But not long after the king sent a certain old man of Antioch, to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers and of God:

Sed non post multum temporis, misit rex senem quemdam Antiochenum, qui compelleret Judæos ut se transferrent a patriis et Dei legibus:

Not long after, the king despatched one of the senators at Antioch, with orders he should compel the Jewish people, custom of their fathers and law of their God to forsake.

And to defile the temple that was in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius: and that in Gazarim of Jupiter Hospitalis, according as they were that inhabited the place.

contaminare etiam quod in Jerosolymis erat templum, et cognominare Jovis Olympii: et in Garizim, prout erant hi qui locum inhabitabant, Jovis hospitalis.

The temple at Jerusalem must be profaned, and dedicated now to Jupiter Olympius; as for the temple on Garizim, the Samaritans were to call it, as well they might, after Jupiter the god of strangers.

And very bad was this invasion of evils and grievous to all.

Pessima autem et universis gravis erat malorum incursio:

What a storm of troubles broke then upon the commonwealth, most grievous to be borne!

For the temple was full of the riot and revellings of the Gentiles: and of men lying with lewd women. And women thrust themselves of their accord into the holy places, and brought in things that were not lawful.

nam templum luxuria et comessationibus gentium erat plenum, et scortantium cum meretricibus: sacratisque ædibus mulieres se ultro ingerebant, intro ferentes ea quæ non licebat.

All riot and revelry the temple became, once the Gentiles had it; here was dallying with harlots, and women making their way into the sacred precincts, and bringing in of things abominable;

The altar also was filled with unlawful things, which were forbidden by the laws.

Altare etiam plenum erat illicitis, quæ legibus prohibebantur.

with forbidden meats, to the law’s injury, the very altar groaned.

And neither were the sabbaths kept, nor the solemn days of the fathers observed, neither did any man plainly profess himself to be a Jew.

Neque autem sabbata custodiebantur, neque dies solemnes patrii servabantur, nec simpliciter Judæum se esse quisquam confitebatur.

Sabbath none would observe, nor keep holiday his fathers kept; even the name of Jew was disclaimed.

But they were led by bitter constraint on the king’s birthday to the sacrifices: and when the feast of Bacchus was kept, they were compelled to go about crowned with ivy in honour of Bacchus.

Ducebantur autem cum amara necessitate in die natalis regis ad sacrificia: et cum Liberi sacra celebrarentur, cogebantur hedera coronati Libero circuire.

Instead, they went to sacrifice on the king’s birthday, though it were ruefully and under duress; and when the feast of Liber came round, make procession they must in Liber’s honour, garlanded with ivy each one.

And there went out a decree into the neighbouring cities of the Gentiles, by the suggestion of the Ptolemeans, that they also should act in like manner against the Jews, to oblige them to sacrifice:

Decretum autem exiit in proximas gentilium civitates, suggerentibus Ptolemæis, ut pari modo et ipsi adversus Judæos agerent, ut sacrificarent:

And now, among all the neighbouring cities, a decree went out, wherein the Ptolemies were the prime movers; all alike should constrain the Jews to do sacrifice,

And whosoever would not conform themselves to the ways of the Gentiles, should be put to death: then was misery to be seen.

eos autem qui nollent transire ad instituta gentium, interficerent: erat ergo videre miseriam.

and those that would not fall in with Gentile ways, with their lives must pay for it.Here were sights to be seen most pitiable.

For two women were accused to have circumcised their children: whom, when they had openly led about through the city with the infants hanging at their breasts, they threw down headlong from the walls.

Duæ enim mulieres delatæ sunt natos suos circumcidisse: quas, infantibus ad ubera suspensis, cum publice per civitatem circumduxissent, per muros præcipitaverunt.

Two mothers there were, denounced for the circumcision of their own sons; what, think you, befell them? Both must be driven through the streets, with the children hung about their breasts, and cast headlong from the battlements!

And others that had met together in caves that were near, and were keeping the sabbath day privately, being discovered by Philip, were burnt with fire, because they made a conscience to help themselves with their hands, by reason of the religious observance of the day.

Alii vero, ad proximas coëuntes speluncas, et latenter sabbati diem celebrantes, cum indicati essent Philippo, flammis succensi sunt, eo quod verebantur propter religionem et observantiam manu sibimet auxilium ferre.

At another time, Philip had information that certain Jews were meeting in caves near at hand, to keep the sabbath there without remark. Not one of these would lift a hand to help himself, so great care they had of the day’s observance, and all were burned to death.

Now I beseech those that shall read this book, that they be not shocked at these calamities, but that they consider the things that happened, not as being for the destruction, but for the correction of our nation.

Obsecro autem eos qui hunc librum lecturi sunt, ne abhorrescant propter adversos casus: sed reputent ea quæ acciderunt, non ad interitum, sed ad correptionem esse generis nostri.

Reader, by these tales of ill fortune be not too much dismayed; bethink thee, all this came about for the punishment of our race, not for its undoing.

For it is a token of great goodness when sinners are not suffered to go on in their ways for a long time, but are presently punished.

Etenim multo tempore non sinere peccatoribus ex sententia agere, sed statim ultiones adhibere, magni beneficii est indicium.

A mark of signal favour it is, when the Lord is quick to chastise, nor lets the sinner sin on unreproved.

For, not as with other nations (whom the Lord patiently expecteth, that when the day of judgment shall come, he may punish them in the fulness of their sins:)

Non enim, sicut in aliis nationibus, Dominus patienter exspectat, ut eas cum judicii dies advenerit, in plenitudine peccatorum puniat:

See how he deals with other nations, waiting patiently to take full toll when the hour comes for judgement!

Doth he also deal with us, so as to suffer our sins to come to their height, and then take vengeance on us.

ita et in nobis statuit ut, peccatis nostris in finem devolutis, ita demum in nos vindicet.

Not so with us; for our guilt he will not delay reckoning, and claim strict vengeance at last.

And therefore he never withdraweth his mercy from us: but though he chastise his people with adversity, he forsaketh them not.

Propter quod numquam quidem a nobis misericordiam suam amovet: corripiens vero in adversis, populum suum non dereliquit.

Towards us, his mercy is inalienable; chastise us he will with adversity, but forsake us never.

But let this suffice in a few words for a warning to the readers. And now we must come to the narration.

Sed hæc nobis ad commonitionem legentium dicta sint paucis. Jam enim veniendum est ad narrationem.

So much, reader, for thy warning; and now go we back to our history.

Eleazar one of the chief of the scribes, a man advanced in years, and of a comely countenance, was pressed to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh.

Igitur Eleazarus, unus de primoribus scribarum, vir ætate provectus, et vultu decorus, aperto ore hians compellebatur carnem porcinam manducare.

Here was Eleazar, one of the chief scribes, a man of great age and of noble features, being required to eat swine’s flesh; but though they held his mouth open they could not force him to eat.

But he, choosing rather a most glorious death than a hateful life, went forward voluntarily to the torment.

At ille gloriosissimam mortem magis quam odibilem vitam complectens, voluntarie præibat ad supplicium.

He would rather die gloriously than live defiled; on he went, of his own accord, to the place of torture,

And considering in what manner he was come to it, patiently bearing, he determined not to do any unlawful things for the love of life.

Intuens autem quemadmodum oporteret accedere, patienter sustinens, destinavit non admittere illicita propter vitæ amorem.

scanning every step of the path that lay before him. He must endure all in patience, rather than taste, for love of life, the forbidden meat.

But they that stood by, being moved with wicked pity, for the old friendship they had with the man, taking him aside, desired that flesh might be brought, which it was lawful for him to eat, that he might make as if he had eaten, as the king had commanded of the flesh of the sacrifice:

Hi autem qui astabant, iniqua miseratione commoti propter antiquam viri amicitiam, tollentes eum secreto rogabant afferri carnes quibus vesci ei licebat, ut simularetur manducasse sicut rex imperaverat de sacrificii carnibus,

Old friends among the bystanders, out of misplaced kindness, took him aside and urged him to let meat of some other kind be brought, which he could taste without scruple; he could pretend to have obeyed the king’s will by eating the sacrilegious food,

That by so doing he might be delivered from death: and for the sake of their old friendship with the man they did him this courtesy.

ut hoc facto, a morte liberaretur: et propter veterem viri amicitiam, hanc in eo faciebant humanitatem.

and his life should no longer be forfeit. Such kind offices old friendship claimed;

But he began to consider the dignity of his age, and his ancient years, and the inbred honour of his grey head, and his good life and conversation from a child: and he answered without delay, according to the ordinances of the holy law made by God, saying, that he would rather be sent into the other world.

At ille cogitare cœpit ætatis ac senectutis suæ eminentiam dignam, et ingenitæ nobilitatis canitiem, atque a puero optimæ conversationis actus: et secundum sanctæ et a Deo conditæ legis constituta, respondit cito, dicens præmitti se velle in infernum.

but he thought rather of the reverence that was due to his great age, of his venerable grey hairs, of a life blamelessly lived from childhood onwards. True to the precepts of God’s holy law, he answered that they would do better to send him to his grave and have done with it.

For it doth not become our age, said he, to dissemble: whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, at the age of fourscore and ten years, was gone over to the life of the heathens:

Non enim ætati nostræ dignum est, inquit, fingere: ut multi adolescentium, arbitrantes Eleazarum nonaginta annorum transisse ad vitam alienigenarum,

It does not suit my time of life, said he, to play a part. What of many that stand here, younger than myself, who would think that Eleazar, at the age of ninety, had turned Gentile?

And so they, through my dissimulation, and for a little time of a corruptible life, should be deceived, and hereby I should bring a stain and a curse upon my old age.

et ipsi propter meam simulationem, et propter modicum corruptibilis vitæ tempus decipiantur, et per hoc maculam atque execrationem meæ senectuti conquiram.

To gain a brief hour of this perishable life, shall I play a trick on them, shall I disgrace this hoary head of mine and bring down a curse on it?

For though, for the present time, I should be delivered from the punishments of men, yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty neither alive nor dead.

Nam etsi in præsenti tempore suppliciis hominum eripiar, sed manum Omnipotentis nec vivus, nec defunctus, effugiam.

Man’s sentence here I may avoid if I will, but God’s almighty hand, living or dead, escape I may not.

Wherefore by departing manfully out of this life, I shall shew myself worthy of my old age:

Quam ob rem fortiter vita excedendo, senectute quidem dignus apparebo:

Let me take leave of life with a good grace, as best suits my years,

And I shall leave an example of fortitude to young men, if with a ready mind and constancy I suffer an honourable death, for the most venerable and most holy laws. And having spoken thus, he was forthwith carried to execution.

adolescentibus autem exemplum forte relinquam, si prompto animo ac fortiter pro gravissimis ac sanctissimis legibus honesta morte perfungar. His dictis, confestim ad supplicium trahebatur.

bequeathing to men younger than myself an example of courage; meeting, with ready resolve, an honourable death, for the sake of laws holy and august as ours are. And so without more ado he was led away to his torturing;

And they that led him, and had been a little before more mild, were changed to wrath for the words he had spoken, which they thought were uttered out of arrogancy.

Hi autem qui eum ducebant, et paulo ante fuerant mitiores, in iram conversi sunt propter sermones ab eo dictos, quos illi per arrogantiam prolatos arbitrabantur.

his executioners were in a rage, that but now had been gentle with him; pride, they would have it, spoke here.

But when he was now ready to die with the stripes, he groaned, and said: O Lord, who hast the holy knowledge, thou knowest manifestly that whereas I might be delivered from death, I suffer grevious pains in body: but in soul am well content to suffer these things because I fear thee.

Sed cum plagis perimeretur, ingemuit, et dixit: Domine, qui habes sanctam scientiam, manifeste tu scis quia cum a morte possem liberari, duros corporis sustineo dolores: secundum animam vero propter timorem tuum libenter hæc patior.

And this was the last sigh he uttered, as he lay there dying under the lash, Lord, in thy holy wisdom this thou well knowest; I might have had life if I would, yet never a cruel pang my body endures, but my soul suffers it gladly for thy reverence.

Thus did this man die, leaving not only to young men, but also to the whole nation, the memory of his death for an example of virtue and fortitude.

Et iste quidem hoc modo vita decessit, non solum juvenibus, sed et universæ genti memoriam mortis suæ ad exemplum virtutis et fortitudinis derelinquens.

Thus he died, not only to those younger men he spoke of, but to our whole race, leaving the pattern of a brave and honourable death.