2 Maccabees, 7

1. It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges.

1. It 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.

2. One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, 'What are you trying to find out from us? We are prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.'

2. But 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.

3. The king, in a fury, ordered pans and cauldrons to be heated over a fire.

3. Then the king, being in a rage, commanded pans and caldrons to be made hot:

4. As soon as these were red-hot, he commanded that their spokesman should have his tongue cut out, his head scalped and his extremities cut off, while the other brothers and his mother looked on.

4. Which 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.

5. When he had been rendered completely helpless, the king gave orders for him to be brought, still breathing, to the fire and fried alive in a pan. As the smoke from the pan drifted about, his mother and the rest encouraged one another to die nobly, with such words as these,

5. Now 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,

6. 'The Lord God is watching and certainly feels sorry for us, as Moses declared in his song, which clearly states that "he will take pity on his servants." '

6. The 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.

7. When the first had left the world in this way, they brought the second forward to be tortured. After stripping the skin from his head, hair and all, they asked him, 'Will you eat some pork, before your body is tortured limb by limb?'

7. So 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?

8. Replying in his ancestral tongue, he said, 'No!' So he too was put to the torture in his turn.

8. But he answered in his own language, and said, No. Wherefore he also received the next torment in order, as the former did.

9. With his last breath he exclaimed, 'Cruel brute, you may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, since we die for his laws, to live again for ever.'

9. And 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.

10. After him, they tortured the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldly held out his hands,

10. After 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.

11. courageously saying, 'Heaven gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I have no concern for them; from him I hope to receive them again.'

11. And said courageously, These I had from heaven; and for his laws I despise them; and from him I hope to receive them again.

12. The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man's courage and his utter indifference to suffering.

12. Insomuch that the king, and they that were with him, marvelled at the young man's courage, for that he nothing regarded the pains.

13. When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same torments and tortures.

13. Now when this man was dead also, they tormented and mangled the fourth in like manner.

14. When he neared his end he cried, 'Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men's hands, yet relying on God's promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection to new life.'

14. So 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.

15. Next they brought forward the fifth and began torturing him.

15. Afterward they brought the fifth also, and mangled him.

16. But he looked at the king and said, 'You have power over human beings, mortal as you are, and can act as you please. But do not think that our race has been deserted by God.

16. Then 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;

17. Only wait, and you will see in your turn how his mighty power will torment you and your descendants.'

17. But abide a while, and behold his great power, how he will torment thee and thy seed.

18. After him, they led out the sixth, and his dying words were these, 'Do not delude yourself: we are suffering like this through our own fault, having sinned against our own God; hence, appalling things have befallen us-

18. After 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.

19. but do not think you yourself will go unpunished for attempting to make war on God.'

19. But think not thou, that takest in hand to strive against God, that thou shalt escape unpunished.

20. But the mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and bravely endured it because of her hopes in the Lord.

20. But 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.

21. Indeed she encouraged each of them in their ancestral tongue; filled with noble conviction, she reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them,

21. Yea, 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,

22. 'I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, I had not the shaping of your every part.

22. I 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;

23. And hence, the Creator of the world, who made everyone and ordained the origin of all things, will in his mercy give you back breath and life, since for the sake of his laws you have no concern for yourselves.'

23. But 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.

24. Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice; and as the youngest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both rich and happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his Friend and entrust him with public office.

24. Now 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.

25. The young man took no notice at all, and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her to advise the youth to save his life.

25. But 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.

26. After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son.

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

27. Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in their ancestral tongue, 'My son, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and reared you to the age you are now, and provided for you.

27. But 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 such three years, and nourished thee, and brought thee up unto this age, and endured the troubles of education.

28. I implore you, my child, look at the earth and sky and everything in them, and consider how God made them out of what did not exist, and that human beings come into being in the same way.

28. I beseech thee, my son, look upon the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, and consider that God made them of things that were not; and so was mankind made likewise.

29. Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that I may receive you back with them in the day of mercy.'

29. Fear not this tormentor, but, being worthy of thy brethren, take thy death that I may receive thee again in mercy with thy brethren.

30. She had hardly finished, when the young man said, 'What are you all waiting for? I will not comply with the king's ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses.

30. Whiles she was yet speaking these words, the young man said, Whom wait ye for? I will not obey the king's commandment: but I will obey the commandment of the law that was given unto our fathers by Moses.

31. As for you, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you will certainly not escape the hands of God.

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

32. We are suffering for our own sins;

32. For we suffer because of our sins.

33. and if, to punish and discipline us, our living Lord is briefly angry with us, he will be reconciled with us in due course.

33. And though the living Lord be angry with us a little while for our chastening and correction, yet shall he be at one again with his servants.

34. But you, unholy wretch and wickedest of villains, what cause have you for pride, nourishing vain hopes and raising your hand against his servants? -

34. But thou, O godless man, and of all other most wicked, be not lifted up without a cause, nor puffed up with uncertain hopes, lifting up thy hand against the servants of God:

35. for you have not yet escaped the judgement of God the almighty, the all-seeing.

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

36. Our brothers, having endured brief pain, for the sake of ever-flowing life have died for the covenant of God, while you, by God's judgement, will have to pay the just penalty for your arrogance.

36. For our brethren, who now have suffered a short pain, are dead under God's covenant of everlasting life: but thou, through the judgment of God, shalt receive just punishment for thy pride.

37. I too, like my brothers, surrender my body and life for the laws of my ancestors, begging God quickly to take pity on our nation, and by trials and afflictions to bring you to confess that he alone is God,

37. But I, as my brethren, offer up my body and life for the laws of our fathers, beseeching God that he would speedily be merciful unto our nation; and that thou by torments and plagues mayest confess, that he alone is God;

38. so that with my brothers and myself there may be an end to the wrath of the Almighty, rightly let loose on our whole nation.'

38. And that in me and my brethren the wrath of the Almighty, which is justly brought upon our nation, may cease.

39. The king fell into a rage and treated this one more cruelly than the others, for he was himself smarting from the young man's scorn.

39. Than the king' being in a rage, handed him worse than all the rest, and took it grievously that he was mocked.

40. And so the last brother met his end undefiled and with perfect trust in the Lord.

40. So this man died undefiled, and put his whole trust in the Lord.

41. The mother was the last to die, after her sons.

41. Last of all after the sons the mother died.

42. But let this be sufficient account of the ritual meals and monstrous tortures.

42. Let this be enough now to have spoken concerning the idolatrous feasts, and the extreme tortures.