this

And he replied, 'You should summon to your side men of learning and those who are able to give you useful hints with regard to the affairs of your kingdom and the lives of your subjects (for you could not find any theme more suitable or more educative than this) since such men are dear to God because they have trained their minds to contemplate the noblest themes--as you indeed are doing yourself, since all your actions are directed by God.'

And he replied, 'He who is best by nature. For kings who come of royal lineage are often harsh and severe towards their subjects. And still more is this the case with some of those who have risen from the ranks of private citizens, who after having experienced evil and borne their share of poverty, when they rule over multitudes turn out to be more cruel than the godless tyrants.

The king spent some time in praising this man and then asked the last of all, What is the greatest achievement in ruling an empire?

And it would not be right for me to transgress in such a matter as this. I tell the story just as it happened, conscientiously avoiding any error.

And the session lasted until the ninth hour; after this they were set free to minister to their physical needs.

Everything they wanted was furnished for them on a lavish scale. In addition to this Dorotheus made the same preparations for them daily as were made for the king himself--for thus he had been commanded by the king.

And it so chanced that the work of translation was completed in seventy-two days, just as if this had been arranged of set purpose.

This was a very wise precaution to ensure that the book might be preserved for all the future time unchanged.

And after, the king, as I have already said, had received the explanation of Demetrius on this point, he did homage and ordered that great care should be taken of the books, and that they should be sacredly guarded.

I might enlarge here in praise of their virtues, they, the men with the Mother, dying on this day we celebrate for the love of moral beauty and goodness, but rather would I felicitate them on the honours they have attained.

But I shall presently take opportunity to discuss this, after we have begun with the general theory, as I am in the habit of doing, and I will then proceed to their story, giving glory to the all-wise God.

This I take to be the culture acquired under the Law, through which we learn with due reverence the things of God and for our worldly profit the things of man.

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.

For the temperate mind repels all these debased passions, even as it does anger, for it conquers even this.

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

Our people were deeply angered by this announcement, and protested strongly, considering it, an outrageous thing for those who had entrusted their deposits to the temple treasury to be robbed of them, and they threw all possible obstacles in his way.

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.

For most excellent is the meat of this animal which Nature has graciously bestowed upon us, and why should you abominate it? Truly it is folly not to enjoy innocent pleasures, and it is wrong to reject Nature's favours.

For consider this, too, that even if there be some Power whose eye is upon this religion of yours, he will always pardon you for a transgression done under compulsion.'

For consider this, too, that even if there be some Power whose eye is upon this religion of yours, he will always pardon you for a transgression done under compulsion.'

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.

'Why, O Eleazar, dost thou madly destroy thyself in this misery? We will bring to thee of the seethed meats, but do thou feign only to partake of the swine's flesh, and so save thyself.'

Beyond question, then, the Inspired Reason is master over the passions; for if his passions or sufferings had prevailed over his Reason we should have credited them with this evidence of their superior power.

Yea, by this means even young boys, being philosophers by virtue of the Reason which is according to righteousness, have triumphed over yet more grievous tortures.

Will you not consider with yourselves this thing, that if you disobey me there is nothing before you but death in torments?'

And yet consider; supposing some amongst them to have been faint-hearted and cowardly, what sort of language would they have used? would it not have been to this effect?

Why do we encourage ourselves with vain desires and dare a disobedience that is to cost us our lives? Shall we not, O men my brothers, fear the dread instruments and weigh well his threats of the tortures, and abandon these empty vaunts and this fatal bragging?

And even the divine justice will have mercy on us, if compelled by necessity we yield to the king in fear. Why should we cast away from us this dear life and rob ourselves of this sweet world?

And even the divine justice will have mercy on us, if compelled by necessity we yield to the king in fear. Why should we cast away from us this dear life and rob ourselves of this sweet world?

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.'

'O thou most abominable tyrant, thou enemy of the justice of heaven and bloody-minded, thou dost torment me in this fashion not for manslaying nor for impiety but for defending the Law of God.'

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 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?

Therefore if ye have any engine of torment, apply it to this body of mine; for my soul ye cannot reach, not if ye would.'

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 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.'

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

But when this man also was put to a death of agony with the tortures, the fifth sprang forward saying, 'I shrink not, O tyrant, from demanding the torture for virtue's sake.

O enemy of virtue and enemy of man, for what crime dost thou destroy us in this way?

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:

AND when this one also died a blessed death, being cast into the cauldron, the seventh son, the youngest of them all, came forward.

Art thou not ashamed, being a man, O wretch with the heart of a wild beast, to take men of like feelings with thyself, made from the same elements, and tear out their tongues, and scourge and torture them in this manner?

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.

But in this cam it was not so; on the contrary by their Reason, which was commended in the sight of God, they rose superior to their passions.

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

After this our passion, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob shall receive us, and all our forefathers shall praise us.'

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:

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 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.

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.

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.

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."'

This is the Spirit of the Lord, which doth not lie, which teacheth the sons of men to know His ways.

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

And I asked the Truth 'Who are these?'; and He said to me, 'This is the deceiver and the error:

And the waves were lifted up on this side and on that, but the footsteps of our Lord Messiah stand firm and are not obliterated and are not defaced.

'Have you seen all that this people are doing to Me, that the evils which these two tribes which remained have done are greater than (those of) the ten tribes which were carried away captive?

For this reason, behold I bring evil upon this city, and upon its inhabitants, and it shall be removed from before Me for a time, and I will scatter this people among the Gentiles that they may do good to the Gentiles. And My people shall be chastened, and the time shall come when they will seek for the prosperity of their times.

For this reason, behold I bring evil upon this city, and upon its inhabitants, and it shall be removed from before Me for a time, and I will scatter this people among the Gentiles that they may do good to the Gentiles. And My people shall be chastened, and the time shall come when they will seek for the prosperity of their times.

For this reason, behold I bring evil upon this city, and upon its inhabitants, and it shall be removed from before Me for a time, and I will scatter this people among the Gentiles that they may do good to the Gentiles. And My people shall be chastened, and the time shall come when they will seek for the prosperity of their times.

For I have said these things to you that you may bid Jeremiah, and all those that are like you, to retire from this city.

For your works are to this city as a firm pillar, And your prayers as a strong wall.'

And I said: 'O LORD, my Lord, have I come into the world for this purpose that I might see the evils of my mother? Not (so) my Lord.

And the Lord said unto me: 'This city shall be delivered up for a time, And the people shall be chastened during a time, And the world will not be given over to oblivion.

[Dost you think that this is that city of which I said: "On the palms of My hands have I graven you"?

This building now built in your midst is not that which is revealed with Me, that which prepared beforehand here from the time when I took counsel to make Paradise, and showed Adam before he sinned, but when he transgressed the commandment it was removed from him, as also Paradise.

And I answered and said: 'So then I am destined to grieve for Zion, For your enemies will come to this place and pollute Your sanctuary, And lead your inheritance into captivity, And make themselves masters of those whom you have loved, And they will depart again to the place of their idols, And will boast before them: And what will you do for Your great name?'

Or why, again, should mankind have sons? Or why should the seed of their kind again be named, Where this mother is desolate, And her sons are led into captivity?

From this time forward speak not of beauty, And discourse not of gracefulness.

Moreover, I, Baruch, say this against you, Babylon: 'If you had prospered, And Zion had dwelt in her glory, Yet the grief to us had been great That you should be equal to Zion.

For they knew not this anguish, Nor yet had they heard of that which had befallen us.

But I will say this as I think. And I will speak against you, O land, which art prospering.

'Why hath the mighty God brought upon us this retribution?' Say you to them, you and those like you who shall have seen this evil: '(This is the evil) and retribution which is coming upon you and upon your people in its (destined) time that the nations may be thoroughly smitten.

'Why hath the mighty God brought upon us this retribution?' Say you to them, you and those like you who shall have seen this evil: '(This is the evil) and retribution which is coming upon you and upon your people in its (destined) time that the nations may be thoroughly smitten.

'Why hath the mighty God brought upon us this retribution?' Say you to them, you and those like you who shall have seen this evil: '(This is the evil) and retribution which is coming upon you and upon your people in its (destined) time that the nations may be thoroughly smitten.

On this account he had aforetime no mercy on His own sons, But afflicted them as His enemies, because they sinned,

For what advantage is there in this, or what (evil), worse than what' we have seen befall us, are we to expect to see?

For the righteous justly hope for the end, and without fear depart from this habitation, because they have with you a store of works preserved in treasuries.

On this account also these without fear leave this world, and trusting with joy they hope to receive the world which you have promised them.

On this account also these without fear leave this world, and trusting with joy they hope to receive the world which you have promised them.

-On this account hear, and I will speak to you, and hearken, and I will cause you to hear My words.

But now, because he transgressed wittingly, yea, just on this ground that he knows (about it), he shall be tormented.

And as regards what you did say touching the righteous, that on account of them has this world come, so also again shall that, which is to come, come on their account.

For this world is to them a strife and a labor with much trouble; and that accordingly which is to come, a crown with great glory.'

And I answered and said: 'O LORD, my Lord, lo! the years of this time are few and evil, and who is able in his little time to acquire that which is measureless?'

To you only does this belong that you should do forthwith whatsoever you do wish.

For if there were this life only, which belongs to all men, nothing could be more bitter than this.

For if there were this life only, which belongs to all men, nothing could be more bitter than this.

And reprove accordingly the angel of death, and let Your glory appear, and let the might of Your beauty be known, and let Sheol be sealed so that from this time forward it may not receive the dead, and let the treasuries of souls restore those which are enclosed in them.

And (when) I had completed the words of this prayer I was greatly weakened.

This therefore shall be the sign.

For some shall leave out some of their own, and receive (in its stead) from others, and some complete their own and that of others, so that those may not understand who are upon the earth in those days that this is the consummation of the times.

[But I will say this also:

But if; O Lord, those things shall assuredly come to pass which you have foretold to me, so do you show this also unto me if indeed I have found grace in Your sight.

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

"Look to this people till I go and make ready the rest of the brethren in Babylon against whom has gone forth the sentence that they should be led into captivity"?

Make known to me therefore the interpretation of this vision.

And He answered and said unto me: 'Baruch, this is the interpretation of the vision which you have seen.