4 Maccabees, Chapter 11
Introduction
This entry meets the strict three-criteria standard of the Theosis Library:
- Manuscript scan: The actual folio(s) of Codex Sinaiticus containing this chapter, from the Codex Sinaiticus Project (codexsinaiticus.org). Each section links to the specific folio holding its verses.
- Original text: The Codex Sinaiticus Project's verbatim transcription of the folio shown (uncial letters, lunate sigma, nomina sacra preserved).
- English translation: Brenton's Septuagint (1851), public domain, retrieved verbatim from ebible.org eng-Brenton USFM.
How was this verified? (Provenance)
1ωϲ δε και ουτοϲ ταιϲ βαϲανοιϲ καταικιϲθειϲ εναπεθανεν · ο πεμπτοϲ παρεπηδηϲεν λεγων ˙ 2ου μελλω τυραννε προϲ τον υπερ τηϲ αρετηϲ βαϲανιϲμον 3αυτοϲ δʼ απ εμαυτου παρηλθον οπωϲ καμε κατακτιναϲ περι πλειονων αδικηματων τη επουρανιω δικη δωϲειϲ τιμωριαν · 4ω μιαρωτατε και μιϲανθρωπε ˙ τι δραϲανταϲ ημαϲ τουτον τον τροπον πορθειϲ · 5οτι τον παντω κτιϲτην ευϲεβουμεν και κατα το εναρετον αυτου ζωμεν νομον ˙ 6αλλα ταυτα τιμω ου βαϲανων ειϲι αξια · 9τοιαυτα δε λεγοντα οι δορυφοροι δηϲαντεϲ αυτον εικον επι τον καταπελτην 10εφ ον δηϲατεϲ αυτον επι τα γονατα και ταυτα ποδαγραιϲ ϲιδηραιϲ εφορμαϲαντεϲ την οϲφυν αυτου περι τροχιαιον ϲφηνα κατεκαμψαν περι ον ολοϲ περι τον τραχηλον ϲκοπιου τροπον ανακλωμενοϲ εξεμελιζετο
1And when he had died, disfigured in his torments, the fifth leaped forward, and said, 2I intend not, O tyrant, to get excused from the torment which is in behalf of virtue. 3But I have come of my own accord, that by the death of me, you may owe heavenly vengeance a punishment for more crimes. 4O thou hater of virtue and of men, what have we done that thou thus revellest in our blood? 5Does it seem evil to thee that we worship the Founder of all things, and live according to his surpassing law? 6But this is worthy of honours, not of torments; a hadst thou been capable of the higher feelings of men, and possessed the hope of salvation from God. b Behold, now, being alien from God, thou makest war against those who are religious toward God. 9As he said this, the spearbearers bound him, and drew him to the catapelt: 10to which binding him at his knees, and fastening them with iron fetters, they bent down his loins upon the wedge of the wheel; and his body was then dismembered, scorpion-fashion.
11κατα τουτον τον τροπον και το πνα ϲτενοχωρουμενοϲ και το ϲωμα αγχομενοϲ 12καλαϲ ελεγεν ακων · ω τυραννε χαριταϲ ημιν χαριζη δια γεναιοτερων πονων ˙ επιδιξαϲθαι παρεχων τηϲ ειϲ τον νομον ημων καρτεριαϲ 13τελευτηϲαντοϲ δε και τουτου ο εκτοϲ ηγετο μιρακιϲκοϲ οϲ πυνθανομενου του τυραννου ει βουλοιτο φαγων απολυεϲθε ο δε εφη 14εγω μεν την ηλικιαν των αδελφω ειμι νεωτεροϲ · τη δε διανοια ηλικιωτηϲ · 15ειϲ ταυτα γαρ γεννηθεντεϲ και ανατραφεντεϲ ϋπερ των αυτων και αποθνηϲκειν οφιλομεν ομοιωϲ · 16ωϲτε ει ϲοι δοκει βαϲανιζει μη μιαιροφαγουντα βαϲανιζειν 17ταυτα ειποντα παρηγο επι τον τροχον 18εφ ου κατατινομενοϲ επιμελωϲ και εκϲποδυλιζομενοϲ ϋπεκαιετο πυρι
11With his breath thus confined, and his body strangled, he said, 12A great favour thou bestowest upon us, O tyrant, by enabling us to manifest our adherence to the law by means of nobler sufferings. 13He also being dead, the sixth, quite a youth, was brought out; and on the tyrant asking him whether he would eat and be delivered, he said, 14I am indeed younger than my brothers, but in understanding I am as old; 15for having been born and reared unto the same end, we are bound to die also in behalf of the same cause. 16So that if thou think proper to torment us for not eating the unclean;—torment! 17As he said this, they brought him to the wheel. 18Extended upon which, with limbs racked and dislocated, he was gradually roasted from beneath.
19και οβελιϲκουϲ οξειϲ πυρωϲαντεϲ τοιϲ νωτοιϲ προϲεφερον και τα πλευρα διαφθειραντεϲ αυτου τα ϲπλαγχνα διϊκεον 20ο δε βαϲανιζομενοϲ ω ϊεροπρεπουϲ αγωνοϲ ελεγον εφ ον δια την ευϲεβιαν ειϲ γυμναϲιαν πονων αδελφοι τοϲουτοι κληθεντεϲ ουκ ενικημεν · 21ανικητοϲ γαρ εϲτιν τυραννε η ευϲεβηϲ επιϲτημη 22καλοκαγαθια καθωπλιϲμενοϲ τεθνηξομαι καγω μετα των αδελφων μου · 23μεγαν ϲοι και αυτοϲ προϲβαλλω αλαϲτορα καινουργε των βαϲανω και πολεμιε των αληθωϲ ευϲεβουντων 24εξ μιρακια καταλελυκαμεν ϲου τη τυραννιδα 25το γαρ μη δυνηθηναι ϲε μεταπειϲαι τον λογιϲμον ημων μητε βιαϲαϲθαι προϲ την μιαιροφαγιαν ου καταλυϲειϲ · εϲτιν ϲου 26το πυρ ϲου ψυχρον ημι και απονοι οι καταπελται και αδυνατοιϲ η βια ϲου ·
19And having heated sharp spits, they approached them to his back; and having transfixed his sides, they burned away his entrails. 20And he, while tormented, said, O period good and holy, in which, for the sake of religion, we brothers have been called to the contest of pain, and have not been conquered. 21For religious understanding, O tyrant, is unconquered. 22Armed with upright virtue, I also shall depart with my brethren. 23I, too, bearing with me a great avenger, O deviser of tortures, and enemy of the truly pious. 24We six youths have destroyed thy tyranny. 25For is not your inability to overrule our reasoning, and to compel us to eat the unclean, thy destruction? 26Your fire is cold to us, your catapelts are painless, and your violence harmless.
27ου γαρ τυραννου αλλα θειου νομου προεϲτηκαϲιν ημων οι δορυφοροι δια τουτο ανεικητον εχομεν τον λογιϲμον
27For the guards not of a tyrant but of a divine law are our defenders: through this we keep our reasoning unconquered.
Cite
Source & Cross-References
- Source text: Codex Sinaiticus folio + transcription (codexsinaiticus.org) + Brenton's Septuagint (1851) — view original
- Critical edition: Tischendorf 8th edition (1869) / Codex Sinaiticus transcription
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