2 Maccabees 6

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Shortly afterwards, the king sent Gerontes the Athenian to force the Jews to violate their ancestralcustoms and live no longer by the laws of God;	1 But not long after the king sent a certain old man of Antioch, to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers and of God:
2 and to profane the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and the one on MountGerizim to Zeus, Patron of Strangers, as the inhabitants of the latter place had requested.	2 And to defile the temple that was in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius: and that in Gazarim of Jupiter Hospitalis, according as they were that inhabited the place.
3 The advent of these evils was painful y hard for al the people to bear.	3 And very bad was this invasion of evils and grievous to all.
4 The Temple was fil ed with revel ing and debauchery by the gentiles, who took their pleasure withprostitutes and had intercourse with women in the sacred precincts, introducing other indecencies besides.	4 For the temple was full of the riot and revellings of the Gentiles: and of men lying with lewd women. And women thrust themselves of their accord into the holy places, and brought in things that were not lawful.
5 The altar of sacrifice was loaded with victims proscribed by the law as profane.	5 The altar also was filled with unlawful things, 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 aJew.	6 And neither were the sabbaths kept, nor the solemn days of the fathers observed, neither did any man plainly profess himself to be a Jew.
7 People were driven by harsh compulsion to take part in the monthly ritual meal commemorating theking's birthday; and when a feast of Dionysus occurred, they were forced to wear ivy wreaths and walk in theDionysiac procession.	7 But they were led by bitter constraint on the king's birthday to the sacrifices: and when the feast of Bacchus was kept, they wore compelled to go about crowned with ivy in honour of Bacchus.
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 And there went out a decree into the neighbouring cities of the Gentiles, by the suggestion of the Ptolemeans, that they also should act in like manner against the Jews, to oblige them to sacrifice:
9 and ordering the execution of those who would not voluntarily conform to Greek customs. So it becameclear that disaster was imminent.	9 And whosoever would not conform themselves to the ways of the Gentiles, should be put to death: then was misery to be seen.
10 For example, two women were charged with having circumcised their children. They were paradedpublicly round the town, with their babies hung at their breasts, and then hurled over the city wal .	10 For two women were accused to have circumcised their children: whom, when they had openly led about through the city with the infants hanging at their breasts, they threw down headlong from the walls.
11 Other people, who had assembled in some near-by caves to keep the seventh day without attractingattention, were denounced to Philip, and were then al burnt to death together, since their consciences would notal ow them to defend themselves, out of respect for the holiness of the day.	11 And others that had met together in caves that were near, and were keeping the sabbath day privately, being discovered by Philip, were burnt with fire, because they made a conscience to help themselves with their hands, by reason of the religious observance of the day.
12 Now, I urge anyone who may read this book not to be dismayed at these calamities, but to reflect thatsuch visitations are intended not to destroy our race but to discipline it.	12 Now I beseech those that shall read this book, that they be not shocked at these calamities, but that they consider the things that happened, not as being for the destruction, but for the correction of our nation.
13 Indeed, when evil-doers are not left for long to their own devices but incur swift retribution, it is a signof great benevolence.	13 For it is a token of great goodness when sinners are not suffered to go on in their ways for a long time, but are presently punished.
14 In the case of other nations, the Master waits patiently for them to attain the ful measure of their sinsbefore he punishes them, but with us he has decided to deal differently,	14 For, not as with other nations (whom the Lord patiently expecteth, that when the day of judgment shall come, he may punish them in the fulness of their sins:)
15 rather than have to punish us later, when our sins come to ful measure.	15 Doth he also deal with us, so as to suffer our sins to come to their height, and then take vengeance on us.
16 And so he never entirely withdraws his mercy from us; he may discipline us by some disaster, but hedoes not desert his own people.	16 And therefore he never withdraweth his mercy from us: but though he chastise his people with adversity, he forsaketh them not.
17 Let this be said simply by way of reminder; we must return to our story without more ado.	17 But let this suffice in a few words for a warning to the readers. And now we must come to the narration.
18 Eleazar, one of the foremost teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most nobleappearance, had his mouth forced open, to make him eat a piece of pork.	18 Eleazar one of the chief of the scribes, a man advanced in years, and of a comely countenance, was pressed 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 thetorture of the wheel,	19 But he, choosing rather a most glorious death than a hateful life, went forward voluntarily to the torment.
20 having spat the stuff out, as befits those with the courage to reject what is not lawful to taste, ratherthan live.	20 And considering in what manner he was come to ii;, patiently bearing, he determined not to do any unlawful things for the love of life.
21 The people supervising the ritual meal, forbidden by the Law, because of the length of time for whichthey had known him, took him aside and privately urged him to have meat brought of a kind he could properlyuse, prepared by himself, and only pretend to eat the portions of sacrificial meat as prescribed by the king;	21 But they that stood by, being moved with wicked pity, for the old friendship they had with the man, taking him aside, desired that flesh might be brought, which it was lawful for him to eat, that he might make as if he had eaten, as the king had commanded of the flesh of the sacrifice:
22 this action would enable him to escape death, by availing himself of an act of kindness prompted bytheir long friendship.	22 That by so doing he might be delivered from death: and for the sake of their old friendship with the man they did him this courtesy.
23 But having taken a noble decision worthy of his years and the dignity of his great age and the wel -earned distinction of his grey hairs, worthy too of his impeccable conduct from boyhood, and above al of theholy legislation established by God himself, he answered accordingly, telling them to send him at once to Hades.	23 But he began to consider the dignity of his age, and his ancient years, and the inbred honour of his grey head, and his good life and conversation from a child: and he answered without delay, according to the ordinances of the holy law made by God, saying, that he would rather be sent into the other world.
24 'Pretence', he said, 'does not befit our time of life; many young people would suppose that Eleazar atthe age of ninety had conformed to the foreigners' way of life	24 For it doth not become our age, said he, to dissemble: whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, at the age of fourscore and ten years, was gone over to the life of the heathens:
25 and, because I had played this part for the sake of a paltry brief spel of life, might themselves be ledastray on my account; I should only bring defilement and disgrace on my old age.	25 And so they, through my dissimulation, and for a little time of a corruptible life, should be deceived, end hereby I should bring a stain and a curse upon my old age.
26 Even though for the moment I avoid execution by man, I can never, living or dead, elude the grasp ofthe Almighty.	26 For though, for the present time, I should be delivered from the punishments of men, yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty neither alive nor dead.
27 Therefore if I am man enough to quit this life here and now, I shal prove myself worthy of my old age,	27 Wherefore by departing manfully out of this life, I shall shew myself worthy of my old age:
28 and I shal have left the young a noble example of how to make a good death, eagerly andgenerously, for the venerable and holy laws.' So saying, he walked straight to the wheel,	28 And I shall leave an example of fortitude to young men, if with a ready mind and constancy I suffer an honourable death, for the most venerable and most holy laws. And having spoken thus, he was forthwith carried to execution.
29 while those who were escorting him, recently so wel disposed towards him, turned against him afterthis declaration, which they regarded as sheer madness.	29 And they that led him, and had been a little before more mild, were changed to wrath for the words he had spoken, which they thought were uttered out of arrogancy.
30 He for his part, just before he died under the blows, gave a sigh and said, 'The Lord whose knowledgeis holy sees clearly that, though I might have escaped death, from awe of him I gladly endure these agonies ofbody under the lash, and that in my soul I am glad to suffer.'	30 But when he was now ready to die with the stripes, he groaned, and said: O Lord, who hast the holy knowledge, thou knowest manifestly that whereas I might be delivered from death, I suffer grevious pains in body: but in soul am well content to suffer these things because I fear thee.
31 This was how he died, leaving his death as an example of nobility and a record of virtue not only forthe young but for the greater part of the nation.	31 Thus did this man die, leaving not only to young men, but also to the whole nation, the memory of his death for an example of virtue and fortitude.