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2 Maccabees 1 1 About that time Antiochus retreated in disgrace from the region of 2 He had entered the city called 他原来去了名叫波斯波里的京城，企图劫掠神殿和占领该城。但是当地民众都起来，以武力抗拒，安提约古终于被当地的民众打败，含羞退回。 3 On his arrival in 4 Overcome with anger, he planned to make the Jews suffer for the injury done by those who had put him to flight. Therefore he ordered his charioteer to drive without stopping until he finished the journey. Yet the condemnation of Heaven rode with him, since he said in his arrogance,＂I will make 遂勃然大怒，想把别人打败他的耻辱向犹太人报复；于是命御者不停加紧赶路。其实是上天的惩罚催迫着他，因为他傲慢地说：“我到了耶路撒冷，必使这城变为犹太人的坟场。” 5 So the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him down with an unseen but incurable blow; for scarcely had he uttered those words when he was seized with excruciating pains in his bowels and sharp internal torment, 这是极其公道的，因为他从前曾用各钟罕见的刑罚，难为过别人的脏腑。 7 Far from giving up his insolence, he was all the more filled with arrogance. Breathing fire in his rage against the Jews, he gave orders to drive even faster. As a result he hurtled from the dashing chariot, and every part of his body was racked by the violent fall. 他不但不止息他的蛮横，反而更加骄傲，向犹太人发泄他的怒焰，下命快跑。正当御车风驰电掣的时刻，他忽然跌下来，且跌得十分惨重，浑身的肢体都错了节。 8 Thus he who previously, in his superhuman presumption, thought he could command the waves of the sea, and imagined he could weigh the mountaintops in his scales, was now thrown to the ground and had to be carried on a litter, clearly manifesting to all the power of God. 刚才自命不凡，叱咤风云，想衡量山岳的人，如今却躺在地上，被人用床抬起：这事叫人们知道是天主威能的显示。 9 The body of this impious man swarmed with worms, and while he was still alive in hideous torments, his flesh rotted off, so that the entire army was sickened by the stench of his corruption. 况且，又从这万恶的人身上生出了蛆虫，他虽还活着，可是肌肉却一块一块的脱落，痛苦万状，腐烂的臭味使全军作呕。 10 Shortly before, he had thought that he could reach the stars of heaven, and now, no one could endure to transport the man because of this intolerable stench. 刚才仿佛要触摸天上星辰的人，现今为他这难忍的臭味，没有一个人愿抬他。 11 At last, broken in spirit, he began to give up his excessive arrogance, and to gain some understanding, under the scourge of God, for he was racked with pain unceasingly. 这样，因痛苦缠身，他的狂傲才开始止息；因天主的惩罚，痛苦逐渐增加，他也逐渐觉悟。 12 When he could no longer bear his own stench, he said,＂It is right to be subject to God, and not to think one's mortal self divine." 当他自己也无法忍受自己的臭味时，就说：“服从天主是理所当然的，有死有坏的人，绝不可妄想与天主平衡！” 13 Then this vile man vowed to the Lord, who would no longer have mercy on him, 这恶人不住向那不再怜悯他的上主许愿说： 14 that he would set free the holy city, toward which he had been hurrying with the intention of leveling it to the ground and making it a common graveyard; 15 he would put on perfect equality with the Athenians all the Jews, whom he had judged not even worthy of burial, but fit only to be thrown out with their children to be eaten by vultures and wild animals; 要使一切先前决定不配埋葬，而该与子女一同投给飞禽走兽作食物的犹太人，得享与雅典人平等的待遇； 16 he would adorn with the finest offerings the holy temple which he had previously despoiled; he would restore all the sacred vessels many times over; and would provide from his own revenues the expenses required for the sacrifices. 17 Besides all this, he would become a Jew himself and visit every inhabited place to proclaim there the power of God. 此外自己还要作一个犹太人，周游凡有人烟的地方，宣扬天主全能。 18 But since God's punishment had justly come upon him, his sufferings were not lessened, so he lost hope for himself and wrote the following letter to the Jews in the form of a supplication. It read thus: Death of Antiochus 然而，他的痛苦并未因此减轻，因为天主公义的审判已经来到他身上。他见自己，已无希望，于是用哀恳的言词给犹太人写了下面的一封信： 19 2＂To my esteemed Jewish citizens, Antiochus, their king and general, sends hearty greetings and best wishes for their health and happiness. “安提约古王兼大元帅，祝良善的犹大国民安好！并祝健康幸福！ 20 If you and your children are well and your affairs are going as you wish, I thank God very much, for my hopes are in heaven. 21 Now that I am ill, I recall with affection the esteem and good will you bear me. On returning from the regions of 我今毫无能力，躺在床上，很怀念你们。自从我由波斯地域回来，即患重病，所以将有关公益的事，安排一下，我以为很有需要。 22 Actually, I do not despair about my health, since I have great hopes of recovering from my illness. 23 Nevertheless, I know that my father, whenever he went on campaigns in the hinterland, would name his successor, 不过我想起先父每次带兵出征高原地区时，常先定下他的继承人， 24 so that, if anything unexpected happened or any unwelcome news came, the people throughout the realm would know to whom the government had been entrusted, and so not be disturbed. 好在发生什么不测的事情，或传来什么不幸的消息时，各省的居民都知道国事已有继承，不致发生暴乱； 25 3 I am also bearing in mind that the neighboring rulers, especially those on the borders of our kingdom, are on the watch for opportunities and waiting to see what will happen. I have therefore appointed as king my son Antiochus, whom I have often before entrusted and commended to most of you, when I made hurried visits to the outlying provinces. I have written to him the letter copied below. 此外，我察觉近邦的王子与邻国的君主，都在窥探时机，等待事变，所以我指定我的儿子安提约古为王，他就是我出巡高原各省时，曾给你们许多人托付介绍过的那位。我还给他写了下面所写的一封信。 26 Therefore I beg and entreat each of you to remember the general and individual benefits you have received, and to continue to show good will toward me and my son. 因此我恳切哀求你们，回想我对你们所施的公私恩惠，对我和我的儿子保持原有的友谊， 27 I am confident that, following my policy, he will treat you with mildness and kindness in his relations with you." 28 So this murderer and blasphemer, after extreme sufferings, such as he had inflicted on others, died a miserable death in the mountains of a foreign land. 29 His foster brother Philip brought the body home; but fearing Antiochus' son, he later withdrew into 他的挚友斐理伯收殓了他的尸首。但他害怕安提约古的儿子，就去了埃及，投奔仆托肋米非罗默托。 Footnotes（注解） 1 [1-28] In order to keep together the various accounts of God's punishment of the persecutors of his people, the author places here the stories of Antiochus' illness and death (in actuality the king died only after the purification of the temple; cf 1 Macc 4:36-59; 6:1-16; 2 Macc 10:1-8); of Judas' campaigns in Idumea and Transjordan; cf 1 Macc 5:1-51; 2 Macc 10:14-38; and of the first expedition of Lysias (1 Macc 4:26-35; 2 Macc 11:1-15). 2 [19-27] Despite the statement in 2 Macc 9:18 this letter is not really a supplication. It is rather a notification to all the king's subjects of the appointment of his son as his successor and a request that they be loyal to the new king. Apparently the same letter, which has every appearance of being authentic, was sent to the various peoples throughout the kingdom, with only a few words of address changed for each group. 3 [25] The letter copied below: not included in the text of 2 Macc. |
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