2
Ἐῤῥώμεθα δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν, κατευθύναντος ἡμῖν τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ τὰ πράγματα καθὼς προαιρούμεθα.
We, too, and our children are well; and God has directed our affairs as we wish.
3
Τῶν φίλων τινὲς κακοηθείᾳ πυκνότερον ἡμῖν παρακείμενοι, συνέπεισαν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ τοὺς ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν Ἰουδαίους, συναθροίσαντας σύστημα, κολάσασθαι ξενιζούσαις ἀποστατῶν τιμωρίαις,
Certain of our friends did of malice vehemently urge us to punish the Jews of our realm in a body, with the infliction of a monstrous punishment.
4
προσφερόμενοι μήποτε εὐσταθήσειν τὰ πράγματα ἡμῶν, διʼ ἣν ἔχουσιν οὗτοι πρὸς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δυσμένειαν, μέχρις ἂν συντελεσθῇ τοῦτο.
They pretended that our affairs would never be in a good state till this took place. Such, they said, was the hatred borne by the Jews to all other people.
5
Οἳ καὶ δεσμίους καταγαγόντες αὐτοὺς μετὰ σκυλμῶν ὡς ἀνδράποδα, μᾶλλον δὲ ὡς ἐπιβούλους, ἄνευ πάσης ἀνακρίσεως καὶ ἐξετάσεως ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνελεῖν, νόμου Σκυθῶν ἀγριωτέραν ἐμπεπορπημένοι ὠμότητα.
They brought them fettered in grievous chains as slaves, nay, as traitors. Without inquiry or examination they endeavored to annihilate them. They buckled themselves with a savage cruelty, worse than Scythian custom.
6
Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις σκληρότερον διαπειλησάμενοι, καθʼ ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους ἐπιείκειαν, μόγις τὸ ζῇν αὐτοῖς χαρισάμενοι, καὶ τὸν ἐπουράνιον Θεὸν ἐγνωκότες ἀσφαλῶς ὑπερησπικότα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὡς πατέρα ὑπὲρ υἱῶν διαπαντὸς ὑπερμαχοῦντα,
For this cause we severely threatened them; yet, with the clemency which we are wont to extend to all men, we at length permitted them to live. Finding that the God of heaven cast a shield of protection over the Jews so as to preserve them, and that he fought for them as a father always fights for his sons;
7
τήν τε τοῦ φίλου ἣν ἔχουσι πρὸς ἡμᾶς βεβαίαν καὶ τοὺς προγόνους ἡμῶν εὔνοιαν ἀναλογισάμενοι, δικαίως ἀπολελύκαμεν πάσης καθʼ ὁντινοῦν αἰτίας τρόπον·
and taking into consideration their constancy and fidelity toward us and toward our ancestors, we have, as we ought, acquitted them of every sort of charge.
8
καὶ προστετάχαμεν ἑκάστῳ πάντας εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐπιστρέφειν, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ μηθενὸς αὐτοὺς τὸ σύνολον καταβλάπτοντος, μήτε ὀνειδίζειν περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων παρὰ λόγον.
And we have dismissed them to their several homes; bidding all men everywhere to do them no wrong, or unrighteously revile them about the past.
9
Γινώσκετε γὰρ ὅτι κατὰ τούτων ἐάν τι κακοτεχνήσωμεν πονηρόν, ἢ ἐπιλυπήσωμεν αὐτοὺς τὸ σύνολον, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὸν πάσης δεσπόζοντα δυνάμεως Θεὸν ὕψιστον ἀντικείμενον ἡμῖν ἐπʼ ἐκδικήσει τῶν πραγμάτων κατὰ πᾶν ἀφεύκτως δια παντὸς ἕξομεν· ἔῤῥωσθε.
For know ye, that should we conceive any evil design against, or in any manner aggrieve them, we shall ever have as our opposite, not man, but the highest God, the ruler of all might. From Him there will be no escape, as the avenger of such deeds. Fare ye well.
10
Λαβόντες δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην, οὐκ ἐσπούδασαν εὐθέως γενέσθαι περὶ τὴν ἄφοδον, ἀλλὰ τὸν βασιλέα προσηξίωσαν τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ γένους τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸν ἅγιον Θεὸν αὐθαιρέτως παραβεβηκότας καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν νόμον, τυχεῖν διʼ αὐτῶν τῆς ὀφειλομένης κολάσεως,
When they had received this letter, they were not forward to depart immediately. They petitioned the king to be allowed to inflict fitting punishment upon those of their race who had willingly transgressed the holy God, and the law of God.
11
προφερόμενοι τοὺς γαστρὸς ἕνεκεν τὰ θεῖα παραβεβηκότας προστάγματα, μηδέποτε εὐνοήσειν μηδὲ τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως πράγμασιν.
They alleged that men who had for their bellies’ sake transgressed the ordinances of God, would never be faithful to the interests of the king.
12
Ὁ δὲ τἀληθὲς αὐτοὺς λέγειν παραδεξάμενος καὶ συναινέσας, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἄδειαν πάντων, ὅπως τοὺς παραβεβηκότας τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν νόμον ἐξολοθρεύσωσι κατὰ πάντα τὸν ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τόπον μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἄνευ πάσης βασιλικῆς ἐξουσίας ἢ ἐπισκέψεως.
The king admitted the truth of this reasoning, and commended them. Full power was given them, without warrant or special commission, to destroy those who had transgressed the law of God boldly in every part of the king’s dominions.
13
Τότε κατευφημήσαντες αὐτόν, ὡς πρέπον ἦν, οἱ τούτων ἱερεῖς, καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος ἐπιφωνήσαντες τὸ ἁλληλούϊα, μετὰ χαρᾶς ἀνέλυσαν.
Their priests, then, as it was meet, saluted him with good wishes, and all the people echoed with the Hallelujah. They then joyfully departed.
14
Τότε τὸν ἐμπεσόντα τῶν μεμιασμένων ὁμοεθνῆ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐκολάζοντο, καὶ μετὰ παραδειγματισμῶν ἀνῄρουν.
Then they punished and destroyed with ignominy every polluted Jew that fell in their way;
15
Ἐκείνῃ δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀνεῖλον ὑπὲρ τοὺς τριακοσίους ἄνδρας, καὶ ἤγαγον εὐφροσύνην μετὰ χαρᾶς τοὺς βεβήλους χειρωσάμενοι.
slaying thus, in that day, above three hundred men, and esteeming this destruction of the wicked a season of joy.
16
Αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ μέχρι θανάτου τὸν Θεὸν ἐσχηκότες, παντελῆ σωτηρίας ἀπόλαυσιν εἰληφότες; ἀνέζευξαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως παντοίοις εὐωδεστάτοις ἄνθεσι κατεστεμμένοι μετʼ εὐφροσύνης καὶ βοῆς, ἐν αἴνοις καὶ παμμέλεσιν ὕμνοις εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ Θεῷ τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν αἰωνίῳ σωτῆρι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.
They themselves having held fast their God unto death, and having enjoyed a full deliverance, departed from the city garlanded with sweet-flowered wreaths of every kind. Uttering exclamations of joy, with songs of praise, and melodious hymns they thanked the God of their fathers, the eternal Savior of Israel.
17
Παραγενηθέντες δὲ εἰς Πτολεμαΐδα τὴν ὀνομαζομένην διὰ τὴν τοῦ τόπου ἰδιότητα ῥοδοφόρον, ἐν ᾗ προσέμεινεν αὐτοὺς ὁ στόλος κατὰ κοινὴν αὐτῶν βουλὴν ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ,
Having arrived at Ptolemais, called from the specialty of that district Rose-bearing, where the fleet, in accordance with the general wish, waited for them seven days,
18
ἐκεῖ ἐποίησαν πότον σωτήριον, τοῦ βασιλέως χορηγήσαντος αὐτοῖς εὐψύχως τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἄφιξιν πάντα ἑκάστῳ ἕως εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν οἰκίαν.
they partook of a banquet of deliverance, for the king generously granted them severally the means of securing a return home.
19
Καταχθέντες δὲ μετʼ εἰρήνης ἐν ταῖς πρεπούσαις ἐξομολογήσεσιν, ὡσαύτως κᾀκεῖ ἔστησαν καὶ ταύτας ἄγειν τὰς ἡμέρας ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς παροικίας αὐτῶν χρόνον εὐφροσύνους.
They were accordingly brought back in peace, while they gave utterance to becoming thanks; and they determined to keep these days during their sojourn as days of joyfulness.
20
Ἃς καὶ ἀνιερώσαντες ἐν στήλῃ κατὰ τὸν τῆς συμποσίας τόπον προσευχῆς καθιδρύσαντες, ἀνέλυσαν ἀσινεῖς, ἐλεύθεροι, ὑπερχαρεῖς, διά τε γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης καὶ ποταμοῦ ἀνασωζόμενοι τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιταγῇ, ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν.
These they registered as sacred upon a pillar, when they had dedicated the place of their festivity to be one of prayer. They departed unharmed, free, abundant in joy, preserved by the king’s command, by land, by sea, and by river, each to his own home.
21
Καὶ πλείστην ἢ ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐξουσίαν ἐσχηκότες μετὰ δόκης καὶ φόβου, τὸ σύνολον ὑπὸ μηδενὸς διασεισθέντες τῶν ὑπαρχόντων.
They had more weight than before among their enemies; and were honored and feared, and no one in any way robbed them of their goods.
22
Καὶ πάντα τὰ ἑαυτῶν πάντες ἐκομίσαντο ἐξ ἀπογραφῆς, ὥστε τοὺς ἔχοντάς τι, μετὰ φόβου μεγίστου ἀποδοῦναι αὐτοῖς, τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ μεγίστου Θεοῦ ποιήσαντος τελείως ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ αὐτῶν.
Every man received back his own, according to inventory; those who had obtained their goods, giving them up with the greatest terror. For the greatest God wrought with perfectness wonders for their salvation.
23
Εὐλογητὸς ὁ ῥύστης Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τοὺς ἀεὶ χρόνους. Ἀμήν.
Blessed be the Redeemer of Israel unto everlasting. Amen.