Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Part 51

2 Mac 5:22 And he left governors to vex the nation: at Jerusalem, Philip, for his country a Phrygian, and for manners more barbarous than he that set him there;

2 Mac 5:23 And at Garizim, Andronicus; and besides, Menelaus, who worse than all the rest bare an heavy hand over the citizens, having a malicious mind against his countrymen the Jews.

2 Mac 5:24 He sent also that detestable ringleader Apollonius with an army of two and twenty thousand, commanding him to slay all those that were in their best age, and to sell the women and the younger sort:

2 Mac 5:25 Who coming to Jerusalem, and pretending peace, did forbear till the holy day of the sabbath, when taking the Jews keeping holy day, he commanded his men to arm themselves.

2 Mac 5:26 And so he slew all them that were gone to the celebrating of the sabbath, and running through the city with weapons slew great mult.i.tudes.

2 Mac 5:27 But Judas Maccabeus with nine others, or thereabout, withdrew himself into the wilderness, and lived in the mountains after the manner of beasts, with his company, who fed on herbs continually, lest they should be partakers of the pollution.

2 Mac 6:1 Not long after this the king sent an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live after the laws of G.o.d:

2 Mac 6:2 And to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius; and that in Garizim, of Jupiter the Defender of strangers, as they did desire that dwelt in the place.

2 Mac 6:3 The coming in of this mischief was sore and grievous to the people:

2 Mac 6:4 For the temple was filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places, and besides that brought in things that were not lawful.

2 Mac 6:5 The altar also was filled with profane things, which the law forbiddeth.

2 Mac 6:6 Neither was it lawful for a man to keep sabbath days or ancient fasts, or to profess himself at all to be a Jew.

2 Mac 6:7 And in the day of the king's birth every month they were brought by bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the fast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus, carrying ivy.

2 Mac 6:8 Moreover there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of Ptolemee, against the Jews, that they should observe the same fas.h.i.+ons, and be partakers of their sacrifices:

2 Mac 6:9 And whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to death. Then might a man have seen the present misery.

2 Mac 6:10 For there were two women brought, who had circ.u.mcised their children; whom when they had openly led round about the city, the babes handing at their b.r.e.a.s.t.s, they cast them down headlong from the wall.

2 Mac 6:11 And others, that had run together into caves near by, to keep the sabbath day secretly, being discovered by Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to help themselves for the honour of the most sacred day.

2 Mac 6:12 Now I beseech those that read this book, that they be not discouraged for these calamities, but that they judge those punishments not to be for destruction, but for a chastening of our nation.

2 Mac 6:13 For it is a token of his great goodness, when wicked doers are not suffered any long time, but forthwith punished.

2 Mac 6:14 For not as with other nations, whom the Lord patiently forbeareth to punish, till they be come to the fulness of their sins, so dealeth he with us,

2 Mac 6:15 Lest that, being come to the height of sin, afterwards he should take vengeance of us.

2 Mac 6:16 And therefore he never withdraweth his mercy from us: and though he punish with adversity, yet doth he never forsake his people.

2 Mac 6:17 But let this that we at spoken be for a warning unto us. And now will we come to the declaring of the matter in a few words.

2 Mac 6:18 Eleazar, one of the princ.i.p.al scribes, an aged man, and of a well favoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and to eat swine's flesh.

2 Mac 6:19 But he, choosing rather to die gloriously, than to live stained with such an abomination, spit it forth, and came of his own accord to the torment,

2 Mac 6:20 As it behoved them to come, that are resolute to stand out against such things, as are not lawful for love of life to be tasted.

2 Mac 6:21 But they that had the charge of that wicked feast, for the old acquaintance they had with the man, taking him aside, besought him to bring flesh of his own provision, such as was lawful for him to use, and make as if he did eat of the flesh taken from the sacrifice commanded by the king;

2 Mac 6:22 That in so doing he might be delivered from death, and for the old friends.h.i.+p with them find favour.

2 Mac 6:23 But he began to consider discreetly, and as became his age, and the excellency of his ancient years, and the honour of his gray head, whereon was come, and his most honest education from a child, or rather the holy law made and given by G.o.d: therefore he answered accordingly, and willed them straightways to send him to the grave.

2 Mac 6:24 For it becometh not our age, said he, in any wise to dissemble, whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, being fourscore years old and ten, were now gone to a strange religion;

2 Mac 6:25 And so they through mine hypocrisy, and desire to live a little time and a moment longer, should be deceived by me, and I get a stain to mine old age, and make it abominable.

2 Mac 6:26 For though for the present time I should be delivered from the punishment of men: yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither alive, nor dead.

2 Mac 6:27 Wherefore now, manfully changing this life, I will shew myself such an one as mine age requireth,

2 Mac 6:28 And leave a notable example to such as be young to die willingly and courageously for the honourable and holy laws. And when he had said these words, immediately he went to the torment:

2 Mac 6:29 They that led him changing the good will they bare him a little before into hatred, because the foresaid speeches proceeded, as they thought, from a desperate mind.

2 Mac 6:30 But when he was ready to die with stripes, he groaned, and said, It is manifest unto the Lord, that hath the holy knowledge, that whereas I might have been delivered from death, I now endure sore pains in body by being beaten: but in soul am well content to suffer these things, because I fear him.

2 Mac 6:31 And thus this man died, leaving his death for an example of a n.o.ble courage, and a memorial of virtue, not only unto young men, but unto all his nation.

2 Mac 7:1 It came to pa.s.s also, that seven brethren with their mother were taken, and compelled by the king against the law to taste swine's flesh, and were tormented with scourges and whips.

2 Mac 7:2 But one of them that spake first said thus, What wouldest thou ask or learn of us? we are ready to die, rather than to transgress the laws of our fathers.

2 Mac 7:3 Then the king, being in a rage, commanded pans and caldrons to be made hot:

2 Mac 7:4 Which forthwith being heated, he commanded to cut out the tongue of him that spake first, and to cut off the utmost parts of his body, the rest of his brethren and his mother looking on.

2 Mac 7:5 Now when he was thus maimed in all his members, he commanded him being yet alive to be brought to the fire, and to be fried in the pan: and as the vapour of the pan was for a good s.p.a.ce dispersed, they exhorted one another with the mother to die manfully, saying thus,

2 Mac 7:6 The Lord G.o.d looketh upon us, and in truth hath comfort in us, as Moses in his song, which witnessed to their faces, declared, saying, And he shall be comforted in his servants.

2 Mac 7:7 So when the first was dead after this number, they brought the second to make him a mocking stock: and when they had pulled off the skin of his head with the hair, they asked him, Wilt thou eat, before thou be punished throughout every member of thy body?

2 Mac 7:8 But he answered in his own language, and said, No. Wherefore he also received the next torment in order, as the former did.

2 Mac 7:9 And when he was at the last gasp, he said, Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life.

2 Mac 7:10 After him was the third made a mocking stock: and when he was required, he put out his tongue, and that right soon, holding forth his hands manfully.

2 Mac 7:11 And said courageously, These I had from heaven; and for his laws I despise them; and from him I hope to receive them again.

2 Mac 7:12 Insomuch that the king, and they that were with him, marvelled at the young man's courage, for that he nothing regarded the pains.

2 Mac 7:13 Now when this man was dead also, they tormented and mangled the fourth in like manner.