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The king, pleased with the words which had just been spoken, said to the ninth man, how ought a man to conduct himself at banquets?

All at once shouted their approval, and the banquet became a scene of joy, while the king gave himself up to a continuous round of festivity.

I HAVE written at length and must crave your pardon, Philocrates.

I was astonished beyond measure at the men and the way in which on the spur of the moment they gave answers which really needed a long time to devise.

For though the questioner had given great thought to each particular question, those who replied one after the other had their answers to the questions ready at once and so they seemed to me and to all who were present and especially to the philosophers to be worthy of admiration.

I was so impressed by the force of their utterances, that I made an effort to consult those whose business it was to make a record of all that happened at the royal audiences and banquets.

For on the following day the minutes of the doings and sayings of the previous day are read over before business commence, and if there has been any irregularity, the matter is at once set right.

There he assembled them in a house, which had been built upon the sea-shore, of great beauty and in a secluded situation, and invited them to carry out the work of translation, since everything that they needed for the purpose was placed at their disposal.

In the early morning they appeared daily at the Court, and after saluting the king went back to their own place.

The whole book was read over to him and he was greatly astonished at the spirit of the lawgiver.

For the admiration felt for their courage and endurance, not only by the world at large but by their very executioners, made them the authors of the downfall of the tyranny under which our nation lay, they defeating the tyrant by their endurance, so that through them was their country purified.

And what is there to be surprised at if the natural desire

This, certainly, is why we praise the virtuous Joseph, because by his Reason, with a mental effort, he checked the carnal impulse. [*1] For he, a young man at the age when physical desire is strong, by his Reason quenched the impulse of his passions.

Certainly, as soon as a man orders his life according to the Law, if he is miserly he acts contrary to his nature, and lends money to the needy without interest, and at the seventh-year periods cancels the debt.

For in the day when God created man, he implanted in him his passions and inclinations, and also, at the very same time, set the mind on a throne amidst the senses to be his sacred guide in all things; and to the mind he gave the Law, by the which if a man order himself, he shall reign over a kingdom that is temperate, and just, and virtuous, and brave.

The case of the thirst of King David may serve at least to make this clearer.

For when David had fought the live-long day against the Philistines, and by the help of our country's warriors had slain many of them, he came at eventide, all fordone with sweat and toil, to the royal tent, around which was encamped the whole army of our ancestors.

Then when his body-guard murmured against the craving of the king, two youths, mighty warriors, ashamed that their king should lack his desire, put on all their armour, and took a water-vessel, and scaled the enemy's ramparts; and stealing undetected past the guards at the gate, they searched through all the enemy's camp.

At a time when our fathers enjoyed great peace through the due observance of the Law, and were in happy case, so that Seleucus Nicanor, the king of Asia, sanctioned the tax for the temple-service, and recognized our polity, precisely then, certain men, acting factiously against the general concord, involved us in many and various calamities.

And you scoff at our philosophy, as if under it we were living in a manner contrary to reason.

But it is the act of a tyrant that you should compel us not only to transgress the Law, but should also make us eat in such manner that you may mock at' this defilement so utterly abominable to us.

But you shall not mock at me thus, neither will I break the sacred oaths of my ancestors to keep the Law, not even though you tear out mine eyes and bum out mine entrails.

I am not so unmanned by old age but that when righteousness is at stake the strength of youth returns to my Reason. 55 So twist hard your racks and blow your furnace hotter. I do not so pity mine old age as to break the Law of my fathers in mine own person.

And it is right that we should admit that the mastery lies with Reason, in cases at least where it conquers pains that come from outside ourselves; for it were ridiculous to deny it.

And when the tyrant saw them there, standing as if they were a festal choir with their mother in the midst, he took notice of them, and struck by their noble and distinguished bearing he smiled at them, and calling them nearer said:

But no such words escaped these young men at the prospect of the torture, nor did such thoughts enter into their minds.

For we through this our evil entreatment and our endurance of it shall win the prize of virtue; but thou for our cruel murder shalt suffer at the hands of divine justice sufficient torment by fire for ever.'

These words of the youths redoubled the wrath of the tyrant, not at their disobedience only but at what he considered their ingratitude.

These words of the youths redoubled the wrath of the tyrant, not at their disobedience only but at what he considered their ingratitude.

And with his bodily frame already in dissolution this great-souled youth, like a true son of Abraham, groaned not at all; but as if he were suffering a change by fire to incorruption, he nobly endured the torment, saying:

But while all were wondering at his constancy of soul, the guards brought forward the second in age of the. sons, and grappling him with sharp-clawed hands of iron they fastened him to the engines and the catapult.

But when they heard his noble resolve in answer to their question, 'Would he eat rather than he tortured?' these panther-like beasts tore at his sinews with claws of iron, and rent away all the flesh from his cheeks, and tore off the skin from his head.

And to the tyrant he said, 'O most ruthless of tyrants, doth not it seem to thee that at this moment thou thyself sufferest tortures worse than mine in seeing thy tyranny's arrogant intention overcome by my endurance for righteousness' sake?

But they were greatly angered at the bold speech of the man, and they dislocated his hands and his feet with their dislocating engines, and wrenched his limbs out of their sockets, and unstrung them; and they twisted round his fingers, and his arms, and his legs, and his elbow-joints.

And at the point of death he said, 'We, O most abominable tyrant, suffer thus for our upbringing and our virtue that are of God; but thou for thy impiety and thy cruelty shall endure torments without end.'

And they, rejoicing at the boy's request, made haste to loose him.

And running up to the red-hot brazier, 'O impious tyrant,' he cried, 'and most ungodly of all sinners, art thou not ashamed to take thy blessings and thy kingship at the hands of God, and to slay his servants and torture the followers of righteousness?

Let us imitate the Three Children at the Assyrian court who despised this same ordeal of the furnace.

And one said, 'Brother, be of good cheer,' and another, 'Bear it out nobly'; and another recalling the past, 'Remember of what stock ye are, and at whose fatherly hand Isaac for righteousness' sake yielded himself to be a sacrifice.'

And each and all of them together, looking at each other brightly and very boldly, said, 'With a whole heart will we consecrate ourselves unto God who gave us our souls, and let us lend our bodies to the keeping of the Law.

You are not ignorant of the love of brethren, whereof the divine and all-wise Providence has given an inheritance to those who are begotten though their fathers, implanting it in them even through the mother's womb; wherein brethren do dwell the like period, and take their form during the same time, and are nourished from the same blood, and are quickened with the same soul, and are brought into the world after the same space, and they draw milk from the same founts, whereby their fraternal souls are nursed together in arms at the breast; and they are knit yet closer through a common nurture and daily companionship and other education, and through our discipline under the Law of God.

And not so fierce were the lions around Daniel, not so hot was the burning fiery furnace of Mishael, as burned in her the instinct of motherhood at the sight of her seven sons being tortured.

Thou wert nobly set as a roof upon thy sons as pillars, and the earthquake of the torments shook thee not at all.

Rejoice therefore, pure-souled mother, having the hope of thy endurance certain at the hand of God.

And had it been lawful for us to paint, as might some artist, the tale of thy piety, would not the spectators have shuddered at the mother of seven sons suffering for righteousness' sake multitudinous tortures even unto death?

And righteousness won the victor and gave the crown to her athletes. Who but wondered at the athletes of the true Law?

Who were not amazed at them? The tyrant himself and his whole council admired their endurance, whereby they now do both Stand beside the throne of God and live the blessed age.

And be without stain at all times before Him. Hallelujah.

As the eyes of a son to his father, so are my eyes, O Lord, at all times towards thee.

Stretch out to me, O Lord, at all times thy right hand: and be my guide even unto the end, according to thy good pleasure.

And they mocked at them that were walking in error;

And it escaped their fingers and they were affrighted at it and at the seal that was upon it.

And it escaped their fingers and they were affrighted at it and at the seal that was upon it.

And there was seen at its head, the head which was revealed even the Son of Truth from the Most High Father,

Thou didst set me a lamp at my right hand and at my left: and in me there shall be nothing that is not bright:

Thou didst set me a lamp at my right hand and at my left: and in me there shall be nothing that is not bright:

I believed; therefore I was at rest; for faithful is He in whom I have believed:

They who saw me marvelled at me, because I was persecuted, and they supposed that I was swallowed up: for I seemed to them as one of the lost;

Error went astray and perished at His hand: and folly found no path to walk in, and was submerged by the truth of the Lord.

And it came to pass on the morrow that, lo! the army of the Chaldees surrounded the city, and at the time of the evening, I, Baruch, left the people, and I went forth and stood by the oak.

And I beheld, and lo! four angels standing at the four corners of the city, each of them holding a torch of fire in his hands.

But do you remain here amid the desolation of Zion, and I will show to you after these days 'what will befall at the end of days.'

Because you have been astonished at what has befallen Zion, you shall therefore be assuredly preserved to the consummation of the times, that you may be for a testimony.

And if they say at that time:

But as for us-woe to us, who also are now shamefully entreated, and at that time look forward (only) to evils.

And He answered and said unto me: 'Wherefore at that time he appointed for them a covenant and said: "Behold I have placed before you life and death," And he called heaven and earth to witness against them.

And again, if a man is shamefully entreated in his beginnings, and at his end is prospered, he remembers not again his evil entreatment.

And it came to pass at sunset that my soul took much thought, and I began to speak in the presence of the Mighty One, and said:

He who travels by a road but does not complete it, or who departs by sea but does not arrive at the port, can he be comforted?

And He answered and said unto me: 'Why therefore are you troubled about that which you know not, and why are you ill at ease about things in which you are ignorant?

For it shall come to pass at that time that you shall see-and the many that are with you-the long-suffering of the Most High, which has been throughout all generations, who has been long-suffering towards all who are born, (alike) those who sin and (those who) are righteous.'

For at that time I will protect only those who are found in those self-same days in this land.

For winds shall go forth from before Me to bring every morning the fragrance of aromatic fruits, and at the close of the day clouds distilling the dew of health.

And it shall come to pass at that self-same time that the treasury of manna shall again descend from on high, and they will eat of it in those years, because these are they who have come to the consummation of time.

Then all who have fallen asleep in hope of Him shall rise again. And it shall come to pass at that time that the treasuries will be opened in which is preserved the number of the souls of the righteous, and they shall come forth, and a multitude of souls shall be seen together in one assemblage of one thought, and the first shall rejoice and the last shall not be grieved.

And his principate will stand for ever, until the world of corruption is at an end, and until the times aforesaid are fulfilled.

And I answered and said: 'For whom and for how many shall these things be? or who will be worthy to live at that time?

Armies innumerable stand before you And minister in their orders quietly at Your nod.

[To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the Gentiles.]

For this is as follows: he that is corrupted is not at all; he has both wrought iniquity so far as lie could do anything, and has not remembered My goodness, nor accepted My long-suffering.

For there shall not be found many wise at that time, And the intelligent shall be but a few: Moreover, even those who know shall most of all be silent.

And many shall say to many at that time: Where hath the multitude of intelligence hidden itself, And whither hath the multitude of wisdom removed itself?"

And it shall come to pass at the self-same time, That a change of times shall manifestly appeal to every man, Because in all those times they polluted themselves And they practiced oppression, And walked every man in his own works, And remembered not the law of the Mighty One.

When therefore they see those, over whom they are now exalted, (but) who shall then be exalted and glorified more than they, they shall respectively be transformed, the latter into the splendor of angels, and the former shall yet more waste away in wonder at the visions and in the beholding of the forms.

And when I had said these things I fell asleep there, and I saw a vision, and lo! a cloud was ascending from a very great sea, and I kept gazing upon it) and lo! it was full of waters white and black, and there were many colors in those self-same waters, and as it were the likeness of great lightning was seen at its summit.

And it came to pass at the end of the cloud, that lo! it rained black waters, and they were darker than had been all those waters that were before, and fire was mingled with them, and where those waters descended, they wrought devastation and destruction.

For His works have not taught you, Nor has the skill of His creation which is at all times persuaded you.]

For at the consummation of the world vengeance shall be taken upon those who have done wickedness according to their wickedness, And you will glorify the faithful according to their faithfulness.

And, if at the word of the announcement of the torment of those who have done foolishly you are so wholly distraught, How much more when the event will reveal marvelous things?

For, moreover, at that time when he was created, they enjoyed liberty.

Because at that time the unwritten law was named amongst them, And the works of the commandments were then fulfilled, And belief in the coming judgment was then generated, And hope of the world that was to be renewed was then built up, And the promise of the life that should come hereafter was implanted.

Nevertheless, these also perished at last.

For at that time the lamp of the eternal law shone on all those who sat in darkness, which announced to them that believe the promise of their reward, and to them that deny, the torment of fire which is reserved for them.

But also the heavens at that time were shaken from their place, and those who were under the throne of the Mighty One were perturbed, when He was taking Moses unto Himself.

And there was at that time the building of Zion, And the dedication of the sanctuary, And the shedding of much blood of the nations that sinned then, And many offerings which were offered then in the dedication of the sanctuary.

And peace and tranquility existed at that time,

And the curse of Jezebel and the worship of idols which Israel practiced at that time.

And I went forth and destroyed their multitude, the number of whose chiefs only was a hundred and eighty-five thousand, and each one of them had an equal number (at his command).

And at that time I burned their bodies within, but their raiment and arms I preserved outwardly, in order that the still more wonderful deeds of the Mighty One might appear, and that thereby His name might be spoken of throughout the whole earth.

On this account Manasseh was at that time named 'the impious," and finally his abode was in the fire.