Secondus Machabaeorum 7

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Contigit autem et septem fratres una cum matre sua apprehensos compelli a rege edere contra fas carnes porcinas, flagris et taureis cruciatos.	1 It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them totaste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges.
2 Unus autem ex illis, qui erat primus, sic ait : Quid quæris, et quid vis discere a nobis ? parati sumus mori, magis quam patrias Dei leges prævaricari.	2 One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, 'What are you trying to find out from us? Weare prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.'
3 Iratus itaque rex, jussit sartagines et ollas æneas succendi : quibus statim succensis,	3 The king, in a fury, ordered pans and cauldrons to be heated over a fire.
4 jussit ei qui prior fuerat locutus amputari linguam, et cute capitis abstracta, summas quoque manus et pedes ei præscindi, ceteris ejus fratribus et matre inspicientibus.	4 As soon as these were red-hot, he commanded that their spokesman should have his tongue cut out,his head scalped and his extremities cut off, while the other brothers and his mother looked on.
5 Et cum jam per omnia inutilis factus esset, jussit ignem admoveri, et adhuc spirantem torreri in sartagine : in qua cum diu cruciaretur, ceteri una cum matre invicem se hortabantur mori fortiter,	5 When he had been rendered completely helpless, the king gave orders for him to be brought, stilbreathing, to the fire and fried alive in a pan. As the smoke from the pan drifted about, his mother and the restencouraged one another to die nobly, with such words as these,
6 dicentes : Dominus Deus aspiciet veritatem, et consolabitur in nobis, quemadmodum in protestatione cantici declaravit Moyses : Et in servis suis consolabitur.	6 'The Lord God is watching and certainly feels sorry for us, as Moses declared in his song, which clearlystates that "he wil take pity on his servants." '
7 Mortuo itaque illo primo hoc modo, sequentem deducebant ad illudendum : et cute capitis ejus cum capillis abstracta, interrogabant si manducaret, priusquam toto corpore per membra singula puniretur.	7 When the first had left the world in this way, they brought the second forward to be tortured. Afterstripping the skin from his head, hair and al , they asked him, 'Wil you eat some pork, before your body istortured limb by limb?'
8 At ille respondens patria voce, dixit : Non faciam. Propter quod et iste, sequenti loco, primi tormenta suscepit :	8 Replying in his ancestral tongue, he said, 'No!' So he too was put to the torture in his turn.
9 et in ultimo spiritu constitutus, sic ait : Tu quidem scelestissime in præsenti vita nos perdis : sed Rex mundi defunctos nos pro suis legibus in æternæ vitæ resurrectione suscitabit.	9 With his last breath he exclaimed, 'Cruel brute, you may discharge us from this present life, but theKing of the world wil raise us up, since we die for his laws, to live again for ever.'
10 Post hunc tertius illuditur, et linguam postulatus cito protulit, et manus constanter extendit :	10 After him, they tortured the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldlyheld out his hands,
11 et cum fiducia ait : E cælo ista possideo, sed propter Dei leges nunc hæc ipsa despicio, quoniam ab ipso me ea recepturum spero :	11 courageously saying, 'Heaven gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I have no concern forthem; from him I hope to receive them again.'
12 ita ut rex, et qui cum ipso erant, mirarentur adolescentis animum, quod tamquam nihilum duceret cruciatus.	12 The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man's courage and his utter indifference tosuffering.
13 Et hoc ita defuncto, quartum vexabant similiter torquentes.	13 When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same torments and tortures.
14 Et cum jam esset ad mortem, sic ait : Potius est ab hominibus morti datos spem exspectare a Deo, iterum ab ipso resuscitandos : tibi enim resurrectio ad vitam non erit.	14 When he neared his end he cried, 'Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men's hands, yet relyingon God's promise that we shal be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection to new life.'
15 Et cum admovissent quintum, vexabant eum. At ille respiciens in eum,	15 Next they brought forward the fifth and began torturing him.
16 dixit : Potestatem inter homines habens, cum sis corruptibilis, facis quod vis : noli autem putare genus nostrum a Deo esse derelictum :	16 But he looked at the king and said, 'You have power over human beings, mortal as you are, and canact as you please. But do not think that our race has been deserted by God.
17 tu autem patienter sustine, et videbis magnam potestatem ipsius, qualiter te et semen tuum torquebit.	17 Only wait, and you wil see in your turn how his mighty power wil torment you and your descendants.'
18 Post hunc ducebant sextum, et is, mori incipiens, sic ait : Noli frustra errare : nos enim propter nosmetipsos hæc patimur, peccantes in Deum nostrum, et digna admiratione facta sunt in nobis :	18 After him, they led out the sixth, and his dying words were these, 'Do not delude yourself: we aresuffering like this through our own fault, having sinned against our own God; hence, appal ing things havebefal en us-
19 tu autem ne existimes tibi impune futurum, quod contra Deum pugnare tentaveris.	19 but do not think you yourself wil go unpunished for attempting to make war on God.'
20 Supra modum autem mater mirabilis, et bonorum memoria digna, quæ pereuntes septem filios sub unius diei tempore conspiciens, bono animo ferebat propter spem quam in Deum habebat :	20 But the mother was especial y admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watchedthe death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and bravely endured it because of her hopes in the Lord.
21 singulos illorum hortabatur voce patria fortiter, repleta sapientia : et, femineæ cogitationi masculinum animum inserens,	21 Indeed she encouraged each of them in their ancestral tongue; fil ed with noble conviction, shereinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them,
22 dixit ad eos : Nescio qualiter in utero meo apparuistis, neque enim ego spiritum et animam donavi vobis et vitam, et singulorum membra non ego ipsa compegi :	22 'I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, Ihad not the shaping of your every part.
23 sed enim mundi Creator, qui formavit hominis nativitatem, quique omnium invenit originem, et spiritum vobis iterum cum misericordia reddet et vitam, sicut nunc vosmetipsos despicitis propter leges ejus.	23 And hence, the Creator of the world, who made everyone and ordained the origin of al things, wil inhis mercy give you back breath and life, since for the sake of his laws you have no concern for yourselves.'
24 Antiochus autem, contemni se arbitratus, simul et exprobrantis voce despecta, cum adhuc adolescentior superesset, non solum verbis hortabatur, sed et cum juramento affirmabat se divitem et beatum facturum, et translatum a patriis legibus amicum habiturum, et res necessarias ei præbiturum.	24 Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice; and as theyoungest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both richand happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his Friend and entrust himwith public office.
25 Sed ad hæc cum adolescens nequaquam inclinaretur, vocavit rex matrem, et suadebat ei ut adolescenti fieret in salutem.	25 The young man took no notice at al , and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her toadvise the youth to save his life.
26 Cum autem multis eam verbis esset hortatus, promisit suasurum se filio suo.	26 After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son.
27 Itaque inclinata ad illum, irridens crudelem tyrannum, ait patria voce : Fili mi, miserere mei, quæ te in utero novem mensibus portavi, et lac triennio dedi et alui, et in ætatem istam perduxi.	27 Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in their ancestral tongue, 'Myson, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and rearedyou to the age you are now, and provided for you.
28 Peto, nate, ut aspicias ad cælum et terram, et ad omnia quæ in eis sunt, et intelligas quia ex nihilo fecit illa Deus, et hominum genus :	28 I implore you, my child, look at the earth and sky and everything in them, and consider how God madethem out of what did not exist, and that human beings come into being in the same way.
29 ita fiet, ut non timeas carnificem istum, sed dignus fratribus tuis effectus particeps, suscipe mortem, ut in illa miseratione cum fratribus tuis te recipiam.	29 Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that Imay receive you back with them in the day of mercy.'
30 Cum hæc illa adhuc diceret, ait adolescens : Quem sustinetis ? non obedio præcepto regis, sed præcepto legis, quæ data est nobis per Moysen.	30 She had hardly finished, when the young man said, 'What are you all waiting for? I wil not complywith the king's ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses.
31 Tu vero, qui inventor omnis malitiæ factus es in Hebræos, non effugies manum Dei.	31 As for you, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you wil certainly not escapethe hands of God.
32 Nos enim pro peccatis nostris hæc patimur.	32 We are suffering for our own sins;
33 Et si nobis propter increpationem et correptionem Dominus Deus noster modicum iratus est : sed iterum reconciliabitur servis suis.	33 and if, to punish and discipline us, our living Lord is briefly angry with us, he wil be reconciled with usin due course.
34 Tu autem, o sceleste, et omnium hominum flagitiosissime, noli frustra extolli vanis spebus in servos ejus inflammatus :	34 But you, unholy wretch and wickedest of vil ains, what cause have you for pride, nourishing vainhopes and raising your hand against his servants? -
35 nondum enim omnipotentis Dei, et omnia inspicientis, judicium effugisti.	35 for you have not yet escaped the judgement of God the almighty, the al -seeing.
36 Nam fratres mei, modico nunc dolore sustentato, sub testamento æternæ vitæ effecti sunt : tu vero judicio Dei justas superbiæ tuæ pœnas exsolves.	36 Our brothers, having endured brief pain, for the sake of ever-flowing life have died for the covenant ofGod, while you, by God's judgement, wil have to pay the just penalty for your arrogance.
37 Ego autem, sicut fratres mei, animam et corpus meum trado pro patriis legibus, invocans Deum maturius genti nostræ propitium fieri, teque cum tormentis et verberibus confiteri quod ipse est Deus solus.	37 I too, like my brothers, surrender my body and life for the laws of my ancestors, begging God quicklyto take pity on our nation, and by trials and afflictions to bring you to confess that he alone is God,
38 In me vero et in fratribus meis desinet Omnipotentis ira, quæ super omne genus nostrum juste superducta est.	38 so that with my brothers and myself there may be an end to the wrath of the Almighty, rightly let looseon our whole nation.'
39 Tunc rex accensus ira in hunc, super omnes crudelius desævit, indigne ferens se derisum.	39 The king fel into a rage and treated this one more cruel y than the others, for he was himself smartingfrom the young man's scorn.
40 Et hic itaque mundus obiit, per omnia in Domino confidens.	40 And so the last brother met his end undefiled and with perfect trust in the Lord.
41 Novissime autem post filios, et mater consumpta est.	41 The mother was the last to die, after her sons.
42 Igitur de sacrificiis et de nimiis crudelitatibus satis dictum est.	42 But let this be sufficient account of the ritual meals and monstrous tortures.