1 Not long after this the king sent an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live after the laws of God:
2 And to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius; and that in Garizim, of Jupiter the Defender of strangers, as they did desire that dwelt in the place.
3 The coming in of this mischief was sore and grievous to the people:
4 For the temple was filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places, and besides that brought in things that were not lawful.
5 The altar also was filled with profane things, which the law forbiddeth.
6 Neither was it lawful for a man to keep sabbath days or ancient fasts, or to profess himself at all to be a Jew.
7 And in the day of the king’s birth every month they were brought by bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the fast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus, carrying ivy.
8 Moreover there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of Ptolemee, against the Jews, that they should observe the same fashions, and be partakers of their sacrifices:
9 And whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to death. Then might a man have seen the present misery.
10 For there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children; whom when they had openly led round about the city, the babes hanging at their breasts, they cast them down headlong from the wall.
11 And others, that had run together into caves near by, to keep the sabbath day secretly, being discovered by Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to help themselves for the honour of the most sacred day.
12 Now I beseech those that read this book, that they be not discouraged for these calamities, but that they judge those punishments not to be for destruction, but for a chastening of our nation.
13 For it is a token of his great goodness, when wicked doers are not suffered any long time, but forthwith punished.
14 For not as with other nations, whom the Lord patiently forbeareth to punish, till they be come to the fulness of their sins, so dealeth he with us,
15 Lest that, being come to the height of sin, afterwards he should take vengeance of us.
16 And therefore he never withdraweth his mercy from us: and though he punish with adversity, yet doth he never forsake his people.
17 But let this that we have spoken be for a warning unto us. And now will we come to the declaring of the matter in a few words.
18 Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, an aged man, and of a well favoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and to eat swine’s flesh.
19 But he, choosing rather to die gloriously, than to live stained with such an abomination, spit it forth, and came of his own accord to the torment,
20 As it behoved them to come, that are resolute to stand out against such things, as are not lawful for love of life to be tasted.
21 But they that had the charge of that wicked feast, for the old acquaintance they had with the man, taking him aside, besought him to bring flesh of his own provision, such as was lawful for him to use, and make as if he did eat of the flesh taken from the sacrifice commanded by the king;
22 That in so doing he might be delivered from death, and for the old friendship with them find favour.
23 But he began to consider discreetly, and as became his age, and the excellency of his ancient years, and the honour of his gray head, whereon was come, and his most honest education from a child, or rather the holy law made and given by God: therefore he answered accordingly, and willed them straightways to send him to the grave.
24 For it becometh not our age, said he, in any wise to dissemble, whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, being fourscore years old and ten, were now gone to a strange religion;
25 And so they through mine hypocrisy, and desire to live a little time and a moment longer, should be deceived by me, and I get a stain to mine old age, and make it abominable.
26 For though for the present time I should be delivered from the punishment of men: yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither alive, nor dead.
27 Wherefore now, manfully changing this life, I will shew myself such an one as mine age requireth,
28 And leave a notable example to such as be young to die willingly and courageously for the honourable and holy laws. And when he had said these words, immediately he went to the torment:
29 They that led him changing the good will they bare him a little before into hatred, because the foresaid speeches proceeded, as they thought, from a desperate mind.
30 But when he was ready to die with stripes, he groaned, and said, It is manifest unto the Lord, that hath the holy knowledge, that whereas I might have been delivered from death, I now endure sore pains in body by being beaten: but in soul am well content to suffer these things, because I fear him.
31 And thus this man died, leaving his death for an example of a noble courage, and a memorial of virtue, not only unto young men, but unto all his nation.
1 sed non post multum temporis
misit rex senem quendam antiochenum qui conpelleret Iudaeos
ut se transferrent a patriis et Dei legibus
2 contaminare etiam quod in Hierosolymis erat templum
et cognominare Iovis Olympii
et in Garizin prout erant hii qui locum inhabitabant Iovis Hospitalis
3 pessima autem universis et gravis malorum erat incursio
4 nam templum luxuria et comesationibus erat
plenum
et scortantium cum meretricibus
sacratisque aedibus mulieres se ultro ingerebant
intro ferentes ea quae non licebat
5 altare etiam plenum erat inlicitis quae legibus prohibebantur
6 neque autem sabbata custodiebantur
neque dies sollemnes patrii servabantur
nec simpliciter se quisquam Iudaeum esse confitebatur
7 ducebantur autem cum amara necessitate in die natalis regis
ad sacrificia
et cum Liberi sacra celebrarentur
cogebantur hedera coronati Libero circumire
8 decretum autem exiit in proximas gentilium civitates
suggerentibus Ptolomeis
ut pari modo et ipsi adversus Iudaeos agerent ut sacrificarent
9 eos autem qui nollent transire ad instituta
gentilium interficerent
erat ergo videre miseriam
10 duae enim mulieres delatae sunt natos suos circumcidisse
quas infantibus ad ubera suspensis
cum publice per civitatem circumduxissent
per muros praecipitaverunt
11 alii vero ad proximas coeuntes speluncas
et latenter sabbati diem celebrantes
cum indicati essent Philippo flammis succensi sunt
eo quod verebantur propter religionem et observantiam
manu sibimet auxilium ferre
12 obsecro autem eos qui hunc librum lecturi sunt
ne abhorrescant propter adversos casus
sed reputent ea quae acciderunt
non ad interitum sed ad correptionem generis esse nostri
13 etenim multo tempore non sinere peccatoribus ex sententia agere
sed statim ultiones adhibere
magni beneficii est indicium
14 non enim sicut in aliis nationibus Dominus patienter expectat
ut eas cum iudicii dies venerit
in plenitudine peccatorum puniat
15 ita et in nobis statuit ut peccatis nostris in finem devolutis
ita demum in nos vindicet
16 propter quod numquam quidem a nobis misericordiam suam amovet
corripiens vero in adversis populum suum non derelinquit
17 sed haec nobis ad commonitionem legentium dicta sint paucis
iam autem veniendum est ad narrationem
18 igitur Eleazarus de primoribus
scribarum
vir aetate provectus et vultu decorus
aperto ore hians conpellebatur
carnem porcinam manducare
19 at ille gloriosam mortem magis quam odibilem vitam
amplectens
voluntarie praeibat ad supplicium
20 intuens autem quemadmodum oportet accedere
patienter sustinens
destinavit non admittere inlicita propter vitae amorem
21 hii autem qui adstabant iniqua miseratione commoti
propter antiquam viri amicitiam
tollentes eum secreto rogabant adferri carnes
quibus vesci ei licebat
et simularetur manducasse sicut rex imperaverat de sacrificii
carnibus
22 ut hoc facto a morte liberaretur
et propter veterem amicitiam
hanc in eo facerent humanitatem
23 at ille cogitationem cepit
aetatis ac senectutis suae eminentiam dignam
et ingenuitatem nobilitatis
canitiem
atque a puero optimae conversationis
et secundum sanctae et a Deo conditae legis constituta
respondit cito dicens praemitti se velle in infernum
24 non enim aetatem nostram dignum est inquit fingere
ut multi adulescentium arbitrati Eleazarum nonaginta
annorum transisse ad vitam alienigenarum
25 et ipsi propter meam simulationem
et propter modicum corruptibilis vitae tempus decipiantur
et per hoc maculam atque execrationem meae senectuti conquiram
26 nam et si in praesenti tempore suppliciis hominum eripiar
sed manus Omnipotentis neque vivens neque defunctus effugiam
27 quam ob rem fortiter vitam excedendo
senectute quidem dignus apparebo
28 adulescentibus autem exemplum forte relinquam
si prompto animo ac fortiter
pro gravissimis et sanctissimis legibus honesta morte perfungar
his dictis confestim ad supplicium trahebatur
29 hii autem qui eum ducebant et paulo ante fuerant mitiores
in iram versi sunt propter sermones ab eo dictos
quos illi per arrogantiam prolatos arbitrabantur
30 sed cum plagis perimeretur ingemuit et dixit
Domine qui habes sanctam scientiam
manifeste scis tu quia cum a morte possim
liberari
duros corporis sustineo dolores
secundum animam vero propter timorem tuum libenter haec patior
31 et iste quidem hoc modo vita decessit
non solum iuvenibus sed et universae genti
memoriam mortis suae ad exemplum virtutis et fortitudinis derelinquens