Κεφάλαιο 6

από **ΤΡΕΛΛΟΣ ΤΩΝ FM** Παρ 2 Μαρ - 15:49

Κεφάλαιο 6

ΚΑΙ ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Αντίοχος διεπορεύετο τὰς ἐπάνω χώρας καὶ ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἐστὶν ᾿Ελυμαΐς ἐν τῇ Περσίδι πόλις ἔνδοξος πλούτῳ ἀργυρίῳ τε καὶ χρυσίῳ· 2 καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ πλούσιον σφόδρα, καὶ ἐκεῖ καλύμματα χρυσᾶ καὶ θώρακες καὶ ὅπλα, ἃ κατέλιπεν ἐκεῖ ᾿Αλέξανδρος ὁ Φιλίππου βασιλεὺς ὁ Μακεδών, ὃς ἐβασίλευσε πρῶτος ἐν τοῖς ῞Ελλησι. 3 καὶ ἦλθε καὶ ἐζήτει καταλαβέσθαι τὴν πόλιν καὶ προνομεῦσαι αὐτήν, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνάσθη, ὅτι ἐγνώσθη ὁ λόγος τοῖς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, 4 καὶ ἀντέστησαν αὐτῷ εἰς πόλεμον, καὶ ἔφυγε καὶ ἀπῇρεν ἐκεῖθεν μετὰ λύπης μεγάλης ἀποστρέψαι εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. 5 καὶ ἦλθεν ἀπαγγέλλων τις αὐτῷ εἰς τὴν Περσίδα ὅτι τετρόπωνται αἱ παρεμβολαὶ αἱ πορευθεῖσαι εἰς γῆν ᾿Ιούδα, 6 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Λυσίας δυνάμει ἰσχυρᾷ ἐν πρώτοις καὶ ἐνετράπη ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπίσχυσαν ὅπλοις καὶ δυνάμει καὶ σκύλοις πολλοῖς, οἷς ἔλαβον ἀπὸ τῶν παρεμβολῶν, ὧν ἐξέκοψαν, 7 καὶ καθεῖλον τὸ βδέλυγμα, ὃ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα καθὼς τὸ πρότερον ἐκύκλωσαν τείχεσιν ὑψηλοῖς καὶ τὴν Βαιθσούραν πόλιν αὐτοῦ. 8 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοὺς λόγους τούτους, ἐθαμβήθη καὶ ἐσαλεύθη σφόδρα καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην καὶ ἐνέπεσεν εἰς ἀρρωστίαν ἀπὸ τῆς λύπης, ὅτι οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ καθὼς ἐνεθυμεῖτο. 9 καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας πλείους, ὅτι ἀνεκαινίσθη ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν λύπη μεγάλη, καὶ ἐλογίσατο ὅτι ἀποθνήσκει. 10 καὶ ἐκάλεσε πάντας τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· ἀφίσταται ὁ ὕπνος ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου, καὶ συμπέπτωκα τῇ καρδίᾳ ἀπὸ τῆς μερίμνης, 11 καὶ εἶπα τῇ καρδίᾳ μου· ἕως τίνος θλίψεως ἦλθον καὶ κλύδωνος μεγάλου, ἐν ᾧ νῦν εἰμι; ὅτι χρηστὸς καὶ ἀγαπώμενος ἤμην ἐν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ μου, 12 νῦν δὲ μιμνήσκομαι τῶν κακῶν, ὧν ἐποίησα ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἔλαβον πάντα τὰ σκεύη τὰ χρυσᾶ καὶ τὰ ἀργυρᾶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐξαπέστειλα ἐξᾶραι τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ᾿Ιούδα διακενῆς. 13 ἔγνων οὖν ὅτι χάριν τούτων εὗρόν με τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀπόλλυμαι λύπῃ μεγάλῃ ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ. 14 καὶ ἐκάλεσε Φίλιππον ἕνα τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ· 15 καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τὸ διάδημα καὶ τὴν στολὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν δακτύλιον τοῦ ἀγαγεῖν ᾿Αντίοχον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκθρέψαι αὐτὸν τοῦ βασιλεύειν. 16 καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐκεῖ ᾿Αντίοχος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔτους ἐνάτου καὶ τεσσαρακοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ. 17 καὶ ἐπέγνω Λυσίας ὅτι τέθνηκεν ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ κατέστησε βασιλεύειν ᾿Αντίοχον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὃν ἐξέθρεψε νεώτερον, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Εὐπάτορα. 18 Καὶ οἱ ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας ἦσαν συγκλείοντες τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ κύκλῳ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ζητοῦντες τὰ κακὰ δι᾿ ὅλου καὶ στήριγμα τοῖς ἔθνεσι. 19 καὶ ἐλογίσατο ᾿Ιούδας ἐξᾶραι αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξεκκλησίασε πάντα τὸν λαὸν τοῦ περικαθίσαι ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς· 20 καὶ συνήχθησαν ἅμα καὶ περιεκάθισαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἔτους πεντηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς βελοστάσεις καὶ μηχανάς. 21 καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ συγκλεισμοῦ, καὶ ἐκολλήθησαν αὐτοῖς τινες τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἐξ ᾿Ισραήλ, 22 καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπον· ἕως πότε οὐ ποιήσῃ κρίσιν καὶ ἐκδικήσεις τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν; 23 ἡμεῖς εὐδοκοῦμεν δουλεύειν τῷ πατρί σου καὶ πορεύεσθαι τοῖς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ λεγομένοις καὶ κατακολουθεῖν τοῖς προστάγμασιν αὐτοῦ. 24 καὶ περικάθηνται εἰς τὴν ἄκραν υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ἡμῶν χάριν τούτου καὶ ἀλλοτριοῦνται ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν· πλὴν ὅσοι εὑρίσκοντο ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν ἐθανατοῦντο καὶ αἱ κληρονομίαι ἡμῶν διηρπάζοντο. 25 καὶ οὐκ ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς μόνον ἐξέτειναν χεῖρα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ὅρια αὐτῶν· 26 καὶ ἰδοὺ παρεμβεβλήκασι σήμερον ἐπὶ τὴν ἄκραν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τοῦ καταλαβέσθαι αὐτήν· καὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα καὶ τὴν Βαιθσούραν ὠχύρωσαν, 27 καὶ ἐὰν μὴ προκαταλάβῃ αὐτοὺς διὰ τάχους, μείζονα τούτων ποιήσουσι, καὶ ἰδοὺ δυνήσῃ τοῦ κατασχεῖν αὐτῶν.

28 Καὶ ὠργίσθη ὁ βασιλεὺς ὅτε ἤκουσε, καὶ συνήγαγε πάντας τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἡνιῶν· 29 καὶ ἀπὸ βασιλειῶν ἑτέρων καὶ ἀπὸ νήσων θαλασσῶν ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν δυνάμεις μισθωταί. 30 καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν δυνάμεων αὐτοῦ ἑκατὸν χιλιάδες τῶν πεζῶν καὶ εἴκοσι χιλιάδες ἵππων καὶ ἐλέφαντες δύο καὶ τριάκοντα εἰδότες πόλεμον. 31 καὶ ἤλθοσαν διὰ τῆς ᾿Ιδουμαίας καὶ παρενεβάλοσαν ἐπὶ Βαιθσούραν καὶ ἐπολέμησαν ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ἐποίησαν μηχανάς· καὶ ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἐνεπύρισαν αὐτὰς ἐν πυρὶ καὶ ἐπολέμησαν ἀνδρωδῶς. 32 καὶ ἀπῇρεν ᾿Ιούδας ἀπὸ τῆς ἄκρας καὶ παρενέβαλεν εἰς Βαιθζαχαρία ἀπέναντι τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως. 33 καὶ ὤρθρισεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ πρωΐ καὶ ἀπῇρε τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἐν ὁρμήματι αὐτῆς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν Βαιθζαχαρία, καὶ διεσκευάσθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις εἰς τὸν πόλεμον καὶ ἐσάλπισαν ταῖς σάλπιγξι. 34 καὶ τοῖς ἐλέφασιν ἔδειξαν αἷμα σταφυλῆς καὶ μόρων τοῦ παραστῆσαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον. 35 καὶ διεῖλον τὰ θηρία εἰς τὰς φάλαγγας καὶ παρέστησαν ἑκάστῳ ἐλέφαντι χιλίους ἄνδρας τεθωρακισμένους ἐν ἁλυσιδωτοῖς, καὶ περικεφαλαῖαι χαλκαῖ ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ πεντακόσιοι ἵπποι διατεταγμένοι ἑκάστῳ θηρίῳ ἐκλελεγμένοι· 36 οὗτοι πρὸ καιροῦ, οὗ ἐὰν ἦν τὸ θηρίον ἦσαν καὶ οὗ ἐὰν ἐπορεύετο ἐπορεύοντο ἅμα, οὐκ ἀφίσταντο ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ. 37 καὶ πύργοι ξύλινοι ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ὀχυροὶ σκεπαζόμενοι ἐφ᾿ ἑκάστου θηρίου ἐζωσμένοι ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ μηχαναῖς, καὶ ἐφ᾿ ἑκάστου ἄνδρες δυνάμεως δύο καὶ τριάκοντα οἱ πολεμοῦντες ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς καὶ ὁ ᾿Ινδὸς αὐτοῦ. 38 καὶ τὴν ἐπίλοιπον ἵππον ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τὰ δύο μέρη τῆς παρεμβολῆς κατασείοντες καὶ καταφρασσόμενοι ἐν ταῖς φάραγξιν. 39 ὡς δὲ ἔστιλβεν ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τὰς χρυσᾶς καὶ χαλκᾶς ἀσπίδας, ἔστιλβε τὰ ὄρη ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν καὶ κατηύγαζεν ὡς λαμπάδες πυρός. 40 καὶ ἐξετάθη μέρος τι τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ὄρη καί τινες ἐπὶ τὰ ταπεινά· καὶ ἤρχοντο ἀσφαλῶς καὶ τεταγμένως. 41 καὶ ἐσαλεύοντο πάντες οἱ ἀκούοντες φωνῆς πλήθους αὐτῶν καὶ ὁδοιπορίας τοῦ πλήθους καὶ συγκρουσμοῦ τῶν ὅπλων· ἦν γὰρ ἡ παρεμβολὴ μεγάλη σφόδρα καὶ ἰσχυρά. 42 καὶ ἤγγισεν ᾿Ιούδας καὶ ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς παράταξιν, καὶ ἔπεσον ἀπὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες. 43 καὶ εἶδεν ᾿Ελεάζαρ ὁ Αὐαρὰν ἓν τῶν θηρίων τεθωρακισμένον θώρακι βασιλικῷ, καὶ ἦν ὑπεράγον πάντα τὰ θηρία, καὶ ᾠήθη ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεύς. 44 καὶ ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν τοῦ σῶσαι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ περιποιῆσαι ἑαυτῷ ὄνομα αἰώνιον· 45 καὶ ἐπέδραμεν αὐτῷ θράσει εἰς μέσον τῆς φάλαγγος καὶ ἐθανάτου δεξιὰ καὶ εὐώνυμα, καὶ ἐσχίζοντο ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα· 46 καὶ εἰσέδυ ὑπὸ τὸν ἐλέφαντα καὶ ὑπέθεκεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐκεῖ. 47 καὶ εἶδον τὴν ἰσχὺν τῆς βασιλείας καὶ τὸ ὅρμημα τῶν δυνάμεων, καὶ ἐξέκλιναν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν. 48 οἱ δὲ ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνέβαινον εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ παρενέβαλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν ᾿Ιουδαίαν καὶ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Σιών. 49 καὶ ἐποίησεν εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν ἐκ Βαιθσούρων, καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ διατροφὴ τοῦ συγκεκλεῖσθαι ἐν αὐτῇ, ὅτι σάββατον ἦν τῇ γῇ· 50 καὶ κατελάβετο βασιλεὺς τὴν Βαιθσούραν, καὶ ἀπέταξεν ἐκεῖ φρουρὰν τηρεῖν αὐτήν. 51 καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ἔστησεν ἐκεῖ βελοστάσεις καὶ μηχανὰς καὶ πυροβόλα καὶ λιθόβολα καὶ σκορπίδια εἰς τὸ βάλλεσθαι βέλη καὶ σφενδόνας. 52 καὶ ἐποίησαν καὶ αὐτοὶ μηχανὰς πρὸς τὰς μηχανὰς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπολέμησαν ἡμέρας πολλάς. 53 βρώματα δὲ οὐκ ἦν ἐν τοῖς ἀγγείοις διὰ τὸ ἕβδομον ἔτος εἶναι, καὶ οἱ ἀνασῳζόμενοι εἰς τὴν ᾿Ιουδαίαν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν κατέφαγον τὸ ὑπόλειμμα τῆς παραθέσεως. 54 καὶ ὑπελείφθησαν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἄνδρες ὀλίγοι, ὅτι κατεκράτησεν αὐτῶν ὁ λιμός, καὶ ἐσκορπίσθησαν ἕκαστος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ.

55 Καὶ ἤκουσε Λυσίας ὅτι Φίλιππος, ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Αντίοχος ἔτι ζῶν ἐκθρέψαι ᾿Αντίοχον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ βασιλεῦσαι αὐτόν, 56 ἀπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ τῆς Περσίδος καὶ Μηδίας καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ πορευθεῖσαι τοῦ βασιλέως μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ζητεῖ παραλαβεῖν τὰ πράγματα. 57 καὶ κατέσπευδε τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν καὶ εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας· ἐκλείπομεν καθ᾿ ἡμέραν, καὶ ἡ τροφὴ ἡμῖν ὀλίγη, καὶ ὁ τόπος οὗ παρεμβάλλομέν ἐστιν ὀχυρός, καὶ ἐπίκειται ἡμῖν τὰ τῆς βασιλείας· 58 νῦν οὖν δῶμεν δεξιὰν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις καὶποιήσωμεν μετ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰρήνην καὶ μετὰ παντὸς ἔθνους αὐτῶν 59 καὶ στήσωμεν αὐτοῖς τοῦ πορεύεσθαι τοῖς νομίμοις αὐτῶν, ὡς τὸ πρότερον· χάριν γὰρ τῶν νομίμων αὐτῶν, ὧν διεσκεδάσαμεν, ὠργίσθησαν καὶ ἐποίησαν ταῦτα πάντα. 60 καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων, καὶ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰρηνεῦσαι, καὶ ἐπεδέξαντο. 61 καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες· ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τοῦ ὀχυρώματος. 62 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ὄρος Σιὼν καὶ εἶδε τὸ ὀχύρωμα τοῦ τόπου καὶ ἠθέτησε τὸν ὁρκισμόν, ὃν ὤμοσε, καὶ ἐνετείλατο καθελεῖν τὸ τεῖχος κυκλόθεν. 63 καὶ ἀπῇρε κατὰ σπουδὴν καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν καὶ εὗρε Φίλιππον κυριεύοντα τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐπολέμησε πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ κατελάβετο τὴν πόλιν βίᾳ.