The Second Book of Maccabees

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

The glorious martyrdom of the seven brethren and their mother.

It came to pass also, that seven brethren, together with their mother, were apprehended, and compelled by the king to eat swine’s flesh against the law, for which end they were tormented with whips and scourges.

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.

Then the king being angry commanded fryingpans, and brazen caldrons to be made hot: which forthwith being heated,

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.

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,

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.

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.

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:

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.

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:

And said with confidence: These have from heaven, but for the laws of God I now despise them: because I hope to receive them again from him.

So that the king, and they that were with him, wondered at the young man’s courage, because he esteemed the torments as nothing.

And after he was thus dead, they tormented the fourth in the like manner.

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.

And when they had brought the fifth, they tormented him. But he looking upon the king,

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.

But stay patiently a while, and thou shalt see his great power, in what manner he will torment thee and thy seed.

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:

But do not think that thou shalt escape unpunished, for that thou attempted to fight against God.

Now the mother was to be admired 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:

And she bravely exhorted every one of them in her own language, being filled with wisdom: and joining a man’s heart to a woman’s thought,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

So bending herself towards him, mocking the cruel tyrant, she said in her own language: My son, have pity upon me, that bore thee nine months my womb, and save thee suck years, and nourished thee, and brought thee up unto this age.

I beseech thee, my son, look upon heaven and earth, and all that is in them: and consider that God made them out of nothing, and mankind also:

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.

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.

But thou that hast been the author of all mischief against the Hebrews, shalt not escape the hand of God.

For we suffer thus for our sins.

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.

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.

For thou hast not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty God, who beholdeth all things.

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.

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.

But in me and in my brethren the wrath of the Almighty, which hath justly been brought upon all our nation, shall cease.

Then the king being incensed with anger, raged against him more cruelly than all the rest, taking it grievously that he was mocked.

So this man also died undefiled, wholly trusting in the Lord.

And last of all after the sons the mother also was consumed.

But now there is enough said of the sacrifices, and of the excessive cruelties.

The glorious martyrdom of the seven brethren and their mother.

It came to pass that seven brothers and their mother were at the king’s command taken and shamefully handled with scourges and cords, to compel them to taste of the abominable swine’s flesh.

One of them made himself the spokesman and said, “What would you ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”

The king fell into a rage, and commanded that pans and caldrons be heated.

When these were immediately heated, he gave orders to cut out the tongue of him who had been their spokesman, and to scalp him, and to cut off his extremities, with the rest of his brothers and his mother looking on.

And when he was utterly(a) maimed, the king gave orders to bring him to the fire, being yet alive, and to fry him in the pan. And as the smoke from the pan spread far, they and their mother also exhorted one another to die nobly, saying this:

“The Lord God sees, and in truth is(b) entreated for us, as Moses declared in (c)his song, which witnesses against the people to their faces, saying, ‘And he will have compassion on his servants.’”

And when the first had died like this, they brought the second to the mocking; and they pulled off the skin of his head with the hair and asked him, “Will you eat, before your body is punished in every limb?”

But he answered in the language of his ancestors and said to them, “No.” Therefore he also underwent the next torture in succession, as the first had done.

When he was at the last gasp, he said, “You, miscreant, release us out of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us who have died for his laws up to an everlasting renewal of life.”

After him, the third was made a victim of their mocking. When he was required, he quickly put out his tongue, and stretched out his hands courageously,

and nobly said, “I got these from heaven. For his laws’ sake I treat these with contempt. From him, I hope to receive these back again.”

As a result, the king himself and those who were with him were astonished at the young man’s soul, for he regarded the pains as nothing.

When he too was dead, they shamefully handled and tortured the fourth in the same way.

Being near to death he said this: “It is good to die at the hands of men and look for the hope which is given by God, that we will be raised up again by him. For as for you, you will have no resurrection to life.”

Next after him, they brought the fifth and shamefully handled him.

But he looked toward (d)the king and said, “Because you have authority among men, though you are corruptible, you do what you please. But don’t think that our race has been forsaken by God.

But hold on to your ways, and see how his sovereign majesty will torture you and your descendants!”

After him they brought the sixth. When he was about to die, he said, “Don’t be vainly deceived, for we suffer these things for our own doings, as sinning against our own God. Astounding things have come to pass;

but don’t think you that you will be unpunished, having tried to fight against God!”

But above all, the mother was marvelous and worthy of honorable memory; for when she watched seven sons perishing within the space of one day, she bore the sight with a good courage because of her hope in the Lord.

She exhorted each one of them in the language of their fathers, filled with a noble spirit and stirring up her woman’s thoughts with manly courage, saying to them,

“I don’t know how you came into my womb. It wasn’t I who gave you your (e)spirit and your life. It wasn’t I who brought into order the first elements of each one of you.

Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the first origin of man and devised the first origin of all things, in mercy gives back to you again both your (f)spirit and your life, as you now treat yourselves with contempt for his laws’ sake.”

But Antiochus, thinking himself to be despised, and suspecting the reproachful voice, while the youngest was yet alive didn’t only make his appeal to him by words, but also at the same time promised with oaths that he would enrich him and(g) raise him to high honor if he would turn from the ways of his ancestors, and that he would take him for his (h)friend and entrust him with public affairs.

But when the young man would in no way listen, the king called to him his mother, and urged her to advise the youth to save himself.

When he had urged her with many words, she undertook to persuade her son.

But bending toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, she spoke this in the language of her fathers: “My son, have pity upon me who carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you three years, and nourished and brought you up to this age, and sustained you.

I beg you, my child, to lift your eyes to the sky and the earth, and to see all things that are in it, and thus to recognize that God made them not of things that were, and that the race of men in this way comes into being.

Don’t be afraid of this butcher, but, proving yourself worthy of your brothers, accept your death, that in God’s mercy I may receive you again with your brothers.”

But before she had finished speaking, the young man said, “What are you all waiting for? I don’t obey the commandment of the king, but I listen to the commandment of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses.

But you, who have devised all kinds of evil against the Hebrews, will in no way escape God’s hands.

For we are suffering because of our own sins.

If for rebuke and chastening, our living Lord has been angered a little while, yet he will again be reconciled with his own servants.

But you, O unholy man and of all most vile, don’t be vainly lifted up in your wild pride with uncertain hopes, raising your hand against the heavenly children.

For you have not yet escaped the judgment of the Almighty God who sees all things.

For these our brothers, having endured a (i) short pain that brings everlasting life, have now (j) died under God’s covenant. But you, through God’s judgment, will receive in just measure the penalties of your arrogance.

But I, as my brothers, give up both body and soul for the laws of our fathers, calling upon God that he may speedily become (k)gracious to the nation, and that you, amidst trials and plagues, may confess that he alone is God,

and that in me and my brothers (l) you may bring to an end the wrath of the Almighty which has been justly brought upon our whole race.”

But the king, falling into a rage, handled him worse than all the rest, being exasperated at his mocking.

So he also died pure, putting his whole trust in the Lord.

Last of all, after her sons, the mother died.

Let it then suffice to have said thus much concerning the sacrificial feasts and the extreme tortures.

Footnotes

(a)7:5 Gr. useless.

(b)7:6 Or, comforted in

(d)7:16 Gr. him.

(e)7:22 Or, breath

(f)7:23 Or, breath

(g)7:24 Gr. make him one that is counted happy.

(h)7:24 See 2 Maccabees 8:9 .

(i)7:36 Gr. short pain of ever-flowing life.

(j)7:36 Gr. fallen.By the omission of one Greek letter the words would signify having endured a short pain, have now drunk of ever-flowing life under God’s covenant.

(k)7:37 Gr. propitious.

(l)7:38 Some authorities read may be stayed.