1 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. (WEB) 2 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! (WEB) 3 For you, like a house bravely built on the pillar of your children, bore the shock of tortures without swaying. (WEB) 4 Cheer up, therefore, O holy-minded mother! Hold the firm hope of your steadfastness with God. (WEB) 5 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. (WEB) 6 For your bearing of children was after the manner of a child of Abraham. (WEB) 7 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. (WEB) 8 It would have been a worthwhile thing to have inscribed on the tomb itself these words as a memorial to those of the nation, (WEB) 9 “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. (WEB) 10 These also avenged their nation, looking to God, and enduring torments to death.” (WEB) 11 For it was truly a divine contest which was carried through by them. (WEB) 12 For at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life. (WEB) 13 Eleazar was the first to contend. The mother of the seven children entered the contest, and the kindred contended. (WEB) 14 The tyrant was the antagonist; and the world and living men were the spectators. (WEB) 15 Reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes. (WEB) 16 Who didn’t admire those champions of true legislation? Who were not amazed? (WEB) 17 The tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance, (WEB) 18 through which, they also now stand beside the divine throne and live a blessed life. (WEB) 19 For Moses says, “All the saints are under your hands.” (WEB) 20 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. (WEB) 21 That tyrant was punished and their country purified. (WEB) 22 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. (WEB) 23 For the tyrant Antiochus, looking to their courageous virtue and to their… (WEB) 24 … (WEB)
4 Maccabees 17:1–24
Semantically similar passages
4 Maccabees 1:10–12
10 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. (WEB) 11 For they, winning admiration not only from men in general, but even… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 12:13–15
13 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? (WEB) 14 But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion toward God. (WEB) 15 But you will groan as you deserve for having sl… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 16:12–14
12 Nor did she divert any of them from death, nor grieve for them as for the dead. (WEB) 13 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. (WEB) 14 O woman, sol… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 18:2–4
2 knowing that religious reasoning is lord of the emotions, and those not only inward but outward. (WEB) 3 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. (WEB) 4 The nati… (WEB)
2 Maccabees 11:9–11
9 They all together praised the merciful God, and were yet more strengthened in heart, being ready to assail not only men but the wildest animals and walls of iron, (WEB) 10 they advanced in array, having him who is in heaven to fight on their side, for the Lord had merc… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 9:17–19
17 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. (WEB) 18 For through all my torments I will convince you that the children of the Hebrews are alone unconquered on behalf… (WEB) 19 … (WEB)
4 Maccabees 15:31–32
31 For like Noah’s ship, bearing the world in the world-filling flood, bore up against the waves, (WEB) 32 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, bo… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 7:1–3
1 The reasoning of our father Eleazar, like a first-rate pilot, steering the vessel of piety in the sea of emotions, (WEB) 2 and flouted by the threats of the tyrant, and overwhelmed with the breakers of torture, (WEB) 3 in no way shifted the rudder of piety until it sailed into… (WEB)
Search the collection All books and codes Translations and sources