2 Maccabees 6

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
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 Not long after this the king sent an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live after the laws 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 pollute also the temple in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius; and that in Garizim, of Jupiter the Defender of strangers, as they did desire that dwelt in the place.
3 The advent of these evils was painful y hard for al the people to bear.	3 The coming in of this mischief was sore and grievous to the people:
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 filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places, and besides that 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 profane things, which the law forbiddeth.
6 No one might either keep the Sabbath or observe the traditional feasts, or so much as admit to being aJew.	6 Neither was it lawful for a man to keep sabbath days or ancient fasts, or to profess himself at all 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 And in the day of the king's birth every month they were brought by bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the fast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus, carrying 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 Moreover there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of Ptolemee, against the Jews, that they should observe the same fashions, and be partakers of their sacrifices:
9 and ordering the execution of those who would not voluntarily conform to Greek customs. So it becameclear that disaster was imminent.	9 And whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to death. Then might a man have seen the present misery.
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 there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children; whom when they had openly led round about the city, the babes handing at their breasts, they cast them down headlong from the wall.
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 run together into caves near by, to keep the sabbath day secretly, being discovered by Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to help themselves for the honour of the most sacred 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 read this book, that they be not discouraged for these calamities, but that they judge those punishments not to be for destruction, but for a chastening 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 his great goodness, when wicked doers are not suffered any long time, but forthwith 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 forbeareth to punish, till they be come to the fulness of their sins, so dealeth he with us,
15 rather than have to punish us later, when our sins come to ful measure.	15 Lest that, being come to the height of sin, afterwards he should take vengeance of 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: and though he punish with adversity, yet doth he never forsake his people.
17 Let this be said simply by way of reminder; we must return to our story without more ado.	17 But let this that we at spoken be for a warning unto us. And now will we come to the declaring of the matter in a few words.
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 principal scribes, an aged man, and of a well favoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and 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 to die gloriously, than to live stained with such an abomination, spit it forth, and came of his own accord 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 As it behoved them to come, that are resolute to stand out against such things, as are not lawful for love of life to be tasted.
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 had the charge of that wicked feast, for the old acquaintance they had with the man, taking him aside, besought him to bring flesh of his own provision, such as was lawful for him to use, and make as if he did eat of the flesh taken from the sacrifice commanded by the king;
22 this action would enable him to escape death, by availing himself of an act of kindness prompted bytheir long friendship.	22 That in so doing he might be delivered from death, and for the old friendship with them find favour.
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 discreetly, and as became his age, and the excellency of his ancient years, and the honour of his gray head, whereon was come, and his most honest education from a child, or rather the holy law made and given by God: therefore he answered accordingly, and willed them straightways to send him to the grave.
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 becometh not our age, said he, in any wise to dissemble, whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, being fourscore years old and ten, were now gone to a strange religion;
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 mine hypocrisy, and desire to live a little time and a moment longer, should be deceived by me, and I get a stain to mine old age, and make it abominable.
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 punishment 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 now, manfully changing this life, I will shew myself such an one as mine age requireth,
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 leave a notable example to such as be young to die willingly and courageously for the honourable and holy laws. And when he had said these words, immediately he went to the torment:
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 They that led him changing the good will they bare him a little before into hatred, because the foresaid speeches proceeded, as they thought, from a desperate mind.
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 ready to die with stripes, he groaned, and said, It is manifest unto the Lord, that hath the holy knowledge, that whereas I might have been delivered from death, I now endure sore pains in body by being beaten: but in soul am well content 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 forthe young but for the greater part of the nation.	31 And thus this man died, leaving his death for an example of a noble courage, and a memorial of virtue, not only unto young men, but unto all his nation.