The Koine Bible

Now it happened also that seven brothers, together with their mother, having been seized, were being compelled by the king, under scourges and with cords being tortured, to partake of the unlawful swine’s flesh.

And one of them having become spokesman said thus: Why do you delay to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than to transgress the ancestral laws.

Then the king, becoming enraged, ordered pans and caldrons to be heated red-hot

And when those had been instantly burned, he ordered the one who had become their spokesman to be cut out in the tongue and, after skinning them around, to mutilate the rest of the brothers and the mother looking on

But when he had become useless to the whole body, he ordered it to be brought to the fire, while still breathing, and to be fried; and as the vapor from the pan spread for a sufficient time, they encouraged one another, together with their mother, to die nobly, saying thus:

The Lord God watches over and is entreated for us in truth, just as through the song testifying face to face Moses made clear, saying, And for his servants he will be entreated.

And when the first had passed away in this way, they led the second to the mockery, and after dragging off the skin of his head together with the hairs, they were asking whether you would eat before the body was punished limb by limb.

And the one who answered in the ancestral language said, No; therefore this one also took the next torment, as the first one

And becoming in his last breath, he said, You indeed, accursed one, release us from the present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, having died for his laws, into an everlasting revival of life.

And after this the third was mocked, and, having been asked for his tongue, he quickly put it out and courageously stretched out his hands

And nobly he said, From heaven I obtained these, and because of his laws I disdain these, and from him again I hope to receive these.

so that the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young man’s soul, because in nothing did he regard the pains

And when this one also had died, they were likewise torturing the fourth, abusing him.

And being about to die, he said thus: It is preferable, changing over from men, to expect the hopes from God, to rise again by him. For there will not be a resurrection to life for you.

And when they brought forward the fifth in turn, they tortured him.

And the one who was looking at him said, having authority among men, being mortal, you do what you wish; but do not think that our race has been forsaken by God.

But do you endure and behold his great might, how it will torment you and your offspring.

After this they brought the sixth, and when he was about to die he said, Do not be deceived in vain; for we are suffering these things through ourselves, having sinned against our own God. It has become worthy of wonder.

But do not think that you will be held guiltless, having attempted to fight against God.

But most of all, the mother was wonderful and worthy of good remembrance, who, seeing seven sons perishing at one time on one day, bore it bravely because of the hopes in the Lord

And each of them she exhorted in the ancestral tongue, filled with noble courage and stirring up the female thought with manly spirit, saying to them:

I do not know how you appeared in my womb, and I did not bestow upon you the spirit and the life, and I did not myself arrange each one’s formation.

Therefore the maker of the world, who formed the origin of man and found the origin of all things, and who again gives back to you both breath and life with mercy, as you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his laws,

But Antiochus, thinking that he was despised and suspecting the insulting voice, while the younger one still lived, not only made the appeal by words, but also by oaths he assured at the same time that he would make him rich and blessed, if he changed from the ancestral customs, and would have him as a friend and entrust him with responsibilities.

But when the young man was paying no attention at all, the king summoned the mother and was urging her to become an adviser to the boy for his salvation.

And when he had exhorted him greatly, he undertook to persuade the son.

And bending toward him, mocking the cruel tyrant, she spoke thus in the ancestral voice: Son, have pity on me, who carried you in the womb nine months and nursed you three years and reared you and brought you to this age and nourished you.

I beg you, child, having looked up to heaven and the earth and having seen all the things in them, to know that God made them not from things that exist, and the race of men also comes to be thus

Do not fear this executioner, but, having become worthy of your brothers, welcome death, so that in mercy I may receive you with your brothers

And while she was still finishing this, the young man said, Whom do you wait for? I do not obey the command of the king, but I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.

But you, having become the inventor of every evil against the Hebrews, shall certainly not escape the hands of God

For we are suffering because of our own sins.

But if for the sake of reproach and discipline our living Lord has been angered for a little while, and again will be reconciled with his own servants

But you, O impious one and most defiled of all men, do not in vain be lifted up, boasting with unseen hopes, raising your hand against the children of heaven.

For you have not yet escaped the judgment of the all-ruling, all-seeing God.

For our brothers, after having endured a short pain, have fallen under the covenant of God into everlasting life; but you, by the judgment of God, will bear just penalties for your arrogance.

But I, like the brothers, give up both body and soul for the ancestral laws, calling upon God to become gracious quickly to the nation, and to you to confess after tests and scourges, because he alone is God.

But in me and my brothers, to stay the wrath of the Almighty, which has been brought upon our whole race justly.

But the king, having become enraged at this one more than the others, treated him most harshly, bearing it bitterly because of the mockery

And this one therefore, being pure, died completely, having trusted in the Lord.

And last of the sons, the mother died.

Therefore, let the matters concerning the compassion and the excessive punishments have been made manifest to this extent.