γὰρ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ελεαζαρου λογισμὸς πηδαλιουχῶν τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ναῦν ἐν τῷ τῶν παθῶν πελάγει
For as the best helmsman, the reasoning of our father Eleazar, steering the ship of piety in the sea of the passions
The Koine Bible
The Scriptures in Greek with direct English translation.
Rahlfs Septuagint
4 Maccabees 7
Greek text followed verse by verse by a direct English translation.
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and being shamed by the threats of the tyrant and being drenched by the storms of the tortures
in no way did he turn the rudders of piety until he sailed to the harbor of immortal victory
οὕτως πόλις πολλοῖς καὶ ποικίλοις μηχανήμασιν ἀντέσχε ποτὲ πολιορκουμένη ὡς ὁ πανάγιος ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἱερὰν ψυχὴν αἰκισμοῖς τε καὶ στρέβλαις πυρπολούμενος ἐνίκησεν τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας διὰ τὸν ὑπερασπίζοντα τῆς εὐσεβείας λογισμόν
Never has a city under siege withstood so many and varied devices as that all-holy man, while being burned with tortures and rackings, overcame those besieging him by reason of the reasoning defending piety.
γὰρ πρόκρημνον ἄκραν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διάνοιαν ὁ πατὴρ Ελεαζαρ ἐκτείνας περιέκλασεν τοὺς ἐπιμαινομένους τῶν παθῶν κλύδωνας
For just as a sheer cliff, when Eleazar the father stretched out his own mind, he shattered the surging waves of the passions rushing upon him
ἄξιε τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἱερεῦ οὐκ ἐμίανας τοὺς ἱεροὺς ὀδόντας οὐδὲ τὴν θεοσέβειαν καὶ καθαρισμὸν χωρήσασαν γαστέρα ἐκοίνωσας μιαροφαγίᾳ
O priest worthy of the priesthood, you did not defile the holy teeth, nor did you defile with filthy eating the belly that held piety and purification
O harmonious advocate of the law and philosopher of the divine life
δεῖ εἶναι τοὺς δημιουργοῦντας τὸν νόμον ἰδίῳ αἵματι καὶ γενναίῳ ἱδρῶτι τοῖς μέχρι θανάτου πάθεσιν ὑπερασπίζοντας
Such must be those who fashion the law, with their own blood and noble sweat, defending it by sufferings even to death
πάτερ τὴν εὐνομίαν ἡμῶν διὰ τῶν ὑπομονῶν εἰς δόξαν ἐκύρωσας καὶ τὴν ἁγιαστίαν σεμνολογήσας οὐ κατέλυσας καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιστοποίησας τοὺς τῆς θείας φιλοσοφίας σου λόγους
You, father, through our endurance confirmed our good order for glory, and by extolling holiness you did not abolish it, and through the deeds you made trustworthy the words of your divine philosophy
O elder more violent than tortures and more vigorous than fire, and greatest of passions, king Eleazar
γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ Ααρων τῷ θυμιατηρίῳ καθωπλισμένος διὰ τοῦ ἐθνοπλήθους ἐπιτρέχων τὸν ἐμπυριστὴν ἐνίκησεν ἄγγελον
For just as Aaron’s father, armed with the censer, rushing through the multitude of the nation, overcame the incendiary angel
Thus Eleazar the Aaronite, being melted through the fire, did not change his resolve
τὸ θαυμασιώτατον γέρων ὢν λελυμένων μὲν ἤδη τῶν τοῦ σώματος τόνων περικεχαλασμένων δὲ τῶν σαρκῶν κεκμηκότων δὲ καὶ τῶν νεύρων ἀνενέασεν
And yet, though he was an old man, the most marvelous thing, with the strings of the body already loosened and the flesh hanging slack and the sinews also worn out, he grew young again
by the spirit through reason, and by Isaac-like reasoning he nullified the many-headed torture
O blessed old age and venerable gray hairs and lawful life, which a faithful seal of death brought to completion
δὴ τοίνυν γέρων ἀνὴρ τῶν μέχρι θανάτου βασάνων περιεφρόνει δι᾿ εὐσέβειαν ὁμολογουμένως ἡγεμών ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός
If then indeed the old man despised the tortures even to death because of piety, confessedly the reverent reason is ruler of the passions.
But perhaps some of the passions might say, not all prevail over them, because not all have their reasoning as prudent.
But as many as take thought for piety with all their heart, these alone are able to master the passions of the flesh
ὅτι θεῷ οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκουσιν ὥσπερ οὐδὲ οἱ πατριάρχαι ἡμῶν Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ ἀλλὰ ζῶσιν τῷ θεῷ
believing that they do not die to God, just as also our patriarchs Abraham and Isaac and Jacob did not, but live to God
Therefore nothing opposes the appearing of some to be ruled by passions because of the weak reasoning
For who, philosophizing according to the whole rule of philosophy and having believed in God
εἰδὼς ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν πάντα πόνον ὑπομένειν μακάριόν ἐστιν οὐκ ἂν περικρατήσειεν τῶν παθῶν διὰ τὴν θεοσέβειαν
and knowing that because of virtue to endure every toil is blessed, he would not have mastered the passions because of godliness
For only the wise and brave man is lord of the passions.