1
Παντῇ δὲ ὅπου προσέπιπτε τοῦτο τὸ πρόσταγμα, δημοτελὴς συνίστατο τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐωχία μετὰ ἀλαλαγμῶν καὶ χαρᾶς, ὡς ἄν τῆς προκατεσκιῤῥωμένης αὐτοῖς πάλαι κατὰ διάνοιαν, μετὰ παῤῥησίας συνεκφαινομένης ἀπεχθείας.
Wherever this decree was received, the people kept up a revelry of joy and shouting; as if their long-pent-up, hardened hatred, were now to show itself openly.
2
Τοῖς δὲ Ἰουδαίοις ἀνήκεστον πένθος ἦν καὶ πανόδυρτος μετὰ δακρύων βοὴ, στεναγμοῖς πεπυρωμένης τῆς αὐτῶν πάντοθεν καρδίας, ὀλοφυρομένων τὴν ἀπροσδόκητον ἐξαίφνης ἐπικριθεῖσαν αὐτοῖς ὀλεθρίαν.
The Jews suffered great throes of sorrow, and wept much; while their hearts, all things around being lamentable, were set on fire as they bewailed the sudden destruction which was decreed against them.
3
Τίς νομὸς ἢ πόλις, ἢ τίς τὸ σύνολον οἰκητὸς τὸπος, ἢ τίνες ἀγυιαὶ κοπετοῦ καὶ γόων ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἐμπιπλῶντο;
What home, or city, or place at all inhabited, or what streets were there, which their condition did not fill with wailing and lamentation?
4
Οὕτω γὰρ μετὰ πικρᾶς καὶ ἀνοίκτου ψυχῆς ὑπὸ τῶν κατὰ πόλιν στρατηγῶν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐξαπεστέλλοντο, ὥστε ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐξάλλοις τιμωρίαις καί τινας τῶν ἐχθρῶν, λαμβάνοντας πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμὼν τὸν κοινὸν ἔλεον, καὶ λογιζομένους τὴν ἄδηλον τοῦ βίου καταστροφὴν, δακρύειν αὐτῶν τρισάθλιον ἐξαποστολήν.
They were sent out unanimously by the generals in the several cities, with such stern and pitiless feeling, that the exceptional nature of the infliction moved even some of their enemies. These, influenced by sentiments of common humanity, and reflecting upon the uncertain issue of life, shed tears at this their miserable expulsion.
5
Ἤγετο γὰρ γεραιῶν πλῆθος πολιᾷ πεπυκασμένων, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ γήρως νωθρότητα ποδῶν ἐπικύφων, ἀνατροπῆς ὁρμῇ βιαίας, ἁπάσης αἰδοῦς ἄνευ πρὸς ὀξείαν καταχρωμένων πορείαν.
A multitude of aged hoary-haired men, were driven along with halting bending feet, urged onward by the impulse of a violent, shameless force to quick speed.
6
Αἱ δὲ ἄρτι πρὸς βίου κοινωνίαν γαμικὸν ὑπεληλυθυῖαι παστὸν νεάνιδες, ἀντὶ τέρψεως μεταλαβοῦσαι γόους, καὶ κόνει τὴν μυροβραχῆ πεφυρμέναι κόμην, ἀκαλύπτως δὲ ἀγόμεναι, θρῆνον ἀνθʼ ὑμεναίων ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐξῆρχον, ὡς ἐσπαραγμέναι σκυλμοῖς ἀλλοεθνέσι.
Girls who had entered the bridal chamber quite lately, to enjoy the partnership of marriage, exchanged pleasure for misery; and with dust scattered upon their myrrh-anointed heads, were hurried along unveiled, and, in the midst of outlandish insults, set up with one accord a lamentable cry in lieu of the marriage hymn.
7
Δέσμιαι δέ δημόσιαι μέχρι τῆς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἐμβολῆς εἵλκοντο μετὰ βίας.
Bound, and exposed to public gaze, they were hurried violently on board ship.
8
Οἵ τε τούτων συζυγεῖς βρόχοις ἀντὶ στεφέων τοὺς αὐχένας περιπεπλεγμένοι μετὰ ἀκμαίας καὶ νεανικῆς ἡλικίας, ἀντὶ εὐωχίας καὶ νεωτερικῆς ῥαθυμίας τὰς ἐπιλοίπους τῶν γάμων ἡμέρας ἐν θρήνοις διῆγον, παρὰ πόδας ἤδη τὸν ᾅδην ὁρῶντες κείμενον.
The husbands of these, in the prime of their youthful vigor, instead of crowns wore halters round their necks; instead of feasting and youthful jollity, spent the rest of their nuptial days in wailings, and saw only the grave at hand.
9
Κατήχθησαν δὲ θηρίων τρόπον ἀγόμενοι σιδηροδέσμοις ἀνάγκαις· οἱ μὲν τοῖς ζυγοῖς τῶν πλοίων προσηλωμένοι τοὺς τραχήλους, οἱ δὲ τοὺς πόδας ἀῤῥήκτοις κατησθφαλισμένοι πέδαις,
They were dragged along by unyielding chains, like wild beasts: of these, some had their necks thrust into the benches of the rowers; while the feet of others were enclosed in hard fetters.
10
ἔτι καὶ τῷ καθύπερθε πυκνῷ σανιδώματι διακειμένῳ τὸ φέγγος ἀποκλειόμενοι, ὅπως πάντοθεν ἐσκοτισμένοι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἀγωγὴν ἐπιβούλων ἐν παντὶ τῷ κατάπλῳ λαμβάνωσι.
The planks of the deck above them barred out the light, and shut out the day on every side, so that they might be treated like traitors during the whole voyage.
11
Τούτων δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν λεγομένην Σχεδὶαν ἀχθέντων, καὶ τοῦ παράπλου περανθέντος, καθὼς ἦν δεδογματισμένον τῷ βασιλεῖ, προσέταξεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ἱπποδρόμῳ παρεμβαλεῖν ἀπλέτῳ καθεστῶτι περιμέτρῳ, καὶ πρὸς παραδειγματισμὸν ἄγαν εὐκαιροτάτῳ καθεστῶτι πᾶσι τοῖς καταπορευομένοις εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τούτων εἰς τὴν χώραν στελλομένοις πρὸς ἐκδημίαν· πρὸς τὸ μηδὲ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν αὐτοῦ κοινωνεῖν, μηδὲ τὸ σύνολον καταξιῶσαι περιβόλων.
They were conveyed accordingly in this vessel, and at the end of it arrived at Schedia. The king had ordered them to be cast into the vast hippodrome, which was built in front of the city. This place was well adapted by its situation to expose them to the gaze of all comers into the city, and of those who went from the city into the country. Thus they could hold no communication with his forces; nay, were deemed unworthy of any civilized accommodation.
12
Ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐγενήθη, ἀκούσας τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ὁμοεθνεῖς κρυβῇ ἐκπορευομένους πυκνότερον ἀποδύρεσθαι τὴν ἀκλεᾶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ταλαιπωρίαν,
When this was done, the king, hearing that their brethren in the city often went out and lamented the melancholy distress of these victims,
13
διοργισθεὶς προσέταξε καὶ τούτοις ὁμοῦ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐπιμελῶς ὡς ἐκείνοις ποιῆσαι, μὴ λειπομένοις κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον τῆς ἐκείνων τιμωρίας, Ἀπογραφῆναι δὲ πᾶν τὸ φῦλον ἐξ ὀνόματος·
was full of rage, and commanded that they should be carefully subjected to the same (and not one whit milder) treatment.
14
οὐ γὰρ τὴν ἔμπροσθε βραχεῖ προδεδηλωμένην τῶν ἔργων κατὰπονον λατρείαν, στρεβλωθέντας δὲ ταῖς παρηγγελμέναις αἰκίαις τὸ τέλος ἀφανίσαι μιᾶς ὑπὸ καιρὸν ἡμέρας.
The whole nation was now to be registered. Every individual was to be specified by name; not for that hard servitude of labor which we have a little before mentioned, but that he might expose them to the aforementioned tortures; and finally, in the short space of a day, might extirpate them by his cruelties.
15
Ἐγίνετο μὲν οὖν ἡ τοὺτων ἀπογραφὴ μετὰ πικρᾶς σπουδῆς καὶ φιλοτίμου προσεδρίας ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου μέχρι δυσμῶν, ἀνήνυτον λαμβάνουσα τὸ τέλος επὶ ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα.
The registering of these men was carried on cruelly, zealously, assiduously, from the rising of the sun to its going down, and was not brought to an end in forty days.
16
Μεγάλως δὲ καὶ διηνεκῶς ὁ βασιλεὺς χαρᾷ πεπληρωμένος, συμπόσια ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν εἰδώλων συνιστάμενος, πεπλανημένῃ, πόῤῥω τῆς ἀληθείας φρενὶ καὶ βεβήλῳ στόματι, τὰ μὲν κωφὰ καὶ μὴ δυνάμενα αὐτοῖς λαλεῖν ἢ ἀρήγειν, ἐπαινῶν, εἰς δὲ τὸν μέγιστον Θεὸν τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα λαλῶν.
The king was filled with great and constant joy, and celebrated banquets before the temple idols. His erring heart, far from the truth, and his profane mouth, gave glory to idols, deaf and incapable of speaking or aiding, and uttered unworthy speech against the Greatest God.
17
Μετὰ δὲ τὸ προειρημένον τοῦ χρόνου διάστημα προσηνέγκαντο οἱ γραμματεῖς τῷ βασιλεῖ, μηκέτι ἰσχύειν τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπογραφὴν ποιεῖσθαι διὰ τὴν ἀμέτρητον αὐτῶν πληθὺν, καί περ ὄντων κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἔτι τῶν πλειόνων,
At the end of the above-mentioned interval of time, the registrars brought word to the king that the multitude of the Jews was too great for registration,
18
τῶν μὲν κατὰ τὰς οἰκίας ἔτι συνεστηκότων, τῶν δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸπον, ὡς ἀδυνάτου καθεστῶτος πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπʼ Αἴγυπτον στρατηγοῖς,
inasmuch as there were many still left in the land, of whom some were in inhabited houses, and others were scattered about in various places; so that all the commanders in Egypt were insufficient for the work.
19
ἀπειλήσαντος δὲ αὐτοῖς σκληρότερον ὡς δεδωροκοπημένοις εἰς μηχανὴν τῆς ἐκφυγῆς, συνέβη σαφῶς αὐτὸν περὶ τούτου πεισθῆναι,
The king threatened them, and charged them with taking bribes, in order to contrive the escape of the [Jews]: but was clearly convinced of the truth of what had been said.
20
λεγόντων μετὰ ἀποδείξεως, καὶ τὴν χαρτηρίαν ἤδη καὶ τοὺς γραφικοὺς καλάμους ἐν οἷς ἐχρῶντο ἐκλελοιπέναι.
They said, and proved, that paper and pens had failed them for the carrying out of their purpose.
21
Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ἐνέργεια τῆς τοῦ βοηθοῦντος τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐξ οὐρανοῦ προνοίας ἀνικήτου.
Now this was the active interference of the unconquerable Providence which assisted the Jews from heaven.