4 Maccabees 16

If, then, even a woman, and that an aged one, and the mother of seven children, endured to see her children’s torments even unto death, confessedly religious reasoning is master even of the passions.

Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν καὶ γυνὴ καὶ γηραιὰ καὶ ἑπτὰ παίδων μήτηρ ὑπέμεινε τὰς μέχρι θανάτου βασάνους ὁρῶσα τῶν τέκνων, ὁμολογουμένως αὐτοκράτωρ ἐστὶ τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός.

I have proved, then, that not only men have obtained the mastery of their passions, but also that a woman despised the greatest torments.

ἀπέδειξα οὖν ὅτι οὐ μόνον τῶν παθῶν ἄνδρες ἐπεκράτησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυνὴ τῶν μεγίστων βασάνων ὑπερεφρόνησε.

And not so fierce were the lions round Daniel, nor the furnace of Misael burning with most vehement fires as that natural love of children burned within her, when she beheld her seven sons tortured.

καὶ οὐχ οὕτως οἱ περὶ τὸν Δανιὴλ λέοντες ἦσαν ἄγριοι, οὐδὲ ἡ κατὰ τὸν Μισαὴλ ἐκφλεγομένη κάμινος λαβροτάτῳ πυρί, ὡς ἡ τῆς φιλοτεκνίας περιέκαιεν ἐκείνην φύσις, ὁρῶσαν αὐτῆς οὕτως ποικίλως τοὺς ἑπτὰ υἱοὺς βασανιζομένους.

But with the reasoning of religion the mother quenched passions so great and powerful.

ἀλλὰ τῷ λογισμῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας κατέσβεσε τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα πάθη ἡ μήτηρ.

For we must consider also this: that, had the woman been faint hearted, as being their mother, she would have lamented over them; and perhaps might have spoken thus:

καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπιλογίσασθε, ὅτι εἰ δειλόψυχος ἦν ἡ γυνή, καίπερ μήτηρ οὖσα, ὠλοφύρετο ἂν ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἴσως ἂν ταῦτα οὕτως εἶπεν·

Ah! wretched I, and many times miserable; who having born seven sons, have become the mother of none.

ὦ μελέα ἔγωγε καὶ πολλάκις τρισαθλία ἥτις ἑπτὰ παῖδας τεκοῦσα οὐδενὸς μήτηρ γεγένημαι.

O seven useless childbirths, and seven profitless periods of labour, and fruitless givings of suck, and miserable nursings at the breast.

ὦ μάταιοι ἑπτὰ κυοφορίαι, καὶ ἀνόνητοι ἑπτὰ δεκάμηνοι καὶ ἄκαρποι τιθηνίαι καὶ ταλαίπωροι γαλακτοτροφίαι.

Vainly, for your sakes, O sons, have I endured many pangs, and the more difficult anxieties of rearing.

μάτην ἐφ’ ὑμῖν, ὦ παῖδες, πολλὰς ὑπέμεινα ὠδῖνας καὶ χαλεπωτέρας φροντίδας ἀνατροφῆς.

Alas, of my children, some of you unmarried, and some who have married to no profit, I shall not see your children, nor be felicitated as a grandmother.

ὦ τῶν ἐμῶν παίδων, οἱ μὲν ἄγαμοι, οἱ δὲ γήμαντες ἀνόνητοι· οὐκ ὄψομαι ὑμῶν τέκνα, οὐδὲ μάμμη κληθεῖσα μακαρισθήσομαι.

Ah, that I who had many and fair children, should be a lone widow full of sorrows!

ὦ ἡ πολύπαις καὶ καλλίπαις ἐγὼ γυνὴ χήρα καὶ μόνη πολύθρηνος·

Nor, should I die, shall I have a son to bury me. But with such a lament as this the holy and God-fearing mother bewailed none of them.

οὐδ’ ἂν ἀποθάνω, θάψοντα τῶν υἱῶν ἕξω τινά. - ᾿Αλλὰ τούτῳ τῷ θρήνῳ οὐδένα ὠλοφύρετο ἡ ἱερὰ καὶ θεοσεβὴς μήτηρ,

Nor did she divert any of them from death, nor grieve for them as for the dead.

οὐδ’ ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνωσιν ἀπέτρεπεν αὐτῶν τινα οὐδ ὡς ἀποθνῃσκόντων ἐλυπήθη·

But as one possessed with an adamantine mind, and as one bringing forth again her full number of sons to immortality, she rather with supplication exhorted them to death in behalf of religion.

ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ ἀδαμάντινον ἔχουσα τὸν νοῦν καὶ εἰς ἀθανασίαν ἀνατίκτουσα τὸν τῶν υἱῶν ἀριθμόν, μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον αὐτοὺς προετρέπετο ἱκετεύουσα.

O woman, soldier of God for religion, thou, aged and a female, hast conquered through endurance even a tyrant; and though but weak, hast been found more powerful in deeds and words.

ὦ μῆτερ δι’ εὐσέβειαν Θεοῦ στρατιῶτι, πρεσβῦτι, καὶ γύναι, διὰ καρτερίαν καὶ τύραννον ἐνίκησας καὶ ἔργοις δυνατωτέρα καὶ λόγοις εὑρέθης ἀνδρός.

For when thou wast seized along with thy children, thou stoodest looking upon Eleazar in torments, and saidst to thy sons in the Hebrew tongue,

καὶ γὰρ ὅτε συνελήφθης μετὰ τῶν παίδων, εἱστήκεις τὸν ᾿Ελεάζαρον ὁρῶσα βασανιζόμενον καὶ ἔλεγες τοῖς παισὶν ἐν τῇ ἑβραΐδι φωνῇ.

O sons, noble is the contest; to which you being called as a witness for the nation, strive zealously for the laws of your country.

ὦ παῖδες, γενναῖος ὁ ἀγών, ἐφ’ ὃν κληθέντες ὑπὲρ τῆς διαμαρτυρίας τοῦ ἔθνους, ἐναγωνίσασθε προθύμως ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρίου νόμου.

For it were disgraceful that this old man should endure pains for the sake of righteousness, and that you who are younger should be afraid of the tortures.

καὶ γὰρ αἰσχρὸν τὸν μὲν γέροντα τοῦτον ὑπομένειν τὰς διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀλγηδόνας, ὑμᾶς δὲ τοὺς νεανίσκους καταπλαγῆναι τὰς βασάνους.

Remember that through God ye obtained existence, and have enjoyed it.

ἀναμνήσθητε ὅτι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ κόσμου μετελάβετε, καὶ τοῦ βίου ἀπελαύσατε,

And on this second account ye ought to bear every affliction because of God.

καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὀφείλετε πάντα πόνον ὑπομένειν διὰ τὸν Θεόν,

For whom also our father Abraham was forward to sacrifice Isaac our progenitor, and shuddered not at the sight of his own paternal hand descending down with the sword upon him.

δι’ ὃν καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν ῾Αβραὰμ ἔσπευδε τὸν ἐθνοπάτορα υἱὸν σφαγιάσαι ᾿Ισαάκ. καὶ τὴν πατρῴαν χεῖρα ξιφηφόρον καταφερομένην ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ὁρῶν ὁ ᾿Ισαὰκ οὐκ ἔπτυξεν.

And the righteous Daniel was cast unto the lions; and Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael, were slung out into a furnace of fire; yet they endured through God.

καὶ Δανιὴλ ὁ δίκαιος εἰς λέοντας ἐβλήθη, καὶ ᾿Ανανίας καὶ ᾿Αζαρίας καὶ Μισαὴλ εἰς κάμινον πυρὸς ἀπεσφενδονήθησαν καὶ ὑπέμειναν διὰ τὸν Θεόν.

You, then, having the same faith towards God, be not troubled.

καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν τὴν αὐτὴν πίστιν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν ἔχοντες μὴ χαλεπαίνητε.

For it is unreasonable that they who know religion should not stand up against troubles.

ἀλόγιστον γὰρ εἰδότας εὐσέβειαν μὴ ἀνθίστασθαι τοῖς πόνοις. -

With these arguments, the mother of seven, exhorting each of her sons, over-persuaded them from transgressing the commandment of God.

Διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων ἡ ἑπταμήτωρ ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν παρακαλοῦσα, ἀποθανεῖν ἔπεισε μᾶλλον ἢ παραβῆναι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ.

And they saw this, too, that they who die for God, live to God; as Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the patriarchs.

ἔτι δὲ καὶ ταῦτα εἰδότες ὅτι οἱ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἀποθανόντες ζῶσι τῷ Θεῷ, ὥσπερ ῾Αβραὰμ καὶ ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ᾿Ιακὼβ καὶ πάντες οἱ πατριάρχαι.