2 Maccabees 8

DOUAI-RHEIMS	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 have from heaven, but for the laws of God I now despise them: because I hope to receive them again from him.	1 Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went privily into the towns, and called their kinsfolks together, and took unto them all such as continued in the Jews' religion, and assembled about six thousand men.
2 But 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.	2 And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the people that was trodden down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men;
3 Then the king being angry commanded fryingpans, and brazen caldrons to be made hot: which forthwith being heated,	3 And that he would have compassion upon the city, sore defaced, and ready to be made even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried unto him,
4 He 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.	4 And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and the blasphemies committed against his name; and that he would shew his hatred against the wicked.
5 And when he was now maimed in all parts, he commanded him, being yet alive, to be brought to the Are, 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,	5 Now when Maccabeis had his company about him, he could not be withstood by the heathen: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
6 Saying: 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.	6 Therefore he came at unawares, and burnt up towns and cities, and got into his hands the most commodious places, and overcame and put to flight no small number of his enemies.
7 So 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.	7 But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy attempts, insomuch that the fruit of his holiness was spread every where.
8 But he answered in his own language, and said: I will not do it. Wherefore Ire also in the next place, received the torments of the first:	8 So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little, and that things prospered with him still more and more, he wrote unto Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, to yield more aid to the king's affairs.
9 And 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.	9 Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under him, to root out the whole generation of the Jews; and with him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who in matters of war had great experience.
10 After 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:	10 So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans.
11 And said with confidence: These	11 Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising that they should have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the Almighty God.
12 So that the king, and they that were with him, wondered at the young man's courage, because he esteemed the torments as nothing.	12 Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor's coming, and he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand,
13 And after he was thus dead, they tormented the fourth in the like manner	13 They that were fearful, and distrusted the justice of God, fled, and conveyed themselves away.
14 And 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.	14 Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord to deliver them, sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together:
15 And when they had brought the fifth, they tormented him. But he looking upon the king,	15 And if not for their own sakes, yet for the covenants he had made with their fathers, and for his holy and glorious name's sake, by which they were called.
16 Said: 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.	16 So Maccabeus called his men together unto the number of six thousand, and exhorted them not to be stricken with terror of the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen, who came wrongly against them; but to fight manfully,
17 But stay patiently a while, and thou shalt see his great power, in what manner he will torment thee and thy seed.	17 And to set before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly done to the holy place, and the cruel handling of the city, whereof they made a mockery, and also the taking away of the government of their forefathers:
18 After 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:	18 For they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but our confidence is in the Almighty who at a beck can cast down both them that come against us, and also all the world.
19 But do not think that thou s escape unpunished, for that thou attempted to fight against God.	19 Moreover, he recounted unto them what helps their forefathers had found, and how they were delivered, when under Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand perished.
20 Now the mother was to be ad above measure, and worthy to be remembered by good men, who beheld seven sons slain in the space of one day, and bore it with a good courage, for the hope that she had in God:	20 And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon with the Galatians, how they came but eight thousand in all to the business, with four thousand Macedonians, and that the Macedonians being perplexed, the eight thousand destroyed an hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that they had from heaven, and so received a great booty.
21 And she bravely exhorted every o of them in her own language, being filled with wisdom: and joining a man's heart to a woman's thought,	21 Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready to die for the law and the country, he divided his army into four parts;
22 She 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.	22 And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each band, to wit Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.
23 But 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.	23 Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had given them this watchword, The help of God; himself leading the first band,
24 Now 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.	24 And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies, and wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor's host, and so put all to flight;
25 But 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.	25 And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them far: but lacking time they returned:
26 And when he had exhorted her with many words, she promised that she would counsel her son.	26 For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them.
27 So bending herself towards him, mocking the cruel tyrant, she said her own language: My son, have pi upon me, that bore thee nine months my womb, and save thee suck years, and nourished thee, and b thee up unto this age.	27 So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled their enemies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them.
28 I beseech thee, my son, look upon heaven and earth, and all that is in them: and consider that God made the out of nothing, and mankind also:	28 And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to the maimed, and the widows, and orphans, the residue they divided among themselves and their servants.
29 So 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.	29 When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.
30 While 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.	30 Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and very easily got high and strong holds, and divided among themselves many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves.
31 But thou that hast been the author of all mischief against the Hebrews, shalt not escape the hand of God.	31 And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid them up all carefully in convenient places, and the remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem.
32 For we suffer thus for our sine.	32 They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews many ways.
33 And 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.	33 Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house; and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness.
34 But 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.	34 As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the Jews,
35 For thou hast not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty God, who beholdeth all things.	35 He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom he made least account; and putting off his glorious apparel, and discharging his company, he came like a fugitive servant through the midland unto Antioch having very great dishonour, for that his host was destroyed.
36 For 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.	36 Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had God to fight for them, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.
37 But 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.
38 But in me and in my brethren the wrath of the Almighty, which hath justly been brought upon all our nation, shall cease.
39 Then the king being incensed with anger, raged against him more cruelly than all the rest, taking it grievously that he was mocked.
40 So this man also died undefiled, wholly trusting in the Lord.
41 And last of all after the sons the mother also was consumed.
42 But now there is enough said of the sacrifices, and of the excessive cruelties.