| 瑪加伯下 |
2 Maccabees |
| 1事後，又有兄弟七人與他們的母親一同被捕，國王命人用鞭子和牛筋痛打他們，強迫他們吃法律禁止的豬肉。 |
1It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. |
| 2其中一個，代表發言說：「你想問什麼？你願由我們知道什麼？我們已經準備，寧死不願背叛我們祖先的法律。」 |
2One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." |
| 3於是國王大怒命人取過鍋釜來，放在火上。 |
3At that the king, in a fury, gave orders to have pans and caldrons heated. |
| 4及至鍋釜瞬息間燒紅以後，就命人在其餘的兄弟和母親眼前，將那發言人的舌頭割下來，剝去他的頭皮，割下他的四肢， |
4While they were being quickly heated, he commanded his executioners to cut out the tongue of the one who had spoken for the others, to scalp him and cut off his hands and feet, while the rest of his brothers and his mother looked on. |
| 5肢體被分割後，王命人將他拉到火邊，活生生地放在鍋裏煎熬。當鍋內的蒸氣往上升起時，其餘的兄弟和母親都互相勸勉作壯烈的犧牲說： |
5When he was completely maimed but still breathing, the king ordered them to carry him to the fire and fry him. As a cloud of smoke spread from the pan, the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely, saying such words as these: |
| 6「上主天主看見，必要憐恤我們，正如梅瑟在譴責歌中所說的：他必憐恤自己的僕人！」 |
6"The Lord God is looking on, and he truly has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his canticle, when he protested openly with the words, 'And he will have pity on his servants.'" |
| 7第一個這樣死去以後，遂領第二個來赴刑。將他的頭皮與頭髮一起削去，以後問他說：「在你的身體一塊一塊地分解以前，你吃不吃豬肉？」 |
7When the first brother had died in this manner, they brought the second to be made sport of. After tearing off the skin and hair of his head, they asked him, "Will you eat the pork rather than have your body tortured limb by limb?" |
| 8他用祖國的話答說：「不！」因此，他也像第一個一般受了刑罰。 |
8Answering in the language of his forefathers, he said, "Never!" So he too in turn suffered the same tortures as the first. |
| 9他在快要斷氣的一剎那，高聲說：「你這窮兇極惡的人！你使我失去現世的生命，但是宇宙的君王，必要使我們這些為他的法律而殉難的人復活，獲得永生。」 |
9 At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying." |
| 10這一個以後，輪到第三個受刑了！在命他伸舌頭時，他就爽快地伸出，且毅然伸開雙手， |
10After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, |
| 11慷慨地說：「這些肢體是從上天得來的，但是，現在為了他的法律，我不吝嗇這一切，希望有一天從他那裏仍再得到。」 |
11as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." |
| 12國王和他的侍從都驚異這少年人不怕受苦的精神。 |
12Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. |
| 13他死了以後，他們用同樣酷刑處罰第四個。 |
13After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. |
| 14他臨死時這樣說：「深信天主使人復活許諾的人，死在人手中，是求之不得的；可是為你，卻沒有進入生命的復活。」 |
14When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life." |
| 15接着，人就帶第五個來受刑。 |
15They next brought forward the fifth brother and maltreated him. Looking at the king, |
| 16他向國王瞪着眼說：「你這有死有壞的人，現今你對人有權柄，為所欲為；可是，不要想我們的民族已被天主擯棄。 |
16he said: "Since you have power among men, mortal though you are, do what you please. But do not think that our nation is forsaken by God. |
| 17你等着看罷！你必要看見他的大能，看他要怎樣懲罰你和你的子孫！」 |
17Only wait, and you will see how his great power will torment you and your descendants." |
| 18在他以後，帶了第六個來，他快死時說：「你不要糊塗自欺！我們遭受這一切，正是因為我們得罪了我們的天主，因而遭受了這樣嚴重的災難。 |
18After him they brought the sixth brother. When he was about to die, he said: "Have no vain illusions. We suffer these things on our own account, because we have sinned against our God; that is why such astonishing things have happened to us. |
| 19可是，你不要想你對抗天主，能僥倖免罰！」 |
19Do not think, then, that you will go unpunished for having dared to fight against God." |
| 20尤當稱奇，最值得光榮記念的，還是他們的母親。她在一日之內親見七個兒子死去，還能欣然忍受，因為她全心寄望於上主。 |
20Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord. |
| 21她心中充滿高尚的情緒，以大丈夫的氣概奮發起女性孱弱的心靈，用本國的話，一一鼓勵他們說： |
21Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she exhorted each of them in the language of their forefathers with these words: |
| 22「我不知你們怎樣出現在我的腹中：不是我給了你們靈魂與生命，也不是我構成了你們每一個人的身體。 |
22"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed. |
| 23世界的創造者，既然形成了人的初生，賜予萬物以起源，也必仁慈償還你們的靈魂和生命，因為你們現在為愛護他的法律捨生致命。 |
23Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law." Martyrdom of Mother and Sons |
| 24安提約古自覺受了輕慢，猜想這番話必是諷刺自己，就趁最幼的一個尚在，不斷用話勸誘，且向他起誓，只要他棄捨自己祖傳的一切，保證他必享富貴幸福，作自己的朋友，且得高官厚祿。 |
24Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words, thought he was being ridiculed. As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him, not with mere words, but with promises on oath, to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs: he would make him his Friend and entrust him with high office. |
| 25可是，少年人對這話毫不介意，因此王就召他的母親來，勸她給少年人出個得救的主意。 |
25When the youth paid no attention to him at all, the king appealed to the mother, urging her to advise her boy to save his life. |
| 26國王再三勸了她，她纔同意去勸說自己的兒子。 |
26After he had urged her for a long time, she went through the motions of persuading her son. |
| 27於是她向他彎着身，嘲弄着暴君，用祖國的話這樣對他說：「我兒，你憐恤我罷！我在腹中懷育你九個月，三年哺養你，又栽培提攜養育你，直到現在的年紀。 |
27In derision of the cruel tyrant, she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language: "Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months, nursed you for three years, brought you up, educated and supported you to your present age. |
| 28我兒，我懇求你仰視天，俯視地，觀察天地間形形色色的萬物！你該知道，這一切都是天主從無中造成的，人類也是如此造成的。 |
28 I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth and see all that is in them; then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things; and in the same way the human race came into existence. |
| 29你不要怕這劊子手，反該對得起你的哥哥們，視死如歸，好叫我在天主顯示仁慈的時候，可迎接你的哥哥和你！」 |
29Do not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them." |
| 30她剛說完了話，青年人就說：「你們還等什麼？我決不聽從國王的命令，我只聽從梅瑟給我們祖宗立定的法律命令。 |
30She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said: "What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king's command. I obey the command of the law given to our forefathers through Moses. |
| 31你這設法迫害希伯來人的罪魁，你決不能逃脫天主的手！ |
31But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews, will not escape the hands of God. |
| 32我們受難是為了我們的罪惡。 |
32We, indeed, are suffering because of our sins. |
| 33我們永生的上主，為責罰和懲戒我們，一時向我們發怒，但終究要與自己的僕人重新和好。 |
33Though our living Lord treats us harshly for a little while to correct us with chastisements, he will again be reconciled with his servants. |
| 34至於你這惡人！你這人類中的妖孽！你雖然伸手毒害上天的子女，可是，別糊裏糊塗，洋洋得意，妙想天開， |
34But you, wretch, vilest of all men! do not, in your insolence, concern yourself with unfounded hopes, as you raise your hand against the children of Heaven. |
| 35因為你逃脫不了全能全知天主的審判。 |
35You have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty and all-seeing God. |
| 36我哥哥們既忍受了暫時的苦痛，如今他們按照天主的盟約，得到了永生，你卻因着天主的審判，將受你驕傲應得的刑罰， |
36My brothers, after enduring brief pain, have drunk of never-failing life, under God's covenant, but you, by the judgment of God, shall receive just punishments for your arrogance. |
| 37我要如同我哥哥們一樣，甘心為祖宗的法律，捨棄我的肉身和生命，求上主早日憐恤我們的百姓，並用苦難與災禍，迫使你承認他是惟一的天主。 |
37Like my brothers, I offer up my body and my life for our ancestral laws, imploring God to show mercy soon to our nation, and by afflictions and blows to make you confess that he alone is God. |
| 38願全能者向我們全族所發的義怒，在我和我哥哥們身上，就此止息。」 |
38Through me and my brothers, may there be an end to the wrath of the Almighty that has justly fallen on our whole nation." |
| 39國王難以忍受他的凌辱，於是勃然大怒，加給他的刑罰比對別的更兇殘。 |
39At that, the king became enraged and treated him even worse than the others, since he bitterly resented the boy's contempt. |
| 40這樣，這個純潔的少年一心依靠上主，走入了另一世界。 |
40Thus he too died undefiled, putting all his trust in the Lord. |
| 41兒子們相繼致命，最後母親也致了命。 |
41The mother was last to die, after her sons. |
| 42以上所述，足以叫人明瞭當時關於吃祭品和因此而掀起的慘酷的刑罰。 |
42Enough has been said about the sacrificial meals and the excessive cruelties. |
