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4 Maccabees 6

World English Bible British Edition · Berean Standard Bible

6:1

When Eleazar had in this manner answered the exhortations of the tyrant, the spearbearers came up, and rudely dragged Eleazar to the instruments of torture.

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6:2

First, they stripped the old man, adorned as he was with the beauty of piety.

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6:3

Then tying back his arms and hands, they disdainfully flogged him.

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6:4

A herald opposite cried out, “Obey the commands of the king!”

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6:5

But the high-minded and truly noble Eleazar, as one tortured in a dream, ignored it.

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6:6

But raising his eyes on high to heaven, the old man’s flesh was stripped off by the scourges, and his blood streamed down, and his sides were pierced through.

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6:7

Falling on the ground from his body having no power to endure the pains, he still kept his reasoning upright and unbending.

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6:8

Then one of the harsh spearbearers rushed at him and began to kick him in the side to force him to get up again after he fell.

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6:9

But he endured the pains, despised the cruelty, and persevered through the indignities.

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6:10

Like a noble athlete, the old man, when struck, vanquished his torturers.

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6:11

His face sweating, and he panting for breath, he was admired even by the torturers for his courage.

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6:12

Therefore, partly in pity for his old age,

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6:13

partly from the sympathy of acquaintance, and partly in admiration of his endurance, some of the attendants of the king said,

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6:14

“Why do you unreasonably destroy yourself, O Eleazar, with these miseries?

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6:15

We will bring you some meat cooked by yourself, and you can save yourself by pretending that you have eaten swine’s flesh.”

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6:16

Eleazar, as though the advice more painfully tortured him, cried out,

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6:17

“Let us who are children of Abraham not be so evil advised as by giving way to make use of an unbecoming pretence.

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6:18

For it would be irrational, if having lived up to old age in all truth, and having scrupulously guarded our character for it, we would now turn back

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6:19

and ourselves become a pattern of impiety to the young, as being an example of eating pollution.

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6:20

It would be disgraceful if we would live on some short time, and that scorned by all men for cowardice,

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6:21

and be condemned by the tyrant for cowardice by not contending to the death for our divine law.

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6:22

Therefore you, O children of Abraham, die nobly for your religion.

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6:23

You spearbearers of the tyrant, why do you linger?”

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6:24

Beholding him so high-minded against misery, and not changing at their pity, they led him to the fire.

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6:25

Then with their wickedly contrived instruments they burnt him on the fire, and poured stinking fluids down into his nostrils.

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6:26

He being at length burnt down to the bones, and about to expire, raised his eyes Godward, and said,

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6:27

“You know, O God, that when I might have been saved, I am slain for the sake of the law by tortures of fire.

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6:28

Be merciful to your people, and be satisfied with the punishment of me on their account.

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6:29

Let my blood be a purification for them, and take my life in exchange for theirs.”

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6:30

Thus speaking, the holy man departed, noble in his torments, and even to the agonies of death resisted in his reasoning for the sake of the law.

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6:31

Confessedly, therefore, religious reasoning is master of the emotions.

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6:32

For had the emotions been superior to reasoning, I would have given them the witness of this mastery.

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6:33

But now, since reasoning conquered the emotions, we befittingly award it the authority of first place.

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6:34

It is only fair that we should allow that the power belongs to reasoning, since it masters external miseries.

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6:35

It would be ridiculous if it weren’t so. I prove that reasoning has not only mastered pains, but that it is also superior to the pleasures, and withstands them.

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