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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:

With these words he ordered the instruments of torture to be brought forward in order to persuade them by fear to eat unclean meat.

But if the old men of the Hebrews endured the tortures for righteousness' sake, yea, until they died, more befittingly will we young men die despising the torments of thy compulsion, over which he our aged teacher also triumphed.

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

And on it the noble youth was racked till his bones were out of joint. And as joint after joint gave way, he denounced the tyrant in these words:

And when the guards said to him, 'Consent to eat, that so you may be released from your tortures,' he said to them, 'Your method, O miserable minions, is not strong enough to lead captive my Reason. Cut off my limbs, and burn my flesh, and twist my joints; through all the torments I will show you that in behalf of virtue the sons of the Hebrews alone are unconquerable.'

As he thus spake they set hot coals upon him besides, and intensifying the torture strained him yet tighter on the wheel.

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:

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 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.

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.

But he steadfastly enduring this agony said, 'How sweet is every form of death for the sake of the righteousness of our fathers!'

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?

And when he had bravely met his glorious death, the third son was brought forward and was earnestly entreated by many to taste and so to save himself.

But he answered in a loud voice, 'Are ye ignorant that the same father begat me and my brothers that are dead, and the same mother gave us birth, and in the same doctrines was I brought up?

And on this they twisted his spine till he saw his own flesh hanging in strips and great gouts of blood pouring down from his entrails.

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.'

But he said unto them, 'For me ye have no fire so exceeding hot as to make me a coward.

When he heard this the bloodthirsty, murderous, and utterly abominable Antiochus bade them cut out his tongue.

But he said, 'Even if thou dost remove my organ of speech, God is a hearer also of the speechless.

As he spake thus the guards bound him and brought him before the catapult; and they tied him thereto on his knees, and, fastening them there with iron clamps, they wrenched his loins over the rolling 'wedge' so that he was completely curled back like a scorpion and every joint was disjointed.

As he spake thus the guards bound him and brought him before the catapult; and they tied him thereto on his knees, and, fastening them there with iron clamps, they wrenched his loins over the rolling 'wedge' so that he was completely curled back like a scorpion and every joint was disjointed.

And thus in grievous strait for breath and anguish of body he exclaimed, 'Glorious, O tyrant, glorious against thy will are the boons that thou bestowest on me, enabling me to show my fidelity to the Law through yet more honourable tortures.'

And when this man also was dead, the sixth was brought, a mere boy, who in answer to the tyrant's inquiry whether he was willing to eat and be released, said:

As he spake these words they brought him to the wheel, and with care they stretched him out and dislocated the bones of his back and set fire under him.

But he in the midst of his tortures exclaimed, 'O contest worthy of saints, wherein so many of us brethren, in the cause of righteousness, have been entered for a competition in torments, and have not been conquered!

But the tyrant, although fiercely exasperated by his brethren, felt pity for the boy, and seeing him there already bound he had him brought near, and sought to persuade him, saying: 'Thou seest the end of the folly of thy brethren; for through their disobedience they have been racked to death. Thou, too, if thou dost not obey, wilt thyself also be miserably tortured and put to death before thy time; but if thou dost obey thou shalt be my friend, and thou shalt be advanced to high office in the business of the kingdom.'

And while thus appealing to him he sent for the boy's mother, in order that in her sorrow for the loss of so many sons she might urge the survivor to obey and be saved.

But the mother, speaking in the Hebrew tongue, as I shall tell later on, encouraged the boy, and he said to the guards, 'Loose me, that I may speak to the king and to all his friends with 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?

And then standing on the brink of death he said, 'I am no renegade to the witness borne by my brethren.

And thee will he Punish both in this present life and after that thou art dead.'

And with this prayer he cast himself into the red-hot brazier, and so gave up the ghost.

Let us not fear him who thinketh he kills; for a great struggle and peril of the soul awaits in eternal torment those who transgress the ordinance of God.

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.

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.

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.

And vengeance hath pursued the tyrant Antiochus upon earth, and in death he suffers punishment.

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.

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.

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

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

Who, while he was yet with us, taught you the Law and the prophets. He read to us of Abel who was slain by Cain, and of Isaac who was offered as a burnt-offering, and of Joseph in the prison.

Who, while he was yet with us, taught you the Law and the prophets. He read to us of Abel who was slain by Cain, and of Isaac who was offered as a burnt-offering, and of Joseph in the prison.

And he spake to us of Phineas, the zealous priest, and he taught you the song of Ananias, Azarias, and Mishael in the fire.

And he spake to us of Phineas, the zealous priest, and he taught you the song of Ananias, Azarias, and Mishael in the fire.

And he glorified also Daniel in the den of lions, and blessed him; and he called to your minds the saying of Isaiah,

And he glorified also Daniel in the den of lions, and blessed him; and he called to your minds the saying of Isaiah,

He sang to us the words of David the psalmist, "Many are the afflictions of the just."

He quoted to us the proverb of Solomon, "He is a tree of life to all them that do his will."

He quoted to us the proverb of Solomon, "He is a tree of life to all them that do his will."

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."'

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."'

And his members are with him. And on them do I stand, and He loves me:

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

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

And he who has pleasure in the Living One, will become living.

And it is not (possible) that he should change it and put it in another place: because he hath no power over it:

And it is not (possible) that he should change it and put it in another place: because he hath no power over it:

And He is as a garland on my head and I shall not be moved; even if everything should be shaken, I stand firm;

And the praise of His name He gave us: our spirits praise His holy Spirit.

He hath caused me to know Himself, without grudging, by His simplicity: His kindness has humbled His greatness.

He became like me, in order that I might receive Him:

He was reckoned like myself in order that I might put Him on;

And I trembled not when I saw Him: because He was gracious to me:

Like my nature He became that I might learn Him and like my form, that I might not turn back from Him:

He who created wisdom is wiser than His works:

And He who created me when yet I was not knew what I should do when I came into being:

Wherefore He pitied me in His abundant grace: and granted me to ask from Him and to receive from His sacrifice:

Because He it is that is incorrupt, the fulness of the ages and the Father of them.

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

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

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 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:

The word of the Lord and His good pleasures, the holy thought which He has devised concerning his Messiah.

The Lord hath directed my mouth by His word: and He hath opened my heart by His light: and He hath caused to dwell in me His deathless life;

The Lord hath directed my mouth by His word: and He hath opened my heart by His light: and He hath caused to dwell in me His deathless life;

And I was established upon the rock of truth, where He had set me up:

And the Lord renewed me in His raiment, and possessed me by His light, and from above He gave me rest in incorruption;

He lightened my eyes, and my face received the dew; and my nostrils enjoyed the pleasant odour of the Lord;

And He carried me to His Paradise; where is the abundance of the pleasure of the Lord;

He hath filled me with words of truth; that I may speak the same;

And He has caused His knowledge to abound in me, because the mouth of the Lord is the true Word, and the door of His light;

Because He is my Sun and His rays have lifted me up; and His light hath dispelled all darkness from my face.

And according to His bounty He hath given to me, and according to His excellent beauty He hath made me.

And according to His bounty He hath given to me, and according to His excellent beauty He hath made me.

Because His love bath nourished my heart, and even to my lips His fruits He poured out.

He spread out the earth and He settled the waters in the sea:

He spread out the earth and He settled the waters in the sea:

He measured the heavens and fixed the stars: and He established the creation and set it up:

He measured the heavens and fixed the stars: and He established the creation and set it up:

And He rested from His works:

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

And their alternations one to the other speak the beauty of God: IS And there is nothing that is without the Lord; for He was before any thing came into being:

And I was justified in my Lord: my incorruptible salvation is He.