4 Maccabees 13

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

4 Maccabees 13

1If then, the seven brethren despised troubles even to death, it is confessed on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the passions.Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν τῶν μέχρι θανάτου πόνων ὑπερεφρόνησαν οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ, συνομολογεῖται πανταχόθεν, ὅτι αὐτοδέσποτός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός.

2For just as if, had they as slaves to the passions, eaten of the unholy, we should have said that they had been conquered by the;Ὤσπερ γὰρ εἰ τοῖς πάθεσιν σουλωθέντες ἐμιεροφάγησαν, ἐλέγομεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς τούτοις νενικῆσθαι.

3now it is not so: but by means of the reasoning which is praised by God, they mastered their passions.Νυνὶ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐπαινουμένῳ λογισμῷ παρὰ περιεγένοντο τῶν παθῶν.

4And it is impossible to overlook the leadership of reflection: for it gained the victory over both passions and troubles.Καὶ οὐκ ἐστὶν παριδεῖν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν· ἐπεκρὰτησεν γὰρ καὶ πὰθους καὶ πὸνων.

5How, then, can we avoid according to these men mastery of passion through right reasoning, since they drew not back from the pains of fire?Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐστὶν τούτοις τὴν εὐλογιστίας παθοκρὰτειαν ὁμολογεῖν, οἱ τῶν μὲν διὰ πυρὸς ἀλγησόνων οὐκ ἐπεστράφησαν;

6For just as by means of towers projecting in front of harbors men break the threatening waves, and thus assure a still course to vessels entering port,Καθάπερ γὰρ προπλήταις λιμένων πύργοις τὰς κυμάτων ἀπειλὰς ἀνακόπτοντες, γαληνὸν παρὲχουσιν τοῖς εἰσπλέουσιν τὸν ὅρμον.

7so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the intermperance of passions.Οὕτος ἡ ἑπτάπυργος τῶν νεανίσκων εὐλογιστία τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ὀχυρώσασα λιμένα τὴν τῶν παθῶν ἐνίκησεν ἀκολασίαν.

8For having arranged a holy choir of piety, they encouraged one another, saying,Ἱερὸν γὰρ εὐσεβείαν στήσαντες χορὸν παρεθάρσυνον ἀλλήλους, λέγοντες,

9Brothers, may we die brotherly for the law. Let us imitate the three young men in Assyria who despised the equally afflicting furnace.ἀδελφικῶς ἀποθάνοιμεν, ἀδελφοὶ, περὶ τοῦ νόμον· μιμησώμεθα τούς τρεῖς τοὺς ἐπὶ Ἀσσυρίας νεανίσκους, οἵ τῆς ἰσεπόλιδος καμίνου κατεφρόνησαν.

10Let us not be cowards in the manifestation of piety.Μὴ δειλανδρήσωμεν πρὸς τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀπόδειξιν.

11And one said, Courage, brother; and another, Nobly endure.Καὶ ὁ μὲν, θάῤῥει ἀδελφὲ, ἔλεγεν, ὁ δὲ, εὐγενῶς καρτέρησον.

12And another, Remember of what stock you are; and by the hand of our father Isaac endured to be slain for the sake of piety.Ὁ δὲ, ἔλεγεν, μνήσθητε πόθεν ἐστὲ, ἢ τίνος πατρὸς χειρὶ σφαγιασθῆναι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ὑπέμεινεν ὁ Ἰσαάκ.

13And one and all, looking on each other serene and confident, said, Let us sacrifice with all our heart our souls to God who gave them, and employ our bodies for the keeping of the law.Εἶς δὲ ἕκαστος καὶ ἀλλήλους ὁμοῦ πάντες ἐφόρων φαιδροὶ καὶ μάλα θαῤῥαλέοι, ἐαυτοὺς, ἔλεγον, τῷ Θεῷ ἀφιερώσωμεν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας τῷ δόντι τὰς ψυχὰς, καὶ χρήσωμεν τῇ περὶ τὸν νόμον φυλακῇ τὰ σώματα.

14Let us not fear him who thinks he kills;Μὴ φοβηθῶμεν τὸν δοκοῦντα ἀποκτενεῖν

15for great is the trial of soul and danger of eternal torment laid up for those who transgress the commandment of God.Μέγας γὰρ ψυξῆς ἀγὼν καὶ κίνδυνος ἐν αἰωνίῳ βασάνῳ κείμενος τοῖς παραβᾶσιν τῆν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ.

16Let us arm ourselves, therefore, in the abnegation of the divine reasoning.Καθοπλισώμεθα τοιγαροῦν τῇ τοῦ θείου λογισμοῦ παθοκρατείᾳ.

17If we suffer thus, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob will receive us, and all the fathers will commend us.Οὕτως παθόντας ἡμᾶς Αβραὰμ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ὑποδέξονται, καὶ πάντες οἱ πατέρες ἐπαινέσουσιν.

18And as each one of the brethren was haled away, the rest exclaimed, Disgrace us not, O brother, nor falsify those who died before you.Καὶ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀποστωμένων αὐτῶν ἀδελφῶν ἔλεγον οἱ περιλειπόμενοι, μὴ καταισχύνῃς ἡμᾶς ἀδελφὲ, μηδὲ ἀδελφὲ, μηδὲ ψεύσῃ τούς προαποθανόντας.

19Now you are not ignorant of the charm of brotherhood, which the Divine and all wise Providence has imparted through fathers to children, and has engendered through the mother's womb.Οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος φίλτρα, ἅπερ ἡ θεία καὶ πάνσοφος πρόνοια διὰ τῆς μητρῴας φυτεύσασα γαστρός·

20In which these brothers having remained an equal time, and having been formed for the same period, and been increased by the same blood, and having been perfected through the same principle of life,ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἶσον ἀδελφοὶ κατοικήσαντες χρόνον, καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῳ χρόνῳ πλασθέντες, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτῷ αἵματος ἀξηθέντες, καὶ δια τῆς αὐτῆς ψυχῆς τελεσφορηθέντες,

21and having been brought forth at equal intervals, and having sucked milk from the same fountains, hence their brotherly souls are reared up lovingly together;καὶ διὰ τῶν ἴσων ἀποτεχθέντες χρόνον, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν γαλακτοποτοῦντες πηγῶν, ἀφʼ οὗ συντέφονται ἐν ἐναγκαλισμάτων φιλάδελφοι ψυχαί·

22and increase the more powerfully by reason of this simultaneous rearing, and by daily intercourse, and by other education, and exercise in the law of God.καὶ αὔξοντες σφοδρότερον διὰ συντροφίας, καὶ τῆς καθʼ ἠμέραν συνηθείας, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παιδείας, καὶ τῆν ἡμετέρας ἐν νόμῳ Θεοῦ ἀσκήσεως.

23Brotherly love being thus sympathetically constituted, the seven brethren had a more sympathetic mutual harmony.Οὕτως δὲ τοίνυν καθεστηκυίας τῆς φιλαδελφίας συμπαθούσης, οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ συμπαθέστερον ἔσχον τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁμόνοιαν.

24For being educated in the same law, and practising the same virtues, and reared up in a just course of life, they increased this harmony with each other.Νόμῳ γὰρ τῷ αὐτῷ παιδευθέντες, καὶ τὰς αὐτὰς ἐξασκήσαντες ἀρετὰς, καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ συντραφέντες βίῳ, μᾶλλον ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἥγαγον.

25For a like ardour for what is right and honorable increased their fellow-feeling towards each other.Ἡ γὰρ ὁμοζηλία τῆς καλοκᾳγαθίας ἐπέτεινεν αὐτῶν τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁμόνοιαν.

26For it acting along with religion, made their brotherly feeling more desirable to them.Σὺν γάρ τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ ποθεινοτέραν αὐτοῖς κατεσκεύαζεν τὴν φιλαδελφίαν.

27And yet, although nature and intercourse and virtuous morals increased their brotherly love those who were left endured to behold their brethren, who were ill-used for their religion, tortured even to death.Ἀλλʼ ὁμοίως καίπερ τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῆς συνηθείας καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἠθῶν τὰ τῆς ἀδελφότητος αὐτοῖν φίλτρα συναυξόντων, ἀνέσχοντο διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν τοὺν ἀδελφοὺς οἱ ὑπολελειμμένοι τοὺς καταικιζομένους, ὁρῶντες μέχρι θανάτου βασανιζομένους.