2 Maccabees 8

2 Maccabees 8, Catholic Public Domain Version

1. In truth, Judas Maccabeus, and those who were with him, went secretly into the villages, and, calling together their relatives and friends, and accepting among them those who persevered in Judaism, they brought six thousand men together.

   Judas vero Machabæus, et qui cum illo erant, introibant latenter in castella: et convocantes cognatos et amicos, et eos qui permanserunt in Judaismo assumentes, eduxerunt ad se sex millia virorum.

2. 2

   And they called upon the Lord: to look upon his people, who were downtrodden by all; and to take pity on the temple, which was defiled by the impious;

   Et invocabant Dominum, ut respiceret in populum qui ab omnibus calcabatur, et misereretur templo quod contaminabatur ab impiis:

3. 3

   and even to take pity on the city by utter destruction, for it was willing to be immediately leveled to the ground; and to hear the voice of the blood that was crying out to him,

   misereretur etiam exterminio civitatis, quæ esset illico complananda, et vocem sanguinis ad se clamantis audiret:

4. 4

   so that he would remember also the most iniquitous deaths of the innocent little ones, and the blasphemies brought upon his name; and to show his indignation over these things.

   memoraretur quoque iniquissimas mortes parvulorum innocentum, et blasphemias nomini suo illatas, et indignaretur super his.

5. 5

   And so Maccabeus, having gathered together a multitude, could not be withstood by the Gentiles. For the wrath of the Lord had turned into mercy.

   At Machabæus, congregata multitudine, intolerabilis gentibus efficiebatur: ira enim Domini in misericordiam conversa est.

6. 6

   And so, overwhelming the towns and cities unexpectedly, he set them on fire. And, occupying strategic positions, he made no small slaughter of the enemies.

   Et superveniens castellis et civitatibus improvisus, succendebat eas: et opportuna loca occupans, non paucas hostium strages dabat:

7. 7

   Moreover, especially in the nights, he carried out expeditions in this way. And the fame of his virtuous strength was spread abroad everywhere.

   maxime autem noctibus ad hujuscemodi excursus ferebatur, et fama virtutis ejus ubique diffundebatur.

8. 8

   Then Philip, seeing that the man gained ground little by little, and that things frequently fell out in his favor, wrote to Ptolemy, governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, to send auxiliaries to carry out the work of the king.†

   Videns autem Philippus paulatim virum ad profectum venire, ac frequentius res ei cedere propere, ad Ptolemæum ducem Cœlesyriæ et Phœnicis scripsit ut auxilium ferret regis negotiis.

9. 9

   And so, he quickly sent Nicanor, son of Patroclus, from his foremost friends, providing him with no less than twenty thousand armed men from throughout the Gentiles, to wipe out the entire race of the Jews, joining with him Gorgias, a military man with very great experience in the things of warfare.†

   At ille velociter misit Nicanorem Patrocli de primoribus amicum, datis ei de permistis gentibus, armatis non minus viginti millibus, ut universum Judæorum genus deleret, adjuncto ei Gorgia viro militari, et in bellicis rebus experientissimo.

10. 10

    Moreover, Nicanor decided to raise a tribute for the king of two thousand talents, which was to be given to the Romans, and which would be supplied by means of the captivity of the Jews.

    Constituit autem Nicanor, ut regi tributum, quod Romanis erat dandum, duo millia talentorum de captivitate Judæorum suppleret:

11. 11

    And immediately he sent to the maritime cities, calling them to the auction of the Jewish slaves, promising them a parcel of ninety slaves for one talent, not reflecting on the vengeance which would befall him subsequently from the Almighty.

    statimque ad maritimas civitates misit, convocans ad coëmptionem Judaicorum mancipiorum, promittens se nonaginta mancipia talento distracturum, non respiciens ad vindictam quæ eum ab Omnipotente esset consecutura.

12. 12

    Then, when Judas learned that Nicanor was approaching, he revealed it to those Jews who were with him.

    Judas autem ubi comperit, indicavit his qui secum erant Judæis Nicanoris adventum.

13. 13

    And certain ones among them, being afraid and not trusting in the justice of God, turned and fled away.

    Ex quibus quidam formidantes, et non credentes Dei justitiæ, in fugam vertebantur:

14. 14

    In truth, others sold all that was in excess, and together beseeched the Lord, that he would rescue them from the impious Nicanor, who had sold them before he even came near them,

    alii vero si quid eis supererat vendebant, simulque Dominum deprecabantur ut eriperet eos ab impio Nicanore, qui eos priusquam cominus veniret, vendiderat:

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    and if not for their sakes, then for the sake of the covenant which was made with their fathers, and for the sake of the invocation of his holy and magnificent name over them.

    etsi non propter eos, propter testamentum tamen quod erat ad patres eorum, et propter invocationem sancti et magnifici nominis ejus super ipsos.

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    But Maccabeus, calling together seven thousand who were with him, asked them not to be reconciled to the enemies, and not to fear the multitude of the enemies who came against them unjustly, but to struggle with fortitude,†

    Convocatis autem Machabæus septem millibus qui cum ipso erant, rogabat ne hostibus reconciliarentur, neque metuerent inique venientium adversum se hostium multitudinem: sed fortiter contenderent,

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    holding before their eyes the contempt that had been brought upon the holy place by them, and likewise also the mockery which they held to the injury of the city, even to the extent of overthrowing the institutions of old.

    ante oculos habentes contumeliam quæ loco sancto ab his injuste esset illata, itemque et ludibrio habitæ civitatis injuriam, adhuc etiam veterum instituta convulsa.

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    For he said that these, indeed, trust in their weapons, as well as in their boldness; but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who is able to wipe out both those coming against us, and even the whole world, with one nod.

    Nam illi quidem armis confidunt, ait, simul et audacia: nos autem in omnipotente Domino, qui potest et venientes adversum nos, et universum mundum, uno nutu delere, confidimus.

19. 19

    Moreover, he reminded them also of the assistance of God which their parents had received; and how, under Sennacherib, one hundred and eighty-five thousand had perished;

    Admonuit autem eos et de auxiliis Dei, quæ facta sunt erga parentes: et quod sub Sennacherib centum octoginta quinque millia perierunt:

20. 20

    and of the battle by them, which was against the Galatians in Babylonia, how, when the event had arrived and the allies of the Macedonians hesitated, though they were only six thousand in all, yet they slew one hundred and twenty thousand, because of the help provided to them from heaven; and how, for the sake of these things, very many benefits followed.†

    et de prælio quod eis adversus Galatas fuit in Babylonia, ut omnes, ubi ad rem ventum est, Macedonibus sociis hæsitantibus, ipsi sex millia soli peremerunt centum viginti millia, propter auxilium illis datum de cælo, et beneficia pro his plurima consecuti sunt.

21. 21

    By these words, they were brought to constancy and were prepared to die for the laws and their nation.

    His verbis constantes effecti sunt, et pro legibus et patria mori parati.

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    And so, he appointed his brothers as leaders over each division: Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, subjecting one thousand and five hundred men to each of them.

    Constituit itaque fratres suos duces utrique ordini, Simonem, et Josephum, et Jonathan, subjectis unicuique millenis et quingentenis.

23. 23

    And at that point, the holy book having been read to them by Esdras, and having given them a sign of the assistance of God, with himself leading the first point, he joined battle with Nicanor.

    Ad hoc etiam ab Esdra lecto illis sancto libro, et dato signo adjutorii Dei, in prima acie ipse dux commisit cum Nicanore.

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    And, with the Almighty as their helper, they slew over nine thousand men. Furthermore, having wounded and disabled the greater part of the army of Nicanor, they forced them to take flight.†

    Et facto sibi adjutore Omnipotente, interfecerunt super novem millia hominum: majorem autem partem exercitus Nicanoris vulneribus debilem factam fugere compulerunt.

25. 25

    In fact, they took away the money from those who came to buy them, and they pursued them everywhere.

    Pecuniis vero eorum, qui ad emptionem ipsorum venerant, sublatis, ipsos usquequaque persecuti sunt:

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    But they turned back at the close of the hour, for it was before the Sabbath. For this reason, they did not continue the pursuit.

    sed reversi sunt hora conclusi, nam erat ante sabbatum: quam ob causam non perseveraverunt insequentes.

27. 27

    But, having gathered together their weapons and spoils, they kept the Sabbath, blessing the Lord who had delivered them in that day, showering the beginning of mercy on them.

    Arma autem ipsorum, et spolia congregantes, sabbatum agebant, benedicentes Dominum, qui liberavit eos in isto die, misericordiæ initium stillans in eos.

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    In truth, after the Sabbath, they divided the spoils to the disabled, and the orphans, and the widows, and the remainder they kept for themselves and their own.

    Post sabbatum vero debilibus, et orphanis, et viduis diviserunt spolia: et residua ipsi cum suis habuere.

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    And so, when these things were done, and supplication was made by all in common, they asked the merciful Lord to be reconciled to his servants unto the end.

    His itaque gestis, et communiter ab omnibus facta obsecratione, misericordem Dominum postulabant ut in finem servis suis reconciliaretur.

30. 30

    And, among those who were fighting against them with Timothy and Bacchides, they slew more than twenty thousand, and they obtained the high fortresses, and they divided many spoils, making equal portions for the disabled, the fatherless, and the widows, and even the aged.

    Et ex his qui cum Timotheo et Bacchide erant contra se contendentes, super viginti millia interfecerunt, et munitiones excelsas obtinuerunt: et plures prædas diviserunt, æquam portionem debilibus, pupillis, et viduis, sed et senioribus facientes.

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    And when they had carefully collected their weapons, they stored them all in strategic places, and, in truth, the remainder of the spoils they carried to Jerusalem.

    Et cum arma eorum diligenter collegissent, omnia composuerunt in locis opportunis: residua vero spolia Jerosolymam detulerunt:

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    And they put to death Philarches, a wicked man, who was with Timothy, who had brought many afflictions upon the Jews.

    et Philarchen, qui cum Timotheo erat, interfecerunt, virum scelestum, qui in multis Judæos afflixerat.

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    And when they celebrated the song of victory at Jerusalem, they burned him who had set fire to the sacred doors, that is, Callisthenes, when he had taken refuge in a certain house, repaying him a worthy reward for his impieties.

    Et cum epinicia agerent Jerosolymis, eum qui sacras januas incenderat, id est, Callisthenem, cum in quoddam domicilium refugisset, incenderunt, digna ei mercede pro impietatibus suis reddita.

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    But as for that most vicious Nicanor, who had led in a thousand merchants for the sale of the Jews,

    Facinorosissimus autem Nicanor, qui mille negotiantes ad Judæorum venditionem adduxerat,

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    he was brought low with the help of the Lord, and by those whom he considered to be worthless. Putting aside the glorious vestments, fleeing by an inland route, he arrived alone at Antioch, having been brought to the greatest unhappiness by the destruction of his army.†

    humiliatus auxilio Domini ab his quos nullos existimaverat, deposita veste gloriæ, per mediterranea fugiens, solus venit Antiochiam, summam infelicitatem de interitu sui exercitus consecutus.

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    And he who had promised to pay a tribute to the Romans from the captives of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had God as their protector, and, for this reason, they were invulnerable, because they followed the laws established by him.

    Et qui promiserat Romanis se tributum restituere de captivitate Jerosolymorum, prædicabat nunc protectorem Deum habere Judæos, et ob ipsum invulnerabiles esse, eo quod sequerentur leges ab ipso constitutas.

Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain · Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592)