7. And so, they were led by bitter necessity, on the birthday of the king, to the sacrifices. And, when the holy things of Liber were celebrated, they were forced to go around crowned with the ivy of Liber.
8. Then a decree went out to the neighboring cities of the Gentiles, suggested by the Ptolemeans, that they too should act in a similar manner against the Jews, to oblige them to sacrifice,
9. and that those who were not willing to conform to the institutions of the Gentiles should be executed. Therefore, there was misery to be seen.
10. For two women were denounced for having had their boys circumcised. These, with the infants suspended at their breasts, when they had publicly led them around the city, they cast down from the walls.
11. Truly, others, meeting together in nearby caves and celebrating the Sabbath day secretly, when they had been discovered by Philip, were burned with fire, because they showed reverence to the observances of religion, deciding to help themselves by their own hand.
12. So then, I beg those who will read this Book, let them not be repelled by these adverse events, but let them consider that these things happened, not for the destruction, but for the correction, of our people.
13. For it is also an indication of great benefits that sinners are not permitted to continue in their ways for a long time, but are promptly brought to punishment.
14. For, as it is with other nations, (whom the Lord patiently awaits, so that, when the day of Judgment will arrive, he may punish them according to the plentitude of their sins,)
15. not so does he also deal with us, as if to put off our sins until the end, so as to punish us for them eventually.
16. Because of this, he certainly would never take away his mercy from us. Yet truly, chastising his people in adversity, he does not abandon them.
17. But these few things have been spoken by us as a reminder to the reader. For now we have arrived at the narration.
18. And so, Eleazar, one of the chief scribes, a man advanced in years and of stately countenance, was compelled to open his mouth wide to consume the flesh of swine.
19. Yet he, embracing a most glorious death as greater than a detestable life, went forward voluntarily to the torments.
20. And so, thinking over the manner by which he ought to approach it, enduring patiently, he was determined not to permit, due to a love for life, any unlawful things.
21. Yet those who stood near, being moved by an iniquitous pity because of long friendship with the man, taking him aside privately, asked that flesh be brought which was lawful for him to eat, so that he could pretend to have eaten, just as the king had commanded, from the flesh of the sacrifice.
22. So then, by doing this, he might be freed from death. And it was because of their old friendship with the man that they performed this kindness for him.