2 Maccabees 6:18–7:41

¹⁸Eleazar one of the chief of the scribes, a man advanced in years, and of a comely countenance, was pressed to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh.

¹⁹But he, choosing rather a most glorious death than a hateful life, went forward voluntarily to the torment.

²⁰And considering in what manner he was to come to it, patiently bearing, he determined not to do any unlawful things for the love of life.

²¹But they that stood by, being moved with wicked pity, for the old friendship they had with the man, taking him aside, desired that flesh might be brought which it was lawful for him to eat, that he might make as if he had eaten, as the king had commanded, of the flesh of the sacrifice:

²²That by so doing he might be delivered from death; and for the sake of their old friendship with the man, they did him this courtesy.

²³But he began to consider the dignity of his age, and his ancient years, and the inbred honour of his grey head, and his good life and conversation from a child; and he answered without delay, according to the ordinances of the holy law made by God, saying, that he would rather be sent into the other world.

²⁴For it doth not become our age, said he, to dissemble: whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, at the age of fourscore and ten years, was gone over to the life of the heathens:

²⁵And so they, through my dissimulation, and for a little time of a corruptible life, should be deceived, and hereby I should bring a stain and a curse upon my old age.

²⁶For though, for the present time, I should be delivered from the punishments of men, yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty neither alive nor dead.

²⁷Wherefore, by departing manfully out of this life, I shall shew myself worthy of my old age:

²⁸And I shall leave an example of fortitude to young men, if with a ready mind and constancy I suffer an honourable death, for the most venerable and most holy laws. And having spoken thus, he was forthwith carried to execution.

²⁹And they that led him, and had been a little before more mild, were changed to wrath for the words he had spoken, which they thought were uttered out of arrogancy.

³⁰But when be was now ready to die with the stripes, he groaned: and said: O Lord, who hast the holy knowledge, thou knowest manifestly that whereas I might be delivered from death, I suffer grievous pains in body: but in soul am well content to suffer these things, because I fear thee.

³¹Thus did this man die, leaving not only to young men, but also to the whole nation, the memory of his death, for an example of virtue and fortitude.

Chapter 7

It came to pass also, that seven brethren, together with their mother, were apprehended, and compelled by the king to eat swine’s flesh against the law, for which end they were tormented with whips and scourges.

²But one of them, who was the eldest, said thus: What wouldst thou ask, or learn of us? we are ready to die, rather than to transgress the laws of God, received from our fathers.

³Then the king being angry, commanded fryingpans and brazen caldrons to be made hot: which forthwith being heated,

⁴He commanded to cut out the tongue of him that had spoken first: and the skin of his head being drawn off, to chop off also the extremities of his hands and feet, the rest of his brethren and his mother looking on.

⁵And when he was now maimed in all parts, he commanded him, being yet alive, to be brought to the fire, and to be fried in the fryingpan: and while he was suffering therein long torments, the rest, together with the mother, exhorted one another to die manfully,

⁶Saying: The Lord God will look upon the truth, and will take pleasure in us, as Moses declared in the profession of the canticle; And in his servants he will take pleasure.

⁷So when the first was dead after this manner, they brought the next to make him a mocking stock: and when they had pulled off the skin of his head with the hair, they asked him if he would eat, before he were punished throughout the whole body in every limb.

⁸But he answered in his own language, and said: I will not do it. Wherefore he also, in the next place, received the torments of the first:

⁹And when he was at the last gasp, he said thus: Thou indeed, O most wicked man, destroyest us out of this present life: but the King of the world will raise us up, who die for his laws, in the resurrection of eternal life.

¹⁰After him the third was made a mocking-stock, and when he was required, he quickly put forth his tongue, and courageously stretched out his hands:

¹¹And said with confidence: These I have from heaven, but for the laws of God I now despise them, because I hope to receive them again from him.

¹²So that the king, and they that were with him, wondered at the young man’s courage, because he esteemed the torments as nothing.

¹³And after he was thus dead, they tormented the fourth in the like manner.

¹⁴And when he was now ready to die, he spoke thus: It is better, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God, to be raised up again by him; for, as to thee, thou shalt have no resurrection unto life.

¹⁵And when they had brought the fifth, they tormented him. But he, looking upon the king,

¹⁶Said: Whereas thou hast power among men though thou art corruptible, thou dost what thou wilt but think not that our nation is forsaken by God.

¹⁷But stay patiently a while, and thou shalt see his great power, in what manner he will torment thee and thy seed.

¹⁸After him they brought the sixth, and he being ready to die, spoke thus: Be not deceived without cause: for we suffer these things for ourselves, having sinned against our God, and things worthy of admiration are done to us:

¹⁹But do not think that thou shalt escape unpunished, for that thou hast attempted to fight against God.

²⁰Now the mother was to be admired above measure, and worthy to be remembered by good men, who beheld her seven sons slain in the space of one day, and bore it with a good courage, for the hope that she had in God:

²¹And she bravely exhorted every one of them in her own language, being filled with wisdom; and joining a man’s heart to a woman’s thought,

²²She said to them: I know not how you were formed in my womb; for I neither gave you breath, nor soul, nor life, neither did I frame the limbs of every one of you.

²³But the Creator of the world, that formed the nativity of man, and that found out the origin of all, he will restore to you again, in his mercy, both breath and life, as now you despise yourselves for the sake of his laws.

²⁴Now Antiochus, thinking himself despised, and withal despising the voice of the upbraider, when the youngest was yet alive, did not only exhort him by words, but also assured him with an oath, that he would make him a rich and a happy man, and, if he would turn from the laws of his fathers, would take him for a friend, and furnish him with things necessary.

²⁵But when the young man was not moved with these things, the king called the mother, and counselled her to deal with the young man to save his life.

²⁶And when he had exhorted her with many words she promised that she would counsel her son.

²⁷So bending herself towards him, mocking the cruel tyrant, she said in her own language: My son have pity upon me, that bore thee nine months in my womb, and gave thee suck three years, and nourished thee, and brought thee up unto this age.

²⁸I beseech thee, my son, look upon heaven and earth, and all that is in them, and consider that God made them out of nothing, and mankind also:

²⁹So thou shalt not fear this tormentor, but being made a worthy partner with thy brethren, receive death, that in that mercy I may receive thee again with thy brethren.

³⁰While she was yet speaking these words, the young man said: For whom do you stay? I will not obey the commandment of the king, but the commandment of the law which was given us by Moses.

³¹But thou that hast been the author of all mischief against the Hebrews, shalt not escape the hand of God.

³²For we suffer thus for our sins.

³³And though the Lord, our God, is angry with us a little while, for our chastisement and correction, yet he will be reconciled again to his servants.

³⁴But thou, O wicked, and of all men most flagitious, be not lifted up without cause with vain hopes, whilst thou art raging against his servants.

³⁵For thou hast not yet escaped the judgment of the Almighty God, who beholdeth all things.

³⁶For my brethren having now undergone a short pain, are under the covenant of eternal life: but thou, by the judgment of God, shalt receive just punishment for thy pride.

³⁷But I, like my brethren, offer up my life and my body for the laws of our fathers: calling upon God to be speedily merciful to our nation, and that thou by torments and stripes mayst confess that he alone is God.

³⁸But in me, and in my brethren, the wrath of the Almighty, which hath justly been brought upon all our nation, shall cease.

³⁹Then the king being incensed with anger, raged against him more cruelly than all the rest, taking it grievously that he was mocked.

⁴⁰So this man also died undefiled, wholly trusting in the Lord.

⁴¹And last of all, after the sons, the mother also was consumed.