4 Maccabees 2

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

4 Maccabees 2

1And what wonder? if the lusts of the soul, after participation with what is beautiful, are frustrated,Καὶ τὶ θαυμαστὸν; εἰ αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιθυμίαι πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κάλλους μετουσίαν ἀκυροῦνται.

2on this ground, therefore, the temperate Joseph is praised in that by reasoning, he subdued, on reflection, the indulgence of sense.Ταύτῃ γοῦν ὁ σώφρων Ἰωσὴφ ἐπαινεῖται, ὅτι τῷ λογισμῷ, διανοίᾳ περιεκράτησεν τῆς ἠδυπαθείας.

3For, although young, and ripe for sexual intercourse, he abrogated by reasoning the stimulus of his passions.Νέος γὰρ ὢν καὶ ἀκμάζων πρὸς συνουσιασμὸν ἠκύρωσεν τῷ λογισμῷ τὸν τῶν παθῶν οἶστρον.

4And it is not merely the stimulus of sensual indulgence, but that of every desire, that reasoning is able to master.Οὐ μόνον δὲ τὴν τῆς ἡδυπαθείας οἰστρηλασίαν ἐπικρατεῖν ὁ λογισμὸς φαίνεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης ἐπιθυμίας.

5For instance, the law says, You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.Λέγει γοῦν ὁ νόμος· οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ πλησίον σου, οὐδὲ ὅσα τῷ πλησίον σου ἐστίν.

6Now, then, since it is the law which has forbidden us to desire, I shall much the more easily persuade you, that reasoning is able to govern our lusts, just as it does the affections which are impediments to justice.Καίτοι ὅτε μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν εἴρηκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ νόμος, πολὺ πλέον πείσαιμʼ ἂν ὑμᾶς, ὅτι τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν κρατεῖν δύναται ὁ λογισμὸς, ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν κωλυτικῶν τῆς δικαιοσύνης παθῶν.

7Since in what way is a solitary eater, and a glutton, and a drunkard reclaimed, unless it be clear that reasoning is lord of the passions?Ἐπεὶ τίνα τρόπον μονοφάγος τις ὢν τὸ ἦθος, καὶ γαστρίμαργος, καὶ μέθυσος, μεταπαιδεύεται, εἰ μὴ δῆλον, ὅτι κύριός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμός;

8A man, therefore, who regulates his course by the law, even if he be a lover of money, straightway puts force upon his own disposition; lending to the needy without interest, and cancelling the debt of the incoming sabbath.Αὐτίκα γοῦν τῷ νόμῳ πολιτευόμενος, κᾂν φιλάργυρός τις εἴη, βιάζεται τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τρόπον, τοῖς δεομένοις δανείζων χωρὶς τόκων, καὶ τὸ δάνειον τῶν ἑβδομάδων ἐντάσσων χρεοκοπούμενος.

9And should a man be parsimonious, he is ruled by the law acting through reasoning; so that he does not glean his harvest crops, nor vintage: and in reference to other points we may perceive that it is reasoning that conquers his passions.Κᾂν φειδωλός τις ᾖ, ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου κρατεῖται διὰ τὸν λογισμὸν, μήτε ἐπικαρπούμενος τοὺς ἀμητοὺς, μήτε ἐπιῤῥωγολογούμενος τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐτέρων ἔστιν ἐπιγνῶναι τοῦτο, ὅτι τῶν παθῶν ἐστιν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατῶν.

10For the law conquers even affection toward parents, not surrendering virtue on their account.Ὁ γὰρ νόμος καὶ τῆς πρὸς γονεῖς εὐνοίας κρατεῖ, μὴ καταπροδιδοὺς τὴν ἀρετὴν διʼ αὐτούς·

11And it prevails over marriage love, condemning it when transgressing law.καὶ τῆς προσγαμετῆς φιλίας ἐπικρατεῖ, διὰ παρανομίαν αὐτὴν ἀπελέγχων.

12And it lords it over the love of parents toward their children, for they punish them for vice; and it domineers over the intimacy of friends, reproving them when wicked.Καὶ τῆς τέκνων φιλίας κυριεύει, διὰ κακίαν αὐτῶν κολάζων, καὶ τῆς φίλων συνηθείας δεσπόζει, διὰ πονηρίας αὐτοὺς ἐξελέγχων.

13And think it not a strange assertion that reasoning can in behalf of the law conquer even enmity.Καὶ μὴ νομίσητε παράδοξον εἶναι, ὅπου καὶ ἔχθραν ὁ λογισμὸς ἐπικρατεῖν δύναται διὰ τὸν νόμον,

14It allows not to cut down the cultivated herbage of an enemy, but preserves it from the destroyers, and collects their fallen ruins.μηδὲ δενδροτομῶν τὰ ἥμερα τῶν πολεμίων φυτὰ, τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῖς ἀπολέσασιν διασώζων, καὶ τὰ πεπτωκότα συνεγείρων.

15And reason appears to be master of the more violent passions, as love of empire and empty boasting, and slander.Καὶ τῶν βιοτέρων δὲ παθῶν κρατεῖν ὁ λογισμὸς φαίνεται, φιλαρχίας, καὶ κενοδοξίας, καὶ ἀλαζονείας, καὶ μεγαλαυχίας, καὶ βασκανίας.

16For the temperate understanding repels all these malignant passions, as it does wrath: for it masters even this.Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ κακοήθη πάθη ὁ σώφρων νοῦς ἀπωθεῖται, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸν θυμόν· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο δεσπόζει.

17Thus Moses, when angered against Dathan and Abiram, did nothing to them in wrath, but regulated his anger by reasoning.Θυμούμενος γέ τοι Μωσῆς κατὰ Δαθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρῶν, οὐ θυμῷ τι κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ λογισμῷ τὸν θυμὸν διῄτησεν.

18For the temperate mind is able, as I said, to be superior to the passions, and to transfer some, and destroy others.Δυνατὸς γὰρ ὁ σώφρων νοῦς, ὡς ἔφην, κατὰ τῶν παθῶι ἀριστεῦσαι, καὶ τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν μεταθεῖναι, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἀκυρῶσαι.

19For why, else, does our most wise father Jacob blame Simeon and Levi for having irrationally slain the whole race of the Shechemites, saying, Cursed be their anger.Ἐπεὶ διατί ὁ πάνσοφος ἡμῶν πατὴρ Ἰακὼβ τοὺς περὶ Συμεὼν καὶ Λευὶν αἰτιᾶται, μὴ λογισμῷ τοὺς Σικιμίτας ἐθνηδὸν ἀποσφάξαντας, λέγων, ἐπικατάρατος ὁ θυμὸς αὐτῶν;

20For if reasoning did not possess the power of subduing angry affections, he would not have spoken thus.Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐδύνετο τῶν θυμῶν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατεῖν, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν οὑτως.

21For at the time when God created man, He implanted within him his passions and moral nature.Ὁπηνίκα γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατεσκεύαζεν, τὰ πάθη αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἤθη περιεφύτευσεν.

22And at that time He enthroned above all the holy leader mind, through the medium of the senses.Καὶ τηνικαῦτα δὲ περὶ πάντων τὸν ἱερὸν ἡγεμόνα νοῦν διὰ τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἐνεθρόνισεν·

23And He gave a law to this mind, by living according to which it will maintain a temperate, and just, and good, and manly reign.καὶ τούτῳ νόμον ἔδωκεν, καθʼ ὃν πολιτευόμενος βασιλεύσει βασιλείαν σώφρονά τε, καὶ δικαίαν, καὶ ἀγαθὴν, καὶ ἀνδρείαν.

24How, then, a man may say, if reasoning be master of the passions, has it no control over forgetfulness and ignorance?Πῶς οὖν, εἴποι τις ἂν, εἰ τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατεῖ, λήθης καὶ ἀγνοίας οὐ κρατεῖ;