2 Maccabees 6:18–31

¹⁸Eleazar, one of the principal ^bscribes, ^bban aged man, and of a well favoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and ^cto eat swine’s flesh. ¹⁹But he, ^dchoosing rather to die gloriously, than to live stained with such an abomination, spit it forth, and came of his own accord to ^ethe torment, ²⁰as it behoved them to come, that are resolute to stand out against such things, as are not lawful for love of life to be tasted. ²¹But they that had the charge of that wicked ^ffeast, for the old acquaintance they had with the man, taking him aside, besought him to bring flesh of his own provision, such as was ^glawful for him to use, and ^hmake as if he did eat of the flesh taken from the sacrifice commanded by the king; ²²that in so doing he might be delivered from death, and for the old friendship with them find favour. ²³But he began to consider ⁱdiscreetly, and as became his age, and the excellency of his ancient years, and the honour of his gray head, whereunto he was come, and his most honest ^keducation from a child, or rather the holy law made and given by God: therefore he answered accordingly, and willed them straightways to send him to the grave. ²⁴For it becometh not our age, ^lsaid he, in any wise to ^hdissemble, whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, being ^mfourscore years old and ten, were now gone to ⁿa strange religion; ²⁵and so they through mine ^hhypocrisy, and desire to live a little time and a moment longer, should be deceived by me, and I get a stain to mine old age, and make it abominable. ²⁶For though for the present time I should be delivered from the punishment of men: yet should I not escape the hand of the ⁿⁿAlmighty, neither alive, nor dead. ²⁷Wherefore now, manfully changing this life, I will shew myself such a one as mine age requireth, ²⁸and leave a ^onotable example to such as be young to die willingly and courageously for the honourable and holy laws. And when he had said these words, immediately he went to ^ethe torment: ²⁹they that led him changing ^pthe good will they bare him a little before into hatred, because the foresaid speeches proceeded, as they thought, from a desperate mind. ³⁰But when he was ready to die with stripes, he ^rgroaned, and said, It is manifest unto the Lord, that hath the holy knowledge, that whereas I might have been delivered from death, I now endure sore pains in body by being beaten: but in soul am well content to suffer these things, because I fear him. ³¹And thus this man died, leaving his death for an ^oexample of a noble courage, and a memorial of virtue, not only unto young men, but unto all his nation.

VII.