2 Maccabees, 2

1. Now it is found in the descriptions of Jeremias the prophet, that he commanded them that went into captivity, to take the fire, as it hath been signified, and how he gave charge to them that were carried away into captivity.

1. εὑρίσκεται δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἀπογραφαῖς Ιερεμιας ὁ προφήτης ὅτι ἐκέλευσεν τοῦ πυρὸς λαβεῖν τοὺς μεταγενομένους ὡς σεσήμανται

2. And how he gave them the law that they should not forget the commandments of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, seeing the idols of gold, and silver, and the ornaments of them.

2. καὶ ὡς ἐνετείλατο τοῖς μεταγενομένοις ὁ προφήτης δοὺς αὐτοῖς τὸν νόμον ἵνα μὴ ἐπιλάθωνται τῶν προσταγμάτων τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἵνα μὴ ἀποπλανηθῶσιν ταῖς διανοίαις βλέποντες ἀγάλματα χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ τὸν περὶ αὐτὰ κόσμον

3. And with other such like speeches, he exhorted them that they would not remove the law from their heart.

3. καὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα λέγων παρεκάλει μὴ ἀποστῆναι τὸν νόμον ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν

4. It was also contained in the same writing, how the prophet, being warned by God, commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him, till he came forth to the mountain " where Moses went up, and saw the inheritance of God.

4. ἦν δὲ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ὡς τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν ἐκέλευσεν ὁ προφήτης χρηματισμοῦ γενηθέντος αὐτῷ συνακολουθεῖν ὡς δὲ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ὁ Μωυσῆς ἀναβὰς ἐθεάσατο τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ κληρονομίαν

5. And when Jeremias came thither he found a hollow cave: and he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door.

5. καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ Ιερεμιας εὗρεν οἶκον ἀντρώδη καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ θυμιάματος εἰσήνεγκεν ἐκεῖ καὶ τὴν θύραν ἐνέφραξεν

6. Then some of them that followed him, came up to mark the place: but they could not And it.

6. καὶ προσελθόντες τινὲς τῶν συνακολουθούντων ὥστε ἐπισημάνασθαι τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐδυνήθησαν εὑρεῖν

7. And when Jeremias perceived it, he blamed them, saying: The place shall be unknown, till God gather together the congregation of the people, and receive them to mercy.

7. ὡς δὲ ὁ Ιερεμιας ἔγνω μεμψάμενος αὐτοῖς εἶπεν ὅτι καὶ ἄγνωστος ὁ τόπος ἔσται ἕως ἂν συναγάγῃ ὁ θεὸς ἐπισυναγωγὴν τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἵλεως γένηται

8. And then the Lord will shew these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there shall be a cloud as it was also shewed to Moses, "and he shewed it when Solomon prayed that the place might be sanctified to the great God.

8. καὶ τότε ὁ κύριος ἀναδείξει ταῦτα καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἡ δόξα τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἡ νεφέλη ὡς ἐπὶ Μωυσῇ ἐδηλοῦτο ὡς καὶ ὁ Σαλωμων ἠξίωσεν ἵνα ὁ τόπος καθαγιασθῇ μεγάλως

9. For he treated wisdom in a magnificent manner: and like a wise man, he offered the sacrifice of the dedication, and of the finishing of the temple.

9. διεσαφεῖτο δὲ καὶ ὡς σοφίαν ἔχων ἀνήνεγκεν θυσίαν ἐγκαινισμοῦ καὶ τῆς τελειώσεως τοῦ ἱεροῦ

10. And as Moses prayed to the Lord and fire came down from heaven, and consumed the holocaust: so Solomon also prayed, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the holocaust.

10. καθὼς καὶ Μωυσῆς προσηύξατο πρὸς κύριον καὶ κατέβη πῦρ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὰ τῆς θυσίας ἐδαπάνησεν οὕτως καὶ Σαλωμων προσηύξατο καὶ καταβὰν τὸ πῦρ ἀνήλωσεν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα

11. And Moses said: Because the sin offering was not eaten, it was consumed.

11. καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς διὰ τὸ μὴ βεβρῶσθαι τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀνηλώθη

12. So Solomon also celebrated the dedication eight days.

12. ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ Σαλωμων τὰς ὀκτὼ ἡμέρας ἤγαγεν

13. And these same things were set down in the memoirs and commentaries of Nehemias: and how he made a library, and gathered together out of the countries, the books both of the prophets, and of David, and the epistles of the kings. and concerning the holy gifts.

13. ἐξηγοῦντο δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀναγραφαῖς καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνηματισμοῖς τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Νεεμιαν τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡς καταβαλλόμενος βιβλιοθήκην ἐπισυνήγαγεν τὰ περὶ τῶν βασιλέων βιβλία καὶ προφητῶν καὶ τὰ τοῦ Δαυιδ καὶ ἐπιστολὰς βασιλέων περὶ ἀναθεμάτων

14. And in like manner Judas also gathered together all such things as were lost by the war we had, and they are in our possession.

14. ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Ιουδας τὰ διαπεπτωκότα διὰ τὸν γεγονότα πόλεμον ἡμῖν ἐπισυνήγαγεν πάντα καὶ ἔστιν παρ’ ἡμῖν

15. Wherefore if you want these things, send some that may fetch them to you.

15. ὧν οὖν ἐὰν χρείαν ἔχητε τοὺς ἀποκομιοῦντας ὑμῖν ἀποστέλλετε

16. As we are then about to celebrate the purification, we have written unto you: and you shall do well, if you keep the same days.

16. μέλλοντες οὖν ἄγειν τὸν καθαρισμὸν ἐγράψαμεν ὑμῖν καλώς οὖν ποιήσετε ἄγοντες τὰς ἡμέρας

17. And we hope that God who hath delivered his people, and hath rendered to all the inheritance, and the kingdom, and the priesthood, and the sanctuary,

17. ὁ δὲ θεὸς ὁ σώσας τὸν πάντα λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποδοὺς τὴν κληρονομίαν πᾶσιν καὶ τὸ βασίλειον καὶ τὸ ἱεράτευμα καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμόν

18. As he promised in the law, will shortly have mercy upon us, and will gather us together from every land under heaven into the holy place.

18. καθὼς ἐπηγγείλατο διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐλπίζομεν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ταχέως ἡμᾶς ἐλεήσει καὶ ἐπισυνάξει ἐκ τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τόπον ἐξείλετο γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐκ μεγάλων κακῶν καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκαθάρισεν

19. For he hath delivered us out of great perils, and hath cleansed the place.

19. τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ιουδαν τὸν Μακκαβαῖον καὶ τοὺς τούτου ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὸν τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ μεγίστου καθαρισμὸν καὶ τὸν τοῦ βωμοῦ ἐγκαινισμὸν

20. Now as concerning Judas Machabeus. and his brethren, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication o the altar:

20. ἔτι τε τοὺς πρὸς Ἀντίοχον τὸν Ἐπιφανῆ καὶ τὸν τούτου υἱὸν Εὐπάτορα πολέμους

21. As also the wars against Antioch the Illustrious, and his son Eupator:

21. καὶ τὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ γενομένας ἐπιφανείας τοῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ιουδαϊσμοῦ φιλοτίμως ἀνδραγαθήσασιν ὥστε τὴν ὅλην χώραν ὀλίγους ὄντας λεηλατεῖν καὶ τὰ βάρβαρα πλήθη διώκειν

22. And the manifestations that from heaven to them, that behaved themselves manfully on the behalf of the Jews, so that, being but a few, they made themselves masters of the whole country, and put to flight; the barbarous multitude :

22. καὶ τὸ περιβόητον καθ’ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην ἱερὸν ἀνακομίσασθαι καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐλευθερῶσαι καὶ τοὺς μέλλοντας καταλύεσθαι νόμους ἐπανορθῶσαι τοῦ κυρίου μετὰ πάσης ἐπιεικείας ἵλεω γενομένου αὐτοῖς

23. And recovered again the most renowned temple in all the world, and delivered the city, and restored the laws that were abolished, the Lord with all clemency shewing mercy to them.

23. ὑπὸ Ἰάσωνος τοῦ Κυρηναίου δεδηλωμένα διὰ πέντε βιβλίων πειρασόμεθα δι’ ἑνὸς συντάγματος ἐπιτεμεῖν

24. And all such things as have been comprised in five books by Jason of Cyrene, we have attempted to abridge in one book.

24. συνορῶντες γὰρ τὸ χύμα τῶν ἀριθμῶν καὶ τὴν οὖσαν δυσχέρειαν τοῖς θέλουσιν εἰσκυκλεῖσθαι τοῖς τῆς ἱστορίας διηγήμασιν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ὕλης

25. For considering the multitude of books, and the difficulty that they find that desire to undertake the narrations of histories, because of the multitude of the matter,

25. ἐφροντίσαμεν τοῖς μὲν βουλομένοις ἀναγινώσκειν ψυχαγωγίαν τοῖς δὲ φιλοφρονοῦσιν εἰς τὸ διὰ μνήμης ἀναλαβεῖν εὐκοπίαν πᾶσιν δὲ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ὠφέλειαν

26. We have taken care for those indeed that are willing to read, that it might be a pleasure of mind: and for the studious, that they may more easily commit to memory: and that all that read might receive profit.

26. καὶ ἡμῖν μὲν τοῖς τὴν κακοπάθειαν ἐπιδεδεγμένοις τῆς ἐπιτομῆς οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἱδρῶτος δὲ καὶ ἀγρυπνίας τὸ πρᾶγμα

27. And as to ourselves indeed, in under- taking this work of abridging, we have taken in hand no easy task, yea rather a business full of watching and sweat.

27. καθάπερ τῷ παρασκευάζοντι συμπόσιον καὶ ζητοῦντι τὴν ἑτέρων λυσιτέλειαν οὐκ εὐχερές ὅμως διὰ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν εὐχαριστίαν ἡδέως τὴν κακοπάθειαν ὑποίσομεν

28. But as they that prepare a feast, and seek to satisfy the will of others: for the sake of many, we willingly undergo the labour.

28. τὸ μὲν διακριβοῦν περὶ ἑκάστων τῷ συγγραφεῖ παραχωρήσαντες τὸ δὲ ἐπιπορεύεσθαι τοῖς ὑπογραμμοῖς τῆς ἐπιτομῆς διαπονοῦντες

29. Leaving to the authors the exact handling of every particular, and as for ourselves, according to the plan pro- posed, studying to be brief.

29. καθάπερ γὰρ τῆς καινῆς οἰκίας ἀρχιτέκτονι τῆς ὅλης καταβολῆς φροντιστέον τῷ δὲ ἐγκαίειν καὶ ζωγραφεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια πρὸς διακόσμησιν ἐξεταστέον οὕτως δοκῶ καὶ ἐπὶ ἡμῶν

30. For as the master builder of a new house must have care of the whole building: but he that taketh care to paint it, must seek out fit things for the adorning of it: so must it be judged for us.

30. τὸ μὲν ἐμβατεύειν καὶ περίπατον ποιεῖσθαι λόγων καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ μέρος τῷ τῆς ἱστορίας ἀρχηγέτῃ καθήκει

31. For to collect all that is to be known, to put the discourse in order, and curiously to discuss every particular point, is the duty of the author of a history:

31. τὸ δὲ σύντομον τῆς λέξεως μεταδιώκειν καὶ τὸ ἐξεργαστικὸν τῆς πραγματείας παραιτεῖσθαι τῷ τὴν μετάφρασιν ποιουμένῳ συγχωρητέον

32. But to pursue brevity of speech, and to avoid nice declarations of things, is to be granted to him that maketh an abridgment.

32. ἐντεῦθεν οὖν ἀρξώμεθα τῆς διηγήσεως τοῖς προειρημένοις τοσοῦτον ἐπιζεύξαντες εὔηθες γὰρ τὸ μὲν πρὸ τῆς ἱστορίας πλεονάζειν τὴν δὲ ἱστορίαν ἐπιτεμεῖν

33. Here then we will begin the narration: let this be enough by way of a preface: for it is a foolish thing to make a long prologue, and to be short in the story itself.

33.