玛加伯下 9

1At that time Antiochus returned with dishonour out of Persia.

2For he had entered into the city called Persepolis, and attempted to rob the temple, and to oppress the city: but the multitude running together to arms, put them to flight: and so it fell out that Antiochus being put to flight returned with disgrace.

3Now when he was come about Ecbatana, he received the news of what had happened to Nicanor and Timotheus.

4And swelling with anger he thought to revenge upon the Jews the injury done by them that had put him to flight. And therefore he commanded his chariot to be driven, without stopping in his journey, the judgment of heaven urging him forward, because he had spoken so proudly, that he would come to Jerusalem, and make it a common burying place of the Jews.

5But the Lord the God of Israel, that seeth all things, struck him with an incurable and an invisible plague. For as soon as he had ended these words, a dreadful pain in his bowels came upon him, and bitter torments of the inner parts.

6And indeed very justly, seeing he had tormented the bowels of others with many and new torments, albeit he by no means ceased from his malice.

7Moreover being filled with pride, breathing out fire in his rage against the Jews, and commanding the matter to be hastened, it happened as he was going with violence that he fell from the chariot, so that his limbs were much pained by a grievous bruising of the body.

8Thus he that seemed to himself to command even the waves of the sea, being proud above the condition of man, and to weigh the heights of the mountains in a balance, now being cast down to the ground, was carried in a litter, bearing witness to the manifest power of God in himself:

9So that worms swarmed out of the body of this man, and whilst he lived in sorrow and pain, his flesh fell off, and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to the army.

10And the man that thought a little to before he could reach the stars of heaven, no man could endure to carry, for the intolerable stench.

11And by this means, being brought from his great pride, he began to come to the knowledge of himself, being admonished by the scourge of God, his pains increasing every moment.

12And when he himself could not now abide his own stench, he spoke thus: It is just to be subject to God, and that a mortal man should not equal himself to God.

13Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of whom he was not like to obtain mercy.

14And the city to which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground, and to make it a, common buryingplace, he now desireth to make free.

15And the Jews whom he said he would not account worthy to be so much as buried, but would give them up to be devoured by the birds and wild beasts, and would utterly destroy them with their children, he now promiseth to make equal with the Athenians.

16The holy temple also which before he had spoiled, he promiseth to adorn with goodly gifts, and to multiply the holy vessels, and to allow out of his revenues the charges pertaining to the sacrifices.

17Yea also, that he would become a Jew himself, and would go through every place of the earth, and declare the power of God.

18But his pains not ceasing (for the just judgment of God was come upon him) despairing of life he wrote to the Jews in the manner of a supplication, a letter in these words:

19To his very good subjects the Jews, Antiochus king and ruler wisheth much health and welfare, and happiness.

20If you and your children are well, and if all matters go with you to your mind, we give very great thanks.

21As for me, being infirm, but yet kindly remembering you, returning out of the places of Persia, and being taken with a grievous disease, I thought it necessary to take care for the common good:

22Not distrusting my life, but having great hope to escape the sickness.

23But considering that my father also, at what time she led an army into the higher countries, appointed who should reign after him:

24To the end that if any thing contrary to expectation should fall out, or ally bad tidings should be brought, they that were in the countries, knowing to whom the whole government was left, might not be troubled.

25Moreover, considering that neighbouring princes and borderers wait for opportunities, and expect what shall be the event, I have appointed my son Antiochus king, whom I often recommended to many of you, when I went into the higher provinces: and I have written to him what I have joined here below.

26I pray you therefore, and request of you, that remembering favours both public and private, you will every man of you continue to be faithful to me and to my son.

27For I trust that he will behave with I moderation and humanity, and following my intentions, will be gracious unto you.

28Thus the murderer and blasphemer, being grievously struck, as himself had treated others, died a miserable death in a strange country among the mountains.

29But Philip that was brought up with him, carried away his body: and out of fear of the son of Antiochus, went into Egypt to Ptolemee Philometor.

1Eodem tempore, Antiochus inhoneste revertebatur de Perside.

2Intraverat enim in eam quæ dicitur Persepolis, et tentavit expoliare templum, et civitatem opprimere: sed multitudine ad arma concurrente, in fugam versi sunt: et ita contigit ut Antiochus post fugam turpiter rediret.

3Et cum venisset circa Ecbatanam, recognovit quæ erga Nicanorem et Timotheum gesta sunt.

4Elatus autem in ira, arbitrabatur se injuriam illorum qui se fugaverant posse in Judæos retorquere: ideoque jussit agitari currum suum sine intermissione agens iter, cælesti eum judicio perurgente, eo quod ita superbe locutus est se venturum Jerosolymam, et congeriem sepulchri Judæorum eam facturum.

5Sed qui universa conspicit Dominus Deus Israël, percussit eum insanabili et invisibili plaga. Ut enim finivit hunc ipsum sermonem, apprehendit eum dolor dirus viscerum, et amara internorum tormenta:

6et quidem satis juste, quippe qui multis et novis cruciatibus aliorum torserat viscera, licet ille nullo modo a sua malitia cessaret.

7Super hoc autem superbia repletus, ignem spirans animo in Judæos, et præcipiens accelerari negotium, contigit illum impetu euntem de curru cadere, et gravi corporis collisione membra vexari.

8Isque qui sibi videbatur etiam fluctibus maris imperare, supra humanum modum superbia repletus, et montium altitudines in statera appendere, nunc humiliatus ad terram in gestatorio portabatur, manifestam Dei virtutem in semetipso contestans:

9ita ut de corpore impii vermes scaturirent, ac viventis in doloribus carnes ejus effluerent, odore etiam illius et fœtore exercitus gravaretur:

10et qui paulo ante sidera cæli contingere se arbitrabatur, eum nemo poterat propter intolerantiam fœtoris portare.

11Hinc igitur cœpit ex gravi superbia deductus ad agnitionem sui venire, divina admonitus plaga, per momenta singula doloribus suis augmenta capientibus.

12Et cum nec ipse jam fœtorem suum ferre posset, ita ait: Justum est subditum esse Deo, et mortalem non paria Deo sentire.

13Orabat autem hic scelestus Dominum, a quo non esset misericordiam consecuturus.

14Et civitatem, ad quam festinans veniebat ut eam ad solum deduceret ac sepulchrum congestorum faceret, nunc optat liberam reddere:

15et Judæos, quos nec sepultura quidem se dignos habiturum, sed avibus ac feris diripiendos traditurum, et cum parvulis exterminaturum dixerat, æquales nunc Atheniensibus facturum pollicetur:

16templum etiam sanctum, quod prius expoliaverat, optimis donis ornaturum, et sancta vasa multiplicaturum, et pertinentes ad sacrificia sumptus de redditibus suis præstaturum:

17super hæc, et Judæum se futurum, et omnem locum terræ perambulaturum, et prædicaturum Dei potestatem.

18Sed non cessantibus doloribus (supervenerat enim in eum justum Dei judicium), desperans scripsit ad Judæos in modum deprecationis epistolam hæc continentem:

19Optimis civibus Judæis plurimam salutem, et bene valere, et esse felices, rex et principes Antiochus.

20Si bene valetis, et filii vestri, et ex sententia vobis cuncta sunt, maximas agimus gratias.

21Et ego in infirmitate constitutus, vestri autem memor benigne reversus de Persidis locis, et infirmitate gravi apprehensus, necessarium duxi pro communi utilitate curam habere:

22non desperans memetipsum, sed spem multam habens effugiendi infirmitatem.

23Respiciens autem quod et pater meus, quibus temporibus in locis superioribus ducebat exercitum, ostendit qui post se susciperet principatum:

24ut si quid contrarium accideret, aut difficile nuntiaretur, scientes hi qui in regionibus erant, cui esset rerum summa derelicta, non turbarentur.

25Ad hæc, considerans de proximo potentes quosque et vicinos temporibus insidiantes, et eventum exspectantes, designavi filium meum Antiochum regem, quem sæpe recurrens in superiora regna multis vestrum commendabam: et scripsi ad eum quæ subjecta sunt.

26Ora itaque vos, et peto memores beneficiorum publice et privatim, ut unusquisque conservet fidem ad me et ad filium meum.

27Confido enim eum modeste et humane acturum, et sequentem propositum meum, et communem vobis fore.

28Igitur homicida et blasphemus pessime percussus, et ut ipse alios tractaverat, peregre in montibus miserabili obitu vita functus est.

29Transferebat autem corpus Philippus collactaneus ejus: qui, metuens filium Antiochi, ad Ptolemæum Philometorem in Ægyptum abiit.

1At the same time, Antiochus returned in dishonor from Persia.

2For he had entered into the city called Persepolis, and attempted to rob the temple, and to oppress the city, but the multitude, rushing to arms, turned them to flight, and so it happened that Antiochus, after fleeing, returned in disgrace.

3And when he had arrived near Ecbatana, he realized what had happened to Nicanor and Timothy.

4And so, rising up in anger, he thought to turn back upon the Jews the injury done by those who had put him to flight. And, therefore, he ordered his chariot to be driven without stopping along the way, for the judgment of heaven was urging him on, because he had spoken so arrogantly about how he would come to Jerusalem and make it into a mass grave for the Jews.

5But the Lord God of Israel, who oversees all things, struck him with an incurable and invisible plague. For, as soon as he had finished these words, a dire pain in his abdomen seized him, with bitter internal torments.

6And, indeed, it sprung forth justly, since he had tormented the internal organs of others with many strange and new tortures, yet he in no way ceased from his malice.

7But, beyond this, being filled with arrogance, breathing fire with his soul against the Jews, and instructing the task to be accelerated, it happened that, as he was rushing on forcefully, he fell from the chariot, and his limbs were afflicted with a serious bruising of the body.

8And he, being filled with arrogance beyond human means, seemed to himself to command even the waves of the sea and to weigh even the heights of the mountains in a balance. But now, humbled to the ground, he was carried on a stretcher, calling himself as a witness to the manifest virtue of God.

9So then, worms swarmed from his impious body, and, as he lived on in pain, his flesh fell away, and then his odorous stench oppressed the army.

10And him who, a little before, thought that he could touch the stars of heaven, no one could endure to carry, because of the intolerable stench.

11And so, from then on, being led away from his heavy arrogance by the admonishment of a divine plague, he began to come to an understanding of himself, with his pains increasing through every moment.

12And, when he could not even bear his own stench, he spoke in this way: “It is just to be subject to God, and a mortal should not consider himself equal to God.”

13Then this wicked one prayed to the Lord, from whom, subsequently, there might be no mercy.

14And the city, to which he was going in haste to pull it down to the ground and to make it a mass grave, he now wanted to make free.

15And the Jews, whom he had said he certainly did not consider worthy even to be buried, but would deliver them to be torn apart by birds and wild beasts, and would exterminate them with their little ones, he now promised to make equal with the Athenians.

16And even the holy temple, which before he had plundered, he would adorn with the best gifts, and increase the holy vessels, and pay out from his revenues the charges pertaining to the sacrifices.

17Beyond these things, he would even become a Jew himself, and would travel through every place on earth and declare the power of God.

18But, when his pains did not cease, (for the just judgment of God had overwhelmed him,) in despair he wrote to the Jews, in the manner of a supplication, a letter composed in this way:

19“To the very good citizens of the Jews, Antiochus, king and ruler, wishes much health, and welfare, and happiness.

20If you and your sons are faring well, and if everything is according to your will, we give very great thanks.

21And so, fixed in infirmity, yet kindly remembering you, I am returning from the places of Persia, and, having been seized by a serious infirmity, I considered it necessary to have a concern for the common good,

22not despairing in myself, but having a great hope to escape the infirmity.

23Moreover, considering that my father also, during the time that he led an army into the upper regions, revealed who would take up the leadership after him,

24so that, if anything contrary should occur, or any if difficulties should be reported, those who were in the regions, knowing to whom the whole matter had been bequeathed, would not be disturbed.

25In addition to these things, considering that whichever are the nearest powers and neighbors lie in ambush for the right time and await the right event, I have designated my son, Antiochus, as king, whom I frequently commended to many of you while traveling in the upper provinces. And I have written to him what I have added below.

26And so, I beg you and petition you, that remembering the public and private benefits, each one will continue to be faithful to me and to my son.

27For I trust that he will behave with moderation and humanity, and that, following my intentions, he will be impartial to you.”

28And so the murderer and blasphemer, having been struck very badly, just as he himself had treated others, passed from this life in a miserable death on a journey among the mountains.

29But Philip, who was nurtured with him, carried away his body, and, fearing the son of Antiochus, went into Egypt to Ptolemy Philometor.