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1 But not long after the king sent a certain
old man of Antioch, to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their
fathers and of God:
2 And to defile the temple that was in
Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius:
and that in Gazarim of Jupiter Hospitalis,
according as they were that inhabited the place.
3 And very bad was this invasion of evils and
grievous to all.
4 For the temple was full of the riot and revellings of the Gentiles: and of men lying with lewd
women. And women thrust themselves of their accord into the holy places, and
brought in things that were not lawful.
5 The altar also was filled with unlawful
things, which were forbidden by the laws.
6 And neither were the sabbaths
kept, nor the solemn days of the fathers observed, neither did any man
plainly profess himself to be a Jew.
7 But they were led by bitter constraint on
the king's birthday to the sacrifices: and when the feast of Bacchus was
kept, they wore compelled to go about crowned with ivy in honour
of Bacchus.
8 And there went out a decree into the neighbouring cities of the Gentiles, by the suggestion of
the Ptolemeans, that they also should act in like
manner against the Jews, to oblige them to sacrifice:
9 And whosoever would not conform
themselves to the ways of the Gentiles, should be put to death: then was
misery to be seen.
10 For two women were accused to have
circumcised their children: whom, when they had openly led about through the
city with the infants hanging at their breasts, they threw down headlong from
the walls.
11 And others that had met together in caves
that were near, and were keeping the sabbath day
privately, being discovered by Philip, were burnt with fire, because they made
a conscience to help themselves with their hands, by reason of the religious
observance of the day.
12 Now I beseech those that shall read this
book, that they be not shocked at these calamities, but that they consider
the things that happened, not as being for the destruction, but for the
correction of our nation.
13 For it is a token of great goodness when
sinners are not suffered to go on in their ways for a long time, but are
presently punished.
14 For, not as with other nations (whom the
Lord patiently expecteth, that when the day of
judgment shall come, he may punish them in the fulness
of their sins:)
15 Doth he also deal with us, so as to
suffer our sins to come to their height, and then take vengeance on us.
16 And therefore he never withdraweth
his mercy from us: but though he chastise his people with adversity, he forsaketh them not.
17 But let this suffice in a few words for a
warning to the readers. And now we must come to the narration.
18 Eleazar one of the chief of the scribes, a man
advanced in years, and of a comely countenance, was pressed to open his mouth
to eat swine's flesh.
19 But he, choosing rather a most glorious
death than a hateful life, went forward voluntarily to the torment.
20 And considering in what manner he was come
to ii;, patiently bearing, he determined not to do any unlawful things for
the love of life.
21 But they that stood by, being moved with
wicked pity, for the old friendship they had with the man, taking him aside,
desired that flesh might be brought, which it was lawful for him to eat, that
he might make as if he had eaten, as the king had commanded of the flesh of
the sacrifice:
22 That by so doing he might be delivered
from death: and for the sake of their old friendship with the man they did
him this courtesy.
23 But he began to consider the dignity of his
age, and his ancient years, and the inbred honour
of his grey head, and his good life and conversation from a child: and he
answered without delay, according to the ordinances of the holy law made by
God, saying, that he would rather be sent into the other world.
24 For it doth not become our age, said he, to
dissemble: whereby many young persons might think
that Eleazar, at the age of fourscore and ten
years, was gone over to the life of the heathens:
25 And so they, through my dissimulation,
and for a little time of a corruptible life, should be deceived, end hereby I
should bring a stain and a curse upon my old age.
26 For though, for the present time, I should
be delivered from the punishments of men, yet should I not escape the hand of
the Almighty neither alive nor dead.
27 Wherefore by departing manfully out of this life,
I shall shew myself worthy of my old age:
28 And I shall leave an example of fortitude
to young men, if with a ready mind and constancy I suffer an honourable death, for the most venerable and most holy
laws. And having spoken thus, he was forthwith carried to execution.
29 And they that led him, and had been a
little before more mild, were changed to wrath for the words he had spoken,
which they thought were uttered out of arrogancy.
30 But when he was now ready to die with the
stripes, he groaned, and said: O Lord, who hast the holy knowledge, thou knowest manifestly that whereas I might be delivered from
death, I suffer grevious pains in body: but in soul
am well content to suffer these things be- cause I fear thee.
31 Thus did this man die, leaving not only to
young men, but also to the whole nation, the memory of his death for an
example of virtue and fortitude.
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1- و بعد ذلك بيسير ارسل الملك
شيخا اثينيا ليضطر اليهود ان يرتدوا عن شريعة ابائهم و لا يتبعوا شريعة الله.
2- و ليدنس هيكل اورشليم و يجعله
على اسم زوس الاولمبي و يجعل هيكل جرزيم على اسم زوس مؤوي الغرباء لان اهل
الموضع كانوا غرباء.
3- فاشتد انفجار الشر و عظم على الجماهير.
4- و امتلا الهيكل عمرا و قصوفا
و اخذ الامم يفسقون بالمابونين و يضاجعون النساء في الدور المقدسة و يدخلون
اليها ما لا يحل.
5- و كان المذبح مغطى بالمحارم التي نهت
الشريعة عنها.
6- و لم يكن لاحد ان يعيد السبت و لا يحفظ
اعياد الاباء و لا يعترف بانه يهودي اصلا.
7- و كانوا كل شهر يوم مولد الملك يساقون قسرا
للتضحية و في عيد ديونيسيوس يضطرون الى الطواف اجلالا له و عليهم اكاليل من
اللبلاب.
8- و صدر امر الى المدن اليونانية المجاورة
باغراء البطالمة ان يلزموا اليهود بمثل ذلك و بالتضحية.
9- و ان من ابى ان يتخذ السنن اليونانية يقتل
فذاقوا بذلك امر البلاء.
10- فان امراتين سعي بهما انهما ختنتا
اولادهما فعلقوا اطفالهما على اثديهما و طافوا بهما في المدينة علانية ثم
القوهما عن السور.
11- و لجا قوم الى مغاور كانت بالقرب منهم
لاقامة السبت سرا فوشي بهم الى فيلبس فاحرقهم بالنار و هم لا يجترئون ان يدافعوا
عن انفسهم اجلالا لهذا اليوم العظيم.
12- و اني لارجو من مطالعي هذا الكتاب ان لا
يستوحشوا من هذه الضربات و ان يحسبوا هذه النقم ليست للهلاك بل لتاديب امتنا.
13- فانه اذا لم يهمل الكفرة زمنا طويلا بل
عجل عليهم بالعقاب فذلك دليل على رحمة عظيمة.
14- لان الرب لا يمهل عقابنا بالاناة الى ان
يستوفى كيل الاثام كما يفعل مع سائر الامم.
15- فقد قضى فينا بذلك لئلا تبلغ اثامنا
غايتها و ينتقم منا اخيرا.
16- فهو لا يزيل عنا رحمته ابدا و اذا ادب
شعبه بالشدائد فلا يخذله.
17- نقول هذا على سبيل التذكرة و نرجع الى
تتمة الحديث بكلام موجز.
18- كان رجل يقال له العازار من
متقدمي الكتبة طاعن في السن رائع المنظر في الغاية فاكرهوه بفتح فيه على اكل لحم
الخنزير.
19- فاختار ان يموت مجيدا على ان يحيا ذميما و
انقاد الى العذاب طائعا.
20- و قذف لحم الخنزير من فيه ثم تقدم كما
يليق بمن يتمنع بشجاعة عما لا يحل ذوقه رغبة في الحياة.
21- فخلا به الموكلون بامر الضحايا الكفرية
لما كان بينهم و بينه من قديم المعرفة و جعلوا يحثونه ان ياتي بما يحل له تناوله
من اللحم مهيا بيده و يتظاهر بانه ياكل من لحم الضحايا التي امر بها الملك.
22- لينجو من الموت اذا فعل ذلك و ينال منهم
الجميل لاجل مودته القديمة لهم.
23- لكنه عول على الراي النزيه الجدير بسنه و
كرامة شيخوخته و ما بلغ اليه من جلالة المشيب و بكمال سيرته الحسنة منذ حداثته
بل بالشريعة المقدسة الالهية و اجاب بغير توقف و قال بل اسبق الى الجحيم.
24- لانه لا يليق بسننا الرئاء لئلا يظن كثير
من الشبان ان العازار و هو ابن تسعين سنة قد انحاز الى مذهب الاجانب.
25- و يضلوا بسببي لاجل رئائي و حبي لحياة
قصيرة فانية فاجلب على شيخوختي الرجس و الفضيحة.
26- فاني و لو نجوت الان من نكال البشر لا افر
من يدي القدير لا في الحياة و لا بعد الممات.
27- و لكن اذا فارقت الحياة ببسالة فقد وفيت
بحق شيخوختي.
28- و ابقيت للشبان قدوة شهامة ليتلقوا المنية
ببسالة و شهامة في سبيل الشريعة الجليلة المقدسة و لما قال هذا انطلق من ساعته
الى عذاب التوتير و الضرب.
29- فتحول اولئك الذين ابدوا له الرافة قبيل
ذلك الى القسوة لحسبانهم ان كلامه كان عن كبر.
30- و لما اشرف على الموت من الضرب تنهد و قال
يعلم الرب و هو ذو العلم المقدس اني و انا قادر على التخلص من الموت اكابد في
جسدي عذاب الضرب الاليم و اما في نفسي فاني احتمل ذلك مسرورا لاجل مخافته.
31- و هكذا قضى هذا الرجل تاركا موته قدوة
شهامة و تذكار فضيلة لامته باسرها فضلا عن الشبان بخصوصهم
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