1 It also came to be, that seven brothers with their mother were taken, and compelled by the sovereign – against the Law – to eat pig’s flesh, and were tortured with scourges and whips.
2 But one of them that spoke first said, “What would you ask or learn from us? We are ready to die, rather than to transgress the Laws of our fathers.”
3 Then the sovereign becoming enraged, commanded pots and cauldrons to be heated.
4 These promptly being heated, he commanded to cut out the tongue of he that spoke first, and to cut off the outer parts of his body with the rest of his brothers and his mother looking on.
5 Now when he was mutilated in this way over his entire body, he commanded him while still alive to be brought to the fire, and to be fried in the cauldron. And as the smoke of the cauldron spread widely, they encouraged one another with their mother to die bravely saying,
6 “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim watches over us and in truth has compassion on us, as Mosheh spoke in his song which witnessed to their faces saying, ‘And He has compassion on his servants.’ ”
7 So when the first had died in this manner, they brought the second to make him a mockery. And when they had pulled off the skin from his head with the hair, they asked him, “Will you eat before you are tortured over every part of your body?”
8 But he answered in his own language and said, “No.” Therefore he also received the next torture in turn as the former had.
9 And when he was at the last gasp he said, “In wrath you remove us from this present life, but the Sovereign of the world shall raise up we who have died for His Laws, unto everlasting ḥai!”
10 After him, the third was made a mockery, and when demanded, he immediately put out his tongue and held out his hands bravely
11 and said courageously, “These I had from the shamayim and for His Laws I despise them, and from Him I expect to receive them again.”
12 Therefore the sovereign, and those that were with him, marvelled at the young man’s courage that he regarded the pains as nothing.
13 Now when this man was also dead, they tortured and mutilated the fourth in a similar way.
14 So when he was ready to die he said, “It is good to be put to death by men; to look for expectancy from Elohim to be raised up again by Him. As for you, you shall have no resurrection to ḥai.”
15 Afterward they brought the fifth also, and mutilated him.
16 Then he looked at the sovereign and said, “You have power over men, you are corruptible, you do what you want; yet do not think that our nation is forsaken by Elohim.
17 “But wait a while and see His great power, how He will distress you and your seed.”
18 After him they also brought the sixth, who being ready to die said, “Do not be deceived by any means, for we suffer these matters because of ourselves, having sinned against our Elohim; therefore great matters are done to us.
19 “But do not think, you who takes in hand to strive against Elohim, that you shall escape unpunished.”
20 But the mother was greater above all and worthy of honourable remembrance; for when she saw her seven sons slain within the space of one day, she bore it with good courage because of the expectancy that she had in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
21 She also encouraged every one of them in her own language. Filled with a courageous spirit and stirring up her womanly thoughts with a brave face, she said to them,
22 “I cannot tell how you came into my womb; for I neither gave you breath nor life, nor was it I that formed the members of every one of you.
23 “But without doubt the Creator of the world who formed the generation of man and revealed the beginning of all, will also give you of His own kindness, breath and ḥai again, as you disregard now your own beings for the sake of His Laws.”
24 Now while the youngest was still alive, Antioḵos, thinking himself despised and suspecting it to be a reproachful speech, did not only encourage him with words, but also assured him with oaths, that he would make him both a rich and baruḵ man if he would turn from the Laws of his fathers, and that he would also accept him as his friend, and trust him with affairs.
25 But when the young man would in no way listen to him, the sovereign called his mother and encouraged her that she should counsel the young man to save his life.
26 And when he had encouraged her with many words, she promised him that she would counsel her son.
27 But she, bowing herself toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spoke in her nation’s language in this way; “O my son, have pity on me who bore you nine months in my womb, and gave you three years and nourished you and brought you up to this age and endured the troubles of teaching.
28 “Please my son, look on the shamayim and the earth and all that is in them and consider that Elohim made them from that which was not; and so was mankind made likewise.
29 “Do not fear this torturer, but being worthy of your brothers, accept your death that I may receive you again in kindness with your brothers.”
30 While she was still speaking these words, the young man said, “Whom do you wait for? I will not obey the sovereign’s command, but I will obey the Command of the Law that was given to our fathers by Mosheh.
31 “And you, who has been the author of all evil against the Iḇrim, shall not escape the hands of Elohim!
32 “For we suffer because of our sins,
33 and although the living Elohim is wroth with us a little while for our discipline and correction, yet He shall be at one again with his servants.
34 “But you, O wicked man, and of all others most evil, do not be lifted up without a cause nor puffed up with uncertain expectancies, lifting up your hand against the servants of Elohim;
35 for you have not yet escaped the judgment of Ĕl Shaddai, who sees all.
36 “For our brothers, who now have suffered a short pain, are dead under Elohim’s Covenant of everlasting ḥai; but you, through the judgment of Elohim, shall receive righteous punishment for your pride.
37 “But I, as my brothers, offer up my body and life for the Laws of our fathers, pleading to Elohim that He would speedily be kind to our nation, and that you, by torture and plagues may confess that He alone is Elohim.
38 “And that in my brothers and I, the wrath of the Almighty, which is brought upon our nation, may cease.”
39 Then the sovereign being in a rage, and taking seriously how he was mocked treated him worse than all the rest.
40 So this man died undefiled, and put his whole trust in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
41 Last of all, the mother died after the sons.
42 Let this be enough now to have spoken concerning the idolatrous feasts and the extreme tortures.