2 Maccabees, 6

1. Shortly afterwards, the king sent Gerontes the Athenian to force the Jews to violate their ancestral customs and live no longer by the laws of God;

1. Not long after this, the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to forsake the laws of their fathers and cease to live by the laws of God,

2. and to profane the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and the one on Mount Gerizim to Zeus, Patron of Strangers, as the inhabitants of the latter place had requested.

2. and also to pollute the temple in Jerusalem and call it the temple of Olympian Zeus, and to call the one in Gerizim the temple of Zeus the Friend of Strangers, as did the people who dwelt in that place.

3. The advent of these evils was painfully hard for all the people to bear.

3. Harsh and utterly grievous was the onslaught of evil.

4. The Temple was filled with revelling and debauchery by the gentiles, who took their pleasure with prostitutes and had intercourse with women in the sacred precincts, introducing other indecencies besides.

4. For the temple was filled with debauchery and reveling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots and had intercourse with women within the sacred precincts, and besides brought in things for sacrifice that were unfit.

5. The altar of sacrifice was loaded with victims proscribed by the law as profane.

5. The altar was covered with abominable offerings which were forbidden by the laws.

6. No one might either keep the Sabbath or observe the traditional feasts, or so much as admit to being a Jew.

6. A man could neither keep the sabbath, nor observe the feasts of his fathers, nor so much as confess himself to be a Jew.

7. People were driven by harsh compulsion to take part in the monthly ritual meal commemorating the king's birthday; and when a feast of Dionysus occurred, they were forced to wear ivy wreaths and walk in the Dionysiac procession.

7. On the monthly celebration of the king's birthday, the Jews were taken, under bitter constraint, to partake of the sacrifices; and when the feast of Dionysus came, they were compelled to walk in the procession in honor of Dionysus, wearing wreaths of ivy.

8. A decree was issued at the instance of the people of Ptolemais for the neighbouring Greek cities, enforcing the same conduct on the Jews there, obliging them to share in the sacrificial meals,

8. At the suggestion of Ptolemy a decree was issued to the neighboring Greek cities, that they should adopt the same policy toward the Jews and make them partake of the sacrifices,

9. and ordering the execution of those who would not voluntarily conform to Greek customs. So it became clear that disaster was imminent.

9. and should slay those who did not choose to change over to Greek customs. One could see, therefore, the misery that had come upon them.

10. For example, two women were charged with having circumcised their children. They were paraded publicly round the town, with their babies hung at their breasts, and then hurled over the city wall.

10. For example, two women were brought in for having circumcised their children. These women they publicly paraded about the city, with their babies hung at their breasts, then hurled them down headlong from the wall.

11. Other people, who had assembled in some near-by caves to keep the seventh day without attracting attention, were denounced to Philip, and were then all burnt to death together, since their consciences would not allow them to defend themselves, out of respect for the holiness of the day.

11. Others who had assembled in the caves near by, to observe the seventh day secretly, were betrayed to Philip and were all burned together, because their piety kept them from defending themselves, in view of their regard for that most holy day.

12. Now, I urge anyone who may read this book not to be dismayed at these calamities, but to reflect that such visitations are intended not to destroy our race but to discipline it.

12. Now I urge those who read this book not to be depressed by such calamities, but to recognize that these punishments were designed not to destroy but to discipline our people.

13. Indeed, when evil-doers are not left for long to their own devices but incur swift retribution, it is a sign of great benevolence.

13. In fact, not to let the impious alone for long, but to punish them immediately, is a sign of great kindness.

14. In the case of other nations, the Master waits patiently for them to attain the full measure of their sins before he punishes them, but with us he has decided to deal differently,

14. For in the case of the other nations the Lord waits patiently to punish them until they have reached the full measure of their sins; but he does not deal in this way with us,

15. rather than have to punish us later, when our sins come to full measure.

15. in order that he may not take vengeance on us afterward when our sins have reached their height.

16. And so he never entirely withdraws his mercy from us; he may discipline us by some disaster, but he does not desert his own people.

16. Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us. Though he disciplines us with calamities, he does not forsake his own people.

17. Let this be said simply by way of reminder; we must return to our story without more ado.

17. Let what we have said serve as a reminder; we must go on briefly with the story.

18. Eleazar, one of the foremost teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most noble appearance, had his mouth forced open, to make him eat a piece of pork.

18. Eleazar, one of the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in age and of noble presence, was being forced to open his mouth to eat swine's flesh.

19. But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, walked of his own accord to the torture of the wheel,

19. But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with pollution, went up to the the rack of his own accord, spitting out the flesh,

20. having spat the stuff out, as befits those with the courage to reject what is not lawful to taste, rather than live.

20. as men ought to go who have the courage to refuse things that it is not right to taste, even for the natural love of life.

21. The people supervising the ritual meal, forbidden by the Law, because of the length of time for which they had known him, took him aside and privately urged him to have meat brought of a kind he could properly use, prepared by himself, and only pretend to eat the portions of sacrificial meat as prescribed by the king;

21. Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside, because of their long acquaintance with him, and privately urged him to bring meat of his own providing, proper for him to use, and pretend that he was eating the flesh of the sacrificial meal which had been commanded by the king,

22. this action would enable him to escape death, by availing himself of an act of kindness prompted by their long friendship.

22. so that by doing this he might be saved from death, and be treated kindly on account of his old friendship with them.

23. But having taken a noble decision worthy of his years and the dignity of his great age and the well-earned distinction of his grey hairs, worthy too of his impeccable conduct from boyhood, and above all of the holy legislation established by God himself, he answered accordingly, telling them to send him at once to Hades.

23. But making a high resolve, worthy of his years and the dignity of his old age and the gray hairs which he had reached with distinction and his excellent life even from childhood, and moreover according to the holy God-given law, he declared himself quickly, telling them to send him to Hades.

24. 'Pretence', he said, 'does not befit our time of life; many young people would suppose that Eleazar at the age of ninety had conformed to the foreigners' way of life

24. "Such pretense is not worthy of our time of life," he said, "lest many of the young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to an alien religion,

25. and, because I had played this part for the sake of a paltry brief spell of life, might themselves be led astray on my account; I should only bring defilement and disgrace on my old age.

25. and through my pretense, for the sake of living a brief moment longer, they should be led astray because of me, while I defile and disgrace my old age.

26. Even though for the moment I avoid execution by man, I can never, living or dead, elude the grasp of the Almighty.

26. For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty.

27. Therefore if I am man enough to quit this life here and now, I shall prove myself worthy of my old age,

27. Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age

28. and I shall have left the young a noble example of how to make a good death, eagerly and generously, for the venerable and holy laws.' So saying, he walked straight to the wheel,

28. and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws." When he had said this, he went at once to the rack.

29. while those who were escorting him, recently so well disposed towards him, turned against him after this declaration, which they regarded as sheer madness.

29. And those who a little before had acted toward him with good will now changed to ill will, because the words he had uttered were in their opinion sheer madness.

30. He for his part, just before he died under the blows, gave a sigh and said, 'The Lord whose knowledge is holy sees clearly that, though I might have escaped death, from awe of him I gladly endure these agonies of body under the lash, and that in my soul I am glad to suffer.'

30. When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned aloud and said: "It is clear to the Lord in his holy knowledge that, though I might have been saved from death, I am enduring terrible sufferings in my body under this beating, but in my soul I am glad to suffer these things because I fear him."

31. This was how he died, leaving his death as an example of nobility and a record of virtue not only for the young but for the greater part of the nation.

31. So in this way he died, leaving in his death an example of nobility and a memorial of courage, not only to the young but to the great body of his nation.