1. Makkabeler 8

¹Yahuda Romalıların adını duydu; onların askeri güç bakımından çok güçlü olduklarını, kendilerine katılan her topluluğa iyi niyet ve hoşnutluk gösterdiklerini ve kendilerine sığınan herkesle resmi bir dostluk ilişkisi tesis ettiklerini öğrendi.

²Onların askeri açıdan ne kadar güçlü olduklarını, yaptıkları savaşları, Galatyalılar arasında gösterdikleri kahramanlıkları, onlara nasıl egemen olup onları vergi yükümlülüğü altına soktuklarını ona anlattılar.

³Ayrıca oradaki gümüş ve altın maden ocakları üzerinde tam bir egemenlik kurmak amacıyla İspanya topraklarında ne büyük işler başardıklarını,

⁴Kendi stratejik planları ve sabırlı azimleri sayesinde, o topraklar kendilerinden son derece uzak olmasına rağmen bütün o ülkeyi nasıl egemenlikleri altına aldıklarını anlattılar. Yeryüzünün en ucundan üzerlerine yürüyen kralları, onları tamamen bozguna uğratana dek ezmişler ve onlara büyük darbeler indirmişlerdi; geri kalanlar ise onlara her yıl düzenli olarak vergi ödüyordu.

⁵Makedonların kralı olan Filip'i, Perseus'u ve kendilerine karşı kibirlenerek ayaklanan diğerlerini savaşta bozguna uğratıp onlara boyun eğdirmişlerdi.

⁶Yüz yirmi fil, süvariler, savaş arabaları ve son derece büyük bir askeri güçle kendilerine karşı savaşa girişen Asya'nın büyük kralı Antiyokus'u da bozguna uğratmışlardı; o, Romalılar tarafından ezilmişti.

⁷Onu sağ olarak ele geçirmişler, kendisinin ve ardıllarının büyük bir vergi ödemesini, rehineler vermesini ve belirlenen sınır taksimatını kabul etmesini kararlaştırmışlardı.

⁸En seçkin topraklarından olan Hindistan, Medya ve Lidya ülkelerini ondan alıp, bu toprakları Bergama Kralı Eumenis'e vermişlerdi.

⁹Yunanistan'dan olanların kendilerine saldırıp onları tamamen ortadan kaldırmaya karar verdiklerini de duydu.

¹⁰Ancak bu tasarı Romalılarca öğrenilmiş, üzerlerine tek bir komutan gönderip onlarla savaşmışlardı; onlardan birçok kayıp düşmüş, kadınlarını ve çocuklarını tutsak alıp mallarını yağmalamışlar, topraklarına egemen olup kalelerini yıkmışlar ve onları bu güne değin kölelik altında tutmuşlardı.

¹¹Kendilerine karşı direnen diğer tüm krallıkları ve adaları da yıkıma uğratıp köleleştirmişlerdi.

¹²Ancak kendi dostlarıyla ve kendilerine dayananlarla dostluklarını korumuşlardı. Yakındaki ve uzaktaki krallıklara egemen olmuşlardı; onların adını duyan herkes onlardan korkuyordu.

¹³Kime yardım edip kral yapmak isterlerse onlar kral oluyor, kimi de isterlerse tahttan indiriyorlardı; böylece son derece yükseltildiler.

¹⁴Bütün bunlara rağmen, içlerinden hiçbiri kendini yüceltmek ve onun içinde azamet göstermek için başına bir taç takmadı ya da erguvani giysiler kuşanmadı.

¹⁵Kendilerine bir meclis kurmuşlardı; halkın iyi bir düzen içinde yaşaması için üç yüz yirmi meclis üyesi her gün aralıksız toplanıp halkın işlerini müzakere ediyordu.

¹⁶Yönetimlerini her yıl tek bir adama emanet ediyorlardı ve bu adam tüm toprakları üzerinde egemen oluyordu; herkes bu tek kişiye itaat ediyordu ve aralarında hiçbir haset ya da çekememezlik yoktu.

¹⁷Bunun üzerine Yahuda, Akkos oğlu Yuhanna oğlu Evpolemos'u ve Eleazar oğlu Yason'u seçip onlarla dostluk ve askeri ittifak tesis etmek üzere Roma'ya gönderdi.

¹⁸Amaçları boyunduruğu üzerlerinden kaldırmaktı; çünkü Grek krallığının İsrail'i kölelikle köleleştirdiğini görüyorlardı.

¹⁹Çok uzun bir yolculuktan sonra Roma'ya vardılar, meclis binasına girip söz alarak şöyle dediler:

²⁰"Makkabi Yahuda, kardeşleri ve Yahudi halkı, sizinle askeri ittifak ve barış tesis etmek, müttefikleriniz ve dostlarınız olarak kaydedilmemiz için bizi size gönderdi."

²¹Bu söz onların huzurunda hoşnutluk buldu.

²²Barış ve askeri ittifakın bir hatırlatıcısı olarak orada, yanlarında saklanmak üzere tunç tabletler üzerine kazıyıp Yeruşalim'e gönderdikleri mektubun sureti şudur:

²³"Romalılara ve Yahudi ulusuna denizde ve karada sonsuza dek esenlik olsun! Kılıç ve düşman onlardan uzak tutulsun.

²⁴Eğer ilk önce Roma'da ya da onların tüm egemenlik alanlarındaki müttefiklerinden birinde bir savaş baş gösterirse,

²⁵Yahudi ulusu, koşulların kendilerine göstereceği şekilde, tam bir yürekle onlara müttefik olarak yardım edecektir.

²⁶Romalılarca uygun görüldüğü üzere, düşmanlara buğday, silah, para ya da gemi sağlamayacaklar ve vermeyeceklerdir; hiçbir karşılık almadan kendi yükümlülüklerini yerine getireceklerdir.

²⁷Aynı şekilde, eğer ilk önce Yahudi ulusuna karşı bir savaş çıkarsa, Romalılar koşulların kendilerine göstereceği şekilde, bütün canlarıyla onlara müttefik olarak yardım edeceklerdir.

²⁸Saldıranlara Roma'ca karar verildiği üzere buğday, silah, para ya da gemi verilmeyecektir; Romalılar yükümlülüklerini hile olmaksızın yerine getireceklerdir.

²⁹Romalılar, Yahudi halkı için bu şartlar altında antlaşmayı tesis ettiler.

³⁰Eğer bu sözlerden sonra her iki taraf da bir şey eklemek ya da çıkarmak isterse, bunu kendi özgür seçimleriyle yapacaklardır; ekledikleri ya da çıkardıkları her şey geçerli olacaktır.

³¹Kral Demetriyus'un Yahudilere yapmakta olduğu kötülüklere gelince, kendisine şöyle yazmış bulunuyoruz: 'Dostlarımız ve müttefiklerimiz olan Yahudilerin üzerindeki boyunduruğunu neden bu kadar ağırlaştırdın?

³²Eğer sana karşı bir kez daha şikayette bulunurlarsa, onlar için adaleti yerine getirecek, seninle hem denizden hem de karadan savaşacağız.'"

¹ΚΑΙ ἤκουσεν ᾿Ιούδας τὸ ὄνομα τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ὅτι εἰσὶ δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ καὶ αὐτοὶ εὐδοκοῦσιν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς προστιθεμένοις αὐτοῖς, καὶ ὅσοι ἂν προσέλθωσιν αὐτοῖς, ἱστῶσιν αὐτοῖς φιλίαν,

²καὶ ὅτι εἰσὶ δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ. καὶ διηγήσαντο αὐτῷ τοὺς πολέμους αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς ἀνδραγαθίας, ἃς ποιοῦσιν ἐν τοῖς Γαλάταις, καὶ ὅτι κατεκράτησαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ φόρον,

³καὶ ὅσα ἐποίησαν ἐν χώρᾳ ῾Ισπανίας τοῦ κατακρατῆσαι τῶν μετάλλων τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου τοῦ ἐκεῖ·

⁴καὶ κατεκράτησαν τοῦ τόπου παντὸς τῇ βουλῇ αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ, καὶ ὁ τόπος ἦν μακρὰν ἀπέχων ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν σφόδρα, καὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἐπελθόντων ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾿ ἄκρου τῆς γῆς ἕως συνέτριψαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἐν αὐτοῖς πληγὴν μεγάλην, καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι διδόασιν αὐτοῖς φόρον κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτόν·

⁵καὶ τὸν Φίλιππον καὶ τὸν Περσέα Κιτιέων βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἐπῃρμένους ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς συνέτριψαν αὐτοὺς ἐν πολέμῳ καὶ κατεκράτησαν αὐτῶν·

⁶καὶ ᾿Αντίοχον τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα τῆς ᾿Ασίας τὸν πορευθέντα ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον ἔχοντα ἑκατὸν εἴκοσιν ἐλέφαντας καὶ ἵππον καὶ ἅρματα καὶ δύναμιν πολλὴν σφόδρα, καὶ συνετρίβη ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν,

⁷καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν ζῶντα καὶ ἔστησαν αὐτοῖς διδόναι αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας μετ᾿ αὐτὸν φόρον μέγαν καὶ διδόναι ὅμηρα καὶ διαστολὴν

⁸καὶ χώραν τὴν ᾿Ινδικὴν καὶ Μηδίαν καὶ Λυδίαν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν καλλίστων χωρῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ λαβόντες αὐτὰς παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔδωκαν αὐτὰς Εὐμένει τῷ βασιλεῖ·

⁹καὶ ὅτι οἱ ἐκ τῆς ῾Ελλάδος ἐβουλεύσαντο ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἐξᾶραι αὐτούς,

¹⁰καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἀπέστειλαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς στρατηγὸν ἕνα καὶ ἐπολέμησαν πρὸς αὐτούς, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐξ αὐτῶν τραυματίαι πολλοί, καὶ ᾐχμαλώτευσαν τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπρονόμευσαν αὐτοὺς καὶ κατεκράτησαν τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν καὶ καθεῖλον τὰ ὀχυρώματα αὐτῶν καὶ κατεδουλώσαντο αὐτοὺς ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης·

¹¹καὶ τὰς ἐπιλοίπους βασιλείας καὶ τὰς νήσους, ὅσοι ποτὲ ἀντέστησαν αὐτοῖς, κατέφθειραν καὶ ἐδούλωσαν αὐτούς,

¹²μετὰ δὲ τῶν φίλων αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπαναπαυομένων αὐτοῖς συνετήρησαν φιλίαν· καὶ κατεκράτησαν τῶν βασιλειῶν τῶν ἐγγὺς καὶ τῶν μακράν, καὶ ὅσοι ἤκουον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν, ἐφοβοῦντο ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν.

¹³ὅσοις δ᾿ ἂν βούλωνται βοηθεῖν καὶ βασιλεύειν, βασιλεύουσιν· οὓς δ᾿ ἂν βούλωνται, μεθιστῶσι· καὶ ὑψώθησαν σφόδρα.

¹⁴καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις οὐκ ἐπέθετο οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν διάδημα καὶ οὐ περιεβάλοντο πορφύραν ὥστε ἁδρυνθῆναι ἐν αὐτῇ·

¹⁵καὶ βουλευτήριον ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ καθ᾿ ἡμέραν ἐβουλεύοντο τριακόσιοι καὶ εἴκοσι βουλευόμενοι διαπαντὸς περὶ τοῦ πλήθους τοῦ εὐκοσμεῖν αὐτούς·

¹⁶καὶ πιστεύουσιν ἑνὶ ἀνθρώπῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῶν κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ κυριεύειν πάσης τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν, καὶ πάντες ἀκούουσι τοῦ ἑνός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι φθόνος οὐδὲ ζῆλος ἐν αὐτοῖς.

¹⁷καὶ ἐπέλεξεν ᾿Ιούδας τὸν Εὐπόλεμον υἱὸν ᾿Ιωάννου τοῦ ᾿Ακκὼς καὶ ᾿Ιάσονα υἱὸν ᾿Ελεαζάρου καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς Ῥώμην στῆσαι αὐτοῖς φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν

¹⁸καὶ τοῦ ἆραι τὸν ζυγὸν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν, ὅτι εἶδον τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν ῾Ελλήνων καταδουλουμένους τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ δουλείᾳ.

¹⁹καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς Ῥώμην, καὶ ἡ ὁδὸς πολλὴ σφόδρα, καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ βουλευτήριον καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπον·

²⁰᾿Ιούδας ὁ Μακκαβαῖος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ἀπέστειλαν ἡμᾶς πρὸς ὑμᾶς στῆσαι μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν συμμαχίαν καὶ εἰρήνην καὶ γραφῆναι ἡμᾶς συμμάχους καὶ φίλους ὑμῶν.

²¹καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν.

²²καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἧς ἀντέγραψεν ἐπὶ δέλτοις χαλκαῖς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ εἶναι παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ μνημόσυνον εἰρήνης καὶ συμμαχίας.

²³«Καλῶς γένοιτο Ῥωμαίοις καὶ τῷ ἔθνει ᾿Ιουδαίων ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ξηρᾶς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ῥομφαία καὶ ἐχθρὸς μακρυνθείη ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν.

²⁴ἐὰν δὲ ἐνστῇ πόλεμος ἐν Ῥώμῃ προτέρᾳ ἢ πᾶσι τοῖς συμμάχοις αὐτῶν ἐν πάσῃ κυρείᾳ αὐτῶν,

²⁵συμμαχήσει τὸ ἔθνος τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων, ὡς ἂν ὁ καιρὸς ὑπογραφῇ αὐτοῖς καρδίᾳ πλήρει.

²⁶καὶ τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν οὐ δώσουσιν οὐδὲ ἐπαρκέσουσι σῖτον, ὅπλα, ἀργύριον, πλοῖα, ὡς ἔδοξε Ῥωμαίοις· καὶ φυλάξονται τὰ φυλάγματα αὐτῶν οὐθὲν λαβόντες.

²⁷κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ ἐὰν ἔθνει ᾿Ιουδαίων συμβῇ προτέροις πόλεμος, συμμαχήσουσιν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐκ ψυχῆς, ὡς ἂν αὐτοῖς ὁ καιρὸς ὑπογράφῃ·

²⁸καὶ τοῖς συμμαχοῦσιν οὐ δοθήσεται σῖτος, ὅπλα, ἀργύριον, πλοῖα, ὡς ἔδοξε Ῥώμῃ· καὶ φυλάξονται τὰ φυλάγματα αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ μετὰ δόλου. -

²⁹κατὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἔστησαν Ῥωμαῖοι τῷ δήμῳ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων.

³⁰ἐὰν δὲ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους βουλεύσωνται οὗτοι καὶ οὗτοι προσθεῖναι ἢ ἀφελεῖν, ποιήσονται ἐξ αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν προσθῶσιν ἢ ἀφέλωσιν, ἔσται κύρια.

³¹καὶ περὶ τῶν κακῶν, ὧν ὁ βασιλεὺς Δημήτριος συντελεῖται εἰς αὐτούς, ἐγράψαμεν αὐτῷ λέγοντες· διατί ἐβάρυνας τὸν ζυγόν σου ἐπὶ τοὺς φίλους ἡμῶν τοὺς συμμάχους ᾿Ιουδαίους;

³²ἐὰν οὖν ἔτι ἐντύχωσι κατὰ σοῦ, ποιήσομεν αὐτοῖς τὴν κρίσιν καὶ πολεμήσομέν σε διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ διὰ τῆς ξηρᾶς».

¹Now Judas had heard of the fame of the Romans, that they were mighty and valiant men, and such as would lovingly accept all that joined themselves unto them, and make a league of amity with all that came unto them;

²And that they were men of great valour. It was told him also of their wars and noble acts which they had done among the Galatians, and how they had conquered them, and brought them under tribute;

³And what they had done in the country of Spain, for the winning of the mines of the silver and gold which is there;

⁴And that by their policy and patience they had conquered all the place, though it were very far from them; and the kings also that came against them from the uttermost part of the earth, till they had discomfited them, and given them a great overthrow, so that the rest did give them tribute every year:

⁵Beside this, how they had discomfited in battle Philip, and Perseus, king of the Citims, with others that lifted up themselves against them, and had overcome them:

⁶How also Antiochus the great king of Asia, that came against them in battle, having an hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and chariots, and a very great army, was discomfited by them;

⁷And how they took him alive, and covenanted that he and such as reigned after him should pay a great tribute, and give hostages, and that which was agreed upon,

⁸And the country of India, and Media and Lydia and of the goodliest countries, which they took of him, and gave to king Eumenes:

⁹Moreover how the Grecians had determined to come and destroy them;

¹⁰And that they, having knowledge thereof sent against them a certain captain, and fighting with them slew many of them, and carried away captives their wives and their children, and spoiled them, and took possession of their lands, and pulled down their strong holds, and brought them to be their servants unto this day:

¹¹It was told him besides, how they destroyed and brought under their dominion all other kingdoms and isles that at any time resisted them;

¹²But with their friends and such as relied upon them they kept amity: and that they had conquered kingdoms both far and nigh, insomuch as all that heard of their name were afraid of them:

¹³Also that, whom they would help to a kingdom, those reign; and whom again they would, they displace: finally, that they were greatly exalted:

¹⁴Yet for all this none of them wore a crown or was clothed in purple, to be magnified thereby:

¹⁵Moreover how they had made for themselves a senate house, wherein three hundred and twenty men sat in council daily, consulting alway for the people, to the end they might be well ordered:

¹⁶And that they committed their government to one man every year, who ruled over all their country, and that all were obedient to that one, and that there was neither envy nor emulation among them.

¹⁷In consideration of these things, Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Accos, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome, to make a league of amity and confederacy with them,

¹⁸And to intreat them that they would take the yoke from them; for they saw that the kingdom of the Grecians did oppress Israel with servitude.

¹⁹They went therefore to Rome, which was a very great journey, and came into the senate, where they spake and said.

²⁰Judas Maccabeus with his brethren, and the people of the Jews, have sent us unto you, to make a confederacy and peace with you, and that we might be registered your confederates and friends.

²¹So that matter pleased the Romans well.

²²And this is the copy of the epistle which the senate wrote back again in tables of brass, and sent to Jerusalem, that there they might have by them a memorial of peace and confederacy:

²³Good success be to the Romans, and to the people of the Jews, by sea and by land for ever: the sword also and enemy be far from them,

²⁴If there come first any war upon the Romans or any of their confederates throughout all their dominion,

²⁵The people of the Jews shall help them, as the time shall be appointed, with all their heart:

²⁶Neither shall they give any thing unto them that make war upon them, or aid them with victuals, weapons, money, or ships, as it hath seemed good unto the Romans; but they shall keep their covenants without taking any thing therefore.

²⁷In the same manner also, if war come first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them with all their heart, according as the time shall be appointed them:

²⁸Neither shall victuals be given to them that take part against them, or weapons, or money, or ships, as it hath seemed good to the Romans; but they shall keep their covenants, and that without deceit.

²⁹According to these articles did the Romans make a covenant with the people of the Jews.

³⁰Howbeit if hereafter the one party or the other shall think to meet to add or diminish any thing, they may do it at their pleasures, and whatsoever they shall add or take away shall be ratified.

³¹And as touching the evils that Demetrius doeth to the Jews, we have written unto him, saying, Wherefore thou made thy yoke heavy upon our friends and confederates the Jews?

³²If therefore they complain any more against thee, we will do them justice, and fight with thee by sea and by land.