for

For there is this also to consider, that had the woman been weak of spirit, despite her motherhood, she might have wept over them, and perchance spoken thus:

In vain for you, O my sons, did I endure the many pangs of labour, and the more difficult cares of your upbringing.

Alas, for my sons, that some were yet unwed, and those that were wedded had begotten no children; I shall never see children of yours, nor shall I be called by the name of grandparent.

But the holy and God-fearing mother wailed not with this lamentation over any one of them, neither besought she any to escape death, nor lamented over them as dying men; but, as though she had a soul of adamant and were bringing forth the number of her sons, for a second time, into immortal life, she besought rather and entreated of them that they should die for religion's sake.

But the holy and God-fearing mother wailed not with this lamentation over any one of them, neither besought she any to escape death, nor lamented over them as dying men; but, as though she had a soul of adamant and were bringing forth the number of her sons, for a second time, into immortal life, she besought rather and entreated of them that they should die for religion's sake.

For verily when thou wast put in bonds with thy sons, thou stoodest there seeing Eleazar being tortured, and thou spakest to thy sons in the Hebrew tongue:

'My sons, noble is the fight; and do ye, being called thereto to bear witness for our nation, fight therein zealously on behalf of the Law of our fathers.

For it would be shameful if, while this aged man endured the agony for religion's sake, you that are young men shrank before the pain.

For it would be shameful if, while this aged man endured the agony for religion's sake, you that are young men shrank before the pain.

Remember that for the sake of God ye have come into the world, and have enjoyed life, and that therefore ye owe it to God to endure all pain for his sake; for whom also our father Abraham made haste to sacrifice his son Isaac, the ancestor of our nation; and Isaac, seeing his father's hand lifting the knife against him, did not shrink.

Remember that for the sake of God ye have come into the world, and have enjoyed life, and that therefore ye owe it to God to endure all pain for his sake; for whom also our father Abraham made haste to sacrifice his son Isaac, the ancestor of our nation; and Isaac, seeing his father's hand lifting the knife against him, did not shrink.

Remember that for the sake of God ye have come into the world, and have enjoyed life, and that therefore ye owe it to God to endure all pain for his sake; for whom also our father Abraham made haste to sacrifice his son Isaac, the ancestor of our nation; and Isaac, seeing his father's hand lifting the knife against him, did not shrink.

And Daniel, the just man, was cast to the lions, and Ananias, Azarias, and Mishael were flung into the furnace of fire, and they endured for God's sake.

And ye also, having the same faith unto God, be not troubled; for it were against Reason that ye, knowing righteousness, should not withstand the pains.'

With these words the mother of the seven encouraged every single one of her sons to die rather than transgress the ordinance of God; they themselves also knowing well that men dying for God live unto God, as live Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the patriarchs.

For thy child-bearing was from the son of Abraham.

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 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 indeed it were fitting to inscribe these words over their resting-place, speaking for a memorial to future generations of our people:

For truly it was a holy war which was fought by them. For on that day virtue, proving them through endurance, set before them the prize of victory in incorruption in everlasting life.

For truly it was a holy war which was fought by them. For on that day virtue, proving them through endurance, set before them the prize of victory in incorruption in everlasting life.

For Moses says, 'All also who have sanctified themselves are under thy hands.'

And these men, therefore, having sanctified themselves for God's sake, not only have received this honour, but also the honour that through them the enemy had no more power over our people, and the tyrant suffered punishment, and our country was purified, they having as it were become a ransom for our nation's sin; and through the blood of these righteous men and the propitiation of their death, the divine Providence delivered Israel that before was evil entreated.

And these men, therefore, having sanctified themselves for God's sake, not only have received this honour, but also the honour that through them the enemy had no more power over our people, and the tyrant suffered punishment, and our country was purified, they having as it were become a ransom for our nation's sin; and through the blood of these righteous men and the propitiation of their death, the divine Providence delivered Israel that before was evil entreated.

For when the tyrant Antiochus saw the heroism of their virtue, and their endurance under the tortures, he publicly held up their endurance to his soldiers as an example; and he thus inspired his men with a sense of honour and heroism on the field of battle and in the labours of besieging, so that he plundered and overthrew all his enemies.

O Israelites, children born of the seed of Abraham, obey this Law, and be righteous in all ways, recognizing that Inspired Reason is lord over the passions, and over pains, not only from within, but from without ourselves; by which means those men, delivering up their bodies to the torture for righteousness' sake, not only won the admiration of mankind, but were deemed worthy of a divine inheritance.

For when he failed utterly to constrain the people of Jerusalem to live like Gentiles and abandon the customs of our fathers, he thereupon left Jerusalem and marched away against the Persians.

Happy was he; for he lived a life blessed with children, and he never knew the pain of their loss.

He confirmed the words of Ezekiel, "Shall these dry bones live?" For he forgat not the song that Moses taught, which teaches, "I will slay and I will make alive. This is your life and the blessedness of your days."'

Ah, cruel was the day, and yet not cruel, when the cruel tyrant of the Greeks set the fire blazing for his barbarous braziers, and with his passions boiling brought to the catapult and back again to his tortures the seven sons of the daughter of Abraham, and blinded the eyeballs of their eyes, and cut out their tongues, and slew them with many kinds of torment.

For which cause the judgement of God pursued, and shall pursue, the accursed wretch.

But the sons of Abraham, with their victorious mother, are gathered together unto the place of their ancestors, having received pure and immortal souls from God, to whom be glory for ever and ever.

They wove for me a crown of truth, and it caused thy branches to bud in me.

For it is not like a withered crown which buddeth not: but thou livest upon my head, and thou hast blossomed upon my head.

For I should not have known how to love the Lord, if He had not loved me.

For who is able to distinguish love, except the one that is loved?

And I shall be no stranger, for with the Lord Most High and Merciful there is no grudging.

I have been united to I-run, for the Lover has found the Beloved,

For he that is joined to Him that is immortal, will also himself become immortal;

For thy sanctuary thou hast designed before thou didst make (other) places:

For one hour of thy Faith is more precious than all days and years.

For who is there that shall put on thy grace, and be hurt?

For thy seal is known: and thy creatures know it: and thy (heavenly) hosts possess it: and the elect archangels are clad with it.

For there is no repentance with thee that thou shouldest repent of anything that thou hast promised:

And the end was revealed before thee: for what thou gavest, thou gavest freely:

For all was revealed before thee as God, and ordered from the beginning before thee: and thou, O God, hast made all things. Hallelujah.

O Most High, thou wilt not forsake me, for thou art my hope:

For they have devised a counsel, and it did not succeed:

For my hope is upon the Lord, and I will not fear, and because the Lord is my salvation, I will not fear:

For it destroys what is foreign, and everything that is bitter:

For thus it was from the beginning and will be to the end, that nothing should be His adversary, and nothing should stand up against Him.

For there went forth a stream and became a river great and broad;

For it flooded and broke up everything and it brought (water) to the Temple:

For it spread over the face of the whole earth, and filled everything: and all the thirsty upon earth were given to drink of it;

And thirst was relieved and quenched: for from the Most High the draught was given.

They gave strength for their feebleness and light to their eyes:

For everyone knew them in the Lord, and they lived by the water of life for ever. Hallelujah.

For everyone knew them in the Lord, and they lived by the water of life for ever. Hallelujah.

For I have a helper, the Lord.

For knowledge He hath appointed as its way, He hath widened it and extended it; and brought to all perfection;

For by Him it was wrought, and He was resting in the Son, and for its salvation He will take hold of everything;

For by Him it was wrought, and He was resting in the Son, and for its salvation He will take hold of everything;

And they shall praise the Lord for His love: because He is near and beholdeth.

For ignorance hath been destroyed, because the knowledge of the Lord hath arrived.

For He hath given a mouth to His creation, to open the voice of the mouth towards Him, to praise Him:

For the right hand of the Lord is with you: and He is your helper:

And peace was prepared for you, before ever your war was.

For I do not turn away my face from them that are mine;

For I know them, and before they came into being I took knowledge of them, and on their faces I set my seal:

I fashioned their members: my own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink my holy milk and live thereby.

For my workmanship are they and the strength of my thoughts:

And my righteousness goeth before them and they shall not be deprived of my name, for it is with them.

For in the will of the Lord is your salvation, and His thought is everlasting life; and your end is immortality.

For I announce to you peace, to you His saints;

An everlasting crown for ever is Truth. Blessed are they who set it on their heads:

For their book is victory which is yours. And she (Victory) sees you before her and wills that you shall be saved. Hallelujah.

To convert the souls of them who are willing to come to Him; and to lead captive a good captivity for freedom.

And it became to me for the praise of the Most High, and of God my Father.

And I was unpolluted by my love for them, because they confessed me in high places: and the traces of the light were set upon their heart:

And they walked in my life and were saved and became my people for ever and ever. Hallelujah.

For the Most High clave my heart by His Holy Spirit and searched my affection towards Him: and filled me with His love.

And everything became like a relic of thyself, and memorial for ever of thy faithful works.

For there is abundant room in thy Paradise, and nothing is useless therein;

But everything is filled with fruit; glory be to thee, O God, the delight of Paradise for ever. Hallelujah.

For the swiftness of the Word is inexpressible, and like its expression is its swiftness and force;

For as its work is, so is its end: for it is light and the dawning of thought;

For as its work is, so is its end: for it is light and the dawning of thought;

And they knew Him who made them, because they were in concord; for the mouth of the Most High spake to them; and His explanation ran by means of it:

For the dwelling-place of the Word is man: and its truth is love.

For with thee are my consolations and my delight.

And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, so thou shalt give to me; and hasten to grant our petitions; and thou art able for all our needs. Hallelujah.

As the sun is the joy to them that seek for its daybreak, so is my joy the Lord;

For my love is the Lord, and therefore I will sing unto Him:

For I am made strong in His praise, and I have faith in Him.

For the word of the Lord searches out all things, both the invisible and that which reveals His thought;

For the eye sees His works, and the ear hears His thought;

And He made the sun for the day that it may be bright, but night brings darkness over the face of the land;

And there is nothing that is without the Lord; for He was before any thing came into being:

My heart was lifted up in the love of the Most High and was enlarged: that I might praise Him for His name's sake.

Sicknesses removed from my body, and it stood to the Lord by His will. For His kingdom is true.