2 Maccabees 6–7

Chapter 6

¹Not long after this the king sent an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live after the laws of God: ²And to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius; and that in Garizim, of Jupiter the Defender of strangers, as they did desire that dwelt in the place.

³The coming in of this mischief was sore and grievous to the people: ⁴For the temple was filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places, and besides that brought in things that were not lawful. ⁵The altar also was filled with profane things, which the law forbiddeth. ⁶Neither was it lawful for a man to keep sabbath days or ancient fasts, or to profess himself at all to be a Jew.

⁷And in the day of the king’s birth every month they were brought by bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the feast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus, carrying ivy. ⁸Moreover there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of Ptolemee, against the Jews, that they should observe the same fashions, and be partakers of their sacrifices: ⁹And whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to death. Then might a man have seen the present misery. ¹⁰For there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children; whom when they had openly led round about the city, the babes handing at their breasts, they cast them down headlong from the wall. ¹¹And others, that had run together into caves near by, to keep the sabbath day secretly, being discovered by Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to help themselves for the honour of the most sacred day.

¹²Now I beseech those that read this book, that they be not discouraged for these calamities, but that they judge those punishments not to be for destruction, but for a chastening of our nation. ¹³For it is a token of his great goodness, when wicked doers are not suffered any long time, but forthwith punished. ¹⁴For not as with other nations, whom the Lord patiently forbeareth to punish, till they be come to the fulness of their sins, so dealeth he with us, ¹⁵Lest that, being come to the height of sin, afterwards he should take vengeance of us. ¹⁶And therefore he never withdraweth his mercy from us: and though he punish with adversity, yet doth he never forsake his people. ¹⁷But let this that we have spoken be for a warning unto us. And now will we come to the declaring of the matter in a few words.

¹⁸Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, an aged man, and of a well favoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and to eat swine’s flesh. ¹⁹But he, choosing rather to die gloriously, than to live stained with such an abomination, spit it forth, and came of his own accord to the 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 feast, for the old acquaintance they had with the man, taking him aside, besought him to bring flesh of his own provision, such as was lawful for him to use, and make 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 discreetly, and as became his age, and the excellency of his ancient years, and the honour of his gray head, whereon was come, and his most honest education 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, said he, in any wise to dissemble, whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, being fourscore years old and ten, were now gone to a strange religion; ²⁵And so they through mine hypocrisy, 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 Almighty, neither alive, nor dead. ²⁷Wherefore now, manfully changing this life, I will shew myself such an one as mine age requireth, ²⁸And leave a notable 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 the torment: ²⁹They that led him changing the 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 groaned, 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 example of a noble courage, and a memorial of virtue, not only unto young men, but unto all his nation.

Chapter 7

¹It came to pass also, that seven brethren with their mother were taken, and compelled by the king against the law to taste swine’s flesh, and were tormented with scourges and whips. ²But one of them that spake first said thus, What wouldest thou ask or learn of us? we are ready to die, rather than to transgress the laws of our fathers.

³Then the king, being in a rage, commanded pans and caldrons to be made hot: ⁴Which forthwith being heated, he commanded to cut out the tongue of him that spake first, and to cut off the utmost parts of his body, the rest of his brethren and his mother looking on. ⁵Now when he was thus maimed in all his members, he commanded him being yet alive to be brought to the fire, and to be fried in the pan: and as the vapour of the pan was for a good space dispersed, they exhorted one another with the mother to die manfully, saying thus, ⁶The Lord God looketh upon us, and in truth hath comfort in us, as Moses in his song, which witnessed to their faces, declared, saying, And he shall be comforted in his servants.

⁷So when the first was dead after this number, they brought the second to make him a mocking stock: and when they had pulled off the skin of his head with the hair, they asked him, Wilt thou eat, before thou be punished throughout every member of thy body? ⁸But he answered in his own language, and said, No. Wherefore he also received the next torment in order, as the former did. ⁹And when he was at the last gasp, he said, Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life.

¹⁰After him was the third made a mocking stock: and when he was required, he put out his tongue, and that right soon, holding forth his hands manfully. ¹¹And said courageously, These I had from heaven; and for his laws I despise them; and from him I hope to receive them again. ¹²Insomuch that the king, and they that were with him, marvelled at the young man’s courage, for that he nothing regarded the pains.

¹³Now when this man was dead also, they tormented and mangled the fourth in like manner. ¹⁴So when he was ready to die he said thus, It is good, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by him: as for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life.

¹⁵Afterward they brought the fifth also, and mangled him. ¹⁶Then looked he unto the king, and said, Thou hast power over men, thou art corruptible, thou doest what thou wilt; yet think not that our nation is forsaken of God; ¹⁷But abide a while, and behold his great power, how he will torment thee and thy seed.

¹⁸After him also they brought the sixth, who being ready to die said, Be not deceived without cause: for we suffer these things for ourselves, having sinned against our God: therefore marvellous things are done unto us. ¹⁹But think not thou, that takest in hand to strive against God, that thou shalt escape unpunished.

²⁰But the mother was marvellous above all, and worthy of honourable memory: for when she saw her seven sons slain within the space of one day, she bare it with a good courage, because of the hope that she had in the Lord. ²¹Yea, she exhorted every one of them in her own language, filled with courageous spirits; and stirring up her womanish thoughts with a manly stomach, she said unto them, ²²I cannot tell how ye came into my womb: for I neither gave you breath nor life, neither was it I that formed the members of every one of you; ²³But doubtless the Creator of the world, who formed the generation of man, and found out the beginning of all things, will also of his own mercy give you breath and life again, as ye now regard not your own selves for his laws’ sake.

²⁴Now Antiochus, thinking himself despised, and suspecting it to be a reproachful speech, whilst the youngest was yet alive, did not only exhort him by words, but also assured him with oaths, that he would make him both a rich and a happy man, if he would turn from the laws of his fathers; and that also he would take him for his friend, and trust him with affairs. ²⁵But when the young man would in no case hearken unto him, the king called his mother, and exhorted her that she would counsel the young man to save his life. ²⁶And when he had exhorted her with many words, she promised him that she would counsel her son. ²⁷But she bowing herself toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spake in her country language on this manner; O my son, have pity upon me that bare thee nine months in my womb, and gave thee suck three years, and nourished thee, and brought thee up unto this age, and endured the troubles of education. ²⁸I beseech thee, my…