[11] κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα στενοχωρούμενος καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀγχόμενος
[11] With his breath thus confined, and his body strangled, he said,
[12] Καλάς, ἔλεγεν, ἄκων, ὦ τύραννε, χάριτας ἡμῖν χαρίζῃ διὰ γενναιοτέρων πόνων ἐπιδείξασθαι παρέχων τὴν εἰς τὸν νόμον ἡμῶν καρτερίαν.
[12] A great favour thou bestowest upon us, O tyrant, by enabling us to manifest our adherence to the law by means of nobler sufferings.
[13] Τελευτήσαντος δὲ καὶ τούτου ὁ ἕκτος ἤγετο μειρακίσκος, ὃς πυνθανομένου τοῦ τυράννου εἰ βούλοιτο φαγὼν ἀπολύεσθαι, ὁ δὲ ἔφη
[13] He 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,
[14] Ἐγὼ τῇ μὲν ἡλικίᾳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μού εἰμι νεώτερος, τῇ δὲ διανοίᾳ ἡλικιώτης·
[14] I am indeed younger than my brothers, but in understanding I am am as old;
[15] εἰς ταὐτὰ γὰρ γεννηθέντες καὶ ἀνατραφέντες ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀποθνῄσκειν ὀφείλομεν ὁμοίως·
[15] for having been born and reared unto the same end, we are bound to die also in behalf of the same cause.
[16] ὥστε εἴ σοι δοκεῖ βασανίζειν μὴ μιαροφαγοῦντα, βασάνιζε.
[16] So that if ye think proper to torment us for not eating the unclean; — torment!
[17] ταῦτα αὐτὸν εἰπόντα παρῆγον ἐπὶ τὸν τροχόν,
[17] As he said this, they brought him to the wheel.
[18] ἐφ’ οὗ κατατεινόμενος ἐπιμελῶς καὶ ἐκσπονδυλιζόμενος ὑπεκαίετο.
[18] Extended upon which, with limbs racked and dislocated, he was gradually roasted from beneath.
[19] καὶ ὀβελίσκους ὀξεῖς πυρώσαντες τοῖς νώτοις προσέφερον καὶ τὰ πλευρὰ διαπείραντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σπλάγχνα διέκαιον.
[19] And having heated sharp spits, they approached them to his back; and having transfixed his sides, they burned away his entrails.
[20] ὁ δὲ βασανιζόμενος Ὦ ἱεροπρεποῦς ἀγῶνος, ἔλεγεν, ἐφ’ ὃν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν εἰς γυμνασίαν πόνων ἀδελφοὶ τοσοῦτοι κληθέντες οὐκ ἐνικήθημεν.
[20] And he, while tormented, said, O period good and holy, in which, for the sake of religion, we brethren have been called to the contest of pain, and have not been conquered.
[21] ἀνίκητος γάρ ἐστιν, ὦ τύραννε, ἡ εὐσεβὴς ἐπιστήμη.
[21] For religious understanding, O tyrant, is unconquered.
[22] καλοκἀγαθίᾳ καθωπλισμένος τεθνήξομαι κἀγὼ μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου
[22] Armed with upright virtue, I also shall depart with my brethren.
[23] μέγαν σοὶ καὶ αὐτὸς προσβάλλων ἀλάστορα, καινουργὲ τῶν βασάνων καὶ πολέμιε τῶν ἀληθῶς εὐσεβούντων.
[23] I, too, bearing with me a great avenger, O deviser of tortures, and enemy of the truly pious.
[24] ἓξ μειράκια καταλελύκαμέν σου τὴν τυραννίδα·
[24] We six youths have destroyed thy tyranny.
[25] τὸ γὰρ μὴ δυνηθῆναί σε μεταπεῖσαι τὸν λογισμὸν ἡμῶν μήτε βιάσασθαι πρὸς τὴν μιαροφαγίαν οὐ κατάλυσίς ἐστίν σου;
[25] For is not your inability to overrule our reasoning, and to compel us to eat the unclean, thy destruction?
[26] τὸ πῦρ σου ψυχρὸν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἄπονοι οἱ καταπέλται, καὶ ἀδύνατος ἡ βία σου.
[26] Your fire is cold to us, your catapelts are painless, and your violence harmless.
[27] οὐ γὰρ τυράννου, ἀλλὰ θείου νόμου προεστήκασιν ἡμῶν οἱ δορυφόροι· διὰ τοῦτο ἀνίκητον ἔχομεν τὸν λογισμόν.
[27] For the guards not of a tyrant but of a divine law are our defenders: through this we keep our reasoning unconquered.
CHAPTER 12
[1] Ὡς δὲ καὶ οὗτος μακαρίως ἀπέθανεν καταβληθεὶς εἰς λέβητα, ὁ ἕβδομος παρεγίνετο πάντων νεώτερος.
[1] When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the caldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward:
[2] ὃν κατοικτίρας ὁ τύραννος, καίπερ δεινῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κακισθείς, ὁρῶν ἤδη τὰ δεσμὰ περικείμενα πλησιέστερον αὐτὸν μετεπέμψατο καὶ παρηγορεῖν ἐπειρᾶτο λέγων
[2] whom the tyrant pitying, though he had been dreadfully reproached by his brethren,
[3] Τῆς μὲν τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ἀπονοίας τὸ τέλος ὁρᾷς· διὰ γὰρ ἀπείθειαν στρεβλωθέντες τεθνᾶσιν.
[3] seeing him already encompassed with chains, had him brought nearer, and endeavoured to counsel him, saying,
[4] σὺ δὲ εἰ μὲν μὴ πεισθείης, τάλας βασανισθεὶς καὶ αὐτὸς τεθνήξῃ πρὸ ὥρας,
[4] Thou seest the end of the madness of thy brethren: for they have died to torture through disobedience; and you, if disobedient, having been miserably tormented, will yourself perish prematurely.
[5] πεισθεὶς δὲ φίλος ἔσῃ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀφηγήσῃ πραγμάτων.
[5] But if you obey, you shall be my friend, and have a charge over the affairs of the kingdom.
[6] καὶ ταῦτα παρακαλῶν τὴν μητέρα τοῦ παιδὸς μετεπέμψατο, ὅπως αὐτὴν ἐλεήσας τοσούτων υἱῶν στερηθεῖσαν παρορμήσειεν ἐπὶ τὴν σωτήριον εὐπείθειαν τὸν περιλειπόμενον.
[6] And having thus exhorted him, he sent for the mother of the boy; that, by condoling with her for the loss of so many sons, he might incline her, through the hope of safety, to render the survivor obedient.
[7] ὁ δὲ τῆς μητρὸς τῇ Εβραίδι φωνῇ προτρεψαμένης αὐτόν, ὡς ἐροῦμεν μετὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον,
[7] And he, after his mother had urged him on in the Hebrew tongue, (as we shall soon relate) saith, 8 Release me that I may speak to the king and all his friends.
[8] Λύσατέ μέ φησιν, εἴπω τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φίλοις πᾶσιν.
[9] And they, rejoicing exceedingly at the promise of the youth, quickly let him go.
[9] καὶ ἐπιχαρέντες μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ παιδὸς ταχέως ἔλυσαν αὐτόν.
[10] And he, running up to the pans, said,
[10] καὶ δραμὼν ἐπὶ πλησίον τῶν τηγάνων
[11] Impious tyrant, and most blasphemous man, wert thou not ashamed, having received prosperity and a kingdom from God, to slay His servants, and to rack the doers of godliness?
[11] Ἀνόσιέ, φησιν, καὶ πάντων πονηρῶν ἀσεβέστατε τύραννε, οὐκ ᾐδέσθης παρὰ
τοῦ θεοῦ λαβὼν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοὺς θεράποντας αὐτοῦ κατακτεῖναι καὶ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀσκητὰς στρεβλῶσαι;
[12] Wherefore the divine vengeance is reserving thee for eternal fire and torments, which shall cling to thee for all time.
[12] ἀνθ’ ὧν ταμιεύσεταί σε ἡ δίκη πυκνοτέρῳ καὶ αἰωνίῳ πυρὶ καὶ βασάνοις, αἳ εἰς ὅλον τὸν αἰῶνα οὐκ ἀνήσουσίν σε.
[13] Wert thou not ashamed, man as thou art, yet most savage, to cut out the tongues of men of like feeling and origin, and having thus abused to torture them?
[13] οὐκ ᾐδέσθης ἄνθρωπος ὤν, θηριωδέστατε, τοὺς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς καὶ ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν γεγονότας στοιχείων γλωττοτομῆσαι καὶ τοῦτον καταικίσας τὸν τρόπον βασανίσαι.
[14] But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion towards God.
[14] ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν εὐγενῶς ἀποθανόντες ἐπλήρωσαν τὴν εἰς τὸν θεὸν εὐσέβειαν, σὺ δὲ κακῶς οἰμώξεις τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγωνιστὰς ἀναιτίως ἀποκτεῖνας.
[15] But thou shalt groan according to thy deserts for having slain without cause the champions of virtue.
[15] ὅθεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀποθνῄσκειν μέλλων ἔφη
[16] Wherefore, he continued, I myself, being about to die,
[16] Οὐκ ἀπαυτομολῶ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου ἀριστείας·
[17] will not forsake my brethren.
[17] ἐπικαλοῦμαι δὲ τὸν πατρῷον θεὸν ὅπως ἵλεως γένηται τῷ ἔθνει ἡμῶν.
[18] And I call upon the God of my fathers to be merciful to my race.
[18] σὲ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν βίῳ καὶ θανόντα τιμωρήσεται.
[19] But thee, both living and dead, he will punish.
[19] καὶ ταῦτα κατευξάμενος ἑαυτὸν ἔρριψε κατὰ τῶν τηγάνων, καὶ οὕτως ἀπέδωκεν.
[20] Thus having prayed, he hurled himself into the pans; and so expired.
CHAPTER 13
[1] Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν τῶν μέχρι θανάτου πόνων ὑπερεφρόνησαν οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοί, συνομολογεῖται πανταχόθεν ὅτι αὐτοδέσποτός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός.
[1] If then, the seven brethren despised troubles even unto death, it is confessed on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the passions.
[2] εἰ γὰρ τοῖς πάθεσι δουλωθέντες ἐμιαροφάγησαν, ἐλέγομεν ἂν τούτοις αὐτοὺς νενικῆσθαι·
[2] For 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;
[3] νυνὶ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐπαινουμένῳ παρὰ θεῷ λογισμῷ περιεγένοντο τῶν παθῶν,
[3] now it is not so: but by means of the reasoning which is praised by God, they mastered their passions.
[4] ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν παριδεῖν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῆς διανοίας, ἐπεκράτησαν γὰρ καὶ πάθους καὶ πόνων.
[4] And it is impossible to overlook the leadership of reflection: for it gained the victory over both passions and troubles.
[5] πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν τούτοις τὴν τῆς εὐλογιστίας παθοκράτειαν ὁμολογεῖν, οἳ τῶν μὲν διὰ πυρὸς ἀλγηδόνων οὐκ ἐπεστράφησαν;
[5] How, then, can we avoid according to these men mastery of passion through right reasoning, since they drew not back from the pains of fire?
[6] καθάπερ γὰρ προβλῆτες λιμένων πύργοι τὰς τῶν κυμάτων ἀπειλὰς ἀνακόπτοντες γαληνὸν παρέχουσι τοῖς εἰσπλέουσι τὸν ὅρμον,
[6] For just as by means of towers projecting in front of harbours men break the threatening waves, and thus assure a still course to vessels entering port,
[7] οὕτως ἡ ἑπτάπυργος τῶν νεανίσκων εὐλογιστία τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ὀχυρώσασα λιμένα τὴν τῶν παθῶν ἐνίκησεν ἀκολασίαν.
[7] so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the intermperance of passions.
[8] ἱερὸν γὰρ εὐσεβείας στήσαντες χορὸν παρεθάρσυνον ἀλλήλους λέγοντες
[8] For having arranged a holy choir of piety, they encouraged one another, saying,
[9] Ἀδελφικῶς ἀποθάνωμεν, ἀδελφοί, περὶ τοῦ νόμου· μιμησώμεθα τοὺς τρεῖς τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀσσυρίας νεανίσκους, οἳ τῆς ἰσοπολίτιδος καμίνου κατεφρόνησαν.
[9] Brothers, may we die brotherly for the law. Let us imitate the three young men in Assyria who despised the equally afflicting furnace.
[10] μὴ δειλανδρήσωμεν πρὸς τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπίδειξιν.
[10] Let us not be cowards in the manifestation of piety.
[11] καὶ ὁ μέν Θάρρει, ἀδελφέ ἔλεγεν, ὁ δέ Εὐγενῶς καρτέρησον,
[11] And one said, Courage, brother; and another, Nobly endure.
[12] ὁ δὲ καταμνησθεὶς ἔλεγεν Μνήσθητε πόθεν ἐστέ, ἢ τίνος πατρὸς χειρὶ σφαγιασθῆναι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ὑπέμεινεν Ισαακ.
[12] And another, Remember of what stock ye are; and by the hand of our father Isaac endured to be slain for the sake of piety.
[13] εἷς δὲ ἕκαστος ἀλλήλους ὁμοῦ πάντες ἐφορῶντες φαιδροὶ καὶ μάλα θαρραλέοι Ἑαυτούς, ἔλεγον, τῷ θεῷ ἀφιερώσωμεν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας τῷ δόντι τὰς ψυχὰς καὶ χρήσωμεν τῇ περὶ τὸν νόμον φυλακῇ τὰ σώματα.
[13] And 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.
[14] μὴ φοβηθῶμεν τὸν δοκοῦντα ἀποκτέννειν·
[14] Let us not fear him who thinketh he killeth;
[15] μέγας γὰρ ψυχῆς ἀγὼν καὶ κίνδυνος ἐν αἰωνίῳ βασάνῳ κείμενος τοῖς παραβᾶσι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ.
[15] for great is the trial of soul and danger of eternal torment laid up for those who transgress the commandment of God.
[16] καθοπλισώμεθα τοιγαροῦν τὴν τοῦ θείου λογισμοῦ παθοκρατείαν.
[16] Let us arm ourselves, therefore, in the abnegation of the divine reasoning.
[17] οὕτω γὰρ θανόντας ἡμᾶς Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ ὑποδέξονται καὶ πάντες οἱ πατέρες ἐπαινέσουσιν.
[17] If we suffer thus, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob will receive us, and all the fathers will commend us.
[18] καὶ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀποσπωμένων αὐτῶν ἀδελφῶν ἔλεγον οἱ περιλειπόμενοι Μὴ καταισχύνῃς ἡμᾶς, ἀδελφέ, μηδὲ ψεύσῃ τοὺς προαποθανόντας
ἡμῶν ἀδελφούς.
[18] And as each one of the brethren was haled away, the rest exclaimed, Disgrace us not, O brother, nor falsify those who died before you.
[19] οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀδελφότητος φίλτρα, ἅπερ ἡ θεία καὶ πάνσοφος πρόνοια διὰ πατέρων τοῖς γεννωμένοις ἐμέρισεν καὶ διὰ τῆς μητρῴας φυτεύσασα γαστρός,
[19] Now you are not ignorant of the charm of brotherhood, which the Divine and all wise Providence hath imparted through fathers to children, and hath engendered through the mother’s womb.
[20] ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἴσον ἀδελφοὶ κατοικήσαντες χρόνον καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ πλασθέντες καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ αἵματος αὐξηθέντες καὶ διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ψυχῆς τελεσφορηθέντες
[20] In 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,
[21] καὶ διὰ τῶν ἴσων ἀποτεχθέντες χρόνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν γαλακτοποτοῦντες πηγῶν, ἀφ’ ὧν συντρέφονται ἐναγκαλισμάτων φιλάδελφοι ψυχαί·
[21] and having been brought forth at equal intervals, and having sucked milk from the same fountains, hence their brotherly souls are reared up lovingly together;
[22] καὶ αὔξονται σφοδρότερον διὰ συντροφίας καὶ τῆς καθ’ ἡμέραν συνηθείας καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παιδείας καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐν νόμῳ θεοῦ ἀσκήσεως.
[22] and 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.
[23] οὕτως δὴ τοίνυν καθεστηκυίης συμπαθοῦς τῆς φιλαδελφίας οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ συμπαθέστερον ἔσχον πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
Delphi Septuagint Page 940