4 Maccabees 10

Now this one, having endured this praiseworthy death, the third was brought along, and exhorted by many to taste and save his life.

Καὶ τούτου τὸν ἀοίδιμον θάνατον καρτερήσαντος, ὁ τρίτος ἤγετο παρακαλούμενος πολλὰ ὑπὸ πολλῶν, ὅπως ἀπογευσάμενος σῴζοιτο.

But he cried out and said, Know ye not, that the father of those who are dead, begat me also; and that the same mother bare me; and that I was brought up in the same tenets?

ὁ δὲ ἀναβοήσας ἔφη· ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε ὅτι ὁ αὐτός με τοῖς ἀποθανοῦσιν ἔσπειρε πατήρ, καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ μήτηρ ἐγέννησε, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀνετράφημεν δόγμασιν;

I abjure not the noble relationship of my brethren.

οὐκ ἐξόμνυμαι τὴν εὐγενῆ τῆς ἀδελφότητός μου συγγένειαν.

Now then, whatever instrument of vengeance ye have, apply it to my body, for ye are not able to touch, even if ye wish it, my soul.

πρὸς ταῦτα εἴ τι ἔχετε κολαστήριον προσαγάγετε τῷ σώματί μου· τῆς γὰρ ψυχῆς μου, οὐδ’ ἂν θέλητε ἅψασθαι, δύνασθε.

But they, highly incensed at his boldness of speech, dislocated his hands and feet with racking engines, and wrenching them from their sockets, dismembered him.

οἱ δὲ πικρῶς ἐνέγκαντες τὴν παρρησίαν τοῦ ἀνδρός, ἀρθρεμβόλοις ὀργάνοις τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἐξήρθρουν καὶ ἐξ ἁρμῶν ἀναμοχλεύοντες ἐξεμέλιζον,

And they dragged round his fingers, and his arms, and his legs, and his ankles.

καὶ τοὺς δακτύλους καὶ τοὺς βραχίονας καὶ τὰ σκέλη καὶ τοὺς ἀγκῶνας περιέκλων.

And not being able by any means to strangle him, they tore off his skin, together with the extreme tips of his fingers, flayed him, and then haled him to the wheel;

καὶ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἰσχύοντες αὐτὸν ἄγξαι περισύραντες τό δέρμα σὺν ἄκραις ταῖς τῶν δακτύλων κορυφαῖς ἀπεσκύθιζον· καὶ εὐθέως ἦγον ἐπὶ τὸν τροχόν,

around which his vertebral joints were loosened, and he saw his own flesh torn to shreds, and streams of blood flowing from his entrails.

περὶ ὃν ἐκ σπονδύλων ἐκμελιζόμενος ἑώρα τὰς ἑαυτοῦ σάρκας περιλακιζομένας καὶ κατὰ σπλάγχνων σταγόνας αἵματος ἀπορρεούσας.

And when about to die, he said,

μέλλων δὲ ἀποθνήσκειν ἔφη·

We, O accursed tyrant, suffer this for the sake of Divine education and virtue.

ἡμεῖς μέν, ὦ μιαρώτατε τύραννε, διὰ παιδείαν καὶ ἀρετὴν Θεοῦ ταῦτα πάσχομεν·

But thou, for thine impiety and blood-shedding, shalt endure indissoluble torments.

σὺ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ μιαιφονίαν ἀκαταλύτους καρτερήσεις βασάνους. -

And thus having died worthily of his brethren, they dragged forward the fourth, saying,

Καὶ τούτου θανόντος ἀδελφοπρεπῶς, τὸν τέταρτον ἐπεσπῶντο λέγοντες·

Do not thou share the madness of thy brethren: but give regard to the king, and save thyself.

μὴ συμμανῇς καὶ σὺ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς σου τὴν αὐτὴν μανίαν, ἀλλὰ πεισθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ, σῷζε σεαυτόν.

But he said to them, You have not a fire so scorching as to make me play the coward.

ὁ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔφη· οὐχ οὕτως καυστικώτερον ἔχετε κατ’ ἐμοῦ τὸ πῦρ ὥστε με δειλανδρῆσαι.

By the blessed death of my brethren, and the eternal punishment of the tyrant, and the glorious life of the pious, I will not repudiate the noble brotherhood.

μὰ τὸν μακάριον τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου θάνατον καὶ τὸν αἰώνιον τοῦ τυράννου ὄλεθρον καὶ τὸν ἀΐδιον τῶν εὐσεβῶν βίον οὐκ ἀρνήσομαι τὴν εὐγενῆ ἀδελφότητα.

Invent, O tyrant, tortures; that you may learn, even through them, that I am the brother of those tormented before.

ἐπινόει, τύραννε, βασάνους, ἵνα καὶ διὰ τούτων μάθῃς, ὅτι ἀδελφός εἰμι τῶν προβασανισθέντων.

When he had said this, the blood-thirsty, and murderous, and unhallowed Antiochus ordered his tongue to be cut out.

ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ αἱμοβόρος καὶ φονώδης καὶ παμμιαρώτατος ᾿Αντίοχος, ἐκέλευσε τὴν γλῶτταν αὐτοῦ ἐκτεμεῖν.

But he said, Even if you take away the organ of speech, yet God hears the silent.

ὁ δὲ ἔφη· κἂν ἀφέλῃς τὸ τῆς φωνῆς ὄργανον, καὶ σιωπώντων ἀκούει ὁ Θεός·

Behold, my tongue is extended, cut it off; [for you will not extirpate this way our reasoning].

ἰδοὺ προκεχάλασται ἡ γλῶσσα, τέμνε, οὐ γὰρ παρὰ τοῦτο τὸν λογισμὸν ἡμῶν γλωσσοτομήσεις.

Gladly do we lose our limbs in behalf of God.

ἡδέως ὑπὲρ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ τοῦ σώματος μέλη ἀκρωτηριαζόμεθα.

But God shall speedly find you, since you cut off the tongue, the instrument of divine melody.

σὲ δὲ ταχέως μετελεύσεται ὁ Θεός, τὴν γὰρ τῶν θείων ὕμνων μελῳδὸν γλῶτταν ἐκτέμνεις. * Translated by ELPENOR replacing "for not for that halt thou extirpate our reasoning".