4 Maccabees 17

Thomson · Brenton · Greek · public domain

Thomson 1808

Brenton 1851

Greek · Brenton

Thomson—

BrentonAnd some of the spearbearers said, that when she herself was about to be seized for the purpose of being put to death, she threw herself upon the pile, rather than that they should touch her person.

GreekἜλεγον δὲ καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων τινὲς, ὡς ὅτε ἔμελλεν καὶ αὐτὴ συλλαμβάνεσθαι πρὸς θάνατον, ἵνα μὴ ψαύσειέν τι τοῦ σώματος ἑαυτῆς, ἑαυτὴν ἔῤῥιψεν κατὰ τῆς πυρᾶς.

Thomson—

BrentonO thou mother, who together with seven children didst destroy the violence of the tyrant, and render void his wicked intentions, and exhibit the nobleness of faith!

GreekὮ μήτηρ σὺν ἑπτὰ παισὶν καταλύσασα τὴν τοῦ τυράννου βίαν, καὶ ἀκυρώσασα τὰς κακὰς ἐπινοίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπιδείξασα τὴν τῆς πίστεως γενναιότητα.

Thomson—

BrentonFor thou, as a house bravely built upon the pillar of thy children, didst bear without swaying, the shock of tortures.

GreekΚαθάπερ γὰρ σὺ στέγη ἐπὶ τοῦ στύλου τῶν παίδων γενναίως ἱδρυμένη, ἀκλινῶς ὑπήνεγκας τὸν διὰ τῶν βασάνων σεισμόν.

Thomson—

BrentonBe of good cheer, therefore, O holy-minded mother! holding the firm [substance of the] hope of your steadfastness with God.

GreekΘάῤῥει τοιγαροῦν, ὦ μήτηρ ἱερόψυχε, τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς ὑπομονῆς γενναίως ἔχουσα πρὸς Θεόν.

Thomson—

BrentonNot so gracious does the moon appear with the stars in heaven, as thou art established honourable before God, and fixed in the firmament with thy sons whom thou didst illuminate with religion to the stars.

GreekΟὐχ οὕτω σελήνη κατʼ οὐρανὸν σὺν ἄστροις σεμνὴ καθέστηκεν, ὡς σὺ τοὺς εἰς ἀστέρας ἑπτὰ παῖδας φωταγωγήσασα πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἔντιμος καθέστηκας Θεῷ, καὶ ἐστήρισαι ἐν οὐρανῷ σὺν αὐτοῖς.

Thomson—

BrentonFor thy bearing of children was after the fashion of a child of Abraham.

GreekἮν γὰρ ἡ παιδοποιΐα σου ἀπὸ Ἁβραὰμ τοῦ παιδός.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd, were it lawful for us to paint as on a tablet the religion of thy story, the spectators would not shudder at beholding the mother of seven children enduring for the sake of religion various tortures even unto death.

GreekΕἰ δὲ ἐξὸν ἡμῖν ἦν, ὥσπερ τινὸς ζωγραφῆσαι τὴν τῆς ἱστορίας σου εὐσέβειαν, οὐκ ἂν ἔφριττον οἱ θεωροῦντες μητέρα ἑπτὰ τέκνων διʼ εὐσέβειαν ποικίλας βασάνους μέχρι θανάτου ὑπομείνασαν.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd it had been a worthy thing to have inscribed upon the tomb itself these words as a memorial to those of the nation,

GreekΚαὶ γὰρ ἄξιον ἦν καὶ ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐπιταφίου ἀναγράψαι καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔθνους εἰς μνείαν λεγόμενα.

Thomson—

BrentonHere an aged priest, and an aged woman, and seven sons, are buried through the violence of a tyrant, who wished to destroy the polity of the Hebrews.

GreekἘνταῦθα γέρων ἱερεὺς, καὶ γυμὴ γεραιὰ καὶ ἑπτὰ παῖδες ἐγκεκήδευνται διὰ τυράννου βίαν, τὴν Ἑβραίων πολιτείαν καταλῦσαι θέλοντος.

Thomson—

BrentonThese also avenged their nation, looking unto God, and enduring torments unto death.

GreekΟἳ καὶ ἐξεδίκησαν τὸ ἔθνος εἰς Θεὸν ἀφορῶντες, καὶ μέχρι θανάτου τὰς βασάνους ὑπομείναντες.

Thomson—

BrentonFor it was a truly divine contest which was carried through by them.

GreekἈληθῶς γὰρ ἦν ἀγῶν θεῖος ὁ διʼ αὐτῶν γεγενημένος.

Thomson—

BrentonFor at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life.

GreekἨθλότει γὰρ τότε ἀρετὴ διʼ ὑπομονῆς δοκιμάζουσα τὸ νῖκος ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ ἐν ζωῇ πολυχρονίῳ.

Thomson—

BrentonEleazar was the first to contend: and the mother of the seven children entered the contest; and the brethren contended.

GreekἘλεάζαρ δὲ προηγωνίζετο· ἡ δὲ μήτηρ τῶν ἑπτὰ παίδων ἐνήθλει·

Thomson—

BrentonThe tyrant was the opposite; and the world and living men were the spectators.

Greekοἱ δὲ ἀδελφοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο· ὁ τύραννος ἀντηγωνίζετο· ὁ δὲ κόσμος καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος ἐθεώρει.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes.

GreekΘεοσέβεια δὲ ἐνίκα, τοὺς ἑαυτῆς ἀθλητὰς στεφανοῦσα.

Thomson—

BrentonWho did not admire those champions of true legislation? who were not astonied?

GreekΤίνες οὐκ ἐθαύμασαν τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας νομοθεσίας ἀθλητὰς; τίνες οὐκ ἐξεπλάγησαν;

Thomson—

BrentonThe tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance;

GreekΑὐτός γέ τοι ὁ τύραννος καὶ ὅλον τὸν συνέδριον αὐτῶν ἐξεθαύμασαν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπομονήν.

Thomson—

Brentonthrough which, also, they now stand beside the divine throne, and live a blessed life.

GreekΔιʼ ἣν καὶ τῷ θείῳ νῦν παρεστήκασιν θρόνῳ, καὶ τὸν μακάριον βιοῦσιν αἰῶνα.

Thomson—

BrentonFor Moses saith, And all the saints are under thy hands.

GreekΚαὶ γάρ φησιν ὁ Μωσῆς, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἡγιασμένοι ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖράς σου.

Thomson—

BrentonThese, therefore, having been sanctified through God, have been honoured not only with this honour, but that also by their means the enemy did not overcome our nation;

GreekΚαὶ οὗτοι οὖν ἁγιασθέντες διὰ Θεὸν τετίμηνται οὐ μόνον οὖν ταύτῃ τῇ τιμῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ διʼ αὐτοὺς τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν τοὺς πολεμίους μὴ ἐπικρατήσας,

Thomson—

Brentonand that the tyrant was punished, and their country purified.

Greekκαὶ τὸν τύραννον τιμωρηθῆναι, καὶ τὴν πατρίδα καθαρισθῆναι,

Thomson—

BrentonFor they became the antipoise to the sin of the nation; and the Divine Providence saved Israel, aforetime afflicted, by the blood of those pious ones, and their propitiatory death.

Greekὥσπωρ ἀντίψυχον γεγονότας τῆς τοῦ ἔθνους ἁμαρτίας, καὶ διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου θανάτου αὐτῶν, ἡ θεία πρόνοια τὸν Ἰσραὴλ προκακωθέντα διέσωσεν.

Thomson—

BrentonFor the tyrant Antiochus, looking to their manly virtue, and to their endurance in torture, proclaimed that endurance as an example to his soldiers.

GreekΠρὸς γὰρ τὴν ἀνδρείαν αὐτῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς βασάνοις αὐτῶν ὑπομονὴν ὁ τύραννος ἀφιδὼν Ἀντίοχος ἀνεκήρυξεν τοῖς στρατιώταις αὐτοῦ εἰς ὑπόδειγμα τὴν ἐκείνων ὑπομονήν.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd they proved to be to him noble and brave for land battles and sieges; and he conquered and stormed the towns of all his enemies.

GreekἜσχεν τε αὐτοὺς γενναίους καὶ ἀνδρείους εἰς πεζομαχίαν καὶ πολιορκίαν· καὶ ἐκπορθήσας ἐνίκησεν πάντας τοὺς πολεμίους.