4 Maccabees 18

O Israelitish children, descendants of the seed of Abraham, obey this law, and in every way be religious.

Ὦ τῶν Ἁβραμιαίων σπερμάτων ἀπόγονοι παῖδες Ἰσραηλῖται, πείθεσθε τῷ νόμῳ τούτῳ, καὶ πάντα τρόπον εὐσεβεῖτε·

Knowing that religious reasoning is lord of the passions, and those not only inward but outward.

γινώσκοντες, ὅτι τῶν παθῶν δεσπότης ἐστὶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός· καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἔνδοθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν πόνων·

Whence those persons giving up their bodies to pains for the sake of religion, were not only admired by men, but were deemed worthy of a divine portion.

Ἀνθʼ ὦν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προϊέμενοι τὰ σώματα τοῖς πόνοις ἐκεῖνοι, οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐθαυμάσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θείας μερίδος κατηξιώθησαν.

And the nation through them obtained peace, and having renewed the observance of the law in their country, drove the enemy out of the land.

Καὶ διʼ αὐτοὺς εἰρήνευσεν τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ τὴν εὐνομίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἀνανεωσάμενος, ἐκπεπολιόρκηκε τοὺς πολεμίους.

And the tyrant Antiochus was both punished upon earth, and is punished now he is dead; for when he was quite unable to compel the Israelites to adopt foreign customs, and to desert the manner of life of their fathers,

Καὶ ὁ τύραννος Ἀντίοχος καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τετιμώρηται, καὶ ἀποθανὼν κολάζεται· ὡς γὰρ οὐδὲν οὐδαμῶς ἴσχυσεν ἀναγκάσαι τοὺς Ἱεροσολυμίτας ἀλλοφυλῆσαι, καὶ τῶν πατριῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκδιαιτηθῆναι·

then, departing from Jerusalem, he made war against the Persians.

τότε δὴ ἀπάρας ἀπὸ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐπὶ Πέρσας.

And the righteous mother of the seven children spake also as follows to her offspring: I was a pure virgin, and went not beyond my father's house; but I took care of the built-up rib.

Ἔλεγεν δὲ ἡ μήτηρ τῶν ἑπτὰ παίδων καὶ ταῦτα ἡ δικαία τοῖς τέκνοις, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐγενήθην παρθένος ἁγνὴ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπερέβην πατρικὸν οἶκον· ἐφύλασσον δὲ τὴν ᾠκοδομουμένην πλευράν.

No destroyer of the desert, [or] ravisher of the plain, injured me; nor did the destructive, deceitful, snake, make spoil of my chaste virginity; and I remained with my husband during the period of my prime.

Οὐ διέφθειρέν με λυμεὼν τῆς ἐρημίας φθορεὺς ἐν πεδίῳ· οὐδὲ ἐλυμῄνατό μου τὰ ἁγνὰ τῆς παρθενίας λυμεὼν ἀπατηλὸς ὄφις· ἔμεινα δὲ χρόνον ἀκμῆς σὺν ἀνδρί.

And these my children, having arrived at maturity, their father died: blessed was he! for having sought out a life of fertility in children, he was not grieved with a period of loss of children.

Τούτων δὲ ἐνελίκων γενομένων ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ πατήρ· μακάριος μὲν ἐκεῖνος· τὸν γὰρ τῆς εὐτεκνίας βίον ἐπιζητήσας, τὸν τῆς ἀτεκνίας οὐκ ὠδυνήθη καιρόν.

And he used to teach you, when yet with you, the law and the prophets.

Ὃς ἐδιδασκεν ὑμᾶς, ἔτι ὢν σὺν ὑμῖν, τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας.

He used to read to you the slaying of Abel by Cain, and the offering up of Isaac, and the imprisonment of Joseph.

Τὸν ἀναιρεθέντα Ἀβὲλ ὑπὸ Κάϊν ἀνεγίνωσκεν δὲ ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸν ὁλοκαπούμενον Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τὸν ἐν φυλακῇ Ἰωσήφ.

And he used to tell you of the zealous Phinehas; and informed you of Ananias and Azarias, and Misael in the fire.

Ἔλεγεν δὲ ἡμῖν τὸν ζηλωτὴν Φινεές· ἐδίδασκεν δὲ ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἐν πυρὶ Ανανίαν, καὶ Ἀζαρίαν, καὶ Μισαήλ.

And he used to glorify Daniel, who was in the den of lions, and pronounce him blessed.

Ἐδόξαζεν δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐν λάκκῳ λεόντων Δανιὴλ, ὃν καὶ ἐμακάριζεν.

And he used to put you in mind of the scripture of Esaias, which saith, Even if thou pass through the fire, it shall not burn thee.

Ὑπεμίμνησκεν δὲ ὑμᾶς τῆν Ἠσαΐου γραφὴν τὴν λέγουσαν, κᾂν διὰ πυρὸς διέλθῃς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε.

He chanted to you David, the hymn-writer, who saith, Many are the afflictions of the just.

Τὸν ὑμνογράφον ἐμελῴδει ὑμῖν Δαρίδ τὸν λέγοντα, πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων.

He declared the proverbs of Solomon, who saith, He is a tree of life to all those who do His will.

Τὸν Σαλομῶντα ἐπαροιμίαζεν ἡμῖν τὸν λέγοντα, ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστιν πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα.

He used to verify Ezekiel, who said, Shall these dry bones live?

Τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐπιστοποιεῖτο τὸν λέγοντα, εἰ ζήσεται τὰ ὀστᾶ τὰ ξηρὰ ταῦτα;

For he did not forget the song which Moses taught, proclaiming, I will kill, and I will make to live.

Ὧδην μὲν γὰρ ἣν ἑδίδαξεν Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἐπελάθετο τὴν διδάσκουσαν, ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ καὶ ζῇν ποιήσω.

This is our life, and the length of our days.

Αὗτη ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ μακαριότης τῶν ἡμερῶν.

O that bitter, and yet not bitter, day when the bitter tyrant of the Greeks, quenching fire with fire in his cruel caldrons, brought with boiling rage the seven sons of the daughter of Abraham to the catapelt, and to all his torments!

Ὧ πικρᾶς τῆς τότε ἡμέρας, καὶ οὐ πικρᾶς, ὅτε ὁ πικρὸς Ἑλλήμων τύραννος πῦρ φλέξας λέβησιν ὠμοῖς, καὶ ζεουσι θυμοῖς ἀγαγὼν ἐπὶ τὸν καταπέλτην καὶ πάλιν τὰς βασάνους αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἑπτὰ παῖδας τῆς Ἁβρααμίτιδος.

He pierced the balls of their eyes, and cut out their tongues, and put them to death with varied tortures.

Τὰς τῶν ὀμμάτων κόρας ἐπήρωσεν, καὶ γλώσσας ἐξέτεμεν, καὶ βασάνοις ποικίλαις ἀπέκτεινεν.

Wherefore divine retribution pursued and will pursue the pestilent wretch.

Ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡ θεία δίκη μετῆλθεν καὶ μετελεύσεται τὸν ἀλάστορα.

But the children of Abraham, with their victorious mother, are assembled together to the choir of their fathers; having received pure and immortal souls from God.

Οἱ δὲ Ἁβραμιαῖοι παῖδες σὺν τῇ ἀθλοφορῳ μητρὶ, εἰς πατέρων χορὸν συναγελάζονται, φυχὰς καὶ ἀθανάτους ἀπειληφότες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ.

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ὦ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.