2 Maccabees, 7

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.

1. It happened also that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king had them scourged and flogged to force them to eat the flesh of a pig which was prohibited by the Law.

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.

2. One of them, speaking in behalf of all, said, "What do you want to find out from us? We are prepared to die right now rather than break the law of our ancestors."

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

3. The king became furious and ordered that pans and caldrons be heated over a fire.

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.

4. When these were red-hot, he commanded that the tongue of their spokesman be cut out, his head scalped, and his hands and feet cut off while his brothers and mother looked on.

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,

5. When he had been thoroughly mutilated, the king ordered that while still breathing, he be brought to the fire and roasted alive. While the smoke from the pan spread widely, the other brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely. And they said,

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.

6. "The Lord God sees all, and in reality, has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song, and clearly said: The Lord will have pity on his servants."

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?

7. When the first had left the world in this way, they brought the second for execution. After stripping the skin with the hair from his head, they asked him: "Which do you prefer: to eat the flesh of a pig or to be tortured limb by limb?"

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

8. He answered them in the language of his ancestors, "I will not eat." And so he, too, was tortured.

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.

9. At the moment of his last breath, he said, "Murderer, you now dismiss us from life, but the King of the world will raise us up. He will give us eternal life since we die for his laws."

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.

10. After this, they punished the third. He stuck his tongue out when asked to, bravely stretched forth his hands,

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.

11. and even had the courage to say: "I have received these limbs from God, but for love of his laws I now consider them as nothing. For I hope to recover them from God."

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.

12. The king and his court were touched by the courage of this young man, so unconcerned about his own sufferings.

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

13. When this one was dead, they subjected the fourth to the same torture.

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.

14. At the point of death, he cried out, "I would rather die at the hands of men, and wait for the promises of God who will raise us up; you, however, shall have no part in the resurrection of life."

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

15. They took the fifth at once and tortured him. But with his eyes fixed on the king,

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;

16. he said to him, "Though you are mortal, you have authority over people and are able to do what you will. But do not think that our race has been abandoned by God.

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

17. Wait, and you shall see his great power when he torments you and your descendants."

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.

18. After this, they took the sixth who, at the point of death, said, "Don't be mistaken. We suffer all this because of ourselves for we have sinned against our own God; so these astonishing things have come upon us.

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

19. But do not think that you are going to remain unpunished, after having made war with God."

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.

20. More than all of them, their mother ought to be admired and remembered. She saw her seven sons die in a single day. But she endured it even with joy for she had put her hope in the Lord.

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,

21. Full of a noble sense of honor, she encouraged each one of them in the language of their fathers. Her woman's heart was moved by manly courage, so she told them:

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;

22. "I wonder how you were born of me; it was not I who gave you breath and life, nor I who ordered the matter of your body.

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.

23. The Creator of the world who formed man in the beginning and ordered the unfolding of all creation shall in his mercy, give you back breath and life, since you now despise them for love of his laws."

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.

24. Antiochus thought that she was making fun of him and suspected that she had insulted him. As the youngest was still alive, the king tried to win him over not only with his words, but even promised to make him rich and happy, if he would abandon the traditions of his fathers. He would make him his Friend and appoint him to a high position in the kingdom.

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.

25. But as the young man did not pay him any attention, the king ordered the mother to be brought in. He urged her to advise her son in order to save his life.

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

26. After being asked twice by the king, she agreed to persuade her son.

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.

27. She bent over him and fooled the cruel tyrant by saying in her ancestral language: "My son, have pity on me. For nine months, I carried you in my womb and suckled you for three years; I raised you up and educated you until this day.

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.

28. I ask you now, my son, that when you see the heavens, the earth and all that is in it, you know that God made all this from nothing, and the human race as well.

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.

29. Do not fear these executioners, but make yourself worthy of your brothers - accept death that you may again meet your brothers in the time of mercy."

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.

30. When she finished speaking, the young man said, "What are you waiting for? I do not obey the king's order but the precepts of the Law given by Moses to our fathers.

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

31. And you who have devised such tortures against the Hebrews, shall not escape the hands of God.

32. For we suffer because of our sins.

32. Know that we perish because of our sins.

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.

33. Our living Lord punishes and corrects us for a short time because he is angry with us, but he shall again be reconciled with 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:

34. And you, the most wretched and impious man, do not be proud or be carried away by your vain hopes. Do not raise your hand against the sons of Heaven,

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

35. for you have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty God, who sees everything.

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.

36. Our brothers suffered a short time for the sake of eternal life and have already entered into the friendship of God. But you, for your part, shall suffer the punishment you deserve for your arrogance.

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;

37. With my brothers, I give up my body and my soul for the laws of my fathers, calling on God that he may at once have pity on our race, and that by trials and afflictions, you may come to confess that he is the only God.

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

38. Through me and my brothers, may the wrath of the Almighty which has justly fallen on the whole of our race come to an end."

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

39. The king was even more infuriated at him than at the others because of his mockery and he dealt more cruelly with him.

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

40. So the youngest also died undefiled, putting his whole trust in God.

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

41. After all her sons, the mother also died.

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

42. This is enough to make known what happened regarding the pagan sacrifices and the tortures beyond all imagination.