{"book":"4 Maccabees","osis":"4Macc","url":"https://driftbible.com/4-maccabees","licence":"Public domain","editions":[{"code":"WEB","name":"World English Bible","language":"en","source":"World English Bible, public domain. \"World English Bible\" is a trademark of eBible.org","verses":[{"chapter":1,"verse":1,"text":"As I am going to demonstrate a most philosophical proposition, namely, that religious reasoning is absolute master of the emotions. I would willingly advise you to give the utmost heed to philosophy."},{"chapter":1,"verse":2,"text":"For reason is necessary to everyone as a step to science. In addition, it embraces the praise of self-control, the highest virtue."},{"chapter":1,"verse":3,"text":"If, then, reasoning appears to hold the mastery over the emotions which stand in the way of temperance, such as gluttony and lust,"},{"chapter":1,"verse":4,"text":"it surely also and manifestly rules over the affections which are contrary to justice, such as malice, and of those which are hindrances to courage, such as wrath, pain, and fear."},{"chapter":1,"verse":5,"text":"Perhaps some may ask, “How is it, then, that reasoning, if it rules the emotions, isn’t also master of forgetfulness and ignorance?” They attempt a ridiculous argument."},{"chapter":1,"verse":6,"text":"For reasoning does not rule over its own emotions, but over those that are contrary to justice, courage, temperance, and self-control; and yet over these, so as to withstand, without destroying them."},{"chapter":1,"verse":7,"text":"I might prove to you from many other considerations, that religious reasoning is sole master of the emotions;"},{"chapter":1,"verse":8,"text":"but I will prove it with the greatest force from the fortitude of Eleazar, and seven kindred, and their mother, who suffered death in defense of virtue."},{"chapter":1,"verse":9,"text":"For all these, treating pains with contempt even to death, by this contempt, demonstrated that reasoning has command over the emotions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":10,"text":"For their virtues, then, it is right that I should commend those men who died with their mother at this time on behalf of nobility and goodness; and for their honors, I may count them blessed."},{"chapter":1,"verse":11,"text":"For they, winning admiration not only from men in general, but even from the persecutors, for their courage and endurance, became the means of the destruction of the tyranny against their nation, having conquered the tyrant by their endurance, so that by them their country was purified."},{"chapter":1,"verse":12,"text":"But we may now at once enter upon the question, having commenced, as is our custom, with laying down the doctrine, and so proceed to the account of these people, giving glory to the all-wise God."},{"chapter":1,"verse":13,"text":"Therefore the question is whether reasoning is absolute master of the emotions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":14,"text":"Let’s determine, then, what reasoning is and what emotion is, and how many forms of emotion there are, and whether reasoning rules over all of these."},{"chapter":1,"verse":15,"text":"Reasoning is intellect accompanied by a life of righteousness, putting foremost the consideration of wisdom."},{"chapter":1,"verse":16,"text":"Wisdom is a knowledge of divine and human things, and of their causes."},{"chapter":1,"verse":17,"text":"This is contained in the education of the law, by means of which we learn divine things reverently and human things profitably."},{"chapter":1,"verse":18,"text":"The forms of wisdom are self-control, justice, courage, and temperance."},{"chapter":1,"verse":19,"text":"The leading one of these is self-control, by whose means, indeed, it is that reasoning rules over the emotions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":20,"text":"Of the emotions, pleasure and pain are the two most comprehensive; and they also by nature refer to the soul."},{"chapter":1,"verse":21,"text":"There are many attendant affections surrounding pleasure and pain."},{"chapter":1,"verse":22,"text":"Before pleasure is lust; and after pleasure, joy."},{"chapter":1,"verse":23,"text":"Before pain is fear; and after pain is sorrow."},{"chapter":1,"verse":24,"text":"Wrath is an affection, common to pleasure and to pain, if any one will pay attention when it comes upon him."},{"chapter":1,"verse":25,"text":"There exists in pleasure a malicious disposition, which is the most complex of all the affections."},{"chapter":1,"verse":26,"text":"In the soul, it is arrogance, love of money, thirst for honor, contention, faithlessness, and the evil eye."},{"chapter":1,"verse":27,"text":"In the body, it is greediness, indiscriminate eating, and solitary gluttony."},{"chapter":1,"verse":28,"text":"As pleasure and pain are, therefore, two growths out of the body and the soul, so there are many offshoots of these emotions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":29,"text":"Reasoning, the universal farmer, purging and pruning each of these, tying up, watering, and transplanting, in every way improves the materials of the morals and affections."},{"chapter":1,"verse":30,"text":"For reasoning is the leader of the virtues, but it is the sole ruler of the emotions. Observe then first, through the very things which stand in the way of temperance, that reasoning is absolute ruler of the emotions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":31,"text":"Now temperance consists of a command over the lusts."},{"chapter":1,"verse":32,"text":"But of the lusts, some belong to the soul and others to the body. Reasoning appears to rule over both."},{"chapter":1,"verse":33,"text":"Otherwise, how is it that when urged on to forbidden meats, we reject the gratification which would come from them? Isn’t it because reasoning is able to command the appetites? I believe so."},{"chapter":1,"verse":34,"text":"Hence it is, then, that when craving seafood, birds, four-footed animals, and all kinds of food which are forbidden to us by the law, we withhold ourselves through the mastery of reasoning."},{"chapter":1,"verse":35,"text":"For the affections of our appetites are resisted by the temperate understanding, and bent back again, and all the impulses of the body are reined in by reasoning."},{"chapter":2,"verse":1,"text":"Is it any wonder? If the lusts of the soul, after participation with what is beautiful, are frustrated,"},{"chapter":2,"verse":2,"text":"on this ground, therefore, the temperate Joseph is praised in that by reasoning, he subdued, on reflection, the indulgence of the senses."},{"chapter":2,"verse":3,"text":"For, although young, and ripe for sexual intercourse, he nullified by reasoning the stimulus of his emotions."},{"chapter":2,"verse":4,"text":"It isn’t merely the stimulus of sensual indulgence, but that of every desire, that reasoning is able to master."},{"chapter":2,"verse":5,"text":"For instance, the law says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.”"},{"chapter":2,"verse":6,"text":"Now, then, since it is the law which has forbidden us to desire, I shall much the more easily persuade you, that reasoning is able to govern our lusts, just as it does the affections which are impediments to justice."},{"chapter":2,"verse":7,"text":"Since in what way is a solitary eater, a glutton, and a drunkard reclaimed, unless it is clear that reasoning is lord of the emotions?"},{"chapter":2,"verse":8,"text":"Therefore, a man who regulates his course by the law, even if he is a lover of money, immediately puts pressure on his own disposition by lending to the needy without interest, and cancelling the debt on the seventh year."},{"chapter":2,"verse":9,"text":"If a man is greedy, he is ruled by the law acting through reasoning, so that he doesn’t glean his harvest crops or vintage. In reference to other points we may perceive that it is reasoning that conquers his emotions."},{"chapter":2,"verse":10,"text":"For the law conquers even affection toward parents, not surrendering virtue on their account."},{"chapter":2,"verse":11,"text":"It prevails over love for one’s wife, rebuking her when she breaks the law."},{"chapter":2,"verse":12,"text":"It lords it over the love of parents toward their children, for they punish them for vice. It domineers over the intimacy of friends, reproving them when wicked."},{"chapter":2,"verse":13,"text":"Don’t think it is a strange assertion that reasoning can on behalf of the law conquer even enmity."},{"chapter":2,"verse":14,"text":"It doesn’t allow cutting down the fruit trees of an enemy, but preserves them from the destroyers, and collects their fallen ruins."},{"chapter":2,"verse":15,"text":"Reason appears to be master of the more violent emotions, like love of empire, empty boasting, and slander."},{"chapter":2,"verse":16,"text":"For the temperate understanding repels all these malignant emotions, as it does wrath; for it masters even this."},{"chapter":2,"verse":17,"text":"Thus Moses, when angered against Dathan and Abiram, did nothing to them in wrath, but regulated his anger by reasoning."},{"chapter":2,"verse":18,"text":"For the temperate mind is able, as I said, to be superior to the emotions, and to correct some and destroy others."},{"chapter":2,"verse":19,"text":"For why else did our most wise father Jacob blame Simeon and Levi for having irrationally slain the whole race of the Shechemites, saying, “Cursed be their anger!”?"},{"chapter":2,"verse":20,"text":"For if reasoning didn’t possess the power of subduing angry affections, he would not have said this."},{"chapter":2,"verse":21,"text":"For at the time when God created man, he implanted within him his emotions and moral nature."},{"chapter":2,"verse":22,"text":"At that time he enthroned the mind above all as the holy leader, through the medium of the senses."},{"chapter":2,"verse":23,"text":"He gave a law to this mind, by living according to which it will maintain a temperate, just, good, and courageous reign."},{"chapter":2,"verse":24,"text":"How, then, a man may say, if reasoning is master of the emotions, has it no control over forgetfulness and ignorance?"},{"chapter":3,"verse":1,"text":"The argument is exceedingly ridiculous, for reasoning doesn’t appear to rule over its own affections, but over those of the body,"},{"chapter":3,"verse":2,"text":"in such a way as that any one of you may not be able to root out desire, but reasoning will enable you to avoid being enslaved to it."},{"chapter":3,"verse":3,"text":"One may not be able to root out anger from the soul, but it is possible to withstand anger."},{"chapter":3,"verse":4,"text":"Any one of you may not be able to eradicate malice, but reasoning has force to work with you to prevent you yielding to malice."},{"chapter":3,"verse":5,"text":"For reasoning is not an eradicator, but an antagonist of the emotions."},{"chapter":3,"verse":6,"text":"This may be more clearly comprehended from the thirst of King David."},{"chapter":3,"verse":7,"text":"For after David had been attacking the Philistines the whole day, he with the soldiers of his nation killed many of them;"},{"chapter":3,"verse":8,"text":"then when evening came, sweating and very weary, he came to the royal tent, around which the entire army of our ancestors was encamped."},{"chapter":3,"verse":9,"text":"Now all the rest of them were at supper;"},{"chapter":3,"verse":10,"text":"but the king, being very much thirsty, although he had numerous springs, could not by their means quench his thirst;"},{"chapter":3,"verse":11,"text":"but a certain irrational longing for the water in the enemy’s camp grew stronger and fiercer upon him, undid and consumed him."},{"chapter":3,"verse":12,"text":"Therefore his bodyguards being troubled at this longing of the king, two valiant young soldiers, respecting the desire of the king, fully armed themselves, and taking a pitcher, got over the ramparts of the enemies."},{"chapter":3,"verse":13,"text":"Unperceived by the guardians of the gate, they went throughout the whole camp of the enemy in quest."},{"chapter":3,"verse":14,"text":"Having boldly discovered the fountain, they filled out of it the drink for the king."},{"chapter":3,"verse":15,"text":"But he, though parched with thirst, reasoned that a drink regarded of equal value to blood would be terribly dangerous to his soul."},{"chapter":3,"verse":16,"text":"Therefore, setting up reasoning in opposition to his desire, he poured out the drink to God."},{"chapter":3,"verse":17,"text":"For the temperate mind has power to conquer the pressure of the emotions, to quench the fires of excitement,"},{"chapter":3,"verse":18,"text":"and to wrestle down the pains of the body, however excessive, and through the excellency of reasoning, to spurn all the assaults of the emotions."},{"chapter":3,"verse":19,"text":"But the occasion now invites us to give an illustration of temperate reasoning from history."},{"chapter":3,"verse":20,"text":"For at a time when our fathers were in possession of undisturbed peace through obedience to the law and were prosperous, so that Seleucus Nicanor, the king of Asia, both assigned them money for divine service, and accepted their form of government,"},{"chapter":3,"verse":21,"text":"then certain people, bringing in new things contrary to the public harmony, in various ways fell into calamities."},{"chapter":4,"verse":1,"text":"For a certain man named Simon, who was in opposition to an honorable and good man who once held the high priesthood for life, named Onias. After slandering Onias in every way, Simon couldn’t injure him with the people, so he went away as an exile, with the intention of betraying his country."},{"chapter":4,"verse":2,"text":"When coming to Apollonius, the military governor of Syria, Phoenicia, and Cilicia, he said,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":3,"text":"“Having good will to the king’s affairs, I have come to inform you that tens of thousands in private wealth is laid up in the treasuries of Jerusalem which do not belong to the temple, but belong to King Seleucus.”"},{"chapter":4,"verse":4,"text":"Apollonius, acquainting himself with the particulars of this, praised Simon for his care of the king’s interests, and going up to Seleucus informed him of the treasure."},{"chapter":4,"verse":5,"text":"Getting authority about it, and quickly advancing into our country with the accursed Simon and a very heavy force,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":6,"text":"he said that he came with the commands of the king that he should take the private money of the treasury."},{"chapter":4,"verse":7,"text":"The nation, indignant at this proclamation, and replying to the effect that it was extremely unfair that those who had committed deposits to the sacred treasury should be deprived of them, resisted as well as they could."},{"chapter":4,"verse":8,"text":"But Appolonius went away with threats into the temple."},{"chapter":4,"verse":9,"text":"The priests, with the women and children, asked God to throw his shield over the holy, despised place,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":10,"text":"and Appolonius was going up with his armed force to seize the treasure, when angels from heaven appeared riding on horseback, all radiant in armor, filling them with much fear and trembling."},{"chapter":4,"verse":11,"text":"Apollonius fell half dead on the court which is open to all nations, and extended his hands to heaven, and implored the Hebrews, with tears, to pray for him, and take away the wrath of the heavenly army."},{"chapter":4,"verse":12,"text":"For he said that he had sinned, so as to be consequently worthy of death, and that if he were saved, he would proclaim to all people the blessedness of the holy place."},{"chapter":4,"verse":13,"text":"Onias the high priest, induced by these words, although for other reasons anxious that King Seleucus wouldn’t suppose that Apollonius was slain by human device and not by Divine punishment, prayed for him;"},{"chapter":4,"verse":14,"text":"and he being thus unexpectedly saved, departed to report to the king what had happened to him."},{"chapter":4,"verse":15,"text":"But on the death of Seleucus the king, his son Antiochus Epiphanes succeeded to the kingdom—a terrible man of arrogant pride."},{"chapter":4,"verse":16,"text":"He, having deposed Onias from the high priesthood, appointed his brother Jason to be high priest,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":17,"text":"who had made a covenant, if he would give him this authority, to pay yearly three thousand six hundred and sixty talents."},{"chapter":4,"verse":18,"text":"He committed to him the high priesthood and rulership over the nation."},{"chapter":4,"verse":19,"text":"He both changed the manner of living of the people, and perverted their civil customs into all lawlessness."},{"chapter":4,"verse":20,"text":"So that he not only erected a gymnasium on the very citadel of our country, but neglected the guardianship of the temple."},{"chapter":4,"verse":21,"text":"Because of that, Divine vengeance was grieved and instigated Antiochus himself against them."},{"chapter":4,"verse":22,"text":"For being at war with Ptolemy in Egypt, he heard that on a report of his death being spread abroad, the inhabitants of Jerusalem had exceedingly rejoiced, and he quickly marched against them."},{"chapter":4,"verse":23,"text":"Having subdued them, he established a decree that if any of them lived according to the ancestral laws, he should die."},{"chapter":4,"verse":24,"text":"When he could by no means destroy by his decrees the obedience to the law of the nation, but saw all his threats and punishments without effect,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":25,"text":"for even women, because they continued to circumcise their children, were flung down a precipice along with them, knowing beforehand of the punishment."},{"chapter":4,"verse":26,"text":"When, therefore, his decrees were disregarded by the people, he himself compelled by means of tortures every one of this race, by tasting forbidden meats, to renounce the Jewish religion."},{"chapter":5,"verse":1,"text":"The tyrant Antiochus, therefore, sitting in public state with his assessors upon a certain lofty place, with his armed troops standing in a circle around him,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":2,"text":"commanded his spearbearers to seize every one of the Hebrews, and to compel them to taste swine’s flesh and things offered to idols."},{"chapter":5,"verse":3,"text":"Should any of them be unwilling to eat the accursed food, they were to be tortured on the wheel and so killed."},{"chapter":5,"verse":4,"text":"When many had been seized, a foremost man of the assembly, a Hebrew, by name Eleazar, a priest by family, by profession a lawyer, and advanced in years, and for this reason known to many of the king’s followers, was brought near to him."},{"chapter":5,"verse":5,"text":"Antiochus, seeing him, said,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":6,"text":"“I would counsel you, old man, before your tortures begin, to taste the swine’s flesh, and save your life; for I feel respect for your age and hoary head, which since you have had so long, you appear to me to be no philosopher in retaining the superstition of the Jews."},{"chapter":5,"verse":7,"text":"For therefore, since nature has conferred upon you the most excellent flesh of this animal, do you loathe it?"},{"chapter":5,"verse":8,"text":"It seems senseless not to enjoy what is pleasant, yet not disgraceful; and from notions of sinfulness, to reject the gifts of nature."},{"chapter":5,"verse":9,"text":"You will be acting, I think, still more senselessly, if you follow vain conceits about the truth."},{"chapter":5,"verse":10,"text":"You will, moreover, be despising me to your own punishment."},{"chapter":5,"verse":11,"text":"Won’t you awake from your trifling philosophy, give up the folly of your notions, and regaining understanding worthy of your age, search into the truth of an expedient course?"},{"chapter":5,"verse":12,"text":"Won’t you respect my kindly admonition and have pity on your own years?"},{"chapter":5,"verse":13,"text":"For bear in mind that if there is any power which watches over this religion of yours, it will pardon you for all transgressions of the law which you commit through compulsion.”"},{"chapter":5,"verse":14,"text":"While the tyrant incited him in this manner to the unlawful eating of meat, Eleazar begged permission to speak."},{"chapter":5,"verse":15,"text":"Having received permission to speak, he began to address the people as follows:"},{"chapter":5,"verse":16,"text":"“We, O Antiochus, who are persuaded that we live under a divine law, consider no compulsion to be so forcible as obedience to that law."},{"chapter":5,"verse":17,"text":"Therefore we consider that we ought not to transgress the law in any way."},{"chapter":5,"verse":18,"text":"Indeed, were our law (as you suppose) not truly divine, and if we wrongly think it divine, we would have no right even in that case to destroy our sense of religion."},{"chapter":5,"verse":19,"text":"Don’t think that eating unclean meat is a trifling offense."},{"chapter":5,"verse":20,"text":"For transgression of the law, whether in small or great matters, is of equal importance;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":21,"text":"for in either case the law is equally slighted."},{"chapter":5,"verse":22,"text":"But you deride our philosophy, as though we lived in it irrationally."},{"chapter":5,"verse":23,"text":"Yet it instructs us in self-control, so that we are superior to all pleasures and lusts; and it trains us in courage, so that we cheerfully undergo every grievance."},{"chapter":5,"verse":24,"text":"It instructs us in justice, so that in all our dealings we give what is due. It teaches us piety, so that we properly worship the one and only God."},{"chapter":5,"verse":25,"text":"That is why we don’t eat the unclean; for believing that the law was established by God, we are convinced that the Creator of the world, in giving his laws, sympathizes with our nature."},{"chapter":5,"verse":26,"text":"Those things which are suitable for our souls, he has directed us to eat; but those which are not, he has forbidden."},{"chapter":5,"verse":27,"text":"But, tyrant-like, you not only force us to break the law, but also to eat, that you may ridicule us as we thus profanely eat."},{"chapter":5,"verse":28,"text":"But you won’t have this cause of laughter against me,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":29,"text":"nor will I transgress the sacred oaths of my forefathers to keep the law."},{"chapter":5,"verse":30,"text":"No, not if you pluck out my eyes, and consume my entrails."},{"chapter":5,"verse":31,"text":"I am not so old, and void of courage as to not be youthful in reason and in defense of my religion."},{"chapter":5,"verse":32,"text":"Now then, prepare your wheels, and kindle a fiercer flame."},{"chapter":5,"verse":33,"text":"I will not so pity my old age, as on my account to break the law of my country."},{"chapter":5,"verse":34,"text":"I will not play false to you, O law, my instructor, or forsake you, O beloved self-control!"},{"chapter":5,"verse":35,"text":"I will not put you to shame, O philosopher Reason, or deny you, O honored priesthood and knowledge of the law."},{"chapter":5,"verse":36,"text":"Mouth! You shall not pollute my old age, nor the full stature of a perfect life."},{"chapter":5,"verse":37,"text":"My ancestors will receive me as pure, not having feared your compulsion, even to death."},{"chapter":5,"verse":38,"text":"For you will rule like a tyrant over the ungodly, but you will not lord it over my thoughts about religion, either by your arguments, or through deeds.”"},{"chapter":6,"verse":1,"text":"When Eleazar had in this manner answered the exhortations of the tyrant, the spearbearers came up, and rudely dragged Eleazar to the instruments of torture."},{"chapter":6,"verse":2,"text":"First, they stripped the old man, adorned as he was with the beauty of piety."},{"chapter":6,"verse":3,"text":"Then tying back his arms and hands, they disdainfully flogged him."},{"chapter":6,"verse":4,"text":"A herald opposite cried out, “Obey the commands of the king!”"},{"chapter":6,"verse":5,"text":"But the high-minded and truly noble Eleazar, as one tortured in a dream, ignored it."},{"chapter":6,"verse":6,"text":"But raising his eyes on high to heaven, the old man’s flesh was stripped off by the scourges, and his blood streamed down, and his sides were pierced through."},{"chapter":6,"verse":7,"text":"Falling on the ground from his body having no power to endure the pains, he still kept his reasoning upright and unbending."},{"chapter":6,"verse":8,"text":"Then one of the harsh spearbearers rushed at him and began to kick him in the side to force him to get up again after he fell."},{"chapter":6,"verse":9,"text":"But he endured the pains, despised the cruelty, and persevered through the indignities."},{"chapter":6,"verse":10,"text":"Like a noble athlete, the old man, when struck, vanquished his torturers."},{"chapter":6,"verse":11,"text":"His face sweating, and he panting for breath, he was admired even by the torturers for his courage."},{"chapter":6,"verse":12,"text":"Therefore, partly in pity for his old age,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":13,"text":"partly from the sympathy of acquaintance, and partly in admiration of his endurance, some of the attendants of the king said,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":14,"text":"“Why do you unreasonably destroy yourself, O Eleazar, with these miseries?"},{"chapter":6,"verse":15,"text":"We will bring you some meat cooked by yourself, and you can save yourself by pretending that you have eaten swine’s flesh.”"},{"chapter":6,"verse":16,"text":"Eleazar, as though the advice more painfully tortured him, cried out,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":17,"text":"“Let us who are children of Abraham not be so evil advised as to give way and make use of an unbecoming pretense."},{"chapter":6,"verse":18,"text":"For it would be irrational, if having lived up to old age in all truth, and having scrupulously guarded our character for it, we would now turn back"},{"chapter":6,"verse":19,"text":"and ourselves become a pattern of impiety to the young, as being an example of eating pollution."},{"chapter":6,"verse":20,"text":"It would be disgraceful if we would live on some short time, and that scorned by all men for cowardice,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":21,"text":"and be condemned by the tyrant for cowardice by not contending to the death for our divine law."},{"chapter":6,"verse":22,"text":"Therefore you, O children of Abraham, die nobly for your religion."},{"chapter":6,"verse":23,"text":"You spearbearers of the tyrant, why do you linger?”"},{"chapter":6,"verse":24,"text":"Beholding him so high-minded against misery, and not changing at their pity, they led him to the fire."},{"chapter":6,"verse":25,"text":"Then with their wickedly contrived instruments they burned him on the fire, and poured stinking fluids down into his nostrils."},{"chapter":6,"verse":26,"text":"He being at length burned down to the bones, and about to expire, raised his eyes Godward, and said,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":27,"text":"“You know, O God, that when I might have been saved, I am slain for the sake of the law by tortures of fire."},{"chapter":6,"verse":28,"text":"Be merciful to your people, and be satisfied with the punishment of me on their account."},{"chapter":6,"verse":29,"text":"Let my blood be a purification for them, and take my life in exchange for theirs.”"},{"chapter":6,"verse":30,"text":"Thus speaking, the holy man departed, noble in his torments, and even to the agonies of death resisted in his reasoning for the sake of the law."},{"chapter":6,"verse":31,"text":"Confessedly, therefore, religious reasoning is master of the emotions."},{"chapter":6,"verse":32,"text":"For had the emotions been superior to reasoning, I would have given them the witness of this mastery."},{"chapter":6,"verse":33,"text":"But now, since reasoning conquered the emotions, we befittingly award it the authority of first place."},{"chapter":6,"verse":34,"text":"It is only fair that we should allow that the power belongs to reasoning, since it masters external miseries."},{"chapter":6,"verse":35,"text":"It would be ridiculous if it weren’t so. I prove that reasoning has not only mastered pains, but that it is also superior to the pleasures, and withstands them."},{"chapter":7,"verse":1,"text":"The reasoning of our father Eleazar, like a first-rate pilot, steering the vessel of piety in the sea of emotions,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":2,"text":"and flouted by the threats of the tyrant, and overwhelmed with the breakers of torture,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":3,"text":"in no way shifted the rudder of piety until it sailed into the harbor of victory over death."},{"chapter":7,"verse":4,"text":"No besieged city has ever held out against many and various war machines as that holy man did when his pious soul was tried with the fiery trial of tortures and rackings and moved his besiegers through the religious reasoning that shielded him."},{"chapter":7,"verse":5,"text":"For father Eleazar, projecting his disposition, broke the raging waves of the emotions as with a jutting cliff."},{"chapter":7,"verse":6,"text":"O priest worthy of the priesthood! You didn’t pollute your sacred teeth, nor make your appetite, which had always embraced the clean and lawful, a partaker of profanity."},{"chapter":7,"verse":7,"text":"O harmonizer with the law, and sage devoted to a divine life!"},{"chapter":7,"verse":8,"text":"Of such a character ought those to be who perform the duties of the law at the risk of their own blood, and defend it with generous sweat by sufferings even to death."},{"chapter":7,"verse":9,"text":"You, father, have gloriously established our right government by your endurance; and making of much account our past service, prevented its destruction, and by your deeds, have made credible the words of philosophy."},{"chapter":7,"verse":10,"text":"O aged man of more power than tortures, elder more vigorous than fire, greatest king over the emotions, Eleazar!"},{"chapter":7,"verse":11,"text":"For as father Aaron, armed with a censer, hastening through the consuming fire, vanquished the flame-bearing angel,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":12,"text":"so, Eleazar, the descendant of Aaron, wasted away by the fire, didn’t give up his reasoning."},{"chapter":7,"verse":13,"text":"What is most wonderful is that though he was an old man, though the labors of his body were now spent, his muscles were relaxed, and his sinews worn out, he recovered youth."},{"chapter":7,"verse":14,"text":"By the spirit of reasoning, and the reasoning of Isaac, he rendered powerless the many-headed rack."},{"chapter":7,"verse":15,"text":"O blessed old age, and reverend hoar head, and life obedient to the law, which the faithful seal of death perfected."},{"chapter":7,"verse":16,"text":"If, then, an old man, through religion, despised tortures even to death, then certainly religious reasoning is ruler of the emotions."},{"chapter":7,"verse":17,"text":"But perhaps some might say, “It is not all who conquer emotions, as not all possess wise reasoning.”"},{"chapter":7,"verse":18,"text":"But those who have meditated upon religion with their whole heart, these alone can master the emotions of the flesh:"},{"chapter":7,"verse":19,"text":"they who believe that to God they don’t die; for, as our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they live to God."},{"chapter":7,"verse":20,"text":"This circumstance, then, is by no means an objection, that some who have weak reasoning are governed by their emotions,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":21,"text":"since what person, walking religiously by the whole rule of philosophy, and believing in God,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":22,"text":"and knowing that it is a blessed thing to endure all kinds of hardships for virtue, would not, for the sake of religion, master his emotion?"},{"chapter":7,"verse":23,"text":"For only the wise and brave man is lord over his emotions."},{"chapter":7,"verse":24,"text":"This is why even boys, trained with the philosophy of religious reasoning, have conquered still more bitter tortures;"},{"chapter":7,"verse":25,"text":"for when the tyrant was manifestly vanquished in his first attempt, in being unable to force the old man to eat the unclean thing,"},{"chapter":8,"verse":1,"text":"then, indeed, vehemently swayed with emotion, he commanded to bring others of the adult Hebrews, and if they would eat of the unclean thing, to let them go when they had eaten; but if they objected, to torment them more grievously."},{"chapter":8,"verse":2,"text":"The tyrant having given this charge, seven kindred were brought into his presence, along with their aged mother. They were handsome, modest, well-born, and altogether comely."},{"chapter":8,"verse":3,"text":"When the tyrant saw them encircling their mother as in a dance, he was pleased with them. Being struck with their becoming and innocent manner, smiled at them, and calling them near, said,"},{"chapter":8,"verse":4,"text":"“O youths, with favorable feelings, I admire the beauty of each of you. Greatly honouring so numerous a band of kindred, I not only counsel you not to share the madness of the old man who has been tortured before,"},{"chapter":8,"verse":5,"text":"but I beg you to yield, and to enjoy my friendship; for I possess the power, not only of punishing those who disobey my commands, but of doing good to those who obey them."},{"chapter":8,"verse":6,"text":"Put confidence in me, then, and you will receive places of authority in my government, if you forsake your national way of life,"},{"chapter":8,"verse":7,"text":"and, conforming to the Greek way of life, alter your rule and revel in youth’s delights."},{"chapter":8,"verse":8,"text":"For if you provoke me by your disobedience, you will compel me to destroy every one of you with terrible punishments by tortures."},{"chapter":8,"verse":9,"text":"Have mercy, then, upon your own selves, whom I, although an enemy, am compassionate for your age and attractive appearance."},{"chapter":8,"verse":10,"text":"Won’t you consider this: that if you disobey, there will be nothing left for you but to die in torture?”"},{"chapter":8,"verse":11,"text":"When he had said this, he ordered the instruments of torture to be brought forward, that fear might prevail upon them to eat unclean meat."},{"chapter":8,"verse":12,"text":"When the spearman brought forward the wheels, the racks, the hooks, caldrons, pans, finger-racks, iron hands and wedges, and bellows, the tyrant continued:"},{"chapter":8,"verse":13,"text":"“Fear, young men, and the righteousness which you worship will be merciful to you if you transgress because of compulsion.”"},{"chapter":8,"verse":14,"text":"Now they having listened to these words of persuasion, and seeing the fearful instruments, not only were not afraid, but even answered the arguments of the tyrant, and through their good reasoning destroyed his power."},{"chapter":8,"verse":15,"text":"Now let’s consider the matter. Had any of them been weak-spirited and cowardly among them, what reasoning would they have employed but these?"},{"chapter":8,"verse":16,"text":"“O wretched that we are, and exceedingly senseless! When the king exhorts us, and calls us to his bounty, should we not obey him?"},{"chapter":8,"verse":17,"text":"Why do we cheer ourselves with vain counsels, and venture upon a disobedience bringing death?"},{"chapter":8,"verse":18,"text":"Shall we not fear, O kindred, the instruments of torture and weigh the threatenings of torment and shun this vain-glory and destructive pride?"},{"chapter":8,"verse":19,"text":"Let’s have compassion upon our age and relent over the years of our mother."},{"chapter":8,"verse":20,"text":"Let’s bear in mind that we will be dying as rebels."},{"chapter":8,"verse":21,"text":"Divine Justice will pardon us if we fear the king through necessity."},{"chapter":8,"verse":22,"text":"Why withdraw ourselves from a most sweet life, and deprive ourselves of this pleasant world?"},{"chapter":8,"verse":23,"text":"Let’s not oppose necessity, nor seek vain-glory by our own torture."},{"chapter":8,"verse":24,"text":"The law itself wouldn’t arbitrarily put us to death because we dread torture."},{"chapter":8,"verse":25,"text":"Why has such angry zeal taken root in us, and such fatal obstinacy approved itself to us, when we might live unmolested by the king?”"},{"chapter":8,"verse":26,"text":"But the young men didn’t say or think anything of this kind when about to be tortured."},{"chapter":8,"verse":27,"text":"For they were well aware of the sufferings, and masters of the pains."},{"chapter":8,"verse":28,"text":"So that as soon as the tyrant had ceased counselling them to eat the unclean, they all with one voice, as from the same heart said:"},{"chapter":9,"verse":1,"text":"“Why do you delay, O tyrant? For we are more ready to die than to transgress the injunctions of our fathers."},{"chapter":9,"verse":2,"text":"We would be disgracing our fathers if we didn’t obey the law, and take knowledge for our guide."},{"chapter":9,"verse":3,"text":"O tyrant, counselor of law-breaking, do not, hating us as you do, pity us more than we pity ourselves."},{"chapter":9,"verse":4,"text":"For we consider your escape to be worse than death."},{"chapter":9,"verse":5,"text":"You try to scare us by threatening us with death by tortures, as though you had learned nothing by the death of Eleazar."},{"chapter":9,"verse":6,"text":"But if aged men of the Hebrews have died in the cause of religion after enduring torture, more rightly should we younger men die, scorning your cruel tortures, which our aged instructor overcame."},{"chapter":9,"verse":7,"text":"Make the attempt, then, O tyrant. If you put us to death for our religion, don’t think that you harm us by torturing us."},{"chapter":9,"verse":8,"text":"For we through this ill-treatment and endurance will gain the rewards of virtue."},{"chapter":9,"verse":9,"text":"But you, for the wicked and despotic slaughter of us, will, from the Divine vengeance, endure eternal torture by fire.”"},{"chapter":9,"verse":10,"text":"When they had said this, the tyrant was not only exasperated against them for being disobedient, but enraged with them for being ungrateful."},{"chapter":9,"verse":11,"text":"So, at his bidding, the torturers brought the oldest of them, and tearing through his tunic, bound his hands and arms on each side with straps."},{"chapter":9,"verse":12,"text":"When they had labored hard in scourging him without effect, they hurled him on the wheel."},{"chapter":9,"verse":13,"text":"The noble youth, extended upon this, became dislocated."},{"chapter":9,"verse":14,"text":"With every member disjointed, he denounced the tyrant, saying,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":15,"text":"“O most accursed tyrant, and enemy of heavenly justice, and cruel-hearted, I am no murderer, nor sacrilegious man, whom you torture, but a defender of the Divine law.”"},{"chapter":9,"verse":16,"text":"And when the spearmen said, “Consent to eat, that you may be released from your tortures,”"},{"chapter":9,"verse":17,"text":"he answered, “Not so powerful, O accursed lackeys, is your wheel, as to stifle my reasoning. Cut my limbs, and burn my flesh, and twist my joints."},{"chapter":9,"verse":18,"text":"For through all my torments I will convince you that the children of the Hebrews are alone unconquered on behalf of virtue.”"},{"chapter":9,"verse":19,"text":"While he was saying this, they heaped up fuel, and setting fire to it, strained him on the wheel still more."},{"chapter":9,"verse":20,"text":"The wheel was defiled all over with blood. The hot ashes were quenched by the droppings of gore, and pieces of flesh were scattered about the axles of the machine."},{"chapter":9,"verse":21,"text":"Although the framework of his bones was now destroyed, the high-minded and Abrahamic youth didn’t groan."},{"chapter":9,"verse":22,"text":"But, as though transformed by fire into immortality, he nobly endured the rackings, saying,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":23,"text":"“Imitate me, O kindred. Never desert your station, nor renounce my brotherhood in courage. Fight the holy and honorable fight of religion,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":24,"text":"by which means our just and paternal Providence, becoming merciful to the nation, will punish the pestilent tyrant.”"},{"chapter":9,"verse":25,"text":"Saying this, the revered youth abruptly closed his life."},{"chapter":9,"verse":26,"text":"When all admired his courageous soul, the spearmen brought forward him who was second oldest, and having put on iron gauntlets with sharp hooks, bound him to the rack."},{"chapter":9,"verse":27,"text":"When, on enquiring whether he would eat before he was tortured, they heard his noble sentiment."},{"chapter":9,"verse":28,"text":"After they with the iron gauntlets had violently dragged all the flesh from the neck to the chin, the panther-like animals tore off the very skin of his head, but he, bearing with firmness this misery, said,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":29,"text":"“How sweet is every form of death for the religion of our fathers!” Then he said to the tyrant,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":30,"text":"“Don’t you think, most cruel of all tyrants, that you are now tortured more than I, finding your arrogant conception of tyranny conquered by our perseverance in behalf of our religion?"},{"chapter":9,"verse":31,"text":"For I lighten my suffering by the pleasures which are connected with virtue."},{"chapter":9,"verse":32,"text":"But you are tortured with threatenings for impiety. You won’t escape, most corrupt tyrant, the vengeance of Divine wrath.”"},{"chapter":10,"verse":1,"text":"Now this one endured this praiseworthy death. The third was brought along, and exhorted by many to taste and save his life."},{"chapter":10,"verse":2,"text":"But he cried out and said, “Don’t you know that the father of those who are dead is my father also, and that the same mother bore me, and that I was brought up in the same way?"},{"chapter":10,"verse":3,"text":"I don’t renounce the noble relationship of my kindred."},{"chapter":10,"verse":4,"text":"Now then, whatever instrument of vengeance you have, apply it to my body, for you aren’t able to touch my soul, even if you want to.”"},{"chapter":10,"verse":5,"text":"But they, highly incensed at his boldness of speech, dislocated his hands and feet with racking engines, and wrenching them from their sockets, dismembered him."},{"chapter":10,"verse":6,"text":"They dragged around his fingers, his arms, his legs, and his ankles."},{"chapter":10,"verse":7,"text":"Not being able by any means to strangle him, they tore off his skin, together with the extreme tips of his fingers, and then dragged him to the wheel,"},{"chapter":10,"verse":8,"text":"around which his vertebral joints were loosened, and he saw his own flesh torn to shreds, and streams of blood flowing from his entrails."},{"chapter":10,"verse":9,"text":"When about to die, he said,"},{"chapter":10,"verse":10,"text":"“We, O accursed tyrant, suffer this for the sake of Divine education and virtue."},{"chapter":10,"verse":11,"text":"But you, for your impiety and blood shedding, will endure unceasing torments.”"},{"chapter":10,"verse":12,"text":"Thus having died worthily of his kindred, they dragged forward the fourth, saying,"},{"chapter":10,"verse":13,"text":"“Don’t share the madness of your kindred, but respect the king and save yourself.”"},{"chapter":10,"verse":14,"text":"But he said to them, “You don’t have a fire so scorching as to make me play the coward."},{"chapter":10,"verse":15,"text":"By the blessed death of my kindred, and the eternal punishment of the tyrant, and the glorious life of the pious, I will not repudiate the noble brotherhood."},{"chapter":10,"verse":16,"text":"Invent, O tyrant, tortures, that you may learn, even through them, that I am the brother of those tormented before.”"},{"chapter":10,"verse":17,"text":"When he had said this, the blood-thirsty, murderous, and unholy Antiochus ordered his tongue to be cut out."},{"chapter":10,"verse":18,"text":"But he said, “Even if you take away the organ of speech, God still hears the silent."},{"chapter":10,"verse":19,"text":"Behold, my tongue is extended, cut it off; for in spite of that you won’t silence our reasoning."},{"chapter":10,"verse":20,"text":"We gladly lose our limbs on behalf of God."},{"chapter":10,"verse":21,"text":"But God will speedily find you, since you cut off the tongue, the instrument of divine melody.”"},{"chapter":11,"verse":1,"text":"When he had died, disfigured in his torments, the fifth leaped forward, and said,"},{"chapter":11,"verse":2,"text":"“I don’t intend, O tyrant, to get excused from the torment which is on behalf of virtue."},{"chapter":11,"verse":3,"text":"But I have come of my own accord, that by my death you may owe heavenly vengeance and punishment for more crimes."},{"chapter":11,"verse":4,"text":"O you hater of virtue and of men, what have we done that you thus revel in our blood?"},{"chapter":11,"verse":5,"text":"Does it seem evil to you that we worship the Founder of all things, and live according to his surpassing law?"},{"chapter":11,"verse":6,"text":"But this is worthy of honors, not torments,"},{"chapter":11,"verse":7,"text":"if you had been capable of the higher feelings of men, and possessed the hope of salvation from God."},{"chapter":11,"verse":8,"text":"Behold now, being alien from God, you make war against those who are religious toward God.”"},{"chapter":11,"verse":9,"text":"As he said this, the spearbearers bound him and drew him to the rack,"},{"chapter":11,"verse":10,"text":"to which binding him at his knees, and fastening them with iron fetters, they bent down his loins upon the wedge of the wheel; and his body was then dismembered, scorpion-fashion."},{"chapter":11,"verse":11,"text":"With his breath thus confined, and his body strangled, he said,"},{"chapter":11,"verse":12,"text":"“A great favor you bestow upon us, O tyrant, by enabling us to manifest our adherence to the law by means of nobler sufferings.”"},{"chapter":11,"verse":13,"text":"He also being dead, the sixth, quite a youth, was brought out. On the tyrant asking him whether he would eat and be delivered, he said,"},{"chapter":11,"verse":14,"text":"“I am indeed younger than my brothers, but in understanding I am as old."},{"chapter":11,"verse":15,"text":"I was born and reared to the same end. We are bound to die also on behalf of the same cause."},{"chapter":11,"verse":16,"text":"So if you think it is proper to torment us for not eating the unclean, then torment!”"},{"chapter":11,"verse":17,"text":"As he said this, they brought him to the wheel."},{"chapter":11,"verse":18,"text":"Extended upon this, with limbs racked and dislocated, he was gradually roasted from beneath."},{"chapter":11,"verse":19,"text":"Having heated sharp spits, they stabbed them into his back; and having pierced his sides, they burned away his entrails."},{"chapter":11,"verse":20,"text":"He, while tormented, said, “O good and holy contest, in which for the sake of religion, we kindred have been called to the arena of pain, and have not been conquered."},{"chapter":11,"verse":21,"text":"For religious understanding, O tyrant, is unconquered."},{"chapter":11,"verse":22,"text":"Armed with upright virtue, I also will depart with my kindred."},{"chapter":11,"verse":23,"text":"I, too, bearing with me a great avenger, O inventor of tortures, and enemy of the truly pious."},{"chapter":11,"verse":24,"text":"We six youths have destroyed your tyranny."},{"chapter":11,"verse":25,"text":"For isn’t your inability to overrule our reasoning, and to compel us to eat the unclean, your destruction?"},{"chapter":11,"verse":26,"text":"Your fire is cold to us. Your racks are painless, and your violence harmless."},{"chapter":11,"verse":27,"text":"For the guards not of a tyrant but of a divine law are our defenders. Through this we keep our reasoning unconquered.”"},{"chapter":12,"verse":1,"text":"When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the cauldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":2,"text":"whom the tyrant pitying, though he had been dreadfully reproached by his kindred,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":3,"text":"seeing him already encompassed with chains, had him brought nearer, and endeavored to counsel him, saying,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":4,"text":"“You see the end of the madness of your kindred, for they have died in torture through disobedience. You, if disobedient, having been miserably tormented, will yourself perish prematurely."},{"chapter":12,"verse":5,"text":"But if you obey, you will be my friend, and have a charge over the affairs of the kingdom.”"},{"chapter":12,"verse":6,"text":"Having thus exhorted him, he sent for the boy’s mother, that, by showing compassion to her for the loss of so many sons, he might incline her, through the hope of safety, to make the survivor obedient."},{"chapter":12,"verse":7,"text":"He, after his mother had urged him on in the Hebrew tongue, (as we will soon relate) said,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":8,"text":"“Release me that I may speak to the king and all his friends.”"},{"chapter":12,"verse":9,"text":"They, rejoicing exceedingly at the promise of the youth, quickly let him go."},{"chapter":12,"verse":10,"text":"He, running up to the pans, said,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":11,"text":"“Impious tyrant, and most blasphemous man, were you not ashamed, having received prosperity and a kingdom from God, to kill His servants, and to rack the doers of godliness?"},{"chapter":12,"verse":12,"text":"Therefore the divine vengeance is reserving you for eternal fire and torments, which will cling to you for all time."},{"chapter":12,"verse":13,"text":"Weren’t you ashamed, man as you are, yet most savage, to cut out the tongues of men of like feeling and origin, and having thus abused to torture them?"},{"chapter":12,"verse":14,"text":"But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion toward God."},{"chapter":12,"verse":15,"text":"But you will groan as you deserve for having slain without cause the champions of virtue."},{"chapter":12,"verse":16,"text":"Therefore,” he continued, “I myself, being about to die,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":17,"text":"will not forsake my kindred."},{"chapter":12,"verse":18,"text":"I call upon the God of my fathers to be merciful to my race."},{"chapter":12,"verse":19,"text":"But you, both living and dead, he will punish.”"},{"chapter":12,"verse":20,"text":"Thus having prayed, he hurled himself into the pans; and so expired."},{"chapter":13,"verse":1,"text":"If then, the seven kindred despised troubles even to death, it is admitted on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the emotions."},{"chapter":13,"verse":2,"text":"For just as if they had eaten of the unholy as slaves to the emotions, we would have said that they had been conquered by them."},{"chapter":13,"verse":3,"text":"Now it is not so. But by means of the reasoning which is praised by God, they mastered their emotions."},{"chapter":13,"verse":4,"text":"It is impossible to overlook the leadership of reflection, for it gained the victory over both emotions and troubles."},{"chapter":13,"verse":5,"text":"How, then, can we avoid according to these men mastery of emotion through right reasoning, since they didn’t withdraw from the pains of fire?"},{"chapter":13,"verse":6,"text":"For just as by means of towers projecting in front of harbors men break the threatening waves, and thus assure a still course to vessels entering port,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":7,"text":"so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the tempest of emotions."},{"chapter":13,"verse":8,"text":"For having arranged a holy choir of piety, they encouraged one another, saying,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":9,"text":"“Brothers, may we die brotherly for the law. Let us imitate the three young men in Assyria who despised the equally afflicting furnace."},{"chapter":13,"verse":10,"text":"Let’s not be cowards in the manifestation of piety.”"},{"chapter":13,"verse":11,"text":"One said, “Courage, brother!” and another, “Nobly endure!”"},{"chapter":13,"verse":12,"text":"Another said, “Remember of what stock you are;” and by the hand of our father Isaac endured to be slain for the sake of piety."},{"chapter":13,"verse":13,"text":"One and all, looking at each other serene and confident, said, “Let’s sacrifice with all our heart our souls to God who gave them, and employ our bodies for the keeping of the law."},{"chapter":13,"verse":14,"text":"Let’s not fear him who thinks he kills;"},{"chapter":13,"verse":15,"text":"for great is the trial of soul and danger of eternal torment laid up for those who transgress the commandment of God."},{"chapter":13,"verse":16,"text":"Let’s arm ourselves, therefore, in the self-control, which is divine reasoning."},{"chapter":13,"verse":17,"text":"If we suffer like this, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will receive us, and all the fathers will commend us."},{"chapter":13,"verse":18,"text":"As each one of the kindred was hauled away, the rest exclaimed, “Don’t disgrace us, O brother, nor falsify those who died before you!”"},{"chapter":13,"verse":19,"text":"Now you are not ignorant of the charm of brotherhood, which the Divine and all wise Providence has imparted through fathers to children, and has engendered through the mother’s womb."},{"chapter":13,"verse":20,"text":"These brothers remained an equal time in their mother’s womb, and were formed for the same period, and nourished by the same blood, and were perfected through the same principle of life."},{"chapter":13,"verse":21,"text":"They were brought forth at equal intervals, and sucked milk from the same fountains. Their brotherly souls were reared up lovingly together,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":22,"text":"and increase more powerfully by reason of this simultaneous rearing, and by daily companionship, and by other education, and exercise in the law of God."},{"chapter":13,"verse":23,"text":"Brotherly love being thus sympathetically constituted, the seven kindred had a more sympathetic mutual harmony."},{"chapter":13,"verse":24,"text":"For being educated in the same law, and practicing the same virtues, and reared up in a just course of life, they increased this harmony with each other."},{"chapter":13,"verse":25,"text":"For the same ardor for what is right and honorable increased their goodwill and harmony toward each other."},{"chapter":13,"verse":26,"text":"For it acting along with religion, made their brotherly feeling more desirable to them."},{"chapter":13,"verse":27,"text":"And yet, although nature, companionship, and virtuous morals increased their brotherly love, those who were left endured to see their kindred, who were mistreated for their religion, tortured even to death."},{"chapter":14,"verse":1,"text":"More that this, they even urged them on to this mistreatment; so that they not only despised pains themselves, but they even got the better of their affections of brotherly love."},{"chapter":14,"verse":2,"text":"Reasoning is more royal than a king, and freer than freemen!"},{"chapter":14,"verse":3,"text":"What a sacred and harmonious concert of the seven kindred as concerning piety!"},{"chapter":14,"verse":4,"text":"None of the seven youths turned cowardly or shrank back from death."},{"chapter":14,"verse":5,"text":"But all of them, as though running the road to immortality, hastened on to death through tortures."},{"chapter":14,"verse":6,"text":"For just as hands and feet are moved sympathetically with the directions of the soul, so those holy youths agreed to death for religion’s sake, as through the immortal soul of religion."},{"chapter":14,"verse":7,"text":"O holy seven of harmonious kindred! For as the seven days of creation, about religion,"},{"chapter":14,"verse":8,"text":"so the youths, circling around the number seven, annulled the fear of torments."},{"chapter":14,"verse":9,"text":"We now shudder at the recital of the affliction of those young men; but they not only saw, and not only heard the immediate execution of the threat, but undergoing it, persevered; and that through the pains of fire."},{"chapter":14,"verse":10,"text":"What could be more painful? For the power of fire, being sharp and quick, speedily dissolved their bodies."},{"chapter":14,"verse":11,"text":"Don’t think it wonderful that reasoning ruled over those men in their torments, when even a woman’s mind despised more manifold pains."},{"chapter":14,"verse":12,"text":"For the mother of those seven youths endured the rackings of each of her children."},{"chapter":14,"verse":13,"text":"Consider how comprehensive is the love of offspring, which draws every one to sympathy of affection,"},{"chapter":14,"verse":14,"text":"where irrational animals possess a similar sympathy and love for their offspring with men."},{"chapter":14,"verse":15,"text":"The tame birds frequenting the roofs of our houses defend their fledglings."},{"chapter":14,"verse":16,"text":"Others build their nests and hatch their young on the tops of mountains, in the precipices of valleys, and the holes and tops of trees, and keep intruders away."},{"chapter":14,"verse":17,"text":"If not able to do this, they fly circling round them in agony of affection, calling out in their own note, and save their offspring in whatever manner they are able."},{"chapter":14,"verse":18,"text":"But why should we point attention to the sympathy toward children shown by irrational animals?"},{"chapter":14,"verse":19,"text":"Even bees, at the season of honey-making, attack all who approach, and pierce with their sting, as with a sword, those who draw near their hive, and repel them even to death."},{"chapter":14,"verse":20,"text":"But sympathy with her children didn’t turn away the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham."},{"chapter":15,"verse":1,"text":"O reasoning of the sons, lord over the emotions, and religion more desirable to a mother than children!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":2,"text":"The mother, when two things were set before her, religion and the safety of her seven sons for a time, on the conditional promise of a tyrant,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":3,"text":"rather elected the religion which according to God preserves to eternal life."},{"chapter":15,"verse":4,"text":"In what way can I describe ethically the affections of parents toward their children, the resemblance of soul and of form impressed into the small type of a child in a wonderful manner, especially through the greater sympathy of mothers with the feelings of those born of them!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":5,"text":"For by how much mothers are by nature weak in disposition and prolific in offspring, by so much the fonder they are of children."},{"chapter":15,"verse":6,"text":"Of all mothers, the mother of the seven was the fondest of children, who in seven childbirths had deeply engendered love toward them."},{"chapter":15,"verse":7,"text":"Through her many pains undergone in connection with each one, she was compelled to feel sympathy with them;"},{"chapter":15,"verse":8,"text":"yet, through fear of God, she neglected the temporary salvation of her children."},{"chapter":15,"verse":9,"text":"Not only so, but on account of the excellent disposition to the law, her maternal affection toward them was increased."},{"chapter":15,"verse":10,"text":"For they were both just and temperate, and courageous, high-minded, fond of their kindred, and so fond of their mother that even to death they obeyed her by observing the law."},{"chapter":15,"verse":11,"text":"Yet, though there were so many circumstances connected with love of children to draw on a mother to sympathy, in the case of none of them were the various tortures able to pervert her principle."},{"chapter":15,"verse":12,"text":"But she inclined each one separately and all together to death for religion."},{"chapter":15,"verse":13,"text":"O holy nature and parental feeling, and reward of bringing up children, and unconquerable maternal affection!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":14,"text":"At the racking and roasting of each one of them, the observant mother was prevented by religion from changing."},{"chapter":15,"verse":15,"text":"She saw her children’s flesh dissolving around the fire, and their extremities quivering on the ground, and the flesh of their heads dropped forward down to their beards, like masks."},{"chapter":15,"verse":16,"text":"O you mother, who was tried at this time with bitterer pangs than those at birth!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":17,"text":"O you only woman who have produced perfect holiness!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":18,"text":"Your firstborn, expiring, didn’t turn you, nor the second, looking miserable in his torments, nor the third, breathing out his soul."},{"chapter":15,"verse":19,"text":"You didn’t weep when you saw each of their eyes looking sternly at their tortures, and their nostrils foreboding death!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":20,"text":"When you saw children’s flesh heaped upon children’s flesh that had been torn off, heads decapitated upon heads, dead falling upon the dead, and a choir of children turned through torture into a burying ground, you didn’t lament."},{"chapter":15,"verse":21,"text":"Not so do siren melodies or songs of swans attract the hearers to listening, O voices of children calling on your mother in the midst of torments!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":22,"text":"With what and what manner of torments was the mother herself tortured, as her sons were undergoing the wheel and the fires!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":23,"text":"But religious reasoning, having strengthened her courage in the midst of sufferings, enabled her to forego, for the time, parental love."},{"chapter":15,"verse":24,"text":"Although seeing the destruction of seven children, the noble mother, after one embrace, stripped off her feelings through faith in God."},{"chapter":15,"verse":25,"text":"For just as in a council room, seeing in her own soul vehement counselors, nature and parentage and love of her children, and the racking of her children,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":26,"text":"she holding two votes, one for the death, the other for the preservation of her children,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":27,"text":"didn’t lean to that which would have saved her children for the safety of a brief space."},{"chapter":15,"verse":28,"text":"But this daughter of Abraham remembered his holy fortitude."},{"chapter":15,"verse":29,"text":"O holy mother of a nation, avenger of the law, defender of religion, and prime bearer in the battle of the affections!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":30,"text":"O you nobler in endurance than males, and more courageous than men in perseverance!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":31,"text":"For like Noah’s ship, bearing the world in the world-filling flood, bore up against the waves,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":32,"text":"so you, the guardian of the law, when surrounded on every side by the flood of emotions, and assaulted by violent storms which were the torments of your children, bore up nobly against the storms against religion."},{"chapter":16,"verse":1,"text":"If, then, even a woman, and that an aged one, and the mother of seven children, endured to see her children’s torments even to death, it must be admitted that religious reasoning is master even of the emotions."},{"chapter":16,"verse":2,"text":"I have proved, then, that not only men have obtained the mastery of their emotions, but also that a woman despised the greatest torments."},{"chapter":16,"verse":3,"text":"The lions around Daniel were not so fierce, nor the furnace of Misael burning with most vehement fires as that natural love of children burned within her, when she saw her seven sons tortured."},{"chapter":16,"verse":4,"text":"But with the reasoning of religion the mother quenched emotions so great and powerful."},{"chapter":16,"verse":5,"text":"For we must consider also this: that, had the woman been faint hearted, as being their mother, she would have lamented over them, and perhaps might have spoken thus:"},{"chapter":16,"verse":6,"text":"“Ah! I am wretched and many times miserable, who having born seven sons, have become the mother of none."},{"chapter":16,"verse":7,"text":"O seven useless childbirths, and seven profitless periods of labor, and fruitless givings of suck, and miserable nursings at the breast."},{"chapter":16,"verse":8,"text":"Vainly, for your sakes, O sons, have I endured many pangs, and the more difficult anxieties of rearing."},{"chapter":16,"verse":9,"text":"Alas, of my children, some of you unmarried, and some who have married to no profit, I will not see your children, nor have the joy of being a grandmother."},{"chapter":16,"verse":10,"text":"Ah, that I who had many and fair children, should be a lone widow full of sorrows!"},{"chapter":16,"verse":11,"text":"Nor, should I die, will I have a son to bury me.” But with such a lament as this, the holy and God-fearing mother wept for none of them."},{"chapter":16,"verse":12,"text":"Nor did she divert any of them from death, nor grieve for them as for the dead."},{"chapter":16,"verse":13,"text":"But as one possessed with an adamant mind, and as one bringing forth again her full number of sons to immortality, she rather urged them to death on behalf of religion."},{"chapter":16,"verse":14,"text":"O woman, soldier of God for religion, you, aged and a female, have conquered through endurance even a tyrant; and even though weak, have been found more powerful in deeds and words."},{"chapter":16,"verse":15,"text":"For when you were seized along with your children, you stood looking at Eleazar in torture, and said to your sons in the Hebrew tongue,"},{"chapter":16,"verse":16,"text":"“O sons, the contest is noble to which you are being called as a witness for the nation. Strive zealously for the laws of your country."},{"chapter":16,"verse":17,"text":"For it would be disgraceful if this old man endured pains for the sake of righteousness, and that you who are younger would be afraid of the tortures."},{"chapter":16,"verse":18,"text":"Remember that through God, you obtained existence and have enjoyed it."},{"chapter":16,"verse":19,"text":"Therefore, you ought to bear every affliction because of God."},{"chapter":16,"verse":20,"text":"For him also our father Abraham was zealous to sacrifice Isaac our progenitor, and didn’t shudder at the sight of his own paternal hand descending down with the sword upon him."},{"chapter":16,"verse":21,"text":"The righteous Daniel was cast to the lions; and Ananias, Azarias, and Misael were hurled into a fiery furnace, yet they endured through God."},{"chapter":16,"verse":22,"text":"You, then, having the same faith toward God, don’t be troubled."},{"chapter":16,"verse":23,"text":"For it is unreasonable that they who know religion wouldn’t stand up against troubles."},{"chapter":16,"verse":24,"text":"With these arguments, the mother of seven, exhorting each of her sons, encouraged and persuaded them not to transgress God’s commandment."},{"chapter":16,"verse":25,"text":"They saw this, too, that those who die for God, live to God, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the patriarchs."},{"chapter":17,"verse":1,"text":"Some of the spearbearers said that when she herself was about to be seized for the purpose of being put to death, she threw herself on the pile, rather than let them touch her body."},{"chapter":17,"verse":2,"text":"O you mother, who together with seven children destroyed the violence of the tyrant, and rendered void his wicked intentions, and exhibited the nobleness of faith!"},{"chapter":17,"verse":3,"text":"For you, like a house bravely built on the pillar of your children, bore the shock of tortures without swaying."},{"chapter":17,"verse":4,"text":"Cheer up, therefore, O holy-minded mother! Hold the firm hope of your steadfastness with God."},{"chapter":17,"verse":5,"text":"Not so gracious does the moon appear with the stars in heaven, as you are established as honorable before God, and fixed in the sky with your sons whom you illuminated with religion to the stars."},{"chapter":17,"verse":6,"text":"For your bearing of children was after the manner of a child of Abraham."},{"chapter":17,"verse":7,"text":"If it were lawful for us to paint as on a tablet the religion of your story, the spectators wouldn’t shudder at seeing the mother of seven children enduring for the sake of religion various tortures even to death."},{"chapter":17,"verse":8,"text":"It would have been a worthwhile thing to have inscribed on the tomb itself these words as a memorial to those of the nation,"},{"chapter":17,"verse":9,"text":"“Here an aged priest, an aged woman, and seven sons, are buried through the violence of a tyrant, who wished to destroy the society of the Hebrews."},{"chapter":17,"verse":10,"text":"These also avenged their nation, looking to God, and enduring torments to death.”"},{"chapter":17,"verse":11,"text":"For it was truly a divine contest which was carried through by them."},{"chapter":17,"verse":12,"text":"For at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life."},{"chapter":17,"verse":13,"text":"Eleazar was the first to contend. The mother of the seven children entered the contest, and the kindred contended."},{"chapter":17,"verse":14,"text":"The tyrant was the antagonist; and the world and living men were the spectators."},{"chapter":17,"verse":15,"text":"Reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes."},{"chapter":17,"verse":16,"text":"Who didn’t admire those champions of true legislation? Who were not amazed?"},{"chapter":17,"verse":17,"text":"The tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance,"},{"chapter":17,"verse":18,"text":"through which, they also now stand beside the divine throne and live a blessed life."},{"chapter":17,"verse":19,"text":"For Moses says, “All the saints are under your hands.”"},{"chapter":17,"verse":20,"text":"These, therefore, having been sanctified through God, have been honored not only with this honor, but that also by the fact that because of them, the enemy didn’t overcome our nation."},{"chapter":17,"verse":21,"text":"That tyrant was punished and their country purified."},{"chapter":17,"verse":22,"text":"For they became the ransom to the sin of the nation. The Divine Providence saved Israel, which was afflicted before, by the blood of those pious ones and the death that appeased wrath."},{"chapter":17,"verse":23,"text":"For the tyrant Antiochus, looking to their courageous virtue and to their endurance in torture, proclaimed that endurance as an example to his soldiers."},{"chapter":17,"verse":24,"text":"They proved to be to him noble and brave for land battles and for sieges; and he conquered and stormed the towns of all his enemies."},{"chapter":18,"verse":1,"text":"O Israelite children, descendants of the seed of Abraham, obey this law and in every way be religious,"},{"chapter":18,"verse":2,"text":"knowing that religious reasoning is lord of the emotions, and those not only inward but outward."},{"chapter":18,"verse":3,"text":"Therefore those people who gave up their bodies to pains for the sake of religion were not only admired by men, but were deemed worthy of a divine portion."},{"chapter":18,"verse":4,"text":"The nation through them obtained peace, and having renewed the observance of the law in their country, drove the enemy out of the land."},{"chapter":18,"verse":5,"text":"The tyrant Antiochus was both punished on earth, and is punished now that he is dead; for when he was quite unable to compel the Israelites to adopt foreign customs, and to desert the manner of life of their fathers,"},{"chapter":18,"verse":6,"text":"then, departing from Jerusalem, he made war against the Persians."},{"chapter":18,"verse":7,"text":"The righteous mother of the seven children spoke also as follows to her offspring: “I was a pure virgin, and didn’t go beyond my father’s house, but I took care of the rib from which woman was made."},{"chapter":18,"verse":8,"text":"No destroyer of the desert or ravisher of the plain injured me, nor did the destructive, deceitful snake make plunder of my chaste virginity. I remained with my husband during the time of my maturity."},{"chapter":18,"verse":9,"text":"When these, my children, arrived at maturity, their father died. He was blessed! For having sought out a life of fertility in children, he was not grieved with a period of loss of children."},{"chapter":18,"verse":10,"text":"He used to teach you, when yet with you, the law and the prophets."},{"chapter":18,"verse":11,"text":"He used to read to you about the slaying of Abel by Cain, the offering up of Isaac, and the imprisonment of Joseph."},{"chapter":18,"verse":12,"text":"He used to tell you of the zealous Phinehas, and informed you of Ananias, Azarias, and Misael in the fire."},{"chapter":18,"verse":13,"text":"He used to glorify Daniel, who was in the den of lions, and pronounce him blessed."},{"chapter":18,"verse":14,"text":"He used to remind you of the scripture of Esaias, which says, “Even if you pass through the fire, it won’t burn you.”"},{"chapter":18,"verse":15,"text":"He chanted to you David, the hymn writer, who says, “Many are the afflictions of the just.”"},{"chapter":18,"verse":16,"text":"He declared the proverbs of Solomon, who says, “He is a tree of life to all those who do His will.”"},{"chapter":18,"verse":17,"text":"He used to confirm what Ezekiel said: “Will these dry bones live?”"},{"chapter":18,"verse":18,"text":"For he didn’t forget the song which Moses taught, proclaiming, “I will kill, and I will make alive.”"},{"chapter":18,"verse":19,"text":"This is our life and the length of our days."},{"chapter":18,"verse":20,"text":"O that bitter, and yet not bitter, day when the bitter tyrant of the Greeks, quenching fire with fire in his cruel caldrons, brought with boiling rage the seven sons of the daughter of Abraham to the rack, and to all his torments!"},{"chapter":18,"verse":21,"text":"He pierced the balls of their eyes, and cut out their tongues, and put them to death with varied tortures."},{"chapter":18,"verse":22,"text":"Therefore divine retribution pursued and will pursue the pestilent wretch."},{"chapter":18,"verse":23,"text":"But the children of Abraham, with their victorious mother, are assembled together to the choir of their father, having received pure and immortal souls from God."},{"chapter":18,"verse":24,"text":"To him be glory forever and ever. Amen."}]},{"code":"BRENTON","name":"Brenton's Septuagint (1851)","language":"en","source":"Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton, The Septuagint with Apocrypha (1851), public domain. Text from eBible.org","verses":[{"chapter":1,"verse":1,"text":"As I am going to demonstrate a most philosophical proposition, namely, that religious reasoning is absolute master of the passions, I would willingly advise you to give the utmost heed to philosophy."},{"chapter":1,"verse":2,"text":"For reason is necessary to every one as a step to science: and more especially does it embrace the praise of prudence, the highest virtue."},{"chapter":1,"verse":3,"text":"If, then, reasoning appears to hold the mastery over the passions which stand in the way of temperance, such as gluttony and lust,"},{"chapter":1,"verse":4,"text":"it surely also and manifestly has the rule over the affections which are contrary to justice, such as malice; and of those which are hindrances to manliness, as wrath, and pain, and fear."},{"chapter":1,"verse":5,"text":"How, then, is it, perhaps some may say, that reasoning, if it rule the affections, is not also master of forgetfulness and ignorance? They attempt a ridiculous argument."},{"chapter":1,"verse":6,"text":"For reasoning does not rule over its own affections, but over such as are contrary to justice, and manliness, and temperance, and prudence; and yet over these, so as to withstand, without destroying them."},{"chapter":1,"verse":7,"text":"I might prove to you, from many other considerations, that religious reasoning is sole master of the passions;"},{"chapter":1,"verse":8,"text":"but I shall prove it with the greatest force from the fortitude of Eleazar, and seven brethren, and their mother, who suffered death in defence of virtue."},{"chapter":1,"verse":9,"text":"For all these, contemning pains even unto death, by this contempt, demonstrated that reasoning has command over the passions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":10,"text":"For their virtues, then, it is right that I should commend those men who died with their mother at this time in behalf of rectitude; and for their honours, I may count them happy."},{"chapter":1,"verse":11,"text":"For they, winning admiration not only from men in general, but even from their persecutors, for their manliness and endurance, became the means of the destruction of the tyranny against their nation, having conquered the tyrant by their endurance, so that by them their country was purified."},{"chapter":1,"verse":12,"text":"But we may now at once enter upon the question, having commenced, as is our wont, with laying down the doctrine, and so proceed to the account of these persons, giving glory to the all wise God."},{"chapter":1,"verse":13,"text":"The question, therefore, is, whether reasoning be absolute master of the passions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":14,"text":"Let us determine, then, What is reasoning? and what passion? and how many forms of the passions? and whether reasoning bears sway over all of these?"},{"chapter":1,"verse":15,"text":"Reasoning is, then, intellect accompanied by a life of rectitude, putting foremost the consideration of wisdom."},{"chapter":1,"verse":16,"text":"And wisdom is a knowledge of divine and human things, and of their causes."},{"chapter":1,"verse":17,"text":"And this is contained in the education of the law; by means of which we learn divine things reverently, and human things profitably."},{"chapter":1,"verse":18,"text":"And the forms of wisdom are prudence, and justice, and manliness, and temperance."},{"chapter":1,"verse":19,"text":"The leading one of these is prudence; by whose means, indeed, it is that reasoning bears rule over the passions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":20,"text":"Of the passions, pleasure and pain are the two most comprehensive; and they also by nature refer to the soul."},{"chapter":1,"verse":21,"text":"And there are many attendant affections surrounding pleasure and pain."},{"chapter":1,"verse":22,"text":"Before pleasure is lust; and after pleasure, joy."},{"chapter":1,"verse":23,"text":"And before pain is fear; and after pain, sorrow."},{"chapter":1,"verse":24,"text":"Wrath is an affection, common to pleasure and to pain, if any one will pay attention when it comes upon him."},{"chapter":1,"verse":25,"text":"And there exists in pleasure a malicious disposition, which is the most multiform of all the affections."},{"chapter":1,"verse":26,"text":"In the soul it is arrogance, and love of money, and vaingloriousness, and contention, and faithlessness, and the evil eye."},{"chapter":1,"verse":27,"text":"In the body it is greediness and gormandizing, and solitary gluttony."},{"chapter":1,"verse":28,"text":"As pleasure and pain are, therefore, two growths of the body and the soul, so there are many offshoots of these passions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":29,"text":"And reasoning, the universal husbandman, purging, and pruning these severally, and binding round, and watering, and transplanting, in every way improves the materials of the morals and affections."},{"chapter":1,"verse":30,"text":"For reasoning is the leader of the virtues, but it is the sole ruler of the passions. Observe then first, through the very things which stand in the way of temperance, that reasoning is absolute ruler of the passions."},{"chapter":1,"verse":31,"text":"Now temperance consists of a command over the lusts."},{"chapter":1,"verse":32,"text":"But of the lusts, some belong to the soul, others to the body: and over each of these classes the reasoning appears to bear sway."},{"chapter":1,"verse":33,"text":"For whence is it, otherwise, that when urged on to forbidden meats, we reject the gratification which would ensue from them? Is it not because reasoning is able to command the appetites? I believe so."},{"chapter":1,"verse":34,"text":"Hence it is, then, that when lusting after water-animals and birds, and fourfooted beasts, and all kinds of food which are forbidden us by the law, we withhold ourselves through the mastery of reasoning."},{"chapter":1,"verse":35,"text":"For the affections of our appetites are resisted by the temperate understanding, and bent back again, and all the impulses of the body are reined in by reasoning."},{"chapter":2,"verse":1,"text":"And what wonder? if the lusts of the soul, after participation with what is beautiful, are frustrated,"},{"chapter":2,"verse":2,"text":"on this ground, therefore, the temperate Joseph is praised in that by reasoning, he subdued, on reflection, the indulgence of sense."},{"chapter":2,"verse":3,"text":"For, although young, and ripe for sexual intercourse, he abrogated by reasoning the stimulus of his passions."},{"chapter":2,"verse":4,"text":"And it is not merely the stimulus of sensual indulgence, but that of every desire, that reasoning is able to master."},{"chapter":2,"verse":5,"text":"For instance, the law says, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor anything that belongs to thy neighbour."},{"chapter":2,"verse":6,"text":"Now, then, since it is the law which has forbidden us to desire, I shall much the more easily persuade you, that reasoning is able to govern our lusts, just as it does the affections which are impediments to justice."},{"chapter":2,"verse":7,"text":"Since in what way is a solitary eater, and a glutton, and a drunkard reclaimed, unless it be clear that reasoning is lord of the passions?"},{"chapter":2,"verse":8,"text":"A man, therefore, who regulates his course by the law, even if he be a lover of money, straightway puts force upon his own disposition; lending to the needy without interest, and cancelling the debt of the incoming sabbath."},{"chapter":2,"verse":9,"text":"And should a man be parsimonious, he is ruled by the law acting through reasoning; so that he does not glean his harvest crops, nor vintage: and in reference to other points we may perceive that it is reasoning that conquers his passions."},{"chapter":2,"verse":10,"text":"For the law conquers even affection toward parents, not surrendering virtue on their account."},{"chapter":2,"verse":11,"text":"And it prevails over marriage love, condemning it when transgressing law."},{"chapter":2,"verse":12,"text":"And it lords it over the love of parents toward their children, for they punish them for vice; and it domineers over the intimacy of friends, reproving them when wicked."},{"chapter":2,"verse":13,"text":"And think it not a strange assertion that reasoning can in behalf of the law conquer even enmity."},{"chapter":2,"verse":14,"text":"It alloweth not to cut down the cultivated herbage of an enemy, but preserveth it from the destroyers, and collecteth their fallen ruins."},{"chapter":2,"verse":15,"text":"And reasoning appears to be master of the more violent passions, as love of empire and empty boasting, and arrogance, and loud boasting, and slander."},{"chapter":2,"verse":16,"text":"For the temperate understanding repels all these malignant passions, as it does wrath: for it masters even this."},{"chapter":2,"verse":17,"text":"Thus Moses, when angered against Dathan and Abiram, did nothing to them in wrath, but regulated his anger by reasoning."},{"chapter":2,"verse":18,"text":"For the temperate mind is able, as I said, to be superior to the passions, and to transfer some, and destroy others."},{"chapter":2,"verse":19,"text":"For why, else, does our most wise father Jacob blame Simeon and Levi for having irrationally slain the whole race of the Shechemites, saying, Cursed be their anger."},{"chapter":2,"verse":20,"text":"For if reasoning did not possess the power of subduing angry affections, he would not have spoken thus."},{"chapter":2,"verse":21,"text":"For at the time when God created man, He implanted within him his passions and moral nature."},{"chapter":2,"verse":22,"text":"And at that time He enthroned above all the holy leader mind, through the medium of the senses."},{"chapter":2,"verse":23,"text":"And He gave a law to this [mind], by living according to which it will maintain a temperate, and just, and good, and manly reign."},{"chapter":2,"verse":24,"text":"How, then, a man may say, if reasoning be master of the passions, has it no control over forgetfulness and ignorance?"},{"chapter":3,"verse":1,"text":"The argument is exceedingly ridiculous: for reasoning does not appear to bear sway over its own affections, but over those of the body,"},{"chapter":3,"verse":2,"text":"in such a way as that any one of you may not be able to root out desire, but reasoning will enable you to avoid being enslaved to it."},{"chapter":3,"verse":3,"text":"One may not be able to root out anger from the soul, but it is possible to withstand anger."},{"chapter":3,"verse":4,"text":"Any one of you may not be able to eradicate malice, but reasoning has force to work with you to prevent your yielding to malice."},{"chapter":3,"verse":5,"text":"For reasoning is not an eradicator, but an antagonist of the passions."},{"chapter":3,"verse":6,"text":"And this may be more clearly comprehended from the thirst of King David."},{"chapter":3,"verse":7,"text":"For after David had been attacking the Philistines the whole day, he with the soldiers of his nation slew many of them;"},{"chapter":3,"verse":8,"text":"then when evening came, sweating and very weary, he came to the royal tent, about which the entire host of our ancestors was encamped."},{"chapter":3,"verse":9,"text":"Now all the rest of them were at supper;"},{"chapter":3,"verse":10,"text":"but the king, being very much athirst, although he had numerous springs, could not by their means quench his thirst;"},{"chapter":3,"verse":11,"text":"but a certain irrational longing for the water in the enemy's camp grew stronger and fiercer upon him, and consumed him with languish."},{"chapter":3,"verse":12,"text":"Wherefore his body-guards being troubled at this longing of the king, two valiant young soldiers, reverencing the desire of the king, put on their panoplies, and taking a pitcher, got over the ramparts of the enemies:"},{"chapter":3,"verse":13,"text":"and unperceived by the guardians of the gate, they went throughout the whole camp of the enemy in quest."},{"chapter":3,"verse":14,"text":"And having boldly discovered the fountain, they filled out of it the draught for the king."},{"chapter":3,"verse":15,"text":"But he, though parched up with thirst, reasoned that a draught reputed of equal value to blood, would be terribly dangerous to his soul."},{"chapter":3,"verse":16,"text":"Wherefore, setting up reasoning in opposition to his desire, he poured out the draught to God."},{"chapter":3,"verse":17,"text":"For the temperate mind has power to conquer the pressure of the passions, and to quench the fires of excitement,"},{"chapter":3,"verse":18,"text":"and to wrestle down the pains of the body, however excessive; and, through the excellency of reasoning, to abominate all the assaults of the passions."},{"chapter":3,"verse":19,"text":"But the occasion now invites us to give an illustration of temperate reasoning from history."},{"chapter":3,"verse":20,"text":"For at a time when our fathers were in possession of undisturbed peace through obedience to the law, and were prosperous, so that Seleucus Nicanor, the king of Asia, both assigned them money for divine service, and accepted their form of government,"},{"chapter":3,"verse":21,"text":"then certain persons, bringing in new things contrary to the general unanimity, in various ways fell into calamities."},{"chapter":4,"verse":1,"text":"For a certain man named Simon, who was in opposition to Onias, who once held the high priesthood for life, and was an honourable and good man, after that by slandering him in every way, he could not injure him with the people, went away as an exile, with the intention of betraying his country."},{"chapter":4,"verse":2,"text":"Whence coming to Apollonius, the military governor of Syria, and Phœnicia, and Cilicia, he said,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":3,"text":"Having good will to the king's affairs, I am come to inform thee that infinite private wealth is laid up in the treasuries of Jerusalem which do not belong to the temple, but pertain to king Seleucus."},{"chapter":4,"verse":4,"text":"Apollonius, acquainting himself with the particulars of this, praised Simon for his care of the king's interests, and going up to Seleucus informed him of the treasure;"},{"chapter":4,"verse":5,"text":"and getting authority about it, and quickly advancing into our country with the accursed Simon and a very heavy force,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":6,"text":"he said that he came with the commands of the king that he should take the private money of the treasury."},{"chapter":4,"verse":7,"text":"And the nation, indignant at this proclamation, and replying to the effect that it was extremely unfair that those who had committed deposits to the sacred treasury should be deprived of them, resisted as well as they could."},{"chapter":4,"verse":8,"text":"But Apollonius went away with threats into the temple."},{"chapter":4,"verse":9,"text":"And the priests, with the women and children, having supplicated God to throw his shield over the holy, despised place,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":10,"text":"and Apollonius going up with his armed force to the seizure of the treasure,—there appeared from heaven angels riding on horseback, all radiant in armour, filling them with much fear and trembling."},{"chapter":4,"verse":11,"text":"And Apollonius fell down half dead upon the court which is open to all nations, and extended his hands to heaven, and implored the Hebrews, with tears, to pray for him, and propitiate the heavenly host."},{"chapter":4,"verse":12,"text":"For he said that he had sinned, so as to be consequently worthy of death; and that if he were saved, he would celebrate to all men the blessedness of the holy place."},{"chapter":4,"verse":13,"text":"Onias the high priest, induced by these words, although for other reasons anxious that king Seleucus should not suppose that Apollonius was slain by human device and not by Divine punishment, prayed for him;"},{"chapter":4,"verse":14,"text":"and he being thus unexpectedly saved, departed to manifest to the king what had happened to him."},{"chapter":4,"verse":15,"text":"But on the death of Seleucus the king, his son Antiochus Epiphanes succeeds to the kingdom: a man of haughty pride and terrible."},{"chapter":4,"verse":16,"text":"Who having deposed Onias from the high priesthood, appointed his brother Jason to be high priest:"},{"chapter":4,"verse":17,"text":"who had made a covenant, if he would give him this authority, to pay yearly three thousand six hundred and sixty talents."},{"chapter":4,"verse":18,"text":"And he committed to him the high priesthood and rulership over the nation."},{"chapter":4,"verse":19,"text":"And he both changed the manner of living of the people, and perverted their civil customs into all lawlessness."},{"chapter":4,"verse":20,"text":"So that he not only erected a gymnasium on the very citadel of our country, [but neglected] the guardianship of the temple."},{"chapter":4,"verse":21,"text":"At which Divine vengeance being grieved, instigated Antiochus himself against them."},{"chapter":4,"verse":22,"text":"For being at war with Ptolemy in Egypt, he heard that on a report of his death being spread abroad, the inhabitants of Jerusalem had exceedingly rejoiced, and he quickly marched against them."},{"chapter":4,"verse":23,"text":"And having subdued them, he established a decree that if any of them lived according to the laws of his country, he should die."},{"chapter":4,"verse":24,"text":"And when he could by no means destroy by his decrees the obedience to the law of the nation, but saw all his threats and punishments without effect,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":25,"text":"for even women, because they continued to circumcise their children, were flung down a precipice along with them, knowing beforehand of the punishment."},{"chapter":4,"verse":26,"text":"When, therefore, his decrees were disregarded by the people, he himself compelled by means of tortures every one of this race, by tasting forbidden meats, to abjure the Jewish religion."},{"chapter":5,"verse":1,"text":"The tyrant Antiochus, therefore, sitting in public state with his assessors upon a certain lofty place, with his armed troops standing in a circle round him,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":2,"text":"commanded his spearbearers to seize every one of the Hebrews, and to compel them to taste swine's flesh, and things offered to idols."},{"chapter":5,"verse":3,"text":"And should any of them be unwilling to eat the accursed food, they were to be tortured on the wheel, and so killed."},{"chapter":5,"verse":4,"text":"And when many had been seized, a foremost man of the assembly, a Hebrew, by name Eleazar, a priest by family, by profession a lawyer, and advanced in years, and for this reason known to many of the king's followers, was brought near to him."},{"chapter":5,"verse":5,"text":"And Antiochus seeing him, said,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":6,"text":"I would counsel thee, old man, before thy tortures begin, to taste the swine's flesh, and save your life; for I feel respect for your age and hoary head, which since you have had so long, you appear to me to be no philosopher in retaining the superstition of the Jews."},{"chapter":5,"verse":7,"text":"For wherefore, since nature has conferred upon you the most excellent flesh of this animal, do you loathe it?"},{"chapter":5,"verse":8,"text":"It seems senseless not to enjoy what is pleasant, yet not disgraceful; and from notions of sinfulness, to reject the boons of nature."},{"chapter":5,"verse":9,"text":"And you will be acting, I think, still more senselessly, if you follow vain conceits about the truth."},{"chapter":5,"verse":10,"text":"And you will, moreover, be despising me to your own punishment."},{"chapter":5,"verse":11,"text":"Will you not awake from your trifling philosophy? and give up the folly of your notions; and, regaining understanding worthy of your age, search into the truth of an expedient course?"},{"chapter":5,"verse":12,"text":"and, reverencing my kindly admonition, have pity upon your own years?"},{"chapter":5,"verse":13,"text":"For, bear in mind, that if there be any power which watches over this religion of yours, it will pardon you for all transgressions of the law which you commit through compulsion."},{"chapter":5,"verse":14,"text":"While the tyrant incited him in this manner to the unlawful eating of flesh, Eleazar begged permission to speak."},{"chapter":5,"verse":15,"text":"And having received power to speak, he began thus to deliver himself:"},{"chapter":5,"verse":16,"text":"We, O Antiochus, who are persuaded that we live under a divine law, consider no compulsion to be so forcible as obedience to that law;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":17,"text":"wherefore we consider that we ought not in any point to transgress the law."},{"chapter":5,"verse":18,"text":"And indeed, were our law (as you suppose) not truly divine, and if we wrongly think it divine, we should have no right even in that case to destroy our sense of religion."},{"chapter":5,"verse":19,"text":"Think not eating the unclean, then, a trifling offence."},{"chapter":5,"verse":20,"text":"For transgression of the law, whether in small or great matters, is of equal moment;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":21,"text":"for in either case the law is equally slighted."},{"chapter":5,"verse":22,"text":"But thou deridest our philosophy, as though we lived irrationally in it."},{"chapter":5,"verse":23,"text":"Yet it instructs us in temperance, so that we are superior to all pleasures and lusts; and it exercises us in manliness, so that we cheerfully undergo every grievance."},{"chapter":5,"verse":24,"text":"And it instructs us in justice, so that in all our dealings we render what is due; and it teaches us piety, so that we worship the one only God becomingly."},{"chapter":5,"verse":25,"text":"Wherefore it is that we eat not the unclean; for believing that the law was established by God, we are convinced that the Creator of the world, in giving his laws, sympathises with our nature."},{"chapter":5,"verse":26,"text":"Those things which are convenient to our souls, he has directed us to eat; but those which are repugnant to them, he has interdicted."},{"chapter":5,"verse":27,"text":"But, tyrant-like, thou not only forcest us to break the law, but also to eat, that thou mayest ridicule us as we thus profanely eat:"},{"chapter":5,"verse":28,"text":"but thou shalt not have this cause of laughter against me;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":29,"text":"nor will I transgress the sacred oaths of my forefathers to keep the law."},{"chapter":5,"verse":30,"text":"No, not if you pluck out my eyes, and consume my entrails."},{"chapter":5,"verse":31,"text":"I am not so old, and void of manliness, but that my rational powers are youthful in defence of my religion."},{"chapter":5,"verse":32,"text":"Now then; prepare your wheels, and kindle a fiercer flame."},{"chapter":5,"verse":33,"text":"I will not so compassionate my old age, as on my account to break the law of my country."},{"chapter":5,"verse":34,"text":"I will not belie thee, O law, my instructor! or forsake thee, O beloved self-control."},{"chapter":5,"verse":35,"text":"I will not put thee to shame, O philosopher Reason; or deny thee, O honoured priesthood, and science of the law."},{"chapter":5,"verse":36,"text":"Mouth! thou shalt not pollute my old age, nor the full stature of a perfect life."},{"chapter":5,"verse":37,"text":"My fathers shall receive me pure, not having quailed before your compulsion, though unto death."},{"chapter":5,"verse":38,"text":"For over the ungodly thou shalt tyrannize; but thou shalt not lord it over my thoughts about religion, either by thy arguments, or through deeds."},{"chapter":6,"verse":1,"text":"When Eleazar had in this manner answered the exhortations of the tyrant, the spearbearers came up, and rudely haled Eleazar to the instruments of torture."},{"chapter":6,"verse":2,"text":"And first, they stripped the old man, adorned as he was with the comeliness of piety."},{"chapter":6,"verse":3,"text":"Then tying back his arms and hands, they disdainfully used him with stripes;"},{"chapter":6,"verse":4,"text":"a herald opposite crying out, Obey the commands of the king."},{"chapter":6,"verse":5,"text":"But Eleazar, the high-minded and truly noble, as one tortured in a dream, regarded it not at all."},{"chapter":6,"verse":6,"text":"But raising his eyes on high to heaven, the old man's flesh was stripped off by the scourges, and his blood streamed down, and his sides were pierced through."},{"chapter":6,"verse":7,"text":"And falling upon the ground, from his body having no power to support the pains, he yet kept his reasoning upright and unbending."},{"chapter":6,"verse":8,"text":"Then one of the harsh spearbearers leaped upon his belly as he was falling, to force him upright."},{"chapter":6,"verse":9,"text":"But he endured the pains, and despised the cruelty, and persevered through the indignities;"},{"chapter":6,"verse":10,"text":"and like a noble athlete, the old man, when struck, vanquished his torturers."},{"chapter":6,"verse":11,"text":"His countenance sweating, and he panting for breath, he was admired by the very torturers for his courage."},{"chapter":6,"verse":12,"text":"Wherefore, partly in pity for his old age,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":13,"text":"partly from the sympathy of acquaintance, and partly in admiration of his endurance, some of the attendants of the king said,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":14,"text":"Why do you unreasonably destroy yourself, O Eleazar, with these miseries?"},{"chapter":6,"verse":15,"text":"We will bring you some meat cooked by yourself, and do you save yourself by pretending that you have eaten swine's flesh."},{"chapter":6,"verse":16,"text":"And Eleazar, as though the advice more painfully tortured him, cried out,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":17,"text":"Let not us who are children of Abraham be so evil advised as by giving way to make use of an unbecoming pretence;"},{"chapter":6,"verse":18,"text":"for it were irrational, if having lived up to old age in all truth, and having scrupulously guarded our character for it, we should now turn back,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":19,"text":"and ourselves should become a pattern of impiety to the young, as being an example of pollution eating."},{"chapter":6,"verse":20,"text":"It would be disgraceful if we should live on some short time, and that scorned by all men for cowardice,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":21,"text":"and be condemned by the tyrant for unmanliness, by not contending to the death for our divine law."},{"chapter":6,"verse":22,"text":"Wherefore do you, O children of Abraham, die nobly for your religion."},{"chapter":6,"verse":23,"text":"Ye spearbearers of the tyrant, why do ye linger?"},{"chapter":6,"verse":24,"text":"Beholding him so high-minded against misery, and not changing at their pity, they led him to the fire:"},{"chapter":6,"verse":25,"text":"then with their wickedly-contrived instruments they burnt him on the fire, and poured stinking fluids down into his nostrils."},{"chapter":6,"verse":26,"text":"And he being at length burnt down to the bones, and about to expire, raised his eyes God-ward, and said,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":27,"text":"Thou knowest, O God, that when I might have been saved, I am slain for the sake of the law by tortures of fire."},{"chapter":6,"verse":28,"text":"Be merciful to thy people, and be satisfied with the punishment of me on their account."},{"chapter":6,"verse":29,"text":"Let my blood be a purification for them, and take my life in recompense for theirs."},{"chapter":6,"verse":30,"text":"Thus speaking, the holy man departed, noble in his torments, and even to the agonies of death resisted in his reasoning for the sake of the law."},{"chapter":6,"verse":31,"text":"Confessedly, therefore, religious reasoning is master of the passions."},{"chapter":6,"verse":32,"text":"For had the passions been superior to reasoning, I would have given them the witness of this mastery."},{"chapter":6,"verse":33,"text":"But now, since reasoning conquered the passions, we befittingly award it the authority of first place."},{"chapter":6,"verse":34,"text":"And it is but fair that we should allow, that the power belongs to reasoning, since it masters external miseries."},{"chapter":6,"verse":35,"text":"Ridiculous would it be were it not so; and I prove that reasoning has not only mastered pains, but that it is also superior to the pleasures, and withstands them."},{"chapter":7,"verse":1,"text":"The reasoning of our father Eleazar, like a first-rate pilot, steering the vessel of piety in the sea of passions,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":2,"text":"and flouted by the threats of the tyrant, and overwhelmed with the breakers of torture,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":3,"text":"in no way shifted the rudder of piety till it sailed into the harbour of victory over death."},{"chapter":7,"verse":4,"text":"Not so has ever a city, when besieged, held out against many and various machines, as did that holy man, when his pious soul was tried with the fiery trial of tortures and rackings, move his besiegers through the religious reasoning that shielded him."},{"chapter":7,"verse":5,"text":"For father Eleazar, projecting his disposition, broke the raging waves of the passions as with a jutting promontory."},{"chapter":7,"verse":6,"text":"O priest, worthy of the priesthood! thou didst not pollute thy sacred teeth; nor make thy appetite, which had always embraced the clean and lawful, a partaker of profanity."},{"chapter":7,"verse":7,"text":"O harmonizer with the law, and sage devoted to a divine life!"},{"chapter":7,"verse":8,"text":"Of such a character ought those to be who perform the duties of the law at the risk of their own blood, and defend it with generous sweat by sufferings even unto death."},{"chapter":7,"verse":9,"text":"Thou, father, hast gloriously established our right government by thy endurance; and making of much account our service past, prevented its destruction, and, by thy deeds, hast made credible the words of philosophy."},{"chapter":7,"verse":10,"text":"O aged man of more power than tortures, elder more vigorous than fire, greatest king over the passions, Eleazar!"},{"chapter":7,"verse":11,"text":"For as father Aaron, armed with a censer, hastening through the consuming fire, vanquished the flame-bearing angel,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":12,"text":"so Eleazar, the descendant of Aaron, wasted away by the fire, did not give up his reasoning."},{"chapter":7,"verse":13,"text":"And, what is most wonderful, though an old man, though the labours of his body were now spent, and his fibres were relaxed, and his sinews worn out, he recovered youth."},{"chapter":7,"verse":14,"text":"By the spirit of reasoning, and the reasoning of Isaac, he rendered powerless the many-headed instrument."},{"chapter":7,"verse":15,"text":"O blessed old age, and reverend hoar head, and life obedient to the law, which the faithful seal of death perfected."},{"chapter":7,"verse":16,"text":"If, then, an old man, through religion, despised tortures even unto death, confessedly religious reasoning is ruler of the passions."},{"chapter":7,"verse":17,"text":"But perhaps some might say, It is not all who conquer passions, as all do not possess wise reasoning."},{"chapter":7,"verse":18,"text":"But they who have meditated upon religion with their whole heart, these alone can master the passions of the flesh:"},{"chapter":7,"verse":19,"text":"they who believe that to God they die not; for, as our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, they live to God."},{"chapter":7,"verse":20,"text":"This circumstance, then, is by no means an objection, that some who have weak reasoning, are governed by their passions:"},{"chapter":7,"verse":21,"text":"since what person, walking religiously by the whole rule of philosophy, and believing in God,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":22,"text":"and knowing that it is a blessed thing to endure all kinds of hardships for virtue, would not, for the sake of religion, master his passion?"},{"chapter":7,"verse":23,"text":"For the wise and brave man only is lord over his passions."},{"chapter":7,"verse":24,"text":"Whence it is, that even boys, imbued with the philosophy of religious reasoning, have conquered still more bitter tortures:"},{"chapter":7,"verse":25,"text":"for when the tyrant was manifestly vanquished in his first attempt, in being unable to force the old man to eat the unclean thing,—"},{"chapter":9,"verse":1,"text":"Why delayest thou, O tyrant? for we are readier to die than to transgress the injunctions of our fathers."},{"chapter":9,"verse":2,"text":"And we should be disgracing our fathers if we did not obey the law, and take knowledge for our guide."},{"chapter":9,"verse":3,"text":"O tyrant, counsellor of law-breaking, do not, hating us as thou dost, pity us more than we pity ourselves."},{"chapter":9,"verse":4,"text":"For we account your pity of us on the terms of unlawful escape to be worse than death."},{"chapter":9,"verse":5,"text":"And you think to scare us, by threatening us with death by tortures, as though thou hadst learned nothing by the death of Eleazar."},{"chapter":9,"verse":6,"text":"But if aged men of the Hebrews have died in the cause of religion after enduring torture, more rightly should we younger men die, scorning your cruel tortures, which our aged instructor overcame."},{"chapter":9,"verse":7,"text":"Make the attempt, then, O tyrant; and if thou puttest us to death for our religion, think not that thou harmest us by torturing us."},{"chapter":9,"verse":8,"text":"For we through this ill-treatment and endurance shall bear off the rewards of virtue."},{"chapter":9,"verse":9,"text":"But thou, for the wicked and despotic slaughter of us, shalt, from the Divine vengeance, endure eternal torture by fire."},{"chapter":9,"verse":10,"text":"When they had thus spoken, the tyrant was not only exasperated against them as being refractory, but enraged with them as being ungrateful."},{"chapter":9,"verse":11,"text":"So that, at his bidding, the torturers brought forth the eldest of them, and tearing through his tunic, bound his hands and arms on each side with thongs."},{"chapter":9,"verse":12,"text":"And when they had laboured hard without effect in scourging him, they hurled him upon the wheel."},{"chapter":9,"verse":13,"text":"And the noble youth, extended upon this, became dislocated."},{"chapter":9,"verse":14,"text":"And with every member disjointed, he exclaimed in expostulation,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":15,"text":"O most accursed tyrant, and enemy of heavenly justice, and cruel-hearted, I am no murderer, nor sacrilegious man, whom thou thus ill-usest; but a defender of the Divine law."},{"chapter":9,"verse":16,"text":"And when the spearmen said, Consent to eat, that you may be released from your tortures,—"},{"chapter":9,"verse":17,"text":"he answered, Not so powerful, O accursed ministers, is your wheel, as to stifle my reasoning; cut my limbs, and burn my flesh, and twist my joints."},{"chapter":9,"verse":18,"text":"For through all my torments I will convince you that the children of the Hebrews are alone unconquered in behalf of virtue."},{"chapter":9,"verse":19,"text":"While he was saying this, they heaped up fuel, and setting fire to it, strained him upon the wheel still more."},{"chapter":9,"verse":20,"text":"And the wheel was defiled all over with blood, and the hot ashes were quenched by the droppings of gore, and pieces of flesh were scattered about the axles of the machine."},{"chapter":9,"verse":21,"text":"And although the framework of his bones was now destroyed, the high-minded and Abrahamic youth did not groan."},{"chapter":9,"verse":22,"text":"But, as though transformed by fire into immortality, he nobly endured the rackings, saying,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":23,"text":"Imitate me, O brethren, nor ever desert your station, nor abjure my brotherhood in courage: fight the holy and honourable fight of religion;"},{"chapter":9,"verse":24,"text":"by which means our just and paternal Providence, becoming merciful to the nation, will punish the pestilent tyrant."},{"chapter":9,"verse":25,"text":"And saying this, the revered youth abruptly closed his life."},{"chapter":9,"verse":26,"text":"And when all admired his courageous soul, the spearmen brought forward him who was second in point of age, and having put on iron hands, bound him with pointed hooks to the catapelt."},{"chapter":9,"verse":27,"text":"And when, on enquiring whether he would eat before he was tortured, they heard his noble sentiment,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":28,"text":"after they with the iron hands had violently dragged all the flesh from the neck to the chin, the panther-like beasts tore off the very skin of his head: but he, bearing with firmness this misery, said,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":29,"text":"How sweet is every form of death for the religion of our fathers! and he said to the tyrant,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":30,"text":"Thinkest thou not, most cruel of all tyrants, that thou art now tortured more than I, finding thy overweening conception of tyranny conquered by our patience in behalf of our religion?"},{"chapter":9,"verse":31,"text":"For I lighten my suffering by the pleasures which are connected with virtue."},{"chapter":9,"verse":32,"text":"But thou art tortured with threatenings for impiety; and thou shalt not escape, most corrupt tyrant, the vengeance of Divine wrath."},{"chapter":12,"verse":1,"text":"When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the caldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward:"},{"chapter":12,"verse":2,"text":"whom the tyrant pitying, though he had been dreadfully reproached by his brethren,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":3,"text":"seeing him already encompassed with chains, had him brought nearer, and endeavoured to counsel him, saying,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":4,"text":"Thou seest the end of the madness of thy brethren: for they have died in torture through disobedience; and you, if disobedient, having been miserably tormented, will yourself perish prematurely."},{"chapter":12,"verse":5,"text":"But if you obey, you shall be my friend, and have a charge over the affairs of the kingdom."},{"chapter":12,"verse":6,"text":"And having thus exhorted him, he sent for the mother of the boy; that, by condoling with her for the loss of so many sons, he might incline her, through the hope of safety, to render the survivor obedient."},{"chapter":12,"verse":7,"text":"And he, after his mother had urged him on in the Hebrew tongue, (as we shall soon relate) says,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":8,"text":"Release me, that I may speak to the king and all his friends."},{"chapter":12,"verse":9,"text":"And they, rejoicing exceedingly at the promise of the youth, quickly let him go."},{"chapter":12,"verse":10,"text":"And he, running up to the pans, said,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":11,"text":"Impious tyrant, and most blasphemous man, wert thou not ashamed, having received prosperity and a kingdom from God, to slay His servants, and to rack the doers of godliness?"},{"chapter":12,"verse":12,"text":"Wherefore the divine vengeance is reserving thee for eternal fire and torments, which shall cling to thee for all time."},{"chapter":12,"verse":13,"text":"Wert thou not ashamed, man as thou art, yet most savage, to cut out the tongues of men of like feeling and origin, and having thus abused to torture them?"},{"chapter":12,"verse":14,"text":"But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion towards God."},{"chapter":12,"verse":15,"text":"But thou shalt groan according to thy deserts for having slain without cause the champions of virtue."},{"chapter":12,"verse":16,"text":"Wherefore, he continued, I myself, being about to die,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":17,"text":"will not forsake the testimony of my brethren."},{"chapter":12,"verse":18,"text":"And I call upon the God of my fathers to be merciful to my race."},{"chapter":12,"verse":19,"text":"But thee, both living and dead, he will punish."},{"chapter":12,"verse":20,"text":"Thus having prayed, he hurled himself into the pans; and so expired."},{"chapter":13,"verse":1,"text":"If then, the seven brethren despised troubles even unto death, it is confessed on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the passions."},{"chapter":13,"verse":2,"text":"For just as if, had they as slaves to the passions eaten of the unholy, we should have said that they had been conquered by them;"},{"chapter":13,"verse":3,"text":"now it is not so: but by means of the reasoning which is praised by God, they mastered their passions."},{"chapter":13,"verse":4,"text":"And it is impossible to overlook the leadership of reflection: for it gained the victory over both passions and troubles."},{"chapter":13,"verse":5,"text":"How, then, can we avoid according to these men mastery of passion through right reasoning, since they drew not back from the pains of fire?"},{"chapter":13,"verse":6,"text":"For just as by means of towers projecting in front of harbours men break the threatening waves, and thus assure a still course to vessels entering port,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":7,"text":"so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the intemperance of passions."},{"chapter":13,"verse":8,"text":"For having arranged a holy choir of piety, they encouraged one another, saying,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":9,"text":"Brothers, may we die brotherly for the law. Let us imitate the three young men in Assyria who despised the equally afflicting furnace."},{"chapter":13,"verse":10,"text":"Let us not be cowards in the manifestation of piety."},{"chapter":13,"verse":11,"text":"And one said, Courage, brother; and another, Nobly endure."},{"chapter":13,"verse":12,"text":"And another, Remember of what stock ye are; and by the hand of what father Isaac endured to be slain for the sake of piety."},{"chapter":13,"verse":13,"text":"And one and all, looking on each other serene and confident, said, Let us sacrifice with all our heart our souls to God who gave them, and employ our bodies for the keeping of the law."},{"chapter":13,"verse":14,"text":"Let us not fear him who thinketh he killeth;"},{"chapter":13,"verse":15,"text":"for great is the trial of soul and danger of eternal torment laid up for those who transgress the commandment of God."},{"chapter":13,"verse":16,"text":"Let us arm ourselves, therefore, in the abnegation of the divine reasoning."},{"chapter":13,"verse":17,"text":"If we suffer thus, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob will receive us, and all the fathers will commend us."},{"chapter":13,"verse":18,"text":"And as each one of the brethren was haled away, the rest exclaimed, Disgrace us not, O brother, nor falsify those who have died before you."},{"chapter":13,"verse":19,"text":"Now you are not ignorant of the charm of brotherhood, which the Divine and all-wise Providence has imparted through fathers to children, and has engendered through the mother's womb."},{"chapter":13,"verse":20,"text":"In which these brothers having remained an equal time, and having been formed for the same period, and been increased by the same blood, and having been perfected through the same principle of life,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":21,"text":"and having been brought forth at equal intervals, and having sucked milk from the same fountains, hence their brotherly souls are reared up lovingly together;"},{"chapter":13,"verse":22,"text":"and increase the more powerfully by reason of this simultaneous rearing, and by daily intercourse, and by other education, and exercise in the law of God."},{"chapter":13,"verse":23,"text":"Brotherly love being thus sympathetically constituted, the seven brethren had a more sympathetic mutual harmony."},{"chapter":13,"verse":24,"text":"For being educated in the same law, and practising the same virtues, and reared up in a just course of life, they increased this harmony with each other."},{"chapter":13,"verse":25,"text":"For a like ardour for what is right and honourable increased their fellow-feeling towards each other."},{"chapter":13,"verse":26,"text":"For it acting along with religion, made their brotherly feeling more desirable to them."},{"chapter":13,"verse":27,"text":"And yet, although nature and intercourse and virtuous morals increased their brotherly love, those who were left endured to behold their brethren, who were ill-used for their religion, tortured even unto death."},{"chapter":14,"verse":1,"text":"And more than this, they even urged them on to this ill-treatment; so that they not only despised pains themselves, but they even got the better of their affections of brotherly love."},{"chapter":14,"verse":2,"text":"O reasonings more royal than a king, and freer than freemen!"},{"chapter":14,"verse":3,"text":"Sacred and harmonious concert of the seven brethren as concerning piety!"},{"chapter":14,"verse":4,"text":"None of the seven youths turned cowardly, or shrank back from death."},{"chapter":14,"verse":5,"text":"But all of them, as though running the road to immortality, hastened on to death through tortures."},{"chapter":14,"verse":6,"text":"For just as hands and feet are moved sympathetically with the directions of the soul, so those holy youths agreed unto death for religion's sake, as through the immortal soul of religion."},{"chapter":14,"verse":7,"text":"O holy seven of harmonious brethren! for as the seven days of creation, about religion,"},{"chapter":14,"verse":8,"text":"so the youths, circling around the number seven, annulled the fear of torments."},{"chapter":14,"verse":9,"text":"We now shudder at the recital of the affliction of those young men; but they not only beheld, and not only heard the immediate execution of the threat, but undergoing it, persevered; and that through the pains of fire."},{"chapter":14,"verse":10,"text":"And what could be more painful? for the power of fire, being sharp and quick, speedily dissolved their bodies."},{"chapter":14,"verse":11,"text":"And think it not wonderful that reasoning bore rule over those men in their torments, when even a woman's mind despised more manifold pains."},{"chapter":14,"verse":12,"text":"For the mother of those seven youths endured the rackings of each of her children."},{"chapter":14,"verse":13,"text":"And consider how comprehensive is the love of offspring, which draws every one to sympathy of affection,"},{"chapter":14,"verse":14,"text":"where irrational animals possess a similar sympathy and love for their offspring with men."},{"chapter":14,"verse":15,"text":"The tame birds frequenting the roofs of our houses, defend their fledglings."},{"chapter":14,"verse":16,"text":"Others build their nests, and hatch their young, in the tops of mountains and in the precipices of valleys, and the holes and tops of trees, and keep off the intruder."},{"chapter":14,"verse":17,"text":"And if not able to do this, they fly circling round them in agony of affection, calling out in their own note, and save their offspring in whatever manner they are able."},{"chapter":14,"verse":18,"text":"But why should we point attention to the sympathy toward children shewn by irrational animals?"},{"chapter":14,"verse":19,"text":"The very bees, at the season of honey-making, attack all who approach; and pierce with their sting, as with a sword, those who draw near their hive, and repel them even unto death."},{"chapter":14,"verse":20,"text":"But sympathy with her children did not turn aside the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham."},{"chapter":15,"verse":1,"text":"O reasoning of the sons, lord over the passions, and religion more desirable to a mother than progeny!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":2,"text":"The mother, when two things were set before her, religion and the safety of her seven sons for a time, on the conditional promise of a tyrant,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":3,"text":"rather elected the religion which according to God preserves to eternal life."},{"chapter":15,"verse":4,"text":"O in what way can I describe ethically the affections of parents toward their children, the resemblance of soul and of form engrafted into the small type of a child in a wonderful manner, especially through the greater sympathy of mothers with the feelings of those born of them!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":5,"text":"for by how much mothers are by nature weak in disposition and prolific in offspring, by so much the fonder they are of children."},{"chapter":15,"verse":6,"text":"And of all mothers the mother of the seven was the fondest of children, who in seven childbirths had deeply engendered love toward them;"},{"chapter":15,"verse":7,"text":"and through her many pains undergone in connection with each one, was compelled to feel sympathy with them;"},{"chapter":15,"verse":8,"text":"yet, through fear of God, she neglected the temporary salvation of her children."},{"chapter":15,"verse":9,"text":"Not but that, on account of the excellent disposition of her sons, and their obedience to the law, her maternal affection toward them was increased."},{"chapter":15,"verse":10,"text":"For they were both just and temperate, and manly, and high-minded, and fond of their brethren, and so fond of their mother that even unto death they obeyed her by observing the law."},{"chapter":15,"verse":11,"text":"And yet, though there were so many circumstances connected with love of children to draw on a mother to sympathy, in the case of none of them were the various tortures able to pervert her principle."},{"chapter":15,"verse":12,"text":"But she inclined each one separately and all together to death for religion."},{"chapter":15,"verse":13,"text":"O holy nature and parental feeling, and reward of bringing up children, and unconquerable maternal affection!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":14,"text":"At the racking and roasting of each one of them, the observant mother was prevented by religion from changing."},{"chapter":15,"verse":15,"text":"She beheld her children's flesh dissolving around the fire; and their extremities quivering on the ground, and the flesh of their heads dropped forwards down to their beards, like masks."},{"chapter":15,"verse":16,"text":"O thou mother, who wast tried at this time with bitterer pangs than those of parturition!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":17,"text":"O thou only woman who hast brought forth perfect holiness!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":18,"text":"Thy first-born, expiring, turned thee not; nor the second, looking miserable in his torments; nor the third, breathing out his soul."},{"chapter":15,"verse":19,"text":"Nor when thou didst behold the eyes of each of them looking sternly upon their tortures, and their nostrils foreboding death, didst thou weep!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":20,"text":"When thou didst see children's flesh heaped upon children's flesh that had been torn off, hands upon hands cut off, heads decapitated upon heads, dead falling upon the dead, and a choir of children turned through torture into a burying-ground, thou lamentedst not."},{"chapter":15,"verse":21,"text":"Not so do siren melodies, or songs of swans, attract the hearers to listening, O voices of children calling upon your mother in the midst of torments!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":22,"text":"With what and what manner of torments was the mother herself tortured, as her sons were undergoing the wheel and the fires!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":23,"text":"But religious reasoning, having strengthened her courage in the midst of sufferings, enabled her to forego, for the time, parental love."},{"chapter":15,"verse":24,"text":"Although beholding the destruction of seven children, the noble mother, after one embrace, stripped off [her feelings] through faith in God."},{"chapter":15,"verse":25,"text":"For just as in a council-room, beholding in her own soul vehement counsellors, nature and parentage and love of her children, and the racking of her children,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":26,"text":"she holding two votes, one for the death, the other for the preservation of her children,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":27,"text":"did not lean to that which would have saved her children for the safety of a brief space."},{"chapter":15,"verse":28,"text":"But this daughter of Abraham remembered his holy fortitude."},{"chapter":15,"verse":29,"text":"O mother of a nation, avenger of the law, and defender of religion, and prime bearer in the battle of the affections!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":30,"text":"O thou nobler in endurance than males, and more manly than men in patience!"},{"chapter":15,"verse":31,"text":"For as the ark of Noah, bearing the world in the world-filling flood, bore up against the waves,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":32,"text":"so thou, the guardian of the law, when surrounded on every side by the flood of passions, and straitened by violent storms which were the torments of thy children, didst bear up nobly against the storms against religion."},{"chapter":16,"verse":1,"text":"If, then, even a woman, and that an aged one, and the mother of seven children, endured to see her children's torments even unto death, confessedly religious reasoning is master even of the passions."},{"chapter":16,"verse":2,"text":"I have proved, then, that not only men have obtained the mastery of their passions, but also that a woman despised the greatest torments."},{"chapter":16,"verse":3,"text":"And not so fierce were the lions round Daniel, nor the furnace of Misael burning with most vehement fire, as that natural love of children burned within her, when she beheld her seven sons tortured."},{"chapter":16,"verse":4,"text":"But with the reasoning of religion the mother quenched passions so great and powerful."},{"chapter":16,"verse":5,"text":"For we must consider also this: that, had the woman been faint-hearted, as being their mother, she would have lamented over them; and perhaps might have spoken thus:"},{"chapter":16,"verse":6,"text":"Ah! wretched I, and many times miserable; who having born seven sons, have become the mother of none."},{"chapter":16,"verse":7,"text":"O seven useless childbirths, and seven profitless periods of labour, and fruitless givings of suck, and miserable nursings at the breast."},{"chapter":16,"verse":8,"text":"Vainly, for your sakes, O sons, have I endured many pangs, and the more difficult anxieties of rearing."},{"chapter":16,"verse":9,"text":"Alas, of my children, some of you unmarried, and some who have married to no profit, I shall not see your children, nor be felicitated as a grandmother."},{"chapter":16,"verse":10,"text":"Ah, that I who had many and fair children, should be a lone widow full of sorrows!"},{"chapter":16,"verse":11,"text":"Nor, should I die, shall I have a son to bury me. But with such a lament as this the holy and God-fearing mother bewailed none of them."},{"chapter":16,"verse":12,"text":"Nor did she divert any of them from death, nor grieve for them as for the dead."},{"chapter":16,"verse":13,"text":"But as one possessed with an adamantine mind, and as one bringing forth again her full number of sons to immortality, she rather with supplications exhorted them to death in behalf of religion."},{"chapter":16,"verse":14,"text":"O woman, soldier of God for religion, thou, aged and a female, hast conquered through endurance even a tyrant; and though but weak, hast been found more powerful in deeds and words."},{"chapter":16,"verse":15,"text":"For when thou wast seized along with thy children, thou stoodest looking upon Eleazar in torments, and saidst to thy sons in the Hebrew tongue,"},{"chapter":16,"verse":16,"text":"O sons, noble is the contest; to which you being called as a witness for the nation, strive zealously for the laws of your country."},{"chapter":16,"verse":17,"text":"For it were disgraceful that this old man should endure pains for the sake of righteousness, and that you who are younger should be afraid of the tortures."},{"chapter":16,"verse":18,"text":"Remember that through God ye obtained existence, and have enjoyed it."},{"chapter":16,"verse":19,"text":"And on this account ye ought to bear every affliction because of God."},{"chapter":16,"verse":20,"text":"For whom also our father Abraham was forward to sacrifice Isaac our progenitor, and shuddered not at the sight of his own paternal hand descending down with the sword upon him."},{"chapter":16,"verse":21,"text":"And the righteous Daniel was cast unto the lions; and Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael, were slung out into a furnace of fire; yet they endured through God."},{"chapter":16,"verse":22,"text":"You, then, having the same faith towards God, be not troubled."},{"chapter":16,"verse":23,"text":"For it is unreasonable that they who know religion should not stand up against troubles."},{"chapter":16,"verse":24,"text":"With these arguments, the mother of seven, exhorting each of her sons, over-persuaded them from transgressing the commandment of God."},{"chapter":16,"verse":25,"text":"And they saw this, too, that they who die for God, live to God; as Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the patriarchs."},{"chapter":17,"verse":1,"text":"And some of the spearbearers said, that when she herself was about to be seized for the purpose of being put to death, she threw herself upon the pile, rather than that they should touch her person."},{"chapter":17,"verse":2,"text":"O thou mother, who together with seven children didst destroy the violence of the tyrant, and render void his wicked intentions, and exhibit the nobleness of faith!"},{"chapter":17,"verse":3,"text":"For thou, as a house bravely built upon the pillar of thy children, didst bear without swaying, the shock of tortures."},{"chapter":17,"verse":4,"text":"Be of good cheer, therefore, O holy-minded mother! holding the firm [substance of the] hope of your steadfastness with God."},{"chapter":17,"verse":5,"text":"Not so gracious does the moon appear with the stars in heaven, as thou art established honourable before God, and fixed in the firmament with thy sons whom thou didst illuminate with religion to the stars."},{"chapter":17,"verse":6,"text":"For thy bearing of children was after the fashion of a child of Abraham."},{"chapter":17,"verse":7,"text":"And, were it lawful for us to paint as on a tablet the religion of thy story, the spectators would not shudder at beholding the mother of seven children enduring for the sake of religion various tortures even unto death."},{"chapter":17,"verse":8,"text":"And it had been a worthy thing to have inscribed upon the tomb itself these words as a memorial to those of the nation,"},{"chapter":17,"verse":9,"text":"Here an aged priest, and an aged woman, and seven sons, are buried through the violence of a tyrant, who wished to destroy the polity of the Hebrews."},{"chapter":17,"verse":10,"text":"These also avenged their nation, looking unto God, and enduring torments unto death."},{"chapter":17,"verse":11,"text":"For it was a truly divine contest which was carried through by them."},{"chapter":17,"verse":12,"text":"For at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life."},{"chapter":17,"verse":13,"text":"Eleazar was the first to contend: and the mother of the seven children entered the contest; and the brethren contended."},{"chapter":17,"verse":14,"text":"The tyrant was the opposite; and the world and living men were the spectators."},{"chapter":17,"verse":15,"text":"And reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes."},{"chapter":17,"verse":16,"text":"Who did not admire those champions of true legislation? who were not astonied?"},{"chapter":17,"verse":17,"text":"The tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance;"},{"chapter":17,"verse":18,"text":"through which, also, they now stand beside the divine throne, and live a blessed life."},{"chapter":17,"verse":19,"text":"For Moses saith, And all the saints are under thy hands."},{"chapter":17,"verse":20,"text":"These, therefore, having been sanctified through God, have been honoured not only with this honour, but that also by their means the enemy did not overcome our nation;"},{"chapter":17,"verse":21,"text":"and that the tyrant was punished, and their country purified."},{"chapter":17,"verse":22,"text":"For they became the antipoise to the sin of the nation; and the Divine Providence saved Israel, aforetime afflicted, by the blood of those pious ones, and their propitiatory death."},{"chapter":17,"verse":23,"text":"For the tyrant Antiochus, looking to their manly virtue, and to their endurance in torture, proclaimed that endurance as an example to his soldiers."},{"chapter":17,"verse":24,"text":"And they proved to be to him noble and brave for land battles and sieges; and he conquered and stormed the towns of all his enemies."},{"chapter":18,"verse":1,"text":"O Israelitish children, descendants of the seed of Abraham, obey this law, and in every way be religious."},{"chapter":18,"verse":2,"text":"Knowing that religious reasoning is lord of the passions, and those not only inward but outward."},{"chapter":18,"verse":3,"text":"Whence those persons giving up their bodies to pains for the sake of religion, were not only admired by men, but were deemed worthy of a divine portion."},{"chapter":18,"verse":4,"text":"And the nation through them obtained peace, and having renewed the observance of the law in their country, drove the enemy out of the land."},{"chapter":18,"verse":5,"text":"And the tyrant Antiochus was both punished upon earth, and is punished now he is dead; for when he was quite unable to compel the Israelites to adopt foreign customs, and to desert the manner of life of their fathers,"},{"chapter":18,"verse":6,"text":"then, departing from Jerusalem, he made war against the Persians."},{"chapter":18,"verse":7,"text":"And the righteous mother of the seven children spake also as follows to her offspring: I was a pure virgin, and went not beyond my father's house; but I took care of the built-up rib."},{"chapter":18,"verse":8,"text":"No destroyer of the desert, [or] ravisher of the plain, injured me; nor did the destructive, deceitful, snake, make spoil of my chaste virginity; and I remained with my husband during the period of my prime."},{"chapter":18,"verse":9,"text":"And these my children, having arrived at maturity, their father died: blessed was he! for having sought out a life of fertility in children, he was not grieved with a period of loss of children."},{"chapter":18,"verse":10,"text":"And he used to teach you, when yet with you, the law and the prophets."},{"chapter":18,"verse":11,"text":"He used to read to you the slaying of Abel by Cain, and the offering up of Isaac, and the imprisonment of Joseph."},{"chapter":18,"verse":12,"text":"And he used to tell you of the zealous Phinehas; and informed you of Ananias and Azarias, and Misael in the fire."},{"chapter":18,"verse":13,"text":"And he used to glorify Daniel, who was in the den of lions, and pronounce him blessed."},{"chapter":18,"verse":14,"text":"And he used to put you in mind of the scripture of Esaias, which saith, Even if thou pass through the fire, it shall not burn thee."},{"chapter":18,"verse":15,"text":"He chanted to you David, the hymn-writer, who saith, Many are the afflictions of the just."},{"chapter":18,"verse":16,"text":"He declared the proverbs of Solomon, who saith, He is a tree of life to all those who do His will."},{"chapter":18,"verse":17,"text":"He used to verify Ezekiel, who said, Shall these dry bones live?"},{"chapter":18,"verse":18,"text":"For he did not forget the song which Moses taught, proclaiming, I will kill, and I will make to live."},{"chapter":18,"verse":19,"text":"This is our life, and the length of our days."},{"chapter":18,"verse":20,"text":"O that bitter, and yet not bitter, day when the bitter tyrant of the Greeks, quenching fire with fire in his cruel caldrons, brought with boiling rage the seven sons of the daughter of Abraham to the catapelt, and to all his torments!"},{"chapter":18,"verse":21,"text":"He pierced the balls of their eyes, and cut out their tongues, and put them to death with varied tortures."},{"chapter":18,"verse":22,"text":"Wherefore divine retribution pursued and will pursue the pestilent wretch."},{"chapter":18,"verse":23,"text":"But the children of Abraham, with their victorious mother, are assembled together to the choir of their fathers; having received pure and immortal souls from God."},{"chapter":18,"verse":24,"text":"To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."}]},{"code":"LXX","name":"Septuagint (Greek)","language":"grc","source":"Greek Septuagint as printed by Brenton (1851), public domain. Text from eBible.org","verses":[{"chapter":1,"verse":1,"text":"ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΩΤΑΤΟΝ λόγον ἐπιδείκνυσθαι μέλλων, εἰ αὐτοδέσποτός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός· συμβουλεύσαιμʼ ἂν ὑμῖν ὀρθῶς, ὅπως προθύμως προσέχητε τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ."},{"chapter":1,"verse":2,"text":"Καὶ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖος εἰς ἐπιστήμην παντὶ ὁ λόγος, καὶ ἄλλως τῆς μεγίστης ἀρετῆς ἀρετῆς, λέγω δὴ φρονήσεως, περιέχει ἔπαινον·"},{"chapter":1,"verse":3,"text":"Εἰ ἄρα τῶν σωφροσύνης κωλυτικῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς φαίνεται ἐπικρατεῖν, γαστριμαργίας τε καὶ ἐπιθυμίας·"},{"chapter":1,"verse":4,"text":"ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐμποδιστικῶν παθῶν κυριεύειν ἀναφαίνεται, οἷον κακοηθείας· καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀνδρείας ἐμποδιστικῶν παθῶν, θυμοῦ τε, καὶ πόνου καὶ φόβου."},{"chapter":1,"verse":5,"text":"Πῶς οὖν, ἴσως εἴποιεν ἄν τινες, εἰ τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατεῖ, λήθης καὶ ἀγνοίας οὐ δεσπόζει;"},{"chapter":1,"verse":6,"text":"γελοῖον ἐπιχειροῦντες λέγειν· οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῶν τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀνδρείας καὶ σωφροσύνης, καὶ φρονήσεως ἐναντίων· καὶ τούτων, οὐχ ὥστε αὐτὰ καταλῦσαι, ἀλλʼ ὥστε αὐτοῖς μὴ εἶξαι."},{"chapter":1,"verse":7,"text":"Πολλαχόθεν μὲν οὖν καὶ ἀλλαχόθεν ἔχοιμʼ ἂν ὑμῖν ἐπιδεῖξαι, ὅτι αὐτοκράτωρ ἐστὶν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός."},{"chapter":1,"verse":8,"text":"Πολὺ δὲ πλέον τοῦτο ἀποδείξαιμι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνδραγαθείας τῶν ὑπὲρ ἀρετὴν ἀποθανόντων, Ἐλεαζάρου τε καὶ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφῶν καὶ τῆς τούτων μητρός."},{"chapter":1,"verse":9,"text":"Ἅπαντες γὰρ οὗτοι τῶν ἕως θανάτου πόνων ὑπεριδοντες, ὑπεριδόντες ἐπεδείξαντο ὅτι περικρατεῖ τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμός."},{"chapter":1,"verse":10,"text":"Τῶν μὲν οὖν ἀρετῶν, ἔπεστί μοι ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς καλοκᾳγαθίας ἀποθανόντας μετὰ τῆς μητρὸς ἄνδρας·"},{"chapter":1,"verse":11,"text":"τῶν δὲ τιμῶν μακαρίσαιμʼ ἄν· θαυμασθέντες γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ τῇ ὑπομονῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν αἰκισαμένων, αἴτιοι κατέστησαν τοῦ καταλυθῆναι τὴν κατὰ τοῦ ἔθνους τυραννίδα, νικήσαντες τὸν τύραννον τῇ ὑπομονῇ, ὥστε διʼ αὐτῶν καθαρισθῆναι τὴν πατρίδα."},{"chapter":1,"verse":12,"text":"Ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τούτου νῦν αὐτίκα δὴ λέγειν ἐξέσται, ἀρξαμένων τῆς ὑποθέσεως, ὥσπερ εἴωθα ποιεῖν, καὶ οὕτως εἰς τὸν περὶ αὐτῶν τρέψομαι λόγον, δόξαν διδοὺς τῷ πανσόφῳ Θεῷ."},{"chapter":1,"verse":13,"text":"Ζητοῦμεν δὴ τοίνυν, εἰ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐστὶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμός."},{"chapter":1,"verse":14,"text":"Διακρίνωμεν δὲ, τί ποτέ ἐστιν λογισμός; καὶ τί πάθος; καὶ πόσαι παθῶν ἰδέαι; καὶ εἰ πάντων ἐπικρατεῖ τούτων ὁ λογισμός;"},{"chapter":1,"verse":15,"text":"Λογισμὸς μὲν δὴ τοίνυν ἐστὶν νοῦς μετὰ ὀρθοῦς βίου· πρωτιμῶν τὸν σοφίας λόγον."},{"chapter":1,"verse":16,"text":"Σοφία δὴ τοὶνυν ἐστὶν γνῶσις θείων καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων, καὶ τῶν τούτων αἰτίων."},{"chapter":1,"verse":17,"text":"Αὕτη δὴ τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἠ τοῦ νόμου παιδσεία· διʼ ἧς τὰ θεῖα σεμνῶς, καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα συμφερόντως μανθάνομεν."},{"chapter":1,"verse":18,"text":"Τῆς δὲ σοφίας ἰδέαι καθεστᾶσιν, φρόνησις καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἀνδρεια καὶ σωφροσύνη."},{"chapter":1,"verse":19,"text":"Κυριωτάτη πάντων ἡ φρόνησις· ἐξ ἧς δὴ τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς ἐπικρατεῖ."},{"chapter":1,"verse":20,"text":"Παθῶν δὲ φύσεις εἰσὶν αἱ περιεκτικώταται δύο, ἡδονή τε καὶ πόνος· τούτων δὲ ἐκάτερον καὶ περὶ τὴν ψυχὴν πέφυκεν."},{"chapter":1,"verse":21,"text":"Πολλαὶ δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν καὶ τὸν πόνον παθῶν εἰσὶν ἀκολουθίαι."},{"chapter":1,"verse":22,"text":"Πρὸ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐστιν ἐπιθυμία· μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἡδονὴν, χαρά."},{"chapter":1,"verse":23,"text":"Πρὸ δὲ τοῦ πόνου ἐστὶν φόβος· μετὰ δὲ τὸν πόνον, λύπη."},{"chapter":1,"verse":24,"text":"Θυμὸς δὲ κοινὸν πάθος ἐστὶν ἡδονῆς καὶ πόνου, ἐὰν ἐννοηθῇ τις ὃτε αὐτῷ περιέπεσεν."},{"chapter":1,"verse":25,"text":"Ἐν δὲ τῇ ἡδονῇ ἐστιν καὶ ἡ κακοήθης διάθεσις, πολυτροπωτάτη πάντων τῶν παθῶν οὖσα."},{"chapter":1,"verse":26,"text":"Κατὰ μὲν ψυχῆς ἀλαζονεία, καὶ φιλαργυρία, καὶ φιλοδοξία, καὶ φιλονεικία, ἀπιστία καὶ βασκανία·"},{"chapter":1,"verse":27,"text":"κατὰ δὲ τὸ σῶμα, παντοφαγία, καὶ λαιμαργία, καὶ νομοφαγία."},{"chapter":1,"verse":28,"text":"Καθάπερ οὖν δυοῖν τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς φυτῶν ὄντων ἡδονῆς τε καὶ πὸνου, πολλαὶ τούτων τῶν παθῶν εἰσιν παραφυάδες."},{"chapter":1,"verse":29,"text":"Ὧν ἕκαστος ὁ πανγέωργος λογισμὸς περικαθαίρων τε καὶ ἀποκνίζων, καὶ περιπλέκων, καὶ ἐπάρδων, καὶ πάντα τρόπον μεταχέων, ἐξημεροῖ τὰς τῶν ἠθῶν καὶ παθῶν ὕλας."},{"chapter":1,"verse":30,"text":"Ὁ γὰρ λογισμὸς τῶν μὲν ἀρετῶν ἐστιν ἡγεμῶν, τῶν δὲ παθῶν αὐτοκράτωρ. Ἐπιθεώρει γε τοίνυν πρῶτον διʼ αὐτῶν κωλυτικῶν τῆς σωφροσύνης ἔργων, ὅτι αὐτοδέσποτός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμός."},{"chapter":1,"verse":31,"text":"Σωφροσύνη δὴ τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἐπικράτεια τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν."},{"chapter":1,"verse":32,"text":"Τῶν δὲ ἐπιθυμιῶν αἱ μέν εἰσιν ψυχικαὶ, αἱ δὲ σωματικαί· καὶ τούτων ἀμφοτέρων ὁ λογισμὸς ἐπικρατεῖν φαίνεται."},{"chapter":1,"verse":33,"text":"Ἐπεὶ πόθεν κινούμενοι πρὸς τὰς ἀπειρημένας τοοφὰς, ἀποτρεπόμεθα τὰς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ἡδονάς; οὐχ ὅτι δύναται τῶν ὀρὲξεων ἐπικρατεῖν ὁ λογισμός; ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι."},{"chapter":1,"verse":34,"text":"Τοιγαροῦν ἐνύδρων ἐπιθυμοῦντες καὶ ὀρνέων καὶ τετραπόδων, παντοίων βρωμάτων τὼν ἀπηγορευμένων ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἀπεχόμεθα διὰ τὴν τοῦ λογισμοῦ ἐπικράτειαν."},{"chapter":1,"verse":35,"text":"Ἀντέχεται γὰρ τὰ τῶν ὀρέξεων πάθη ὑπὸ τοῦ σώφρονος νοὸς ἀνακαμπτόμενα· καὶ φιλοτιμοῦνται πάντα τὰ τοῦ σώματος κινήματα ὑπὸ τοῦ λογισμοῦ."},{"chapter":2,"verse":1,"text":"Καὶ τὶ θαυμαστὸν; εἰ αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιθυμίαι πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κάλλους μετουσίαν ἀκυροῦνται."},{"chapter":2,"verse":2,"text":"Ταύτῃ γοῦν ὁ σώφρων Ἰωσὴφ ἐπαινεῖται, ὅτι τῷ λογισμῷ, διανοίᾳ περιεκράτησεν τῆς ἠδυπαθείας."},{"chapter":2,"verse":3,"text":"Νέος γὰρ ὢν καὶ ἀκμάζων πρὸς συνουσιασμὸν ἠκύρωσεν τῷ λογισμῷ τὸν τῶν παθῶν οἶστρον."},{"chapter":2,"verse":4,"text":"Οὐ μόνον δὲ τὴν τῆς ἡδυπαθείας οἰστρηλασίαν ἐπικρατεῖν ὁ λογισμὸς φαίνεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης ἐπιθυμίας."},{"chapter":2,"verse":5,"text":"Λέγει γοῦν ὁ νόμος· οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ πλησίον σου, οὐδὲ ὅσα τῷ πλησίον σου ἐστίν."},{"chapter":2,"verse":6,"text":"Καίτοι ὅτε μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν εἴρηκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ νόμος, πολὺ πλέον πείσαιμʼ ἂν ὑμᾶς, ὅτι τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν κρατεῖν δύναται ὁ λογισμὸς, ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν κωλυτικῶν τῆς δικαιοσύνης παθῶν."},{"chapter":2,"verse":7,"text":"Ἐπεὶ τίνα τρόπον μονοφάγος τις ὢν τὸ ἦθος, καὶ γαστρίμαργος, καὶ μέθυσος, μεταπαιδεύεται, εἰ μὴ δῆλον, ὅτι κύριός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμός;"},{"chapter":2,"verse":8,"text":"Αὐτίκα γοῦν τῷ νόμῳ πολιτευόμενος, κᾂν φιλάργυρός τις εἴη, βιάζεται τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τρόπον, τοῖς δεομένοις δανείζων χωρὶς τόκων, καὶ τὸ δάνειον τῶν ἑβδομάδων ἐντάσσων χρεοκοπούμενος."},{"chapter":2,"verse":9,"text":"Κᾂν φειδωλός τις ᾖ, ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου κρατεῖται διὰ τὸν λογισμὸν, μήτε ἐπικαρπούμενος τοὺς ἀμητοὺς, μήτε ἐπιῤῥωγολογούμενος τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐτέρων ἔστιν ἐπιγνῶναι τοῦτο, ὅτι τῶν παθῶν ἐστιν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατῶν."},{"chapter":2,"verse":10,"text":"Ὁ γὰρ νόμος καὶ τῆς πρὸς γονεῖς εὐνοίας κρατεῖ, μὴ καταπροδιδοὺς τὴν ἀρετὴν διʼ αὐτούς·"},{"chapter":2,"verse":11,"text":"καὶ τῆς προσγαμετῆς φιλίας ἐπικρατεῖ, διὰ παρανομίαν αὐτὴν ἀπελέγχων."},{"chapter":2,"verse":12,"text":"Καὶ τῆς τέκνων φιλίας κυριεύει, διὰ κακίαν αὐτῶν κολάζων, καὶ τῆς φίλων συνηθείας δεσπόζει, διὰ πονηρίας αὐτοὺς ἐξελέγχων."},{"chapter":2,"verse":13,"text":"Καὶ μὴ νομίσητε παράδοξον εἶναι, ὅπου καὶ ἔχθραν ὁ λογισμὸς ἐπικρατεῖν δύναται διὰ τὸν νόμον,"},{"chapter":2,"verse":14,"text":"μηδὲ δενδροτομῶν τὰ ἥμερα τῶν πολεμίων φυτὰ, τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῖς ἀπολέσασιν διασώζων, καὶ τὰ πεπτωκότα συνεγείρων."},{"chapter":2,"verse":15,"text":"Καὶ τῶν βιοτέρων δὲ παθῶν κρατεῖν ὁ λογισμὸς φαίνεται, φιλαρχίας, καὶ κενοδοξίας, καὶ ἀλαζονείας, καὶ μεγαλαυχίας, καὶ βασκανίας."},{"chapter":2,"verse":16,"text":"Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ κακοήθη πάθη ὁ σώφρων νοῦς ἀπωθεῖται, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸν θυμόν· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο δεσπόζει."},{"chapter":2,"verse":17,"text":"Θυμούμενος γέ τοι Μωσῆς κατὰ Δαθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρῶν, οὐ θυμῷ τι κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ λογισμῷ τὸν θυμὸν διῄτησεν."},{"chapter":2,"verse":18,"text":"Δυνατὸς γὰρ ὁ σώφρων νοῦς, ὡς ἔφην, κατὰ τῶν παθῶι ἀριστεῦσαι, καὶ τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν μεταθεῖναι, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἀκυρῶσαι."},{"chapter":2,"verse":19,"text":"Ἐπεὶ διατί ὁ πάνσοφος ἡμῶν πατὴρ Ἰακὼβ τοὺς περὶ Συμεὼν καὶ Λευὶν αἰτιᾶται, μὴ λογισμῷ τοὺς Σικιμίτας ἐθνηδὸν ἀποσφάξαντας, λέγων, ἐπικατάρατος ὁ θυμὸς αὐτῶν;"},{"chapter":2,"verse":20,"text":"Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐδύνετο τῶν θυμῶν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατεῖν, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν οὑτως."},{"chapter":2,"verse":21,"text":"Ὁπηνίκα γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατεσκεύαζεν, τὰ πάθη αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἤθη περιεφύτευσεν."},{"chapter":2,"verse":22,"text":"Καὶ τηνικαῦτα δὲ περὶ πάντων τὸν ἱερὸν ἡγεμόνα νοῦν διὰ τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἐνεθρόνισεν·"},{"chapter":2,"verse":23,"text":"καὶ τούτῳ νόμον ἔδωκεν, καθʼ ὃν πολιτευόμενος βασιλεύσει βασιλείαν σώφρονά τε, καὶ δικαίαν, καὶ ἀγαθὴν, καὶ ἀνδρείαν."},{"chapter":2,"verse":24,"text":"Πῶς οὖν, εἴποι τις ἂν, εἰ τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς κρατεῖ, λήθης καὶ ἀγνοίας οὐ κρατεῖ;"},{"chapter":3,"verse":1,"text":"Ἐστὶ δὲ κομιδῆ γελοῖος ὁ λογισμός οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς ἐπικρατεῖν φαίνεται, ἀλλὰ τῶν σωματικῶν."},{"chapter":3,"verse":2,"text":"Οἷον ἐπιθυμίαν τις ὑμῶν οὐ δύναται ἐκκόψαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ δουλωθῆναι τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ δύναται ὁ λογισμὸς παρασχέσθαι."},{"chapter":3,"verse":3,"text":"Θυμόν τις οὐ δύναται ἐκκόψαι ἡμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀλλὰ τῷ θυμῷ δυνατὸν βοηθῆσαι."},{"chapter":3,"verse":4,"text":"Κακοήθειάν τις ὑμῶν οὐ δύναται ἐκκόψαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ καμφθῆναι τῇ κακοηθείᾀ δυνατὸν ὁ λογισμὸς συμμαχῆσαι."},{"chapter":3,"verse":5,"text":"Οὐ γὰρ ἐκριζωτὴς τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμός ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ ἀνταγωνιστής."},{"chapter":3,"verse":6,"text":"Ἔστιν γοῦν τοῦτο διὰ τῆς Δαυεὶδ τοῦ βασιλέως δίψης σαφέστερον ἐπιλογίσασθαι."},{"chapter":3,"verse":7,"text":"Ἐπεὶ γὰρ διʼ ὅλης ἡμέρας προσβαλὼν τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις ὁ Δαυὶδ, πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἀπέκτεινεν μετὰ τῶν τοῦ ἔθνους στρατιωτῶν·"},{"chapter":3,"verse":8,"text":"τότε δὲ γενομένης ἑσπέρας, ὑδρῶν καὶ σφόδρα κεκμηκὼς, ἐπὶ τὴν βασίλειον σκηνὴν ἦλθεν, περὶ ἣν ὁ πᾶς τῶν προγόνων στρατὸς ἐστρατοπέδευκεν."},{"chapter":3,"verse":9,"text":"Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι πάντες ἐπὶ τὸ δεῖπνον ἦσαν."},{"chapter":3,"verse":10,"text":"Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὡς μάλιστα διψῶν, καίπερ ἀφθόνους ἔχων πηγὰς, οὐκ ἠδύνατο διʼ αὐτῶν ἰάσασθαι τὴν δίψαν·"},{"chapter":3,"verse":11,"text":"ἀλλά τις αὐτὸν ἀλόγιστος ἐπιθυμία τοῦ παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ὕδατος ἐπιτείνουσα συνέφρυγεν, καὶ λύουσα κατέφλεγεν."},{"chapter":3,"verse":12,"text":"Ὅθεν τῶν ὑπερασπιστῶν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιθυμία σχετλιαζόντων, δύο νεανίσκοι στρατιῶται καρτεροὶ καταιδεσθέντες τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιθυμίαν, τὰς πανοπλίας καθωπλίσαντο, καὶ κάλπην λαβόντες ὑπερέβησαν τοὺς τῶν πολεμίων χάρακας·"},{"chapter":3,"verse":13,"text":"καὶ λαθόντες τοὺς τῶν πυλῶν ἀκροφύλακας, διεξῄεσαν εὑράμενοι κατὰ πᾶν τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον."},{"chapter":3,"verse":14,"text":"Καὶ ἀνευράμενοι θαῤῥαλέως τὴν πηγὴν, ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐγέμισαν τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ ποτόν."},{"chapter":3,"verse":15,"text":"Ὁ δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν δίψαν διαπυρούμενος, ἐλογίσατο πάνδεινον εἶναι κίνδυνον τῇ ψυχῇ λογισθὲν ἰσοδύναμον τὸ ποτὸν αἵματι."},{"chapter":3,"verse":16,"text":"Ὅθεν ἀντιθεὶς τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τὸν λογισμὸν, ἔσπεισεν τὸ πόμα τῷ Θεῷ."},{"chapter":3,"verse":17,"text":"Δυνατὸς γὰρ ὁ σώφρων νοῦς νικῆσαι τὰς τῶν παθῶν ἀνάγκας, καὶ σβέσαι τὰς τῶν οἴστρων φλεγμονὰς, καὶ τὰς τῶν σωμάτων ἀλγηδόνας καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν οὔσας καταπαλαῖσαι,"},{"chapter":3,"verse":18,"text":"καὶ τῆς καλοκᾳγαθίας τοῦ λογισμοῦ ἀποπτῦσαι πάσας τὰς τῶν παθῶν ἐπικρατείας."},{"chapter":3,"verse":19,"text":"Ἤδη δὲ καὶ ὁ καιρὸς ἡμᾶς καλεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ἱστορίας τοῦ σώφρονος λογισμοῦ."},{"chapter":3,"verse":20,"text":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ βαθεῖαν εἰρήνην διὰ τὴν εὐνομίαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν εἶχον, καὶ ἔπραττον καλῶς, ὥστε καὶ τὸν τῆς Ἀσίας βασιλέα Σέλευκον τὸν Νικάνορα καὶ χρήματα εἰς τὴν ἱερουργίαν αὐτοῖς ἀποφορίσαι, καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν αὐτῶν ἀποδέχεσθαι·"},{"chapter":3,"verse":21,"text":"τότε δή τινες πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν νεωτερίσαντες ὁμόνοιαν, πυλυτρόπως ἐχρήσαντο συμφοραῖς."},{"chapter":4,"verse":1,"text":"Σίμων γάρ τις πρὸς Ὀνίαν ἀντιπολιτεύομενος τόν ποτε τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἔχοντα διὰ βίου, καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἄνδρα, ἐπειδὴ πάντα τρόπον διαβάλλων ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους οὐκ ἰσχυσεν κακῶσαι, φυγὰς ᾤχετο, τὴν πατρίδα προδώσων."},{"chapter":4,"verse":2,"text":"Ὅθεν ἥκων πρὸς Ἀπολλώνιος, τὸν Συρίας τε καὶ Φοινίκης καὶ Κιλικίας στρατηγὸν, ἔλεγεν,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":3,"text":"εὔνους ὢν τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως πράγμασιν ἥκω, μηνύων πολλὰς ἰδιωτικῶν χρημάτων μυριάδας ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμων γαζοφυλακίοις τεθησαύρισται, τῷ ἱερῷ μὴ ἐπικοινωνούσας, ἀλλὰ προσήκειν ταῦτα Σελεύκῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ."},{"chapter":4,"verse":4,"text":"Τούτων ἕκαστα γνοὺς ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος, τὸν μὲν Σίμωνα τῆς εἰς τὸν βασιλέα κηδεμονίας ἐπαινεῖ, πρὸς δὲ τὸν Σέλευκον ἀναβὰς κατεμήνυε τὸν τῶν χρημάτων θησαυρόν·"},{"chapter":4,"verse":5,"text":"καὶ λαβὼν τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν ἐξουσίαν, ταχὺ εἰς τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῶν μετὰ τοῦ καταράτου Σίμωνος καὶ βαρυτάτου στρατοῦ προσελθὼν,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":6,"text":"ταῖς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐντολαῖς ἥκειν ἔλεγεν, ὅπως τὰ ἰδιωτικὰ τοῦ γαζοφυλακίου λάβοι χρήματα."},{"chapter":4,"verse":7,"text":"Καὶ τοῦ ἔθνους πρὸς τὸν λόγον σχετλιάζοντος, ἀντιλέγοντός τε, πάνδεινον εἶναι νομίσαντες, εἰ οἱ τὰς παρακαταθήκας πιστεύσαντας τῷ ἱερῷ θησαυρῷ στερηθήσονται, ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν ἐκώλυον."},{"chapter":4,"verse":8,"text":"Μετὰ ἀπειλῆς δὲ ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος ἀπῄει εἰς τὸ ἱερόν."},{"chapter":4,"verse":9,"text":"Τῶν δὲ ἱερέων μετὰ γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἱκετευσάντων τὸν Θεὸν ὑπερασπίσαι τοῦ ἱεροῦ καταφρονουμένου τόπου."},{"chapter":4,"verse":10,"text":"Ἀνιόντος τε μετὰ καθωπλισμένης τῆς στρατιᾶς τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου πρὸς τὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἀρπαγὴν οὐρανόθεν ἔφιπποι προϋφάνησαν ἄγγελοι περιαστράπτοντες τοῖς ὅπλοις, καὶ πολὺν αὐτοῖς φόβον τε καὶ τρόμον ἐνιόντες."},{"chapter":4,"verse":11,"text":"Καταπεσὼν γέ τοι ἡμιθανὴς ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος ἐπὶ τὸν πάμφυλον τοῦ ἱεροῦ περίβολον, τὰς χεῖρας ἐξέτεινεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, μετὰ διακρύων τοὺς Ἑβραίους παρεκάλει, ὅπως περὶ αὐτοῦ εὐξόμενοι, τὸν ἐπουράνιον ἐξευμενίσωνται στρατόν."},{"chapter":4,"verse":12,"text":"Ἔλεγεν γὰρ ἡμαρτηκὼς, ὥστε καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ἄξιος ὑπάρχειν, πᾶσίν τε ἀνθρώποις ὑμνήσειν σωθεὶς τὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ τόπου μακαριότητα."},{"chapter":4,"verse":13,"text":"Τούτοις ἐπαχθεὶς τοῖς λόγοις Ὀνίας ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, καίπερ ἄλλως εὐλαβηθεὶς, μή ποτε νομίσειεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Σέλευκος ἐξ ἀνθρωπίνης ἐπιβουλῆς καὶ μὴ θείας δίκης ἀνῃρήσασθαι τὸν Ἀπωλλώνιον, ηὔξατο περὶ αὐτοῦ."},{"chapter":4,"verse":14,"text":"Καὶ ὁ μὲν παραδὸξως διασωθεὶς ᾤχετο, δηλώσων τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ συμβάντα αὐτῷ."},{"chapter":4,"verse":15,"text":"Τελευτήσαντος δὲ Σελεύκου τοῦ βασιλέως διαδέχεται τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Ἀντίοχος Ἐπιφανὴς, ἀνὴρ ὑπερήφανος καὶ δεινὸς."},{"chapter":4,"verse":16,"text":"Ὃς καταλύσας τὸν Ὀνίαν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":17,"text":"Ἰάσονα τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ κατέστησεν ἀρχιερέα, συνθέμενον δώσειν, εἰ ἐπιτρέψειεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν, κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν τρισχίλια ἐξακόσια ἑξήκοντα τάλαντα."},{"chapter":4,"verse":18,"text":"Ὁ δὲ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτῷ ἀρχιερᾶσθαι καὶ τοῦ ἔθνους ἀφηγεῖσθαι."},{"chapter":4,"verse":19,"text":"Ὃς καὶ ἐξεζήτησεν τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ ἐξεπολίτευσεν ἐπὶ πᾶσαν παρανομίαν."},{"chapter":4,"verse":20,"text":"Ὥστε μὴ μόνον ἐπʼ αὐτῇ τῆ ἄκρᾳ τῆς πατρίδος ἡμῶν γυμνάσιον κατασκευάσαι, τὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ κηδεμονίαν."},{"chapter":4,"verse":21,"text":"Ἐφʼ οἷς ἀγανακτήσασα ἡ θεία δίκη αὐτόν τοι τὸν Ἀντίοχον ἐπολέμησεν."},{"chapter":4,"verse":22,"text":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολεμῶν ἦν κατʼ Αἴγυπ τον Πτολεμαίῳ, ἤκουσέν τε, ὅτι φήμης διαδοθείσης περὶ τιῦ τεθνάναι αὐτὸν, ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα χαίροιεν οἱ Ἱεροσολυμῖται, ταχέως ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἀνέζευξεν."},{"chapter":4,"verse":23,"text":"Καὶ ὡς ἐπόρθσεν αὐτοὺς, δόγμα ἔθετο, ὅπως εἴ τινες αὐτῶν φάνοιεν τῷ πατρίῳ πολιτευόμενοι νόμῳ θάνοιεν."},{"chapter":4,"verse":24,"text":"Καὶ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἴσχυεν καταλῦσαι διὰ τῶν δογμάτων τὴν τοῦ ἔθνους εὔνοιαν, ἀλλὰ πάσας τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἀπειλὰς καὶ τιμωρίας ἑώρα καταλυομένας,"},{"chapter":4,"verse":25,"text":"ὥστε καὶ γυναῖκας, ὅτι περιέτεμον τὰ παιδία, μετὰ τῶν βρεφῶν κατακρημνισθῆναι, προειδυίας ὅτι τοῦτο πείσονται·"},{"chapter":4,"verse":26,"text":"ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ δόγματα αὑτοῦ κατεφρονεῖτο ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ, αὐτὸς διὰ βασάνων ἕνα ἕκαστον τούτου ἔθνους ἠνάγκαζεν μικρῶν ἀπογευομένους τροφῶν, ἐξόμνυσθαι τὸν Ἰουδαϊσμόν."},{"chapter":5,"verse":1,"text":"Προκαθίσας γέ τοι μετὰ τῶν συνέδρων ὁ τύραννος Ἀντίοχος ἐπί τινος ὑψηλοῦ τόπου,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":2,"text":"καὶ τῶν στρατευμάτων αὐτῶν ἐνόπλων κυκλόθεν παρεστηκότων παρεκέλευεν τοῖς δορυφόροις ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν Ἑβραίων περισπᾶσθαι καὶ κρεῶν ὑείων καὶ εἰδωλοθύτων ἀναγκάζειν ἀπογεύεσθαι."},{"chapter":5,"verse":3,"text":"Εἰ δὲ τινες μὴ θέλοιεν μιαροφαγῆσαι, τούτους τροχισθέντας ἀναιρεθῆναι."},{"chapter":5,"verse":4,"text":"Πολλῶν δὲ συναρπασθέντων, εἷς πρῶτος ἐκ τῆς ἀγέλης Ἑβραῖος ὀνόματι Ἐλεάζαρος, τὸ γένος ἱερεὺς, τὴν ἐπιστήμην νομικὸς, καὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν προήκων, καὶ πολλοῖς τῶν περὶ τὸν τύραννον διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν γνώριμος, παρήχθη πλησίον αὐτοῦ."},{"chapter":5,"verse":5,"text":"Καὶ αὐτὸν ἰδὼν ὁ Ἀντίοχος, ἔφη,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":6,"text":"ἐγὼ πρὶν ἂρξασθαι τῶν κατὰ σοῦ βασάνων, ὦ πρεσβύτα, συμβουλεύσαιμʼ ἄν σοι ταῦτα ὅπως ἀπογευσάμενος τῶν ὑείων σώζοιο· αἰδοῦμαι γάρ σου τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τὴν πολιὰν, ἥν μετὰ τοσοῦτον ἔχων χρόνον, οὔ μοι δοκεῖς φιλοσοφεῖν, τῇ Ἰουδαιων χρώμενος θρησκείᾳ."},{"chapter":5,"verse":7,"text":"Διατί γὰρ τῆς φύσεως κεχαρισμένης καλλίστην τὴν τοῦδε τοῦ ζώου σαρκοφαγίαν βδελύττῃ;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":8,"text":"Καὶ γὰρ ἀνόητον τοῦτο τὸ μὴ ἀπολαύειν τῶν χωρὶς ὀνείδους ἡδέων, καὶ διʼ ἄδικον ἀποστρέφεσθαι τὰς τῆς φύσεως χάριτας."},{"chapter":5,"verse":9,"text":"Σὺ δέ μοι καὶ ἀνοητότερον ποιήσειν δοκεῖς, εἰ κενοδοξῶν περὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς,"},{"chapter":5,"verse":10,"text":"ἔτι κᾀμοῦ καταφρονήσεις ἐπὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ τιμωρίᾳ· οὐκ ἐξυπνώσεις ἀπὸ τῆς φλυάρου φιλοσοφίας ὑμῶν;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":11,"text":"Καὶ ἀποσκεδάσεις ψῶν λογισμῶν σου τὸν λῆρον, καὶ ἄξιον τῆς ἡλικίας ἀναλαβῶν νοῦν φιλοσοφήσεις τήν τοῦ συμφέροντος ἀλήθειαν;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":12,"text":"καὶ προσκυνήσας μου τὴν φιλάνθρωπον παρηγορίαν οἰκτειρήσεις τὸ σεαυτοῦ γῆρας;"},{"chapter":5,"verse":13,"text":"καὶ γὰρ ἐνθυμήθητι, ὡς εἰ καί τις ἐστιν τῆσδε τῆς θρησκείας ἐποπτικὴ δύναμις, συγνωμονήσειν σοι ἐπὶ πᾶσιν διʼ ἀνάγκην παρανομίᾳ γεινομένῃ."},{"chapter":5,"verse":14,"text":"Τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐπὶ τὴν ἔκθεσμον σαρκοφαγίαν ἐποτρύνοντος τοῦ τυράννου, λόγον ᾔτησεν ὁ Ἐλεάζαρος."},{"chapter":5,"verse":15,"text":"Καὶ λαβὼν τοῦ λέγειν ἐξουσίαν, ἤρξατο δημηγορεῖν οὕτως·"},{"chapter":5,"verse":16,"text":"ἡμεῖς, Αντίοχε, θείῳ πεπεισμένοι νόμῳ πολιτευεσθαι, οὐδεμίαν ἀνάγκην βιαιοτέραν εἶναι νομίζομεν τῆς πρὸς τὸν νόμον ἡμῶν εὐπειθείας."},{"chapter":5,"verse":17,"text":"Διὸ δὲ κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον παρανομεῖν ἀξιοῦμεν."},{"chapter":5,"verse":18,"text":"Καί τοι εἰ καὶ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν μὴ ἦν ὁ νόμος ἡμῶν, ὡς σὺ ὑπολαμβάνεις, θεῖος, (ἄλλως δὲ νομίζομεν αὐτὸν εἶναι θεῖον) οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐξὸν ἡμῖν ἦν τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ δόκαν ἀκυρῶσαι."},{"chapter":5,"verse":19,"text":"Μὴ μικρὰν οὖν εἶναι νομίσῃς ταύτην, εἰ μιαροφαγήσεμεν, ἁμαρτίαν."},{"chapter":5,"verse":20,"text":"Τὸ γὰρ ἐν μικροῖς καὶ ἐν μεγάλοις παρανομεῖν ἰσοδύναμόν ἐστιν·"},{"chapter":5,"verse":21,"text":"διʼ ἑκατέρου γὰρ ὡς ὁμοίως ὁ νόμος ὑπερηφανεῖται."},{"chapter":5,"verse":22,"text":"Χλευάζεις δὲ ἡμῶν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, ὥσπερ οὐ μετὰ εὐλογιστίας ἐν αὐτῇ βιούντων."},{"chapter":5,"verse":23,"text":"Σωφροσύνην τε γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐκδιδάσκει, ὥστε πασῶν τῶν ἡδονῶν καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν κρατεῖν, καὶ ἀνδρείαν ἐξασκεῖν, ὥστε πάντα πόνον ἑκουσίως ὑπομένειν·"},{"chapter":5,"verse":24,"text":"καὶ δικαιοσύνην παιδεύει, ὥστε διὰ πάντων τῶν ἠθῶν ἰσονομεῖν καὶ εὐσέβειαν διδάσκειν, ὥστε μόνον τὸν ὄντα Θεὸν σέβειν μεγαλοπρεπῶς."},{"chapter":5,"verse":25,"text":"Διὸ οὐ μιαροφαγοῦμεν· πιστεύοντες γὰρ Θεοῦ καθεστᾶναι τὸν νόμον, οἴδαμεν ὅτι καὶ κατὰ φύσιν ἡμῖν συμπαθεῖ νομοθετῶν ὁ τοῦ κόσμου κτίστης·"},{"chapter":5,"verse":26,"text":"τὰ μὲν οἰκειωθωσόμενα ἡμῶν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐπέτρεψεν ἐσθίειν, τὰ δὲ ἐναντιωθησόμενα ἐκώλυσεν σαρκοφαγεῖν."},{"chapter":5,"verse":27,"text":"Τυραννικὸν δὲ, οὐ μόνον ἀναγκάζεις ἡμᾶς παρανομεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐσθίειν, ὅπως τῇ ἐχθίστῃ ἡμῶν μιαροφαγίᾳ ταύτῃ ἔτι ἐγγελάσῃς."},{"chapter":5,"verse":28,"text":"Ἀλλʼ οὐ γελάσεις κατʼ ἐμοῦ τοῦτον τὸν γέλωτα·"},{"chapter":5,"verse":29,"text":"οὔτε τοὺς ἱεροὺς τῶν προγόνων περὶ τοῦ φυλάξαι τὸν νόμον ὅρκους οὐ παρήσω."},{"chapter":5,"verse":30,"text":"Οὐδʼ ἂν ἐκκόψεις μου τὰ ὄμματα, καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα μου τήξεις."},{"chapter":5,"verse":31,"text":"Οὐχ οὕτως εἰμὶ γέρων ἐγὼ καὶ ἄνανδρος, ὥστε μοι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν μὴ νεάζειν τὸν λογισμόν."},{"chapter":5,"verse":32,"text":"Πρὸς ταῦτα τροχοὺς εὐτρέπιζε, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐκφύσα σφοδρότερον."},{"chapter":5,"verse":33,"text":"Οὐχ οὕτως οἰκτειρήσω τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ γῆρας, ὥστε με διʼ ἐμαυτοῦ τὸν πάτριον καταλῦσαι νόμον."},{"chapter":5,"verse":34,"text":"Οὐ ψεύσομαί σε, παιδευτὰ νόμε, οὐδὲ φεύξομαί σε, φίλη ἐγκράτεια."},{"chapter":5,"verse":35,"text":"Οὐδὲ καταισχυνῶ σε, φιλόσοφε λόγε, οὐδὲ ἐξαρνήσεμαί σε, ἱερωσύνη τιμία, καὶ νομοθεσίας ἐπιστήμη·"},{"chapter":5,"verse":36,"text":"οὐδὲ μιανεῖς μου τὸ σεμνὸν γήρηως στόμα, οὐδὲ νομίμου βίου ἡλικίαν."},{"chapter":5,"verse":37,"text":"Ἁγνόν με οἱ πατέρες προσδέξονται, μὴ φοβηθέντα σου τὰς μέχρι θανάτου ἀνάγκας."},{"chapter":5,"verse":38,"text":"Ἀσεβῶν μὲν γὰρ τυραννήσεις· τῶν δὲ ἐμῶν περὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας λογισμῶν οὔτε λόγοις δεσπόσεις, οὔτε διʼ ἔργων."},{"chapter":6,"verse":1,"text":"Τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀντιρητορεύσαντα ταῖς τοῦ τυράννου παρηγορίαις, παραστάντες οἱ δορυφόροι πικρῶς ἔσυραν ἐπὶ τὰ βασανιστήρια τὸν Ἐλεάζαρον."},{"chapter":6,"verse":2,"text":"Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν περιέδυσαν τὸν γηραιὸν ἐκκεκοσμημένον περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν εὐσχημοσύνην."},{"chapter":6,"verse":3,"text":"Ἔπειτα περιαγκωνίσαντες ἑκατέρωθεν, μάστιξιν κατῇκιζον·"},{"chapter":6,"verse":4,"text":"πείσθητι ταῖς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐντολαῖς, ἑτέρωθεν κήρυκος ἐπιβοῶντος."},{"chapter":6,"verse":5,"text":"Ὁ δὲ μεγαλόφρων καὶ εὐγενὴς ὡς ἀληθῶς Ἐλεάζαρος, ὥσπερ ἐν ὀνείρω βασανιζόμενος κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον μετετρέπετο."},{"chapter":6,"verse":6,"text":"Ἀλλὰ ὑψηλοὺς ἀνατείνας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἀπεξαίνετο ταῖς μάστιξιν τὰς σάρκας ὁ γέρων, καὶ κατεῤῥεῖτο τῷ αἵματι,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":7,"text":"καὶ τὰ πλευρὰ κατετιτρώσκετο, καὶ πίπτων εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ φέρειν τὸ σῶμα τὰς ἀλγηδόνας, ὀρθὸν εἶχεν καὶ ἀκλινῆ τὸν λογισμόν."},{"chapter":6,"verse":8,"text":"Λὰξ γέ τοι τῶν πικρῶν τις δορυφόρων, εἰς τοὺς κενεῶνας ἐναλλόμενος ἔτυπτεν, ὅπως ἐξανίσταιτο πίπτων."},{"chapter":6,"verse":9,"text":"Ὁ δὲ ὑπέμενεν τοὺς πόνους, καὶ περιεφρόνει τῆς ἀνάγκης, καὶ διεκαρτέρει τοὺς αἰκισμοὺς,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":10,"text":"καὶ καθάπερ γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς τυπτόμενος ἐνίκα τοὺς βασανίζοντας ὁ γέρων."},{"chapter":6,"verse":11,"text":"Ἱδρῶν γέ τοι τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐπασθμαίνων σφοδρῶς, καὶ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν βασανιζόντων ἐθαυμάζετο ἐπὶ τῇ εὐτυχίᾳ."},{"chapter":6,"verse":12,"text":"Ὅθεν τὰ μὲν ἐλεοῦντες τὰ τοῦ γήρως αὐτοῦ, τὰ δὲ ἐν συμπαθείᾳ τῆς συνηθείας ὄντες,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":13,"text":"τὰ δὲ ἐν θαυμαστῷ τῆς καρτερίας προσιόντες αὐτῷ τινὲς τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως ἔλεγον,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":14,"text":"τί τοῖς κακοῖς τούτοις σεαντὸν ἀλογίστως ἀπολλεῖς,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":15,"text":"Ἐλεάζαρ; ἡμεῖς μὲν τῶν ἡψημένων βρωμάτων παραθήσομεν· σὺ δὲ ὑποκρινόμενος τῶν ὑείων ἀπογεύσασθαι, σώθητι."},{"chapter":6,"verse":16,"text":"Καὶ ὁ Ἐλεάζαρος, ὥσπερ πικρότερον διὰ τῆς συμβουλίας αἰκισθεὶς, ἀνεβόησεν,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":17,"text":"μὴ οὕτως κακῶς φρονήσαιμεν οἱ Ἁβραὰμ παῖδες, ὥστε μαλακοψυχήσαντας ἀπρεπὲς ἡμῖν δρᾶμα ὑποκρίνασθαι."},{"chapter":6,"verse":18,"text":"Καὶ γὰρ ἀλόγιστον, εἰ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ζήσαντες τὸν μέχρι γήρως βίον, καὶ τὴν ἐπʼ αὐτῶν δόξαν νομίμως φυλάσσοντες, νῦν μεταβαλοίμεθα,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":19,"text":"καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἡμεῖς γενοίμεθα τοῖς νέοις ἀσεβείας τύπος, ἵνα παράδειγμα γενώμεθα τῆς μιεροφαγίας."},{"chapter":6,"verse":20,"text":"Αἰσχρὸν γὰρ εἰ ἐπιβιώσωμεν ἀλίγον χρόνον,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":21,"text":"καὶ τοῦτον καταγελώμενοι πρὸς ἁπάντων ἐπὶ δειλίᾳ· καὶ ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ τυράννου καταφρονηθῶμεν ὡς ἄνανδροι, τὸν δὲ θεῖον ἡμῶν νόμον μέχρι θανάτου μὴ προασπίσαιμεν."},{"chapter":6,"verse":22,"text":"Πρὸς ταῦτα ὑμεῖς μὲν, ὦ Ἁβραὰμ παῖδες, εὐγενῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας τελευτᾶτε."},{"chapter":6,"verse":23,"text":"Οἱ δὲ τοῦ τυράννου δορυφόροι, τί μέλλετε;"},{"chapter":6,"verse":24,"text":"Πρὸς τὰς ἀνάγκας οὕτως μεγαλοφρονοῦντα αὐτὸν ἰδόντες καὶ μηδὲ πρὸς τὸν οἰκτιρμὸν αὐτῶν μεταβαλλόμενον, ἐπὶ πῦρ αὐτὸν ἤγαγον."},{"chapter":6,"verse":25,"text":"Ἔνθα διὰ κακοτέχνων ὀργάνων καταφλέγοντες αὐτὸν ὑπερέπτοσαν, καὶ δυσώδεις χυλοὺς εἰς τοὺς μυκτῆρας αὐτοῦ κατέχεον."},{"chapter":6,"verse":26,"text":"Ὁ δὲ μέχρι τῶν ὀστέων ἤδη κατακεκαυμένος καὶ μέλλων λιποθυμεῖν, ἀνέτεινεν τὰ ὄμματα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἶπεν, σὺ οἶσθα, Θεὲ, παρόν μοι σώζεσθαι,"},{"chapter":6,"verse":27,"text":"βασάνοις καυστικαῖς ἀποθνήσκω διὰ τὸν νόμον."},{"chapter":6,"verse":28,"text":"Ἵλεως γενοῦ τῷ ἔθνει σου, ἀρκεσθεὶς τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ περὶ αὐτῶν δίκῃ."},{"chapter":6,"verse":29,"text":"Καθάρσιον αὐτῶν ποίησον τὸ ἐμὸν αἷμα, καὶ ἀντίψυχον αὐτῶν λαβὲ τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν."},{"chapter":6,"verse":30,"text":"Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ ἱερὸς ἀνὴρ εὐγενῶς ταῖς βασάνοις ἐναπέθανεν, καὶ μέχρι τῶν τοῦ θανάτου βασάνων ἀντέστη τῷ λσγισμῷ διὰ τὸν νόμον."},{"chapter":6,"verse":31,"text":"Ὁμολογουμένως οἶν δεσπότης ἐστὶν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός."},{"chapter":6,"verse":32,"text":"Εἰ γὰρ τὰ πάθη τοῦ λογισμοῦ κεκρατήκει, τούτοις ἂν ἀπεδόμην τὴν τῆς ἐπικρατείας μαρτυρίαν."},{"chapter":6,"verse":33,"text":"Νυνὶ δὲ τοῦ λογισμοῦ τὰ πάθη νικήσαντος, αὐτῷ προσηκόντως τὴν τῆς ἡγεμονίας προσνέμομεν ἐξουσίαν."},{"chapter":6,"verse":34,"text":"Καὶ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ὁμολογεῖν ἡμᾶς, τὸ κράτος εἶναι τοῦ λογισμοῦ, ὅπου γε καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀλγηδόνων ἐπικρατεῖ."},{"chapter":6,"verse":35,"text":"Ἐπεὶ καὶ γελοῖον· καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀλγηδόνων ἐπιδείκνυμι κεκρατηκέναι τὸν λογισμὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἡδονῶν κρατεῖν, μηδὲ αὐταῖς ὑπείκειν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":1,"text":"Ὥσπερ καὶ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἐλεαζάρου λογισμὸς, πηδαλιουεχῶν τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ναῦν ἐν τῷ τῶν παθῶν πελάγει,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":2,"text":"καὶ καταικιζόμενος ταῖς τοῦ τυράννου ἀπειλαῖς, καὶ καταντλούμενος ταῖς τῶν βασάνων τρικυμίαις,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":3,"text":"κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον μετέτρεψεν τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας οἴακας, ἕως οὗ ἔπλευσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς θανάτου νίκης λιμένα."},{"chapter":7,"verse":4,"text":"Οὐχ οὕτως πόλις πολλοῖς καὶ ποικίλοις μηχανήμασιν ἀντέσχεν ποτὲ πολιορκουμένη, ὡς ὁ πανάγιος ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἱερὰν ψυχὴν αἰκισμοῖς τε καὶ στρέβλαις πυρπολούμενος, ἐκίνησεν τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας, διὰ τὸν ὑπερασπίζοντα τῆς εὐσεβείας λογισμόν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":5,"text":"Ὥσπερ γὰρ πρόκρημνον ἄκραν, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διὰνοιαν ὁ πατὴρ Ἐλεάζαρος ἐκτείνας, περιέκλασεν τοὺς μαινομένους τῶν παθῶν κλύδωνας."},{"chapter":7,"verse":6,"text":"Ὦ ἄξιε τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἱερεῦ, οὐκ ἐμίανας τοὺς ἱεροὺς ὀδόντας, οὐδὲ τὴν θεοσέβειαν καὶ καθαρισμὸν χωρήσασαν γαστέρα ἐκοινώνησας μιεροφαγίᾳ·"},{"chapter":7,"verse":7,"text":"Ὦ σύμφωνε νόμου, καὶ φιλόσοφε θείου βίου."},{"chapter":7,"verse":8,"text":"Τοίουτους δεῖ εἶναι τοὺς δημιουργοῦντας τὸν νόμον ἰδίῳ αἵματι, καὶ γενναίῳ ἱδρῶτι τοῖς μέχρι θανάτου πάθεσιν ὑπερασπίζοντας."},{"chapter":7,"verse":9,"text":"Σὺ πάτερ, τὴν εὐνομίαν ἡμῶν διὰ τῶν ὑπομονῶν εἰς δόξαν ἐκύρωσας, καὶ τὴν ἁγιαστίαν σεμνολογήσας οὐ κατέλυσας, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιστοποίησας τοὺς τῆς φιλοσοφίας λὸγους."},{"chapter":7,"verse":10,"text":"Ὦ βασάνων βιότερε γέρων, πυρὸς εὐτονώτερε πρεσβύτα, καὶ παθῶν μέγιστε βασιλεῦ Ἐλεάζαρ."},{"chapter":7,"verse":11,"text":"Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ Ἀαρὸν τῷ θυμιατηρίῳ κατθωπλισμένος, διὰ τοῦ ἐθνοπλήθου ἐπιτρέχων τὸν ἐμπυριστὴν ἐνίκησεν ἄγγελον."},{"chapter":7,"verse":12,"text":"Οὕτως ὁ Ἀαρωνίδης Ἐλεάζαρος διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ὑπερτηκόμενος οὐ μετετράπη τὸν λογισμόν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":13,"text":"Καίτοι τὸ θαυμασιώτατον, γέρων ὢν, λελυμένων μὲν ἤδη τῶν τοῦ σώματος πόνων, καὶ περιεχαλασμένων δὲ τῶν σαρκῶν, κεκμηκότων δὲ καὶ τῶν νεύρων, ἀνενέασεν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":14,"text":"Τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ λογισμοῦ, καὶ τῷ Ἰσακείῳ λογισμῷ τὴν πολυκέφαλον στρέβλαν ἠκύρωσεν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":15,"text":"Ὦ μακαρίου γήρως, καὶ σεμνῆς πολιᾶς, καὶ βίου νομίμου, ὃν πιστὴ θανάτου σφραγὶς ἐτελείωσεν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":16,"text":"Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν γέρων τῶν μέχρι θανάτου βασάνων περιεφρόνησεν διʼ εὐσέβειαν, ὁμολογουμένως ἡγεμών ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός."},{"chapter":7,"verse":17,"text":"Ἴσως δʼ ἂν εἴποιέν τινες, τῶν παθῶν οὐ πάντες περικρατοῦσιν, ὅτι οὐδὲ πάντες φρόνιμον ἔχουσιν τὸν λογισμόν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":18,"text":"Ἀλλʼ ὅσοι εὑσεβείας προνοοῦσιν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, οὗτοι μόνοι δύνανται κρατεῖν τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς παθῶν·"},{"chapter":7,"verse":19,"text":"οἱ πιστεύοντες, ὅτι Θεῷ οὐκ ἀποθνήσκουσιν, ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ πατριάρχαι ἡμῶν Ἁβραὰμ, Ἰσαὰκ, Ἰακὼβ, ζῶσι τῷ Θεῷ."},{"chapter":7,"verse":20,"text":"Οὐδὲν οὖν ἐναντιοῦται τὸ φαίνεσθαί τινας παθοκρατεῖσθαι διὰ τὸν ἀσθενῆ λογισμόν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":21,"text":"Ἐπεὶ τίς πρὸς ὅλον τὸν τῆς φιλοσοφίας κανόνα εὐσεβῶς φιλοσοφῶν, καὶ πεπιστευκὼς Θεῷ,"},{"chapter":7,"verse":22,"text":"καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν πάντα πόνον ὑπομένειν μακάριόν ἐστιν, οὐκ ἂν περικρατήσειεν τῶν παθῶν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν;"},{"chapter":7,"verse":23,"text":"μόνος γὰρ ὁ σοφὸς καὶ σώφρων ἀνδρεῖός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν κύριος."},{"chapter":7,"verse":24,"text":"Διὰ τοῦτο γέ τοι καὶ μειρακίσκοι τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας λογισμῷ φιλοσοφουντες χαλεπωτερων βασανιστηρίων ἐπεκράτησαν."},{"chapter":7,"verse":25,"text":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην πεῖραν ἐνικήθη περιφανὴς ὁ τύραννος, μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἀναγκάσαι γέροντα μιαιροφαγῆσαι."},{"chapter":9,"verse":1,"text":"Τί μέλλεις, ὦ τύραννε; ἕτοιμοι γάρ ἐσμεν ἀποθνήσκειν, ἢ παραβαίνειν τὰς πατρίους ἡμῶν ἐντολάς."},{"chapter":9,"verse":2,"text":"Καὶ αἰσχυνόμεθα γὰρ τοὺς προγόνους εἰκότως, εἰ μὴ τῇ τοῦ νόμου εὐπειθείᾳ καὶ συμβούλῳ γνώσει χρησαίμεθα."},{"chapter":9,"verse":3,"text":"Σύμβουλε τύραννε παρανομίας, μὴ ἡμᾶς μισῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐλέα."},{"chapter":9,"verse":4,"text":"Χαλεπώτερον γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦ θανάτου νομίζομεν εἶναί σου τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ παρανόμῳ σωτηρίᾳ ἡμῶν ἔλεον."},{"chapter":9,"verse":5,"text":"Ἐκφοβεῖς δὲ ἡμᾶς, τὸν διὰ τῶν βασάνων ἡμῖν θάνατον ἀπειλῶν, ὥσπερ οὐχὶ πρὸ βραχέως παρὰ Ἐλεαζάρου μαθών."},{"chapter":9,"verse":6,"text":"Εἰ δʼ οἱ γέροντες τῶν Ἑβραίων διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ βασανισμὸυς ὑπομείναντες ἀπέθανον, ἀποθάνοιμεν ἂν δικαιότερον ἡμεῖς οἱ νέοι, τὰς βασάνους τῶν σῶν ἀναγκῶν ὑπεριδόντες, ἃς καὶ ὁ παιδευτὴς γέρων ἐνίκησεν."},{"chapter":9,"verse":7,"text":"Πείραζε γαροῦν τύραννε· καὶ τὰς ἡμῶν ψυχὰς εἰ θανατώσεις διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, μὴ νομίσῃς ἡμᾶς βλάπτειν βασανίζων."},{"chapter":9,"verse":8,"text":"Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ διὰ τῆσδε τῆς κακοπαθείας καὶ ὑπομονῆς, τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἆθλα οἴσομεν."},{"chapter":9,"verse":9,"text":"Σὺ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν μιαροφονίαν αὐτάρχη καρτερήσεις περὶ τῆς θείας δίκης αἰώνιον βάσανον διὰ πυρός."},{"chapter":9,"verse":10,"text":"Ταῦτα αὐτῶν εἰπόντων, οὐ μόνον ὡς κατὰ ἀπειθούντων ἐχαλέπαινεν ὁ τύραννος, ἀλλʼ ὡς καὶ κατὰ ἀχαρίστων ὠργίσθη."},{"chapter":9,"verse":11,"text":"Ὅθεν τὸν πρεσβύτατον αὐτῶν κελευθέντες παρήγαγον οἱ μαστισταὶ, καὶ διαῤῥήξαντες τὸν χιτῶνα διέδησαν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς βραχίονας ἱμᾶσιν ἑκατέρωθεν."},{"chapter":9,"verse":12,"text":"Ὡς δὲ τύπτοντες ταῖς μάστιξιν ἐκοπίασαν, μηδὲν ἀνύοντες, ἀνέβαλον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τροχόν."},{"chapter":9,"verse":13,"text":"Περὶ ὃν κατατεινόμενος ὁ εὐγενὴς νεανίας, ἔξαρθρος ἐγίνετο."},{"chapter":9,"verse":14,"text":"Καὶ κατὰ πᾶν μέλος κλώμενος κατηγόρει, λέγων,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":15,"text":"Τύραννε μιαιρώτατε, καὶ τῆς οὐρανίου δίκης ἐχθρὲ, καὶ ὠμόφρον, οὐκ ἀνδροφονήσαντά με τοῦτον καταικίζεις τὸν τρόπον, οὐδὲ ἀσεβήσαντα, ἀλλα θείου νόμου προασπίζοντα."},{"chapter":9,"verse":16,"text":"Καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων λεγόντων, ὁμολόγησον φαγεῖν, οὕπως ἀπαλλαγῇς τῶν βασάνων,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":17,"text":"ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, οὐχ οὕτως ἰσχυρὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν ὁ τρόπος, ὦ μιαιροὶ διὰκονοι, ὥστε μου τὸν λογισμὸν ἄξαι· τέμνετέ μου μέλη, καὶ πυροῦτε τὰς σάρκας, καὶ στρεβλοῦτε τὰ ἄρθρα."},{"chapter":9,"verse":18,"text":"Διὰ πασῶν γὰρ ὑμᾶς πείσω τῶν βασάνων· ὅτι μόνοι παῖδες Ἑβραίων ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς εἰσιν ἀνίκητοι."},{"chapter":9,"verse":19,"text":"Ταῦτα λέγοντες εἰς πῦρ ἐπέτρωσαν, καὶ διερεθίζοντες, τὸν τροχὸν προσεπικατέτεινον."},{"chapter":9,"verse":20,"text":"Ἐμολύνετο δὲ πάντοθεν αἵματι ὁ τρόχος, καὶ ὁ σωρὸς τῆς ἀνθρακιᾶς τοῖς τῶν ἰχώρων ἐσβέννυτο σταλαγμοῖς, καὶ περὶ τοὺς αὔξονας τοῦ ὀργάνου περιέῤῥεον αἱ σάρκες."},{"chapter":9,"verse":21,"text":"Καὶ περιτετηκμένον ἤδη ἔχων τὸ τῶν ὀστέων πῆγμα ὁ μεγαλόφρων καὶ Ἀβραμιαῖος νεανίας οὐκ ἐστέναξεν."},{"chapter":9,"verse":22,"text":"Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐν πυρὶ μετασχηματιζόμενος εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν, ὑπέμεινεν εὐγενῶς τὰς στρέβλας."},{"chapter":9,"verse":23,"text":"Μιμήσασθέ με, ἀδελφοὶ, λέγων· μή μου τὸν αἰῶνα λειποτακτήσητε, μηδʼ ἐξομόσησθέ μου τὴν τῆς εὐψυχίας ἀδελφότητα· ἱερὰν καὶ εὐγενῆ στρατείαν στρατεύσασθε περὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας."},{"chapter":9,"verse":24,"text":"Διʼ ἧς ἷλεως ἡ δικαία καὶ πάτριος ἡμῶν πρόνοια τῷ ἔθνει γενηθεῖσα τιμωρήσειεν τὸν ἀλάστορα τύραννον."},{"chapter":9,"verse":25,"text":"Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ ἱεροπρεπὴς νεανίας, ἀπέῤῥηξεν τὴν ψυχήν."},{"chapter":9,"verse":26,"text":"Θαυμασάντων δὲ πάντων τὴν καρτεροψυχίαν αὐτοῦ, ἦγον οἱ δορυφόροι τὸν καθʼ ἡλικίαν τοῶ προτέρου δεύτερον, καὶ σιδηρᾶς ἐναρμοσάμενοί χεῖρας, ὀξέσιν τοῖς ὄνυξιν, τοῖς ὀργάνοις καταπέλτῃ προσέδησαν αὐτόν."},{"chapter":9,"verse":27,"text":"Ὡς δὲ, εἰ φαγεῖν βούλοιτο πρὶν βασανίζεσθαι πυνθανόμενοι, τὴν εὐγενῆ γνώμην ἤκουσαν·"},{"chapter":9,"verse":28,"text":"ἀπὸ τῶν τενόντων ταῖς σιδηραῖς χερσὶν ἐπισπασάμενοι, μέχρι γε τῶν γενείων τὴν σάρκα πᾶσαν καὶ τὴν τῆς κεφαλῆς δορὰν οἱ παρδάλειοι θῆρες ἀπέσυραν· ὁ δὲ ταύτην βαρέως τὴν ἀλγηδόνα καρτερῶν, ἔλεγεν,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":29,"text":"Ὡς ἡδὺς πᾶς τρόπος θανάτου, διὰ τὴν πάτριον ἡμῶν εὐσέβειαν· ἔφη τε πρὸς τὸν τύραννον,"},{"chapter":9,"verse":30,"text":"Οὐ δοκεῖς, πάντων ὠμότατε τύραννε, πλεῖων ἐμοῦ σε νὺν βασανίζεσθαι, ὁρῶν σου νικώμενον τὸν τῆς τυραννίδος ὑπερήφανον λογισμὸν ὑπὸ τῆς διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἡμῶν ὑπομονῆς."},{"chapter":9,"verse":31,"text":"Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ταῖς διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἡδοναῖς τὸν πόνον ἐπικουφίζομαι."},{"chapter":9,"verse":32,"text":"Σὺ δὲ ἐν ταῖς τῆς ἀσεβείας ἀπειλαῖς βασανίζῃ· οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ δὲ, μιαιρότατε τύραννε, τὰς τῆς θείας ὀργῆς δίκας."},{"chapter":12,"verse":1,"text":"Ὡς δὲ καὶ οὗτος μακαρίως ἐναπέθανεν καταβληθεὶς εἰς λέβητα, ὁ ἕβδομος παρεγίνετο, πάντων νεώτερος."},{"chapter":12,"verse":2,"text":"Ὅν κατοικτειρήσας ὁ τύραννος, καίπερ δεινῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κακισθεὶς, ὁρῶν ἤση τὰ δεσμὰ περικείμενον,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":3,"text":"πλησιέστερον αὐτὸν μετεπέμψατο, καὶ παρηγορεῖν ἐπειρᾶτο, λέγων,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":4,"text":"Τῆς μὲν τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ἀπονοίας τὸ τὲλος ὁρᾷς· διὰ γὰρ ἀπείθειαν στρεβλωθέντες τεθνήκασιν, σὺ, εἰ μὲν μὴ πεισθείης, τὰλας βασανισθεὶς καὶ πασανισθεὶς καὶ αὐτὸς τεθνήξῃ πρὸ ὥρας."},{"chapter":12,"verse":5,"text":"Πεισθείης δὲ φίλος ἔσῃ, καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀφηγήσῃ πραγμάτων."},{"chapter":12,"verse":6,"text":"Καὶ ταῦτα παρακαλῶν, τὴν μητέρα τοῦ παιδὸς μετεπέμψατο, ὄπως αὐτὴν ἐμεήσαν υἱῶν στερηθῖσαν παρορμήσειεν ἐπὶ τὴν μσωτηρίαν, εὐπειθῆ τὸν περιλειπόμενον."},{"chapter":12,"verse":7,"text":"Ὁ δὲ τῆν μητρὸς τῇ Ἐβραΐδι φωνῇ προτρεψαμένης· αὐτὸν (ὡς ἐροῦμεν μετὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον.) ἀπολύσατε με, φησίν·"},{"chapter":12,"verse":8,"text":"εἴπω τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φίλοις πᾶσιν."},{"chapter":12,"verse":9,"text":"Καὶ ἐπιχαρέντες μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ παιδὸς ταχέως ἔλυσαν αὐτόν."},{"chapter":12,"verse":10,"text":"Καὶ σραμὼν ἐπὶ πλησίον τῶν τηγάνων, ἔφη, ἀνόσιε,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":11,"text":"φησὶν, καὶ πάντων τῶν πονηρῶν ἀσεβέστατε τύραννε, οὐκ ᾐδέσθης παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαβὼν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν, τούς θεράποντας αὐτοῦ κατακτεῖναι, καὶ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας στρεβλῶσαι;"},{"chapter":12,"verse":12,"text":"Ἀνθ ὧ ταμιεύεταί σε ἡ θεια δίκη πυκνοτέρῳ καὶ αἰωνίῳ πυεὶ καὶ βασάνοις, αἳ εἰς ὅλον τὸν αιῶνα οὐκ ἀνήσουσίν σε."},{"chapter":12,"verse":13,"text":"Οὐκ ᾐδέσθης ἄνθρωπος ὢν, θηριωδέστατε, τοὺς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς καὶ ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν γεγονότας στοιξείων γλωττοτομῆσαι, καὶ τοῦτον καταικίσας τὸν τρόπον βασανίσαι;"},{"chapter":12,"verse":14,"text":"Ἀλλʼ οἱ μὴν εὐγενῶς ἀποθανόντες ἐπλήρωσαν τὴν εἰν τὸν Θεὸν εὐσέβειαν."},{"chapter":12,"verse":15,"text":"Σὺ δὲ κακὸς κακῶς οἰμώξεις, τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆν ἀγωνιστὰν ἀναιτίως ἀποκτεῖναι."},{"chapter":12,"verse":16,"text":"Ὅθεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀποθνήσκειν μέλλων, ἔφη,"},{"chapter":12,"verse":17,"text":"οὐκ ἀπαυτομολῶ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου μαρτυρίας."},{"chapter":12,"verse":18,"text":"Ἐπικαλοῦμαι δὲ τὸν πατρῷον Θεὸν, ὅπως ἵλεως γένει μου."},{"chapter":12,"verse":19,"text":"Σὲ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν βίῳ καὶ θανόντα τιμωρήσεται."},{"chapter":12,"verse":20,"text":"Καὶ ταῦτα κατευξάμενος, ἐαυτὸν ἔοιψεν κατὰ τῶν τηγάνων· καὶ οὕτως ἀπέδεκεν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":1,"text":"Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν τῶν μέχρι θανάτου πόνων ὑπερεφρόνησαν οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ, συνομολογεῖται πανταχόθεν, ὅτι αὐτοδέσποτός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός."},{"chapter":13,"verse":2,"text":"Ὤσπερ γὰρ εἰ τοῖς πάθεσιν σουλωθέντες ἐμιεροφάγησαν, ἐλέγομεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς τούτοις νενικῆσθαι."},{"chapter":13,"verse":3,"text":"Νυνὶ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐπαινουμένῳ λογισμῷ παρὰ περιεγένοντο τῶν παθῶν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":4,"text":"Καὶ οὐκ ἐστὶν παριδεῖν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν· ἐπεκρὰτησεν γὰρ καὶ πὰθους καὶ πὸνων."},{"chapter":13,"verse":5,"text":"Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐστὶν τούτοις τὴν εὐλογιστίας παθοκρὰτειαν ὁμολογεῖν, οἱ τῶν μὲν διὰ πυρὸς ἀλγησόνων οὐκ ἐπεστράφησαν;"},{"chapter":13,"verse":6,"text":"Καθάπερ γὰρ προπλήταις λιμένων πύργοις τὰς κυμάτων ἀπειλὰς ἀνακόπτοντες, γαληνὸν παρὲχουσιν τοῖς εἰσπλέουσιν τὸν ὅρμον."},{"chapter":13,"verse":7,"text":"Οὕτος ἡ ἑπτάπυργος τῶν νεανίσκων εὐλογιστία τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ὀχυρώσασα λιμένα τὴν τῶν παθῶν ἐνίκησεν ἀκολασίαν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":8,"text":"Ἱερὸν γὰρ εὐσεβείαν στήσαντες χορὸν παρεθάρσυνον ἀλλήλους, λέγοντες,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":9,"text":"ἀδελφικῶς ἀποθάνοιμεν, ἀδελφοὶ, περὶ τοῦ νόμον· μιμησώμεθα τούς τρεῖς τοὺς ἐπὶ Ἀσσυρίας νεανίσκους, οἵ τῆς ἰσεπόλιδος καμίνου κατεφρόνησαν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":10,"text":"Μὴ δειλανδρήσωμεν πρὸς τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀπόδειξιν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":11,"text":"Καὶ ὁ μὲν, θάῤῥει ἀδελφὲ, ἔλεγεν, ὁ δὲ, εὐγενῶς καρτέρησον."},{"chapter":13,"verse":12,"text":"Ὁ δὲ, ἔλεγεν, μνήσθητε πόθεν ἐστὲ, ἢ τίνος πατρὸς χειρὶ σφαγιασθῆναι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ὑπέμεινεν ὁ Ἰσαάκ."},{"chapter":13,"verse":13,"text":"Εἶς δὲ ἕκαστος καὶ ἀλλήλους ὁμοῦ πάντες ἐφόρων φαιδροὶ καὶ μάλα θαῤῥαλέοι, ἐαυτοὺς, ἔλεγον, τῷ Θεῷ ἀφιερώσωμεν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας τῷ δόντι τὰς ψυχὰς, καὶ χρήσωμεν τῇ περὶ τὸν νόμον φυλακῇ τὰ σώματα."},{"chapter":13,"verse":14,"text":"Μὴ φοβηθῶμεν τὸν δοκοῦντα ἀποκτενεῖν"},{"chapter":13,"verse":15,"text":"Μέγας γὰρ ψυξῆς ἀγὼν καὶ κίνδυνος ἐν αἰωνίῳ βασάνῳ κείμενος τοῖς παραβᾶσιν τῆν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ."},{"chapter":13,"verse":16,"text":"Καθοπλισώμεθα τοιγαροῦν τῇ τοῦ θείου λογισμοῦ παθοκρατείᾳ."},{"chapter":13,"verse":17,"text":"Οὕτως παθόντας ἡμᾶς Αβραὰμ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ὑποδέξονται, καὶ πάντες οἱ πατέρες ἐπαινέσουσιν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":18,"text":"Καὶ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀποστωμένων αὐτῶν ἀδελφῶν ἔλεγον οἱ περιλειπόμενοι, μὴ καταισχύνῃς ἡμᾶς ἀδελφὲ, μηδὲ ἀδελφὲ, μηδὲ ψεύσῃ τούς προαποθανόντας."},{"chapter":13,"verse":19,"text":"Οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος φίλτρα, ἅπερ ἡ θεία καὶ πάνσοφος πρόνοια διὰ τῆς μητρῴας φυτεύσασα γαστρός·"},{"chapter":13,"verse":20,"text":"ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἶσον ἀδελφοὶ κατοικήσαντες χρόνον, καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῳ χρόνῳ πλασθέντες, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτῷ αἵματος ἀξηθέντες, καὶ δια τῆς αὐτῆς ψυχῆς τελεσφορηθέντες,"},{"chapter":13,"verse":21,"text":"καὶ διὰ τῶν ἴσων ἀποτεχθέντες χρόνον, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν γαλακτοποτοῦντες πηγῶν, ἀφʼ οὗ συντέφονται ἐν ἐναγκαλισμάτων φιλάδελφοι ψυχαί·"},{"chapter":13,"verse":22,"text":"καὶ αὔξοντες σφοδρότερον διὰ συντροφίας, καὶ τῆς καθʼ ἠμέραν συνηθείας, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παιδείας, καὶ τῆν ἡμετέρας ἐν νόμῳ Θεοῦ ἀσκήσεως."},{"chapter":13,"verse":23,"text":"Οὕτως δὲ τοίνυν καθεστηκυίας τῆς φιλαδελφίας συμπαθούσης, οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ συμπαθέστερον ἔσχον τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁμόνοιαν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":24,"text":"Νόμῳ γὰρ τῷ αὐτῷ παιδευθέντες, καὶ τὰς αὐτὰς ἐξασκήσαντες ἀρετὰς, καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ συντραφέντες βίῳ, μᾶλλον ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἥγαγον."},{"chapter":13,"verse":25,"text":"Ἡ γὰρ ὁμοζηλία τῆς καλοκᾳγαθίας ἐπέτεινεν αὐτῶν τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁμόνοιαν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":26,"text":"Σὺν γάρ τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ ποθεινοτέραν αὐτοῖς κατεσκεύαζεν τὴν φιλαδελφίαν."},{"chapter":13,"verse":27,"text":"Ἀλλʼ ὁμοίως καίπερ τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῆς συνηθείας καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἠθῶν τὰ τῆς ἀδελφότητος αὐτοῖν φίλτρα συναυξόντων, ἀνέσχοντο διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν τοὺν ἀδελφοὺς οἱ ὑπολελειμμένοι τοὺς καταικιζομένους, ὁρῶντες μέχρι θανάτου βασανιζομένους."},{"chapter":14,"verse":1,"text":"Προσέτι καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν αἰκισμὸν ἐποτρύνοντες, ὡς μὴ μόνον τῶν ἀλγηδόνων περιφρονῆσαι αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν φιλαδελφίας παθῶν κρατῆσαι."},{"chapter":14,"verse":2,"text":"Ὦ βασιλέως λογισμοὶ βασιλικώτεροι καὶ ἐλευθέρων ἐλευθερώτεροι."},{"chapter":14,"verse":3,"text":"Ἱερὰς καὶ ἐναρμόστους περὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφῶν συμφωνίας."},{"chapter":14,"verse":4,"text":"Οὐδεὶς ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ μειρακίων ἐδειλίασεν, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν θάνατον ὤκνησεν."},{"chapter":14,"verse":5,"text":"Ἀλλὰ πάντες, ὥσπερ ἐπʼ ἀθανασίας ὁδὸν τρέχοντες, ἐπὶ τὸν διὰ τῶν βασάνων θάνατον ἔσπευδον."},{"chapter":14,"verse":6,"text":"Καθάπερ γὰρ χεῖρες καὶ πόδες συμφώνως τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφηγήμασιν κινοῦνται· οὕτως οἱ ἱεροὶ μείρακες ἐκεῖνοι ὡς ὑπὸ ψυχῆς ἀθανάτου τῆς εὐσεβείας, πρὸς τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς συνεφώνησαν θάνατον."},{"chapter":14,"verse":7,"text":"Ὦ παναγία ἡ συμφώνον ἀδελφῶν ἐβδομάς· καθάπερ γὰρ ἑπτὰ τῆς κοσμοποιΐας ἡμέραι περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν,"},{"chapter":14,"verse":8,"text":"οὕτος περὶ τὴν ἑβδομάδα χορεύοντες οἱ μείρακες ἐκύκλουν τὸν τῶν βασάνων φόβον καταλύοντες."},{"chapter":14,"verse":9,"text":"Νῦν ἡμεῖς ἀκούοντες τῆν θλίψιν τῶν νεανίων ἐκείνων, φρίττομεν· οἱ δὲ οὐ μόνον ὁρῶντες, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ μόνον ἀκούοντες τὸν παραχρῆμα ἀπειλῆς λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσχοντες, ἐκαρτέρουν καὶ τοῦτο ταῖς διὰ πυρὸς ὀδύναις."},{"chapter":14,"verse":10,"text":"Ὧν τί γένοιτο ἐπαλγέστερον; ὀξεῖα γὰρ καὶ σύντομος ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς οὖσα δύναμις, ταχέως διέλυσε τὰ σώματα."},{"chapter":14,"verse":11,"text":"Καὶ μὴ θαυμαστὸν ἡγεῖσθε, εἰ ὁ λογισμὸς περιεκράτησεν τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων ἐν ταῖς βασάνοις, ὅπου γε καὶ γυναικὸς νοῦς πολυτροπωτέρον ὑπερεφρόνησεν ἀλγηδόνων."},{"chapter":14,"verse":12,"text":"Ἡ μήτηρ γὰρ τῶν ἑπτὰ νεανίσκων ὑπήνεγκεν τὰς ἐφʼ ἑνὶ ἐκάστῳ τῶν τέκνων στρέβλας."},{"chapter":14,"verse":13,"text":"Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πῶς πολύπλοκός ἐστιν ἡ τῆς φιλοτεκνίας στοργὴ, ἕλκουσα πάντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν σπλάγχνων συμπάθειαν."},{"chapter":14,"verse":14,"text":"Ὅπου γε καὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα ὁμοίαν τὴν πρὸς τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν γεννώμενα συμπάθειαν καὶ στοργὴν ἔχει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις."},{"chapter":14,"verse":15,"text":"Καὶ γὰρ τῶν πετεινῶν, τὰ μὲν ἥμερα κατὰ τὰς οἰκίας ὀροφοιτοῦντα προασπίζει τῶν νεοττῶν."},{"chapter":14,"verse":16,"text":"Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὰς κορυφὰς ὀρέων καὶ φαράγγων ἀποῤῥῶγας καὶ δένδρων ὀπὰς καὶ τὰς τούτων ἄκρας νοσσοποιησάμενα ἀποτίκτει, καὶ τὸν προσιόντα κωλύει."},{"chapter":14,"verse":17,"text":"Εἰ δὲ καὶ μὴ δύναιντο κωλύειν, περιπτάμενα κυκλόθεν αὐτῶν ἀλγοῦντα τῇ στοργῇ, ἀνακαλούμενα τῇ ἰδίᾳ φωνῇ, καθʼ ὃν δύναται τρόπον βοηθεῖ τοῖς τέκνοις."},{"chapter":14,"verse":18,"text":"Καὶ τί δεῖ τὴν διὰ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων ἐπιδεικνύναι τὴν πρὸς τὰ τέκνα συμπάθειαν."},{"chapter":14,"verse":19,"text":"Ὅπου γε καὶ μέλισσαι περὶ τὸν τῆς κηρογονίας καιρὸν ἐπαμύνονται τοὺς προσιόντας, καὶ καθάπερ σιδήρῳ τῷ κέντρῳ πλήσσουσι τοὺς προσιόντας τῇ νοσσιᾷ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπαμύνονται ἕως θανάτου."},{"chapter":14,"verse":20,"text":"Ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ τὴν Ἁβραὰμ ὁμόψυχον τῶν νεανίων μητέρα μετεκίνησεν συμπάθεια τῆς συμπαθείας τέκνων."},{"chapter":15,"verse":1,"text":"Ὦ λογίσμε τέκνων, παθῶν τύραννε, καὶ εὐσέβεια μητρὶ τέκνων ποθεινοτέρα."},{"chapter":15,"verse":2,"text":"Μήτηρ δυοῖν προκειμένων εὐσεβείας, καὶ τῆς ἑπτὰ υἱῶν σωτηρίας προκαίρους κατὰ τὴν τοῦ τυράννου ὑπόσχεσιν·"},{"chapter":15,"verse":3,"text":"τὴν εὐσέβειαν μᾶλλον ἠγάπησεν τὴν σώζουσαν εἰς αἰώνιον ζωὴν κατὰ Θεόν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":4,"text":"Ὦ τίνα τρόπον ἠθολογήσαιμι φιλότεκνα γονέων πάθη, ψυχῆς τε καὶ μορφῆς ὁμοιότητα εἰς μικρὸν παιδὸς χαρακτῆρα θαυμάσιον ἐναπεσφράγιζον, μάλιστα διὰ τὸν τῶν παθῶν τοῖς γεννηθεῖσιν τὰς μητέρας καθεστάναι συμπαθευτέρας."},{"chapter":15,"verse":5,"text":"Ὅσῳ γὰρ καὶ ἀσθενόψυχοι καὶ πολυγονώτεραι ὑπάρχουσιν μητέρες, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλόν εἰσιν φιλοτεκνότεραι."},{"chapter":15,"verse":6,"text":"Πασῶν δὲ τῶν μητέρων ἐγένετο ἡ τῶν ἑπτὰ μήτηρ φιλοτεκνοτέρα, ἥ τις ἑπτὰ κυοφορίαις τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπιφυτευομένη φιλοστοργία,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":7,"text":"καὶ διὰ πολλὰς τὰς καθʼ ἔκαστον αὐτῶν ὠδῖνας ἠναγκασμένην τὴν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἔχειν συμπάθειαν,"},{"chapter":15,"verse":8,"text":"διὰ τὸν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν φόβον ὑπερεῖδεν τὴν τῶν τέκνων πρόσκαιρον σωτηρίαν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":9,"text":"Οὐ μὴν δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν καλοκᾳγαθίαν τῶν υἱῶν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν νόμον αὐτῶν εὐπείθειαν, μείζων τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔσχεν φιλοστοργίαν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":10,"text":"Δίκαιοί τε γὰρ ἦσαν, καὶ σώφρονες, καὶ σώφρονες, καὶ ἀνδρεῖοι, καὶ μεγαλόψυχοι, καὶ φιλάδελφοι, καὶ μεγαλόψυχοι, καὶ μεψαλόψυχοι, καὶ φιλάδελφοι, καὶ φιλομήτορες οὕτως, ὥστε καὶ μέχρι θανάτου τὰ νόμιμα φυλάσσοντες πείθεσθαι αὐτῇ."},{"chapter":15,"verse":11,"text":"Ἀλλʼ ὅμως, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν περὶ φιλοτεκνίαν εἰς συμπάθειαν ἑλκόντων τὴν μητέρα, ἐπʼ οὐδενὸς αὐτῶν τὸν λογισμὸν αὐτῆς αἱ παμποίκιλοι ἴσχυσαν μετατρέψαι."},{"chapter":15,"verse":12,"text":"Ἀλλὰ καἰ καθʼ ἔνα παῖδα καὶ ὁμοῦ πάντας ἡ μήτηρ ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας προετρέπετο θάνατον."},{"chapter":15,"verse":13,"text":"Ὦ φύσις ἱερὰ, καὶ φίλτρα γονέων καὶ γονεῦσιν φιλόστοργε, καὶ τροφεῖα, καὶ μητέρων ἀδάμαστα πάθη."},{"chapter":15,"verse":14,"text":"Καθʼ ἕνα στρεβλούμενον καὶ φλεγόμενον ὁρῶσα υήτηρ, οὐ μετεβάλετο διὰ τὴν εὐσέβεβειαν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":15,"text":"Τὰς σάρκας τῶν τέκνων ἑώρα περὶ τὸ πῦρ τηκομένας, καὶ τοὺς τὼν ποδῶν καὶ χειρῶν δακτύλους ἐπὶ γῆς σπαίροντας, καὶ τὰς τῶν κεφαλῶν μέχρι τῶν περὶ τὰ γένεια σάρκας, ὥσπερ προσωπεῖα προκειμένας."},{"chapter":15,"verse":16,"text":"Ὦ πικροτέρων μὲν νῦν μήτηρ πόνων πειρασθεῖσα, ἤπερ τῶν ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ὠδίνων."},{"chapter":15,"verse":17,"text":"Ὦ μόνη γυνὴ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ὁλόκληρον ἀποκυήσασα."},{"chapter":15,"verse":18,"text":"Οὐ μετέρεψέν σε πρωτότοκος ἀποπνέων· οὐδὲ δεύτερον εἰς οἶκτρον βλέπων ἐν βασάνοις· οὐδὲ τρίτος ἀποψύχων."},{"chapter":15,"verse":19,"text":"Οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἑνὸς ἑκάστου θεωροῦσα ταυρηδὸν ἐπὶ τῶν βασάνων ὁρῶντας τὸν αὐτὸν αἰκισμὸν, καὶ τοὺς μυκτῆρας προσημειουμένους αὐτῶν τὸν θάνατον, οὐκ ἔκλαυσας."},{"chapter":15,"verse":20,"text":"Ἐπὶ σαρξὶν τέκνων ὁρῶσα σάρκας τέκνων ἀποκεκομμένας, καὶ ἐπὶ κεφαλαῖς κεφαλὰς ἀποδειροτομουμένας, καὶ ἐπὶ νεκροῖς νεκροὺς πίπτοντας, καὶ πολυάνδριον ὁρῶσα τῶν τέκνων χορεῖον διὰ τῶν βασάνων, οὐκ ἐδάκρυσας."},{"chapter":15,"verse":21,"text":"Οὐχ οὕτως σειρήνιοι μελῳδίαι, οὐδὲ κύκνειοι πρὸς φιληκοΐαν φωναὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἐφέλκονται, ὦ τέκνων φωναὶ μετὰ βασάνων μητέρα φωνούντων."},{"chapter":15,"verse":22,"text":"Πηλίκαις καὶ πόσαις τότε ἡ μήτηρ, τῶν υἱῶν βασανιζομένων τροχοῖς τε καὶ καυτερίοις ἐβασανίζετο βασάνοις;"},{"chapter":15,"verse":23,"text":"Ἀλλὰ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτῆς ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμὸς ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς πάθεσιν ἀνδρειώσας ἐπέτεινεν τὴν πρόσκαιρον φιλοτεκνίαν παριδεῖν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":24,"text":"Καίπερ ἑπτὰ τέκνων ὁρῶσα ἀπώλειαν· ἀσπάσασα ἡ γενναῖα μήτηρ ἐξέδσεν διὰ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν πίστιν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":25,"text":"Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν βουλευτηρίῳ τῇ ἑαυτῆς ψυχῇ δεινοὺς ὁρῶσα συμβούλους, φύσιν καὶ γένεσιν καὶ φιλοτεκνίαν καὶ τέκνων στρέβλαν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":26,"text":"Δύο ψήφους κρατοῦσα μήτηρ, θανατηφόρον τε καὶ σωτήριον ὑπὲρ τένων·"},{"chapter":15,"verse":27,"text":"Οὐκ ἐπέγνω τὴν σώζουσαν ἑπτὰ υἱοὺς πρὸς ὀλίγον χρόνον σωτηρίαν."},{"chapter":15,"verse":28,"text":"Ἀλλὰ τῆς θεοσεβοῦς Ἁβραὰμ καρτερίας ἡ θυγάτηρ ἐμνήσθη."},{"chapter":15,"verse":29,"text":"Ὦ μήτηρ ἔθνους, ἔκδικε τοῦ νόμου, καὶ ὑπερασπίστεια τῆς εὐσεβείας, καὶ τοῦ διὰ σπλάγχνων ἀγῶνος ἀθλοφόρε."},{"chapter":15,"verse":30,"text":"Ὦ ἀῤῥένων πρὸς καρτερίαν γενναιοτέρα, καὶ ἀνδρῶν πρὸς ὑπομονὴν ἀνδρειοτέρα."},{"chapter":15,"verse":31,"text":"Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ Νῶε κιβωτὸς ἐν τῷ κοσμοπληθεῖ κατακλυσμῷ κοσμοφοροῦσα καρτεροὺς ὑπήνεγκεν τοὺς κλύδωνας·"},{"chapter":15,"verse":32,"text":"οὕτως σὺ, ἡ νομοφύλαξ, πανταχόθεν ἐν τῷ τῶν παθῶν περιαντλουμένη κατακλυσμῷ, καὶ καρτεροῖς ἂν λοιμοῖς ταῖς τῶν υἱῶν βασάνοις συνεχομένη, γενναίως ὑπέμεινας τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας χειμῶνας."},{"chapter":16,"verse":1,"text":"Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν καὶ γυνὴ, καὶ γηραιὰ, καὶ ἑπτὰ παὶδων μήτηρ ὑπέμεινε τὰς μέχρι θανάτου βασάνους ὁρῶσα τῶν τέκνων· ὁμολογουμένως αὐτοκράτωρ ἐστὶν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός."},{"chapter":16,"verse":2,"text":"Ἀπέδειξα οὖν ὅτι οὐ μόνον τῶν παθῶν ἄνδρες ἐπεκράτησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυνὴ τῶν μεγίστων βασάνων ὑπερεφρόνησεν."},{"chapter":16,"verse":3,"text":"Καὶ οὐχ οὕτως οἱ περὶ Δανιὴλ λέοντες ἦσαν ἄγριοι, οὐδὲ Μισαὴλ ἐκφλεγομένη κάμινος λαβροτάτῳ πυρὶ, ὡς τῆς φιλοτεκνίας περιέκαιεν ἐκείνη φύσις, ὁρῶσα αὑτῆς τοὺς ἑπτὰ υἱοὺς βασανιζομένους."},{"chapter":16,"verse":4,"text":"Ἀλλὰ τῷ λογισμῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας κατέσβεσε τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα πάθη ἡ μήτηρ."},{"chapter":16,"verse":5,"text":"Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπιλογίσασθαι, ὅτι εἰ δειλόψυχος ἦν ἡ γυνὴ, καίπερ μήτηρ οὖσα, ὠλοφύρετο ἂν ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἴσως ἄν ταῦτα οὕτως εἶπεν,"},{"chapter":16,"verse":6,"text":"Ὦ μελέα ἔγωγε, καὶ πολλάκις τρισαθλία, ἥτις ἑπτὰ παῖδας τεκοῦσα, οὐδενὸς μήτηρ γεγένημαι."},{"chapter":16,"verse":7,"text":"Ὦ μάταιοι ἐπτὰ κυοφορίαι, καὶ ἀνόνητοι ἐπτὰ δεκάηνοι, καὶ ἄκαρποι τιθηνίαι, καὶ ταλαίπωροι γαλακτοτροφίοι."},{"chapter":16,"verse":8,"text":"Μάτην ἐφʼ ὑμῖν, ὦ παῖδες, πολλὰς ὑπέμεινα ὠδῖνας καὶ χαλεπωτέρας φροντίδας ἀνατροφῆς."},{"chapter":16,"verse":9,"text":"Ὦ τῶν ἐμῶν παίδων, οἱ μὲν ἄγαμοι, οἱ δὲ γαμήσαντες ἀνόνητοι, οὐκ ὄψομαι ὑμῶν τέκνα, οὐδὲ μάμμη κληθεῖσα μακαρισθήσομαι."},{"chapter":16,"verse":10,"text":"Ὦ ἡ πολύπαις καὶ καλλίπαις ἐγὼ γυνὴ χήρα καὶ μόνη πολύθρηνος."},{"chapter":16,"verse":11,"text":"Οὐδʼ ἂν ἀποθάνω, θάπτοντα τῶν υἱῶν ἕξω τινά."},{"chapter":16,"verse":12,"text":"Ἀλλὰ τούτῳ τῷ θρήνῳ οὐδένα ὠλοφύρετο ἡ ἱερὰ καὶ θεοσεβὴς μήτηρ. Οὐδʼ ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνωσιν ἀπέτρεπεν αὐτῶν τινα, οὐδʼ ὡς ἀποθνησκόντων ἐλυπήθη."},{"chapter":16,"verse":13,"text":"Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἀδαμάντινον ἔχουσα τὸν νοῦν, καὶ εἰς ἀθανασίαν ἀνατίκτουσα τὸν τῶν υἱῶν ἀριθμὸν, μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον αὐτοὺς προετρέπετο ἱκετεύουσα."},{"chapter":16,"verse":14,"text":"Ὦ διʼ εὐσέβειαν Θεοῦ στρατιῶτι, πρεσβύτι καὶ γυνὴ διὰ καρτερίαν καὶ τύραννον ἐνίκησας, καὶ ἔργοις δυνατωτέρα καὶ λόγοις εὑρέθης ἄνανδρος."},{"chapter":16,"verse":15,"text":"Καὶ γὰν ὃτε συνελήφθης μετὰ τῶν παίδων, εἱστήκεις τὸν Ἐλεάζαρον ὁρῶσα βασανιζόμενον, καὶ ἔλεγες τοῖς παισὶν ἐν τῇ Ἑβοαΐδι φωνῇ,"},{"chapter":16,"verse":16,"text":"Ὦ παῖδες, γενναῖος ὁ ἀγών· εφ ὃν κληθέντες ὑπὲρ τῆς διαμαρτυρίας τοῦ ἔθνους, ἐναγωνίσασθε προθύμως ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρίουνόμου."},{"chapter":16,"verse":17,"text":"Καὶ γὰρ αἰσχρὸν τὸν μὴν γέροντα τοῦτον ὑπομένειν τὰς διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀληδόνας, ὑμᾶς δὲ τοὺς νεωτέρους καταπλαγῆναι τὰς βασάνους."},{"chapter":16,"verse":18,"text":"Ἀναμνήσθητε, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ κόσμου μετελάβετε, καὶ τοῦ βίου ἀπελαύσατέ·"},{"chapter":16,"verse":19,"text":"καὶ διὰ τιῦτο ὀφείλετε πάντα πόνον ὑπομένειν διὰ τὸν Θεόν."},{"chapter":16,"verse":20,"text":"Διʼ ὃν καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν Ἁβραὰμ ἔσπευδεν τὸν ἐθνοπάτορα υἱὸν σφαγιάσαι Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τὴν πατρῷαν χεῖρα ξιφηφόρον καταφερομένην ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὁρῶν οὐκ ἔπτηξεν."},{"chapter":16,"verse":21,"text":"Καὶ Δανιὴλ ὁ δίκαιος εἰς λέοντας ἐβλήθη· καὶ Ἀνανίας, καὶ Ἀζαρίας, καὶ Μισαὴλ εἰς κάμινον πυρὸς ἀπεσφενδονήθησαν, καὶ ὑπέμειναν, διὰ τὸν Θεόν."},{"chapter":16,"verse":22,"text":"Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν τὴν αὐτὴν πίστιν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἔχοντες, μὴ χαλεπαίνητε."},{"chapter":16,"verse":23,"text":"Ἀλόγιστον γὰρ εἰδότας εὐσέβειαν μὴ ἀντιστασθαι τοῖς πόνοις."},{"chapter":16,"verse":24,"text":"Διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων ἡ ἑπταμήτωρ ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν παρακαλοῦσα, ἔπεισε μᾶλλον, ἢ παραβῆναι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ."},{"chapter":16,"verse":25,"text":"Ἔτι δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ἰδόντες, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἀποθανόντες ζῶσιν τῷ Θεῷ, ὥσπερ Ἁβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ, καὶ πάντες οἱ πατριάρχαι."},{"chapter":17,"verse":1,"text":"Ἔλεγον δὲ καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων τινὲς, ὡς ὅτε ἔμελλεν καὶ αὐτὴ συλλαμβάνεσθαι πρὸς θάνατον, ἵνα μὴ ψαύσειέν τι τοῦ σώματος ἑαυτῆς, ἑαυτὴν ἔῤῥιψεν κατὰ τῆς πυρᾶς."},{"chapter":17,"verse":2,"text":"Ὦ μήτηρ σὺν ἑπτὰ παισὶν καταλύσασα τὴν τοῦ τυράννου βίαν, καὶ ἀκυρώσασα τὰς κακὰς ἐπινοίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπιδείξασα τὴν τῆς πίστεως γενναιότητα."},{"chapter":17,"verse":3,"text":"Καθάπερ γὰρ σὺ στέγη ἐπὶ τοῦ στύλου τῶν παίδων γενναίως ἱδρυμένη, ἀκλινῶς ὑπήνεγκας τὸν διὰ τῶν βασάνων σεισμόν."},{"chapter":17,"verse":4,"text":"Θάῤῥει τοιγαροῦν, ὦ μήτηρ ἱερόψυχε, τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς ὑπομονῆς γενναίως ἔχουσα πρὸς Θεόν."},{"chapter":17,"verse":5,"text":"Οὐχ οὕτω σελήνη κατʼ οὐρανὸν σὺν ἄστροις σεμνὴ καθέστηκεν, ὡς σὺ τοὺς εἰς ἀστέρας ἑπτὰ παῖδας φωταγωγήσασα πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἔντιμος καθέστηκας Θεῷ, καὶ ἐστήρισαι ἐν οὐρανῷ σὺν αὐτοῖς."},{"chapter":17,"verse":6,"text":"Ἦν γὰρ ἡ παιδοποιΐα σου ἀπὸ Ἁβραὰμ τοῦ παιδός."},{"chapter":17,"verse":7,"text":"Εἰ δὲ ἐξὸν ἡμῖν ἦν, ὥσπερ τινὸς ζωγραφῆσαι τὴν τῆς ἱστορίας σου εὐσέβειαν, οὐκ ἂν ἔφριττον οἱ θεωροῦντες μητέρα ἑπτὰ τέκνων διʼ εὐσέβειαν ποικίλας βασάνους μέχρι θανάτου ὑπομείνασαν."},{"chapter":17,"verse":8,"text":"Καὶ γὰρ ἄξιον ἦν καὶ ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐπιταφίου ἀναγράψαι καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔθνους εἰς μνείαν λεγόμενα."},{"chapter":17,"verse":9,"text":"Ἐνταῦθα γέρων ἱερεὺς, καὶ γυμὴ γεραιὰ καὶ ἑπτὰ παῖδες ἐγκεκήδευνται διὰ τυράννου βίαν, τὴν Ἑβραίων πολιτείαν καταλῦσαι θέλοντος."},{"chapter":17,"verse":10,"text":"Οἳ καὶ ἐξεδίκησαν τὸ ἔθνος εἰς Θεὸν ἀφορῶντες, καὶ μέχρι θανάτου τὰς βασάνους ὑπομείναντες."},{"chapter":17,"verse":11,"text":"Ἀληθῶς γὰρ ἦν ἀγῶν θεῖος ὁ διʼ αὐτῶν γεγενημένος."},{"chapter":17,"verse":12,"text":"Ἠθλότει γὰρ τότε ἀρετὴ διʼ ὑπομονῆς δοκιμάζουσα τὸ νῖκος ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ ἐν ζωῇ πολυχρονίῳ."},{"chapter":17,"verse":13,"text":"Ἐλεάζαρ δὲ προηγωνίζετο· ἡ δὲ μήτηρ τῶν ἑπτὰ παίδων ἐνήθλει·"},{"chapter":17,"verse":14,"text":"οἱ δὲ ἀδελφοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο· ὁ τύραννος ἀντηγωνίζετο· ὁ δὲ κόσμος καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος ἐθεώρει."},{"chapter":17,"verse":15,"text":"Θεοσέβεια δὲ ἐνίκα, τοὺς ἑαυτῆς ἀθλητὰς στεφανοῦσα."},{"chapter":17,"verse":16,"text":"Τίνες οὐκ ἐθαύμασαν τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας νομοθεσίας ἀθλητὰς; τίνες οὐκ ἐξεπλάγησαν;"},{"chapter":17,"verse":17,"text":"Αὐτός γέ τοι ὁ τύραννος καὶ ὅλον τὸν συνέδριον αὐτῶν ἐξεθαύμασαν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπομονήν."},{"chapter":17,"verse":18,"text":"Διʼ ἣν καὶ τῷ θείῳ νῦν παρεστήκασιν θρόνῳ, καὶ τὸν μακάριον βιοῦσιν αἰῶνα."},{"chapter":17,"verse":19,"text":"Καὶ γάρ φησιν ὁ Μωσῆς, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἡγιασμένοι ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖράς σου."},{"chapter":17,"verse":20,"text":"Καὶ οὗτοι οὖν ἁγιασθέντες διὰ Θεὸν τετίμηνται οὐ μόνον οὖν ταύτῃ τῇ τιμῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ διʼ αὐτοὺς τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν τοὺς πολεμίους μὴ ἐπικρατήσας,"},{"chapter":17,"verse":21,"text":"καὶ τὸν τύραννον τιμωρηθῆναι, καὶ τὴν πατρίδα καθαρισθῆναι,"},{"chapter":17,"verse":22,"text":"ὥσπωρ ἀντίψυχον γεγονότας τῆς τοῦ ἔθνους ἁμαρτίας, καὶ διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου θανάτου αὐτῶν, ἡ θεία πρόνοια τὸν Ἰσραὴλ προκακωθέντα διέσωσεν."},{"chapter":17,"verse":23,"text":"Πρὸς γὰρ τὴν ἀνδρείαν αὐτῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς βασάνοις αὐτῶν ὑπομονὴν ὁ τύραννος ἀφιδὼν Ἀντίοχος ἀνεκήρυξεν τοῖς στρατιώταις αὐτοῦ εἰς ὑπόδειγμα τὴν ἐκείνων ὑπομονήν."},{"chapter":17,"verse":24,"text":"Ἔσχεν τε αὐτοὺς γενναίους καὶ ἀνδρείους εἰς πεζομαχίαν καὶ πολιορκίαν· καὶ ἐκπορθήσας ἐνίκησεν πάντας τοὺς πολεμίους."},{"chapter":18,"verse":1,"text":"Ὦ τῶν Ἁβραμιαίων σπερμάτων ἀπόγονοι παῖδες Ἰσραηλῖται, πείθεσθε τῷ νόμῳ τούτῳ, καὶ πάντα τρόπον εὐσεβεῖτε·"},{"chapter":18,"verse":2,"text":"γινώσκοντες, ὅτι τῶν παθῶν δεσπότης ἐστὶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός· καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἔνδοθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν πόνων·"},{"chapter":18,"verse":3,"text":"Ἀνθʼ ὦν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προϊέμενοι τὰ σώματα τοῖς πόνοις ἐκεῖνοι, οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐθαυμάσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θείας μερίδος κατηξιώθησαν."},{"chapter":18,"verse":4,"text":"Καὶ διʼ αὐτοὺς εἰρήνευσεν τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ τὴν εὐνομίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἀνανεωσάμενος, ἐκπεπολιόρκηκε τοὺς πολεμίους."},{"chapter":18,"verse":5,"text":"Καὶ ὁ τύραννος Ἀντίοχος καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τετιμώρηται, καὶ ἀποθανὼν κολάζεται· ὡς γὰρ οὐδὲν οὐδαμῶς ἴσχυσεν ἀναγκάσαι τοὺς Ἱεροσολυμίτας ἀλλοφυλῆσαι, καὶ τῶν πατριῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκδιαιτηθῆναι·"},{"chapter":18,"verse":6,"text":"τότε δὴ ἀπάρας ἀπὸ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐπὶ Πέρσας."},{"chapter":18,"verse":7,"text":"Ἔλεγεν δὲ ἡ μήτηρ τῶν ἑπτὰ παίδων καὶ ταῦτα ἡ δικαία τοῖς τέκνοις, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐγενήθην παρθένος ἁγνὴ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπερέβην πατρικὸν οἶκον· ἐφύλασσον δὲ τὴν ᾠκοδομουμένην πλευράν."},{"chapter":18,"verse":8,"text":"Οὐ διέφθειρέν με λυμεὼν τῆς ἐρημίας φθορεὺς ἐν πεδίῳ· οὐδὲ ἐλυμῄνατό μου τὰ ἁγνὰ τῆς παρθενίας λυμεὼν ἀπατηλὸς ὄφις· ἔμεινα δὲ χρόνον ἀκμῆς σὺν ἀνδρί."},{"chapter":18,"verse":9,"text":"Τούτων δὲ ἐνελίκων γενομένων ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ πατήρ· μακάριος μὲν ἐκεῖνος· τὸν γὰρ τῆς εὐτεκνίας βίον ἐπιζητήσας, τὸν τῆς ἀτεκνίας οὐκ ὠδυνήθη καιρόν."},{"chapter":18,"verse":10,"text":"Ὃς ἐδιδασκεν ὑμᾶς, ἔτι ὢν σὺν ὑμῖν, τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας."},{"chapter":18,"verse":11,"text":"Τὸν ἀναιρεθέντα Ἀβὲλ ὑπὸ Κάϊν ἀνεγίνωσκεν δὲ ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸν ὁλοκαπούμενον Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τὸν ἐν φυλακῇ Ἰωσήφ."},{"chapter":18,"verse":12,"text":"Ἔλεγεν δὲ ἡμῖν τὸν ζηλωτὴν Φινεές· ἐδίδασκεν δὲ ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἐν πυρὶ Ανανίαν, καὶ Ἀζαρίαν, καὶ Μισαήλ."},{"chapter":18,"verse":13,"text":"Ἐδόξαζεν δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐν λάκκῳ λεόντων Δανιὴλ, ὃν καὶ ἐμακάριζεν."},{"chapter":18,"verse":14,"text":"Ὑπεμίμνησκεν δὲ ὑμᾶς τῆν Ἠσαΐου γραφὴν τὴν λέγουσαν, κᾂν διὰ πυρὸς διέλθῃς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε."},{"chapter":18,"verse":15,"text":"Τὸν ὑμνογράφον ἐμελῴδει ὑμῖν Δαρίδ τὸν λέγοντα, πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων."},{"chapter":18,"verse":16,"text":"Τὸν Σαλομῶντα ἐπαροιμίαζεν ἡμῖν τὸν λέγοντα, ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστιν πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα."},{"chapter":18,"verse":17,"text":"Τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐπιστοποιεῖτο τὸν λέγοντα, εἰ ζήσεται τὰ ὀστᾶ τὰ ξηρὰ ταῦτα;"},{"chapter":18,"verse":18,"text":"Ὧδην μὲν γὰρ ἣν ἑδίδαξεν Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἐπελάθετο τὴν διδάσκουσαν, ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ καὶ ζῇν ποιήσω."},{"chapter":18,"verse":19,"text":"Αὗτη ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ μακαριότης τῶν ἡμερῶν."},{"chapter":18,"verse":20,"text":"Ὧ πικρᾶς τῆς τότε ἡμέρας, καὶ οὐ πικρᾶς, ὅτε ὁ πικρὸς Ἑλλήμων τύραννος πῦρ φλέξας λέβησιν ὠμοῖς, καὶ ζεουσι θυμοῖς ἀγαγὼν ἐπὶ τὸν καταπέλτην καὶ πάλιν τὰς βασάνους αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἑπτὰ παῖδας τῆς Ἁβρααμίτιδος."},{"chapter":18,"verse":21,"text":"Τὰς τῶν ὀμμάτων κόρας ἐπήρωσεν, καὶ γλώσσας ἐξέτεμεν, καὶ βασάνοις ποικίλαις ἀπέκτεινεν."},{"chapter":18,"verse":22,"text":"Ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡ θεία δίκη μετῆλθεν καὶ μετελεύσεται τὸν ἀλάστορα."},{"chapter":18,"verse":23,"text":"Οἱ δὲ Ἁβραμιαῖοι παῖδες σὺν τῇ ἀθλοφορῳ μητρὶ, εἰς πατέρων χορὸν συναγελάζονται, φυχὰς καὶ ἀθανάτους ἀπειληφότες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ."},{"chapter":18,"verse":24,"text":"Ὦ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν."}]}]}