II Macabeos, 6

1. Poco tiempo después, el rey envió al ateniense Geronta para obligar a los judíos a que desertaran de las leyes de sus padres y a que dejaran de vivir según las leyes de su Dios;

1. Not long after this, the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to forsake the laws of their fathers and cease to live by the laws of God,

2. y además para contaminar el Templo de Jerusalén, dedicándolo a Zeus Olímpico, y el de Garizim, a Zeus Hospitalario, como lo habían pedido los habitantes del lugar.

2. and also to pollute the temple in Jerusalem and call it the temple of Olympian Zeus, and to call the one in Gerizim the temple of Zeus the Friend of Strangers, as did the people who dwelt in that place.

3. Este recrudecimiento del mal era para todos penoso e insoportable.

3. Harsh and utterly grievous was the onslaught of evil.

4. El Templo estaba lleno de desórdenes y orgías por parte de los paganos que holgaban con meretrices y que en los atrios sagrados andaban con mujeres, y hasta introducían allí cosas prohibidas.

4. For the temple was filled with debauchery and reveling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots and had intercourse with women within the sacred precincts, and besides brought in things for sacrifice that were unfit.

5. El altar estaba repleto de víctimas ilícitas, prohibidas por las leyes.

5. The altar was covered with abominable offerings which were forbidden by the laws.

6. No se podía ni celebrar el sábado, ni guardar las fiestas patrias, ni siquiera confesarse judío;

6. A man could neither keep the sabbath, nor observe the feasts of his fathers, nor so much as confess himself to be a Jew.

7. antes bien eran obligados con amarga violencia a la celebración mensual del nacimiento del rey con un banquete sacrificial y, cuando llegaba la fiesta de Dióniso, eran forzados a formar parte de su cortejo, coronados de hiedra.

7. On the monthly celebration of the king's birthday, the Jews were taken, under bitter constraint, to partake of the sacrifices; and when the feast of Dionysus came, they were compelled to walk in the procession in honor of Dionysus, wearing wreaths of ivy.

8. Por instigación de los habitantes de Tolemaida salió un decreto para las vecinas ciudades griegas, obligándolas a que procedieran de la misma forma contra los judíos y a que les hicieran participar en los banquetes sacrificiales,

8. At the suggestion of Ptolemy a decree was issued to the neighboring Greek cities, that they should adopt the same policy toward the Jews and make them partake of the sacrifices,

9. con orden de degollar a los que no adoptaran el cambio a las costumbres griegas. Podíase ya entrever la calamidad inminente.

9. and should slay those who did not choose to change over to Greek customs. One could see, therefore, the misery that had come upon them.

10. Dos mujeres fueron delatadas por haber circuncidado a sus hijos; las hicieron recorrer públicamente la ciudad con los niños colgados del pecho, y las precipitaron desde la muralla.

10. For example, two women were brought in for having circumcised their children. These women they publicly paraded about the city, with their babies hung at their breasts, then hurled them down headlong from the wall.

11. Otros que se habían reunido en cuevas próximas para celebrar a escondidas el día séptimo, fueron denunciados a Filipo y quemados juntos, sin que quisieran hacer nada en su defensa, por respeto a la santidad del día.

11. Others who had assembled in the caves near by, to observe the seventh day secretly, were betrayed to Philip and were all burned together, because their piety kept them from defending themselves, in view of their regard for that most holy day.

12. Ruego a los lectores de este libro que no se desconcierten por estas desgracias; piensen antes bien que estos castigos buscan no la destrucción, sino la educación de nuestra raza;

12. Now I urge those who read this book not to be depressed by such calamities, but to recognize that these punishments were designed not to destroy but to discipline our people.

13. pues el no tolerar por mucho tiempo a los impíos, de modo que pronto caigan en castigos, es señal de gran benevolencia.

13. In fact, not to let the impious alone for long, but to punish them immediately, is a sign of great kindness.

14. Pues con las demás naciones el Soberano, para castigarlas, aguarda pacientemente a que lleguen a colmar la medida de sus pecados; pero con nosotros ha decidido no proceder así,

14. For in the case of the other nations the Lord waits patiently to punish them until they have reached the full measure of their sins; but he does not deal in this way with us,

15. para que no tenga luego que castigarnos, al llegar nuestros pecados a la medida colmada.

15. in order that he may not take vengeance on us afterward when our sins have reached their height.

16. Por eso mismo nunca retira de nosotros su misericordia: cuando corrige con la desgracia, no está abandonando a su propio pueblo.

16. Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us. Though he disciplines us with calamities, he does not forsake his own people.

17. Quede esto dicho a modo de recuerdo. Después de estas pocas palabras, prosigamos la narración.

17. Let what we have said serve as a reminder; we must go on briefly with the story.

18. A Eleazar, uno de los principales escribas, varón de ya avanzada edad y de muy noble aspecto, le forzaban a abrir la boca y a comer carne de puerco.

18. Eleazar, one of the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in age and of noble presence, was being forced to open his mouth to eat swine's flesh.

19. Pero él, prefiriendo una muerte honrosa a una vida infame, marchaba voluntariamente al suplicio del apaleamiento,

19. But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with pollution, went up to the the rack of his own accord, spitting out the flesh,

20. después de escupir todo, que es como deben proceder los que tienen valentía rechazar los alimentos que no es lícito probar ni por amor a la vida.

20. as men ought to go who have the courage to refuse things that it is not right to taste, even for the natural love of life.

21. Los que estaban encargados del banquete sacrificial contrario a la Ley, tomándole aparte en razón del conocimiento que de antiguo tenían con este hombre, le invitaban a traer carne preparada por él mismo, y que le fuera lícita; a simular como si comiera la mandada por el rey, tomada del sacrificio,

21. Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside, because of their long acquaintance with him, and privately urged him to bring meat of his own providing, proper for him to use, and pretend that he was eating the flesh of the sacrificial meal which had been commanded by the king,

22. para que, obrando así, se librara de la muerte, y por su antigua amistad hacia ellos alcanzara benevolencia.

22. so that by doing this he might be saved from death, and be treated kindly on account of his old friendship with them.

23. Pero él, tomando una noble resolución digna de su edad, de la prestancia de su ancianidad, de sus experimentadas y ejemplares canas, de su inmejorable proceder desde niño y, sobre todo, de la legislación santa dada por Dios, se mostró consecuente consigo diciendo que se le mandara pronto al Hades.

23. But making a high resolve, worthy of his years and the dignity of his old age and the gray hairs which he had reached with distinction and his excellent life even from childhood, and moreover according to the holy God-given law, he declared himself quickly, telling them to send him to Hades.

24. «Porque a nuestra edad no es digno fingir, no sea que muchos jóvenes creyendo que Eleazar, a sus noventa años, se ha pasado a las costumbres paganas,

24. "Such pretense is not worthy of our time of life," he said, "lest many of the young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to an alien religion,

25. también ellos por mi simulación y por mi apego a este breve resto de vida, se desvíen por mi culpa y yo atraiga mancha y deshonra a mi vejez.

25. and through my pretense, for the sake of living a brief moment longer, they should be led astray because of me, while I defile and disgrace my old age.

26. Pues aunque me libre al presente del castigo de los hombres, sin embargo ni vivo ni muerto podré escapar de las manos del Todopoderoso.

26. For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty.

27. Por eso, al abandonar ahora valientemente la vida, me mostraré digno de mi ancianidad,

27. Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age

28. dejando a los jóvenes un ejemplo noble al morir generosamente con ánimo y nobleza por las leyes venerables y santas.» Habiendo dicho esto, se fue enseguida al suplicio del apaleamiento.

28. and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws." When he had said this, he went at once to the rack.

29. Los que le llevaban cambiaron su suavidad de poco antes en dureza, después de oír las referidas palabras que ellos consideraban una locura;

29. And those who a little before had acted toward him with good will now changed to ill will, because the words he had uttered were in their opinion sheer madness.

30. él, por su parte, a punto ya de morir por los golpes, dijo entre suspiros: «El Señor, que posee la ciencia santa, sabe bien que, pudiendo librarme de la muerte, soporto flagelado en mi cuerpo recios dolores, pero en mi alma los sufro con gusto por temor de él.»

30. When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned aloud and said: "It is clear to the Lord in his holy knowledge that, though I might have been saved from death, I am enduring terrible sufferings in my body under this beating, but in my soul I am glad to suffer these things because I fear him."

31. De este modo llegó a su tránsito. (No sólo a los jóvenes, sino también a la gran mayoría de la nación, Eleazar dejó su muerte como ejemplo de nobleza y recuerdo de virtud.)

31. So in this way he died, leaving in his death an example of nobility and a memorial of courage, not only to the young but to the great body of his nation.