4 Maccabees 6

1After he had spoken against the tyrant’s persuasions in this way, the bodyguards came forward and harshly dragged Eleazar to the tortures.

2And first they stripped the old man, adorned with the dignity of godliness.

3Then, after pinning his arms back on both sides, they were torturing him with whips,

4“Obey the king’s commands,” another herald cried out.

5But the noble-minded and truly well-born Eleazar, as though being tortured in a dream, was not turned aside in any way.

6But no—no—no! Lifting his eyes high toward heaven, the old man was exposing his flesh to the whips, and was streaming with blood, and his sides were being pierced.

7And falling to the ground because his body could not bear the pains, he kept his reason upright and unbending.

8Then indeed one of the cruel guards, leaping at his sides, kept striking him so that, when he fell, he might rise again.

9But he endured the pains, and he scorned the compulsion, and he persevered through the tortures,

10And like a noble athlete, though being beaten, the old man was defeating those who were torturing him.

11His face indeed was sweating, and he was breathing very hard, and he was being admired even by the very men who were torturing him because of his courage.

12Therefore, while some were taking pity on his old age,

13Some of the king’s men, being moved by sympathy because of their long acquaintance with him, and others approaching him in admiration of his endurance, were saying,

14Why are you irrationally destroying yourself with these evils, Eleazar?

15We will set out some roasted foods, but you, by pretending to taste pork, save yourself.

16And Eleazar, as though he had been tortured more bitterly by this counsel, cried out,

17Let us not think so badly, we who are Abraham’s children, as to become fainthearted and act out a disgraceful scene unworthy of us.

18For it would indeed be irrational, if, after living our whole life up to old age in truth and lawfully preserving the reputation founded on it, we should now change course,

19and we ourselves would become a pattern of ungodliness for the young, so that we might become an example of eating what is defiled.

20For it would be shameful if we should live on for a little while, and that while being mocked by everyone for cowardice.

21and shall we be despised by the tyrant as unmanly, yet not defend our divine law even to death?

22In response to this, you, O children of Abraham, die nobly for the sake of godliness.

23But you, the tyrant’s bodyguards, why do you delay?

24When they saw that he was so noble-minded in the face of these compulsions, and that he was not even changing toward pity for them, they led him to the fire.

25There, while burning him with instruments devised for torture, they flung themselves upon him and poured foul-smelling broths into his nostrils.

26But he, already burned down to his bones and about to faint, lifted his eyes to God and said,

27You know, O God, that though it is possible for me to be saved, I am dying in burning torments because of the law.

28Be merciful to your nation, being satisfied with our punishment on their behalf.

29Make my blood their purification, and take my life in exchange for theirs.

30And after saying these things, the holy man nobly gave himself over to the tortures, and he stood firm by reason for the law, even to the tortures of death.

31Therefore, it is agreed that godly reason is master of the passions.

32For if the passions had gained mastery over reason, I would have given them testimony to my self-control.

33But now, since reason has conquered the passions, we rightly assign to it the authority of leadership.

34And it is right for us to acknowledge that reason is sovereign, since it even prevails over outward pains.

35Even if it is ridiculous, I demonstrate not only that reason has gained mastery over pains, but also that it rules over pleasures and does not yield to them.