him

Onias, a man of the highest character, being then high priest and having the office for his life, a certain Simon raised a faction against him, but since despite every kind of slander he failed to injure him on account of the people, he fled abroad with intent to betray his country.

Apollonius having made inquiry into the details of the matter, praised Simon for his loyal service to the king, and hastening to the court of Seleucus, disclosed to him the valuable treasure; then, after receiving authority to deal with the matter, he promptly marched into our country, accompanied by the accursed Simon and a very powerful army, and announced that he was there by the king's command to take possession of the private deposits in the treasury.

And Apollonius fell down half-dead in the Court of the Gentiles, and stretched out his hands to heaven, and with tears he entreated the Hebrews that they would make intercession for him and stay the wrath of the heavenly host.

Moved by these words, Onias, the high-priest, although most scrupulous in other cases, made intercession for him lest king Seleucus should possibly think that Apollonius had been overthrown by a human device and not by divine justice.

Apollonius, accordingly, after his astonishing deliverance departed to report to the king the things that had befallen him.

But Seleucus dying, his successor on the throne was his son Antiochus Epiphanes, an overweening terrible man; who dismissed Onias from his sacred office, and made his brother Jason high-priest instead, the condition being that in return for the appointment Jason should pay him three thousand six hundred and sixty talents yearly.

So he appointed Jason high-priest and made him chief ruler over the people.

Accordingly, the tyrant Antiochus, accompanied by his councillors, sat in judgement on a certain high place with his troops drawn up around him in full armour, and he ordered his guards to drag there every single man of the Hebrews and compel them to eat swine's flesh and things offered to idols; but if any should refuse to defile themselves with the unclean things, they were to he tortured and put to death.

And Antiochus, looking on him, said: 'Before I allow the tortures to begin for you, O venerable man, I would give you this counsel, that you should eat of the flesh of the swine and save your life; for I respect your age and your grey hairs, although to have worn them so long a time, and still to cling to the Jewish religion, makes me think you no philosopher.

BUT when Eleazar replied thus eloquently to the exhortations of the tyrants, the guards around him dragged him roughly to the torturing place.

BUT when Eleazar replied thus eloquently to the exhortations of the tyrants, the guards around him dragged him roughly to the torturing place.

Then binding his arms on either side they scourged him, a herald standing and shouting out over against him, 'Obey the orders of the king!'

Then binding his arms on either side they scourged him, a herald standing and shouting out over against him, 'Obey the orders of the king!'

With his foot then one of the cruet guards as he fell kicked him savagely in the side to make him get up.

With his foot then one of the cruet guards as he fell kicked him savagely in the side to make him get up.

Hereupon, partly in pity for his old age, partly in sympathy for their friend, partly in admiration of his courage, some of the courtiers of the king went tip to him and said:

So they, seeing him thus triumphant over the tortures and unmoved even by the pity of his executioners, dragged him to the fire.

So they, seeing him thus triumphant over the tortures and unmoved even by the pity of his executioners, dragged him to the fire.

There they cast him on it, burning him with cruelly cunning devices, and they poured broth of evil odour into his nostrils.

There they cast him on it, burning him with cruelly cunning devices, and they poured broth of evil odour into his nostrils.

For as our father Aaron, armed with the censer, ran through the massed congregation against the fiery angel and overcame him, so the son of Aaron, Eleazar, being consumed by the melting heat of the fire, remained unshaken in his Reason.

And under these orders of the tyrant seven brethren together with their aged mother were brought prisoners before him, all handsome, and modest, and well-born,--and generally attractive.

'Alas! miserable creatures that we are and foolish above measure! When the king invites us and appeals to us on terms of kind treatment shall we not obey him?

AND thus no sooner did the tyrant conclude his urging of them to eat unclean meat than all with one voice together, and as with one soul, said to him: 2 'Why dost thou delay, O tyrant? We are ready to die rather than transgress the commandments of our fathers.

So by his orders the scourgers brought forward the eldest of them and stripped him of his garment and bound his hands and arms on either side with thongs.

But when they had scourged him till they were weary, and gained nothing thereby, they cast him upon the wheel.

But when they had scourged him till they were weary, and gained nothing thereby, they cast him upon the wheel.

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.

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

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 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.

And in no wise being able to strangle his spirit they stripped off his skin, taking the points of the fingers with it, and tore in Scythian fashion the scalp from his head, and straightway brought him to the wheel.

And when' this man had died worthily of his brothers, they brought up the fourth, and said to him, 'Be not thou also mad with the same madness as thy brethren, but obey the king and save thyself.'

But God will speedily pursue after thee; for thou cuttest out the tongue that sang songs of praise unto him.'

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.'

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.'

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

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.

And then, if they be unable to drive him away, they flutter around the nestlings in a passion of love, calling to them in their own speech, and they give succour to their young ones in whatever fashion they can.

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

The Lord is on my head like a crown, and I shall not be without Him.

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

I love the Beloved, and my soul loves Him:

And because I shall love Him that, is the Son, I shall become a son;

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

And if all things visible should perish, I shall not die; because the Lord is with me and I am with Him. Hallelujah.

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.

My joy is the Lord and my impulse is toward Him: this path of mine is excellent:

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:

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

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

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:

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

That they may go forth to meet Him, and may sing to Him with joy and with the harp of many tones:

That they may go forth to meet Him, and may sing to Him with joy and with the harp of many tones:

The seers shall come before Him and they shall be seen before Him,

The seers shall come before Him and they shall be seen before Him,

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

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

And yet beloved ones in the Beloved: those who are kept, in Him that liveth:

And they that are saved in Him that was saved;

That none of those who hear may fall in war, and that those again who have known Him may not perish, and that those who receive may not be ashamed.

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

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

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:

Behold! the Lord is our mirror: open the eyes and see them in Him: and learn the manner of your face:

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

In Him I have acquired eyes and have seen His holy day:

The thought of knowledge hath been mine, and I have been delighted through Him.

The way of error I have left, and have walked towards Him and have received salvation from Him, without grudging.

The way of error I have left, and have walked towards Him and have received salvation from Him, without grudging.

And it hath been made known to His faithful ones, and hath been given without stint to all those that trust in Him. Hallelujah.

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.

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.

And the Holy Spirit milked Him: because His breasts were full, and it was necessary for Him that His milk should be sufficiently released;

And the Holy Spirit milked Him: because His breasts were full, and it was necessary for Him that His milk should be sufficiently released;

And she brought Him forth openly, and acquired Him with great dignity,

And she brought Him forth openly, and acquired Him with great dignity,

And loved Him in His swaddling clothes and guarded Him kindly, and showed Him in Majesty. Hallelujah.

And loved Him in His swaddling clothes and guarded Him kindly, and showed Him in Majesty. Hallelujah.

And loved Him in His swaddling clothes and guarded Him kindly, and showed Him in Majesty. Hallelujah.

I am a priest of the Lord, and to Him I do priestly service: and to Him I offer the sacrifice of His thought.

I am a priest of the Lord, and to Him I do priestly service: and to Him I offer the sacrifice of His thought.

Present your reins before Him blamelessly: and let not thy heart do violence to heart, nor thy soul to soul.