The Koine Bible

O reason, tyrant of the sufferings of children, and piety, more desired by a mother than her children.

a mother, two things being set before, piety and the temporary salvation of the seven sons according to the tyrant’s promise

he loved godliness rather, that which saves to eternal life according to God

O in what manner should I describe the affectionate sufferings of parents for children, the likeness of soul and form, how we imprint upon a little child’s wondrous character especially because of the passions the mothers of the fathers have become more sympathetic toward the offspring?

For the more weak-souled and more fertile in childbearing the mothers are, so much the more are they fond of their children

And among all mothers the mother of the seven children became more fond of her children, who by seven pregnancies was implanting the affection toward them

and through the many pangs, each one in turn, being compelled to have compassion toward them

Because of the fear toward God, he despised the temporary deliverance of the children.

Nevertheless, also because of the nobility of the sons and their obedience to the law, he had a greater affection for them.

For they were both just and temperate and courageous and high-minded and brother-loving and mother-loving, so as even to obey her while keeping the lawful things even to death

But nevertheless, although there were so many things in regard to love for children drawing the mother into compassion, none of them was able to turn her reasoning aside by their all-varied tortures.

But also, with each child and at once with all of them, the mother was urging them on to the death of piety

O sacred nature and the affections of parents and, to offspring, fondly loving and nurture and the untamable passions of mothers

seeing each one being twisted and being burned, the mother was not changed because of piety

the flesh of the children he saw melting around the fire, and the fingers of the feet and hands twitching on the ground, and the flesh of the heads down to that around the beard laid out like masks

O mother, now tested by more bitter pains than the birth-pangs over them

O woman alone, who has borne complete piety!

neither did the firstborn turn you aside, breathing out, nor the second, looking at you pityingly in torments, nor the third, growing cold away from life

nor did you weep, seeing the eyes of each one staring bull-like upon the tortures, seeing the same torment, and the nostrils marking their death beforehand

seeing on the bodies of her children the flesh of children burning, and on hands hands being cut off, and on heads heads being beheaded, and on the dead dead falling, and seeing the place of her children a common tomb through the tortures, you did not weep

Not so do Siren-like melodies nor swan-like voices draw in those who hear them to fondness for hearing, as the voices of children calling their mother with tortures do.

Then with how great and how many torments was the mother of the sons who were being tortured with wheels and with branding-irons herself tortured with torments

But her inward parts, the devout reason having strengthened them in these very sufferings, stretched out to disregard the temporary affection for her children

And although seeing the destruction of seven children and the manifold variety of the tortures, the noble mother loosed them all through her faith toward God

For just as in a council chamber, seeing as terrible advisers in her own soul nature and birth and love for children and the tortures of children,

holding two votes, a mother, deadly and saving, on behalf of her children

she did not recognize the salvation preserving seven sons for a short time

But the daughter remembered the endurance of godly Abraham.

O mother, avenger of the nation, and defender of the law, and champion of piety and of the contest through your inward parts.

O woman, more noble than men in endurance, and braver than men in steadfastness

For just as Noah’s ark in the world-flood, bearing the world, endured the surges steadfastly, so did it remain steadfast.

Thus you, the guardian of the law, everywhere being deluged in the flood of passions and held fast by the strong winds, by the torments of your sons, bravely endured the storms for piety.